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Inflation's impact on families across the Kansas City area

Food Inflation
Posted at 7:42 PM, Apr 12, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-12 20:45:30-04

KANSAS CITY, MO — With inflation hitting record highs, Kansas City area families say rising prices have become a burden.

“I work two jobs. I just recently became a single parent so it’s difficult,” mother Alexandra Chavez said.

Chavez says she works hard to keep food on the table.

“I mean I have to pay rent, I have bills to pay, I have kids to take care of and going through a bunch of transitions, having to worry about the price of food going up is something I was not expecting,” Chavez said.

Despite her efforts, Chavez says keeping the fridge stocked up has been hard with rising inflation.

“Now I have to come out of my pocket maybe $400 more for food to make it the month,” Chavez said.

Tuesday, the Bureau of Labor and Statics released a report making Chavez’s reality even harder, citing the Consumer Price Index increased 8.5%. A high we have not seen since December 1981.

Local economist Larry Wigger says the war in Ukraine, supply chain issues and more will keep increasing these costs.

“What Russia and Ukraine provide the local markets, we look at wheat and oil and natural gas. 23% of the global supply coming out of those two countries that are now either decimated by the war or wave-invoked sanctions against them,” Wigger said.

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In the meantime, the high costs of food have forced Chavez to buy only what she needs – leaving out her kids favorite snacks.

“I can’t buy junk. I need to buy whatever I can for the week and that’s what it is. Fruits and vegetables, bread, sandwich stuff, basic stuff. I have to cut back, I can't buy ice cream and extra stuff,” she said.