How Much More (Or Less) Will Our Fourth Of July Groceries Cost This Year?
With the Fourth of July holiday fast approaching, it’s time to start planning a menu and a trip to the supermarket. Are you ready to take out a second mortgage?…

Your Fourth of July spread could cost a lot more than it did last year. (Photo by Beo88/Getty Images)
Photo by Beo88/Getty ImagesWith the Fourth of July holiday fast approaching, it's time to start planning a menu and a trip to the supermarket. Are you ready to take out a second mortgage? You don't have to be an economist to know that grocery prices are still pinching the ol' pocketbook. The good news is that food inflation has slowed down, according to a Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute food report.
In a couple of cases, some products have actually come down in price, including chicken breasts and eggs. Of course, with egg prices we had nowhere to go by down. At the beginning of 2023, we were paying nearly $5.00 per dozen! Thankfully, that is a but a memory now.
The Wells Fargo report also points to a significant drop in corn and soybean prices that could ease grocery prices over the next year. That's bad news for farmers but good news for consumers. It seems like there's corn and soy in just about everything.
So there are definitely some reasons to feel optimistic regarding the future of food prices. Unfortunately, as we head into the Fourth of July weekend, we'll still be paying more for many backyard cookout staples than we were a year ago.
Fourth of July Food Prices (Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute)
Bread
Up 22% from last year. Yikes!
Potato Chips
Up 15% year over year.
Soft Drinks
Up 14% from last year.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Up 14% year over year.
Processed Cheese
Up 10% from last year.
Ice cream
Up 9% year over year.
Beer
Up 8% from last year.
Sirloin Steak
Up 2.9% year over year...but last year it was up 14%!
Ground Beef
Up less than 1% from last year...when it is was up 16%!
Chicken Breasts
Down almost 2% year over year. Nice.
Eggs
Down almost 7% from last year. Woo-hoo! But remember, we were paying close to $5.00 a dozen at the beginning of 2023.















