CARBONDALE (WSIL)---Around every corner, prices are going up, whether it's gas or groceries.
"We have to budget a little bit more than we used to," said Carbondale resident Sherrie Rawson. "From week to week it's getting hard because the things we get the most of are going up like milk and bread."
Local grocery stores like the Neighborhood Co-Op are also dealing with the rise in goods.
While they specialize in organic food, which already costs more on average than conventional goods, General Manager Francis Murphy said the gap is shrinking.
"A place where see the price gap shrinking is actually here in the produce department. Things like apples and tomatoes are one thing that are getting closer and closer and price. In fact, the difference between organic tomatoes and regular tomatoes are about 10 cents a pound," said Murphy.
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, meat, poultry, fish, and eggs have had the largest change, rising 13% in 12 months.
And customers have seen the difference.
"Meats are absolutely crazy. Before I could get meats and I could enjoy a steak or something. Now it's, no. Now I go to hamburger, and even hamburger is outrageous," said Mulkeytown resident, Sue Herbert.
Customers try saving money by buying in bulk, or checking which items are on sale before coming to the store, but they often find the items they need are missing from the shelves.
"If you're gonna drive, it's the cost of the gas to get there. So you're almost at the point where you need to call first because I don't want to waste the gas to get there," said Herbert.
And once you hit checkout, everyone can see the prices ticking up.
"The things you grew up with, that you kinda took advantage of, I guess we were spoiled in a way. Now, we're having to watch everything we do because it's affecting every aspect. Lights, and gas, and food. It's getting really difficult," said Herbert.
