New York City, the city of dreams where anyone can make it, is slowly becoming impossible to live in. Not only are rent prices going through the roof but the price of a human necessity, food, is becoming unaffordable.
According to studies done by The Washington Post and CNN, inflation has peaked at its highest point in 40 years. There is a reported 12% jump in the price of grocery store food items, compared to May of 2021. From May 2021 to May 2022 there has been a 32.2% increase in the price of eggs, a 14.2% increase in meat, poultry and fish and an 11.8% increase in dairy products. This escalating inflation is not being matched by worker’s salaries. As necessary living conditions like food and shelter become more expensive, wages stay the same, leaving people with no option but to skip out on meals.
This escalation of price has been on a steady rise since 1981 but we are seeing the worst repercussions of it right now. Many Americans put away their money as a, “just in case” security. Many are finding that the rainy day fund is needed now to afford simple needs like food and housing. This leaves them with no security in funds that they might need for future worries like hospital bills, tickets and more.
CouponBirds, an online coupon finder, conducted a survey of 3,500 adults to find out how many Americans have skipped meals or stopped eating as much due to unaffordable prices. The data revealed that 42% of adults in New York State said that they do eat less or skip meals completely due to rapid inflation.
That is a total of 6,419,208 people who are not eating until they’re full.
Hawaii has reportedly been hit the hardest by inflation, not only in their grocery stores, but in every other market as well. CNBC presented that Hawaii topped the number 1 spot on the top 10 most expensive states to live in. The average price of a home in Honolulu, Hawaii is $1,399,439 while their energy bills cost an average of a whopping $369.53.
Other states like West Virginia reported that 75% of respondents eat less, totaling 1,074,435 people. The lowest figure went to South Dakota and Wyoming, with 22% of people skipping or cutting out their meals, respectively.
