Man reorders same groceries from two years ago, the bill went up from $126 to 'I am gonna be sick'
While inflation seems to cooling, Americans are still struggling with the burden of high costs amid record price increases in the past couple of years. Grocery prices are particularly concerning as they represent a significant chunk of the typical family's budget. The damning rise in prices was illustrated by a TikTok creator @sewerlidd, who found his monthly grocery shopping list from two years ago on the Walmart app. To his surprise, he saw a 400% increase in the total price of all the items he previously ordered, which made him sick to the stomach.
Food price increases are out of control
The TikTok creator started off by saying, "I think I am gonna be sick," in the video which now has nearly 2 million views. The Walmart shopper says that he came across his 45-item shopping list from two years ago on the store's app and saw that he had paid only $126 for the monthly supplies.
He then saw the reorder option below, and couldn't resist the urge to check what those items would cost now. The current total for all the 45 items stood at $414.39, nearly a 400% increase. "That's four times more. How? Like? What?" the creator says in the video.
Viewers of the creator were equally shocked to see the price increase. However, the comments made it clear that almost everyone was aware of the struggle. "I used to spend $180 for 2 weeks for my family of four and the dog. I am now spending upwards of $430 and trying to figure out what else I can cut. Sorry kids you don't get barbecue sauce," wrote user @justaw0rm.
"I pulled out an old purse the other day. It still had used masks in it. Also a receipt. It was a 12pk of Coke Zero for $4.25," shared another user @smb1005. To put things into perspective, the same item costs $7.84 on Walmart's website.
While most Americans may think things are worse for them, people from across the world are feeling the same. "It’s the same in Australia- nothing more than corporate greed as our supermarket chains make billions in profits," shared a user @landdownunder60.
Meanwhile, some users also pointed out that shrinkflation is a thing too. "I bet the items are also smaller now (less oz, fewer items inside, etc)," mentioned user @mycupsizeisstanley. Even the creator agreed with the user saying, "Definitely lol, all the packaging feels looser and everything feels smaller."
How Much Have Grocery Prices Increased?
GoBankingRates recently analyzed the increase in food prices since the last federal election in November 2020, when inflation was around 3.9%. The report found that by March 2024, food prices increased by about 25.8%. The report added that the biggest price hikes had been in specific categories like eggs, baked goods, dairy, and cereals. However, all food groups had been impacted. Thus, the TikTok creator's discovery can't really be questioned. Depending on the items, a 400% increase in the price may be plausible.
For more such interesting videos and musical content, follow @sewerlidd on TikTok.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on July 17, 2024. It has since been updated.
