Soaring grocery prices force three-quarters of Americans to cut back elsewhere

Posted on by

Consistent with its previous findings, data revealed that menu prices continued to climb in November, frequently surpassing the overall inflation rate of 2.7%.

For those who enjoy their retail coffee, the price hikes were significant: the median price of cold brew in November increased by 4.5% year-over-year to $5.54, and regular coffee rose 3.5% to $3.59, according to Toast. Burrito prices also saw a 3% year-over-year increase to $13.43, with burgers similarly climbing 3% year-over-year to $14.57.

Regarding beef, a primary ingredient in burgers, it proved popular among home cooks this year, despite its consistently high prices at supermarkets. This trend was reported in new data from Tastewise, which monitors social media discussions and online recipe engagement.

Tastewise attributed this heightened interest to the nation’s focus on high-protein diets. From January to November 2025, mentions of beef across social media and recipes surged by 11.8% year-over-year, while the use of beef recipes by home cooks increased by 11%.

However, due to elevated prices and economic pressures, more affordable cuts of beef saw a rise in popularity. Mentions for chuck roast increased by 12.4%, ground beef by 9.6%, and sirloin by 3.1%. Conversely, mentions for premium cuts like filet mignon dropped by 6.8% and ribeye by 4.1%.

Analyzing its receipts data, the rewards app Fetch also provided insights into American spending habits in 2025, observing that sales of products highlighting protein content on their labels increased compared to 2024. This included protein-enriched cereal (up 69.8%), granola (up 45.9%), and dry pasta (up 35.4%).

Regardless of their dietary choices, a significant number of shoppers expressed concern over affording groceries. A survey by Swiftly, a provider of digital and media solutions for physical supermarkets, revealed that over two-thirds of respondents (67.6%) reported difficulty paying grocery bills due to inflation and escalating food prices.

Furthermore, over three-quarters (75.2%) indicated they had cut back on spending in other categories to cover grocery costs. When asked which areas they reduced spending on most to afford groceries, entertainment was cited as the most common cut, followed by travel, clothing, and dining out or drinking.

This report was compiled by .