“America’s Not Gonna Be Able to Survive Like This” — Man Claims Hamburger Ingredients Hits $50

A shopper was stunned by how much it cost to make hamburgers at home and believes that many Americans are going to find it more and more difficult to feed themselves and their families. TikTok user We the People News (@wethepeoplenews2.0) uploaded a clip breaking down how much he paid to make eight hamburgers: $50.

In a video posted on March 22, 2026, the social media user records himself in the parking lot of the grocery store he just frequented. From the get-go, he's stunned at how much he just shelled out to make his own food at home.

"I'm here at the grocery store. I come to get some stuff. America's not gonna be able to survive like this," he says into the camera. "How are we going to survive? I got stuff to make burger and fries. OK? I got enough meat to make eight hamburgers, a pack of hamburger buns, a thing of charcoal, a bag of potatoes, and grease," he tells his viewers.

As he rattles off the ingredients he purchased from the grocery store, he shows off his purchases in their respective plastic bags from the supermarket. Following this, he asks those watching his clip to "take a wild guess," as to how much the food cost.

"Fifty damn dollars!" he exclaims with a sardonic laugh. "Fifty dollars to make homemade hamburgers and french fries? There's no way we're surviving," he tells the camera. Furthermore, he says that his financial situation is probably better than others.

Furthermore, he lamented that the amount of money he was earning wasn't anywhere near enough to justify a recurring recurring purchase. "I make good money and this is not sustainable. I can't spend fifty dollars! And I didn't even get nothing!"

He went on to state that the charcoal was "on sale [for] $3.99." Meaning that the rest of the food items he purchased amounted to the staggering grand total he spent to make grill eight hamburgers. "Hamburger meat. Buns. Potatoes and grease. Forty five dollars. We are so screwed," he tells viewers.

As with any commodity, the cost of food and groceries vary by location and where you're purchasing said products. So are the TikToker's claims about a $50, eight burger cookout legitimate? Market Realist did an online shopping run at Target to get an estimated amount as to what it would cost.

First, the appropriate amount of ground beef would need to be selected for such. The typical burger patty weighs anywhere from 4 to 6 ounces, so let's estimate it to be on the higher side. Which means one would need around 3lbs of ground beef in order to make eight hamburgers.

We added that to our cart. Along with a head of lettuce, a pound of organic tomatoes, a 16 ct. package of single American cheese slices, a 5lb bag of potatoes, and a 4lb bag of charcoal. We also added a package of 8 count hamburger buns.

The pricing breakdown for everything in our cart is as follows:

• 3lbs Organic 100% grass fed 85/15 ground beef: $24.33
• 8 count Wonderbread hamburger buns: $2.69
• 4lb easy light charcoal briquettes: $5.99
• Fresh russet potatoes: $3.79
• Kraft Singles American cheese slices: $3.99
• Organic on the vine tomatoes: $3.89
• Fresh iceberg lettuce head: $2.99

Grand total: $49.41

Of course, depending on the toppings and condiments one may or may not have in their home, that price could be more or less. So the TikToker's estimation of what an 8-burger grill session would have is on the money. (Note: the following estimate was from a Target store located in Bergen County, New Jersey.)

With that being said, purchasing meat and other goods from a bulk retailer such as Sam's Club and Costco could result in lower prices.

And according to the USDA's Economic Research Service, food prices are increasing.

From March 2025 to March 2026, the overall cost of food has shot up by 3.3 percent. Furthermore, "the CPI for all food increased 0.1 percent from February 2026 to March 2026." The agency speculates that food prices are projected to jump up even further throughout the rest of the year.