Americans work to adapt to largest food-price hike in decades

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Many Americans are changing their eating and shopping habits after the biggest jump in grocery prices in 50 years. According to government figures, the price of food purchased for home use rose 31% from 2019 through 2025.

The war in Iran has made it uncertain if a slowdown expected this year will materialize.

Some say they are hunting for deals at multiple stores and switching brands. Others are buying fewer of their favorite foods or less food overall. One reason consumers feel so pinched is that other costs have climbed rapidly, too, most recently for gasoline.

Like a lot of San Francisco Bay Area residents, Jack Chang has felt surrounded by rising costs. The 33-year-old self-employed barber and father of three isn’t just talking about grocery prices and gas. The landlord of his Mission District barbershop raised his rent by 10% this year. Meanwhile, Chang has lost clients who got laid off from their tech jobs. His home utility bill also remains high.

With 6- and 4-year-old daughters and a 2-year-old son, he purchased a used 2024 Toyota Sienna hybrid minivan three months ago. So, he now has monthly car and auto insurance payments.

It feels like cutting hair five to six days a week just isn’t enough at times.

Chang wants to spoil his kids. “But I just can’t,” he said. “We have to live frugal, because it’s hard to afford.”

The reasons for the grocery price hikes are numerous, from pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, weather conditions, and diseases like bird flu to tariffs on foreign products like coffee, tomatoes, and chocolate. Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine disrupted oil and fertilizer supplies, making food more expensive to produce. A fresh conflict in the Middle East is creating similar price pressures this year.

This article and video were provided by The Associated Press.

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[Barber Jack Chang cutting a customer’s hair]

Jack Chang (interview): “Five, six days a week, I’m cutting at least five, 10, 15 heads a day. And that’s pretty good for a barber in San Francisco.”

[Chang helping his daughter get ready and walking with her out the door]

Jack Chang (interview): “It’s really hard for us to survive right now, and I wish that it is easier, I wish it was easier. It shouldn’t be this hard.”

[Chang celebrating his daughter buckling herself into the car seat]

[Chang driving]

Jack Chang (interview): “Prices are extremely, extremely high right now. Gas is really expensive. It gets more expensive every year. Groceries are especially expensive.”

[Food and drinks on a shelf in a grocery store]

Michael Greiner (interview): “People are having less money to spend on any number of things. And we’re seeing the ramifications of this.”  

[Fruits and vegetables for sale as part of the Well Wayne mobile market initiative]

Kennyle Johnson (interview): “Right now, it is more important than ever that we bring the mobile market to the communities, because we know that prices are unaffordable.”

[Chang and his mother entering a food market]

[Eggs and other items on grocery store shelves]

[Apples for sale on the Well Wayne mobile market truck]

Jack Chang (interview): “We get a lot of food from the food bank, and we also get an EBT card every month and that helps a lot.”

[Chang’s mother preparing a meal]

[Chang and his mother having a discussion in the kitchen]

Jack Chang (interview): “My mom helps cook all the time. She doesn’t eat much. So, she feeds her grandchildren a lot. That helps a lot.”

[Chang’s kids sharing a hug]

Jack Chang (interview): “I want to spoil them. I have two girls I want to spoil. My son — I want to spoil them, but I just can’t. We have to live frugal, because it’s hard to afford.”

[Chang giving his son and daughter a drink of water]

Jack Chang (interview): “My daughter was going to sleep, and she was like, ‘Dad, can we go to Disneyland for my birthday?’ And I try to tell her, ‘I’ll try my hardest to take you to Disneyland, but there’s no guarantees.’”

[Chang’s kids playing]

This script was provided by The Associated Press.