KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Here at KSHB 41, we're committed to tracking inflation and helping you understand why things seem to cost more right now.
In December, consumers paid 7% more on items across the board compared to one year ago.
It marked the highest inflation rate since the early 1980s.
Some of this is being blamed on the supply chain.
Experts explain that there have not been enough workers to make the goods and not enough truckers to ship the goods. There have also been a variety of other disruptions including plant shut downs, a shortage in computer chips manufactured overseas and a backlog at coastal ports, just to name a few.
Some of the issues were exacerbated by the pandemic, but some have been years or even decades in the making.
The Federal Reserve signaled it would raise interest rates in coming months.
The theory is, raising those rates would slow down consumer spending, giving the supply chain time to catch up, eventually evening out prices. But, that will take time.
So, what can we do in the meantime, and how high are prices here in the metro?
Those are questions the I-Team is committed to answering for you, starting with one possible resource for families.
"Our website is simply to help busy families get dinner on the table," Polly Conner explains.
Conner is one-half of the duo behind the website Thriving Home.
Based out of Columbia, Missouri, these moms and cookbook authors offer tips to help make meals easier and cheaper.
"A big tip we always tell people is menu plan," Conner said. "I know that kind of sounds like a headache and another thing to do for a busy parent, but it really will save you time and money in the long run."
Part of that planning means buying in bulk when possible and freezing the extra for the future.
"One thing I always do is I do look at sales and then again I utilize my freezer. So for example, if ground beef is on a really good sale, I will buy a lot of it and then I will break it up into small portions to freeze. That way I can just find a small amount when I need it," Conner added.
Speaking of meat, that's one of the five basic items our I-Team is tracking for you each weekat five different metro locations.
Ground beef has increased 40 cents at both Walmart and Hy-Vee, compared to when we first started tracking prices four weeks ago.
The price per pound has increased 10 cents at Price Chopper.
However, the price for ground beef at both Aldi and Sunfresh are currently unchanged.
It's important to note, sales can impact the prices we record each week.
Also, this is not meant to be a price comparison between stores, since the brands and sizes can vary from location to location.
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We want to hear from you on what resources Kansas City families might benefit from to help us all through the pandemic. If you have five minutes, feel free to fill out this survey to help guide our coverage: KSHB COVID Survey.
