Idaho Shoppers Say These 7 Items Are Just Too Expensive to Buy
This article was originally published by 103.5 Kiss FM
It’s no secret: the cost of living isn’t what it once was. It’s natural, in a way, to see prices go up over time. The extreme inflation happening all across the nation–rapidly–has been unprecedented in some ways.
Doesn’t it just feel like nothing has been the same since the pandemic?
Whether it’s for fun, for pleasure, or totally out of necessity–purchases being made aren’t as cheap as they were just twelve short months ago!
We want to know if you agree: are Idahoans getting priced out of these common items experiencing major price hikes?
It’s Official: Idaho Can’t Afford These Items Anymore!
When it comes to finding ‘savings’ at the store and in life…where are you cutting back?
- Takeout
- Frozen Dinners
- Eggs
- Period Products
- Coffee
- Meat
- Concerts
Well this isn’t cool–where can we save!?
The list of items that are more expensive than they have been (or should be) could go on and on, but according to many national outlets and market experts, the items listed above have seen the steepest climbs.
So how can you save? What options are there?
Non-necessary purchases can be cut of course using a simple budget–just to make sure that you and your family have what you need and what’s most important.
Pointers from experts include:
- Buying Generic
- Can you really tell if it’s Mr. Pibb and not Dr. Pepper??
- Make A List
- It’s easy to go into a grocery store and impulse buy. List your needs and stick to them.
- Shop The Sales
- See a frequently purchased item on sale? Buy a few extra for the long run
- Utilize Loyalty
- Points or member-only discounts often come in handy when looking for a good deal!
It isn’t cheap out there, y’all. Shop smart and good luck!
Idaho’s 7 Cities with the Most Expensive Monthly Bills in 2024 Revealed
doxo Insights provides an extremely comprehensive analysis of how much Americans are spending on monthly bills. Based on their research, these seven Idaho cities are paying more in bills than anywhere else in the state.
#7 Middleton
Middleton didn’t get a deep dive from doxo, but they do estimate that Middleton residents pay about $2,212 per month or $26,544 per year.
#6 McCall
McCall’s too tiny for doxo to break down monthly expenditures, but they say folks in McCall will spend about $2,213 per month or $26,556 per year on bills.
#5 Kuna
Somehow Kuna ending up at #5 is Arby’s fault, right? Just kidding. doxo estimates that Kuna residents will spend $2,296 per month or $27,552 per year on household bills. That’s 8% higher than the national average and about 32% of someone’s income in Kuna goes right to bills. Here’s a look at those expenses:
Mortgage: $1,428/month
Auto Loans: $491/month
Utilities: $330/month
Car Insurance: $254/month
Health Insurance: $115/month
Cell Phone: $120/month
Cable and Internet: $94/month
Alarm and Security Service: $67/month
#4 Meridian
Meridian might be Idaho’s second largest city, but it ranks lower on the list of cities spending the most on monthly bills. doxo estimates that Meridian residents will spend about $2,348 per year month or $28,176 per year on bills. That’s 10.4% higher than the national average. Where’s that money going?
Mortgage: $1,549/month
Auto Loans: $374/month
Utilities: $330/month
Car Insurance: $405/month
Health Insurance: $100/month
Cell Phone: $84/month
Cable and Internet: $95/month
Alarm and Security Service: $67/month
#3 Star
While Star is growing at a rapid rate, it’s apparently too small for doxo to give a breakdown of monthly expenditures. They do estimate that Star residents spend about $2,353 a month on bills. Over the course of a year, that adds up to $28,236.
#2 Hailey
doxo didn’t give a detailed breakdown for Hailey, but estimates that residents pay about $2,372 in monthly bills. That’s about $28,464 annually.
#1 Eagle
Eagle pays more in monthly bills than any other city in Idaho. doxo estimates that Eagle residents pay $2,453 per month or $29,436 per year on bills. About 26% of their annual household income goes straight to bills. Household expenses in Eagle are about 15.4% higher than the national average. So what do monthly bills in Eagle look like?
Mortgage: $1,963/month
Auto Loans: $381/month
Utilities: $319/month
Car Insurance: $254/month
Health Insurance: $115/month
Cell Phone: $135/month
Cable and Internet: $205/month
Alarm and Security Service: $67/month
The Price of These 15 Foods Have Gone Up the Most in Idaho Grocery Stores
We dove into the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index to see which foods have gotten more expensive over the past year. They were able to show the year-to-year (April 2021 to April 2022) price change for 22 different items. These were the foods with the most dramatic increases.
#15 Spaghetti and Macaroni
Not only have spaghetti and macaroni been hard to find for well…a while, but it’s also more expensive when you do find it! The price is up 10.3% from a year ago.
#14 Cheddar Cheese
Making a charcuterie board with cheddar? That’s going to be more expensive. The price per pound of cheddar is up 11.8%.
#13 American Cheese
If you’re grilling up burgers for a party, you’re probably slapping a slice of American on those bad boys. It’ll be a little more expensive this summer. The price per pound of American cheese is up 12.7%.
#12 Beef Roast
We don’t know about you, but our mom loved making a roast for dinner. If you’re THAT mom, it’s going to get more expensive to put a beef roast on the table. The price per pound is up 15.9% from last year.
#11 Ground Beef
Tacos. Burgers. Chili. Ground beef is an essential part of summer! And this summer will be pricier for that reason. The cost per pound of ground beef is up 16.8% from 2021.
#10 Oranges
When you’re looking for something that’s equal parts delicious and healthy to throw into your child’s sack lunch, oranges are always a great pick. Did you notice that the price per pound of naval oranges went up by 17.3% this school year?
#9 Boneless Chicken Breast
There are so many different meals you can create with a good boneless, skinless chicken breast and every single one of them just got a little more expensive. The price per pound of boneless chicken breast is up 20.1%.
#8 Beef Steaks
As we head into prime grilling season, this is need to know information! The price of uncooked beef steaks per pound has climbed 21.4%.
#7 Bacon
Do you feel like you should’ve just fried up a stack of cash instead of thick, delicious bacon? It probably wouldn’t smell as good, but we get it. The price per pound of sliced bacon jumped 22.6% over the past year.
#6 Soft Drinks
This may be in part to the aluminum can shortage that everyone was talking about. The price of a 12-pack of canned soft drinks went up 24% from year to year.
#5 Ham
This is something you may have noticed the most at Easter. The price per pound of ham (not including the canned stuff or lunch meat) has gone up 26.8%.
#4 Milk
Grabbing a gallon of dairy milk for your cereal? Have you noticed that the price has jumped 32.5% from this time last year?
#3 Eggs
Before writing this article, we asked some co-workers which groceries they thought had the sharpest price increases over the past year. The majority of them said “eggs.” That’s not a bad guess. The price for a dozen eggs is up 33.8% from where it was a year ago.
#2 Yogurt
Are we shocked to find Yogurt on this list? Not really. It was one of the 15 items that were nearly impossible to find back in February. The price of an 8 oz. cup of yogurt is up 35.5% from a year ago.
#1 White Flour
The cost per pound of white, all-purpose flour per pound has gone up 59.5% over the span of one year.
Idaho’s 7 Cities with the Most Expensive Monthly Bills in 2024 Revealed
doxo Insights provides an extremely comprehensive analysis of how much Americans are spending on monthly bills. Based on their research, these seven Idaho cities are paying more in bills than anywhere else in the state.
#7 Middleton
Middleton didn’t get a deep dive from doxo, but they do estimate that Middleton residents pay about $2,212 per month or $26,544 per year.
#6 McCall
McCall’s too tiny for doxo to break down monthly expenditures, but they say folks in McCall will spend about $2,213 per month or $26,556 per year on bills.
#5 Kuna
Somehow Kuna ending up at #5 is Arby’s fault, right? Just kidding. doxo estimates that Kuna residents will spend $2,296 per month or $27,552 per year on household bills. That’s 8% higher than the national average and about 32% of someone’s income in Kuna goes right to bills. Here’s a look at those expenses:
Mortgage: $1,428/month
Auto Loans: $491/month
Utilities: $330/month
Car Insurance: $254/month
Health Insurance: $115/month
Cell Phone: $120/month
Cable and Internet: $94/month
Alarm and Security Service: $67/month
#4 Meridian
Meridian might be Idaho’s second largest city, but it ranks lower on the list of cities spending the most on monthly bills. doxo estimates that Meridian residents will spend about $2,348 per year month or $28,176 per year on bills. That’s 10.4% higher than the national average. Where’s that money going?
Mortgage: $1,549/month
Auto Loans: $374/month
Utilities: $330/month
Car Insurance: $405/month
Health Insurance: $100/month
Cell Phone: $84/month
Cable and Internet: $95/month
Alarm and Security Service: $67/month
#3 Star
While Star is growing at a rapid rate, it’s apparently too small for doxo to give a breakdown of monthly expenditures. They do estimate that Star residents spend about $2,353 a month on bills. Over the course of a year, that adds up to $28,236.
#2 Hailey
doxo didn’t give a detailed breakdown for Hailey, but estimates that residents pay about $2,372 in monthly bills. That’s about $28,464 annually.
#1 Eagle
Eagle pays more in monthly bills than any other city in Idaho. doxo estimates that Eagle residents pay $2,453 per month or $29,436 per year on bills. About 26% of their annual household income goes straight to bills. Household expenses in Eagle are about 15.4% higher than the national average. So what do monthly bills in Eagle look like?
Mortgage: $1,963/month
Auto Loans: $381/month
Utilities: $319/month
Car Insurance: $254/month
Health Insurance: $115/month
Cell Phone: $135/month
Cable and Internet: $205/month
Alarm and Security Service: $67/month