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We all realize this, no matter what income bracket you are in. Grocery prices have skyrocketed over the past few years, and it’s a huge shock every time I go to the grocery store.
Meanwhile, the message from Washington on the economy has been fairly consistently good news, consistent with the experience of many Americans. what’s happening?
The USDA’s recommended grocery budget is making people feel like they’re being gassed by the government.
Food prices have increased significantly since 2020. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, food prices rose 2.9% from November 2022 to November 2023. While that’s an improvement over the staggering 10.6% increase from 2021 to 2022, most people still won’t be able to increase it.
However, the government and most media outlets insist that the American economy is at an all-time high. Inflation is falling and wages are rising, but polls nevertheless show that consumer attitudes towards the economy are intractably dire as the 2024 election approaches. , many experts and politicians are wondering why.
But you’re not imagining it. Food is shockingly expensive, and the USDA’s recommended food budget suggests at least part of the reason for the deep disconnect between government messaging and what we’re actually experiencing at the grocery checkout. doing. .
The USDA’s recommended grocery budget bears little resemblance to what most of us actually spend.
The USDA releases a series of “food plans” multiple times throughout the year, presumably based on actual food prices.[illustrate] How can a healthy diet be achieved at all costs? ”
These plans are divided into four price tiers used to determine food stamp benefits: “Frugal,” “Low-Cost,” “Medium-Cost,” and “Liberal.” No matter how you slice it, budgets are out of sync with what many people are actually spending.
TikToker Sarah Biggers Stewart is one of those who frequently focuses on motherhood issues in her videos. She often tries to use this data to analyze her own spending, but she found the latest USDA data to be ridiculously out of place.
“These numbers are [expletive] “It’s crazy,” Biggers-Stewart said in the video. “Based on these numbers, we realized that everyone is spending $1 unless they are willing to literally eat ramen, potatoes, and rice for every meal.” [lot] About groceries. ”
The USDA’s recommended grocery budget is based on the types of foods you eat, and a low budget leaves you with few nutritious options.
The USDA’s food budget is based on the types of food items that are considered “affordable” at various income levels. For example, raw fruits and vegetables make up a large portion of a “liberal” food budget, for those who don’t really care about food costs, but they make up a small portion of a frugal, low-cost budget. . The same goes for meat and whole grains.
As Biggers-Stewart pointed out in the video, healthy eating has essentially become the preserve of high spenders. “Fruits, vegetables, grains, protein – they shouldn’t be luxuries,” she says. True, we’re not talking about caviar here.
And the actual monetary numbers in the budget itself bear little resemblance to most people’s reality. Based on USDA plans, for a family of four, “thrifty” food costs about $975 per month. A moderate plan costs about $1,300 and a liberal plan costs about $1,600.
“So some people spend about $30,000 a month on groceries,” Biggers-Stewart said. She also pointed out that financial experts typically recommend spending no more than 15% of her income on food. “Based on the Department of Agriculture’s own numbers, I don’t see how that is possible,” Biggers-Stewart said.
We asked parents to share their monthly food expenses. These bore no resemblance to USDA-recommended grocery budgets.
If these numbers don’t seem right, you’re not alone. I’m a single man in my 40s living in the suburbs of Detroit, and I cut every corner I can to save money on groceries. I usually spend about $500 a month. That’s $50 more than the USDA recommended budget for a single guy like me who doesn’t even try to save money on food.
For people with children, the USDA numbers become downright ridiculous. Food costs vary widely by location, so we asked parents in different states how much they pay for groceries (all names have been changed for privacy). All said they spent reasonably. None of their budgets came close to USDA’s.
Jenny spends about $800 a month for her family of three in Texas, rather than the $730 recommended by the USDA. In Michigan, Addy spends $1,200 a month for her family of three instead of the USDA-recommended $983 a month. She recently signed up for HelloFresh meals. Because it turns out that it helps you save money on groceries.
Maria, another Michigan mother, spends a staggering $2,400 a month for her family of five, but the USDA says she has the most generous spending plan available to her. It’s only $1,600. And Ted and her husband spend $1,500 a month on themselves and their toddler in ultra-expensive Los Angeles, $350 more than the USDA’s most expensive recommendation.
Commenters on Biggers-Stewart’s video were in a similar situation. “My 1-year-old will eat $36 worth of berries and cheese in two days, let alone a week,” one parent wrote. “Just her husband and I,” said another. “We spend over $1,000 a month.”
Even those living on frugal programs like food stamps fell far short of the USDA budget. “Family of 7, $500 a week for ramen or hot dog-level meals,” one parent wrote. The USDA says the budget should be around $358.
There is a very simple reason for the disconnect between public sentiment about the economy and the economic numbers provided by our leaders. They do not match the reality of people’s lives. And that’s before we even talk about the impact price gouging and “greedflation” are having on food costs.
Some may want to send a memo to Washington that continuing to insist that we should feel better about the economy will not solve these disconnects and the problems that arise from them. The constant gaslighting is getting tiresome, to say the least.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer covering topics related to pop culture, social justice, and the good of humanity.
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