A look at consumer prices 6 months into the second Trump administration

[G_j]

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/15/july-us-consumer-goods-price-tracker/

It’s been a little over six months since President Donald Trump assumed office for his second term. In that time, the economic landscape has shifted quite drastically: The new administration has implemented broad tariffs on U.S. trade partners, the stock market has both plummeted and soared to historic heights, hiring is down, fears of a recession are on the rise and, perhaps most notably for everyday Americans, consumer prices are changing.

Now $6.34, the cost of ground beef hit all-time highs for the sixth consecutive month, jumping another 4% since June. But it’s not just backyard barbecues and ballpark dogs that are getting more expensive — bananas, electricity and chicken also remain at or less than a cent away from their record prices, according to the latest data from the consumer price index.

Across the board, consumer prices are about 2.7% higher than they were this time last year, an increase economists largely attribute to the president’s sweeping tariffs pushing costs higher. And with even greater import taxes on more than 90 countries taking effect last week, it may not be the last time the price of consumer goods and services tips the scale.

The Tribune is tracking 11 everyday costs for Americans — eggs, milk, bread, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, chicken, ground beef, gasoline, electricity and natural gas — and how they are changing, or not, under the second Trump administration. This tracker is updated monthly using CPI data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

..more..

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. In that case, we'll just stop releasing the reports.

This tracker is updated monthly using CPI data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

No data; no inflation.

And good morning.

[Lovie777]

2. Although it's CPI - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics........................

it's still under shithole and comrades...................

I'll say it's much higher and with the GQP lies, it will hit very hard and quickly upon the consumers.

The rich will try to counter to save their asses, and they may go down as well.

History, ya think they would have learned, oh wait....................

that's woke.

[Javaman]

3. and it's gonna get so much worse. nt

[JMCKUSICK]

4. Here is my Alter-Ego's spin on things

Youngdumbson pronounces that yes, egg prices have come down some, but everything else has gone up. With Walmart leading the way.
They're using tariffs as an excuse, but I found that in the same week when I got to go to Sam's club, they hadn't raised their prices at all.
Walmart has raised everything from their famous $1 loaves of bakery bread ($1.47. Almost 50%) Eight O'clock coffee $13+ for 2lb bag ($17+ now up 30%), A large box of Corn Flakes used to just under $5, now almost $7, and a 12 pack of 7-up which used to be $5.98 is now $8.22. Steakburgers that used to be around $14 is now regular priced at just over $25. For 8 fricking hamburger patties.
This is only the latest in what they've been doing since COVID hit.

[OldBaldy1701E]

5. And, they are the richest people on the planet.

So, who is going to stop them? The programming made us worship them. It worked, and we do.

So, how do you convince the faithful that their demigods are the problem? Hell how do you convince any of the people in this country that their entire philosophy is the problem? Most are still convinced that they can become rich as well.

Which is a lie, excepting for 'cultural quirks', which is how Zukerbum got his wealth. However, it is exceedingly difficult to predict cultural quirks. (Which is why they program us with advertising... to try and create one for their product.)

The corporate lie that said our time was 'too precious' to spend on the things that make our lives better worked like gangbusters. I know people who will not clean their floor if their expensive Roomba dies. Something that would literally take ten minutes of their day to accomplish. But, they just cannot fathom getting it done without their toy.

The programming worked.

[Norrrm]

6. In his SOTU lie fest, Donald said Biden let the price of eggs get out of control.

https://crooksandliars.com/2025/03/get-over-it-newsmax-host-shocked-people



In his SOTU lie fest, Donald said Biden let the price of eggs get out of control.
In his own short time in office, Trump has let the price get even more out of control.
(Now they have come down a bit.)
Is everyone enjoying the lower price of groceries as Trump gave his word?

[modrepub]

7. Based on CPI?!?

Wouldn’t it be better to just send a reporter to different stores or get online to report actual prices people are currently paying?

I don’t buy ground beef but I’ve heard about prices going north of $10/lbs. That’s way more than this article is saying.

[slightlv]

9. Yes... when I've bought it of late (which isn't much anymore!)

It's been anywhere from $9-$10+. EVERYTHING is MUCH higher than it's been. In addition to that, the veggie section looks bleak. Some things I just can't buy any longer. Others (lots) look pretty ragged. I've needed green bell peppers, but passed on them because they were so shriveled and old, splotched with black spots. I blame a lot of it on tariffs, also on on trumps kicking out all the farm workers... but I also think we've got a lot of greedflation happening, too. There are some speciality things (like spices, etc) that I just can't get at the stores any longer, so I buy it online and hope it doesn't take too long. I just did that last night with a special chili seasoning mix I love... I use it in a lot more than just chili. Although the maker is probably about an hour away from where I'm living, I can't drive there anymore. And I use that spice in SO much of what I cook. So, I ate the cost of shipping and ordered it straight from them.

[mnhtnbb]

13. I was happily surprised to pay the same $ for mulch

this year for my garden. I had the same landscape guy spread it this year as last. He brings a trailer full.

[slightlv]

15. I just got back from the grocery. $90 for 2 days of meals.

They did have some locally grown heirloom tomatoes, and I bought two (since I can't seem to catch our Farmer's Market when they're open). That led to a loaf of bread, a head of lettuce (which really had to be looked through... the selection was really bad), and a package of bacon. The bacon is microwavable -- 10-14 strips -- can't they can't when packing? BLT's for lunch for the next couple of days. The bacon was $9.45. So... eggs may have come down a bit, but the bacon has definitely raised in price! I will enjoy this BLT, tho!

I need to comparative price the fake meat like burger crumbles and bacon(?)... I'd rather switch over to it completely, but I'm almost afraid to see how much they cost. And an hour at the store on those cement floors just kills my back... so I'm home now, sitting after taking a pain pill, trying to get myself together enough to start cleaning the house a bit.

[Farmer-Rick]

8. Prices are just arbitrarily going up

No matter what the government claims, prices are just going up and up because the filthy-rich know they can get away with it because there is no federal oversight. Red states are the worse at over charging.

I bought a self propelled wheelbarrow for doing some work in a tight space. I started looking in January, they were about $400, I should have bought it then. By August they were $700. It could have just been surge pricing. They up the price of a product when you need it most and most people don't need a wheelbarrow in winter.

But the fact that the CEOs and board room elites feel perfectly comfortable charging more just because they can, clearly indicates no government agency gives a f*ck about excessive prices.

And I got about 10 tons of rock put on my driveway. Two years ago it cost me about $300. This month it cost me $500. There are no tariffs on local rocks, the price to dig it out of the ground hasn't changed that much and gasoline prices are down here. Why the 66% price increases?

The filthy-rich class is just charging whatever they want and know no one gives a f*ck and no one will do anything about it.

[SpankMe]

10. At my local Albertsons

...egg prices have more or less stabilized. You can get cage-free/organic for $8-9/doz and "regular" grade AA for around $4/doz. And this is CA, so $4/doz feels weird.

The prior run-up was highly influenced by bird flu issues and not Biden policies. Egg prices are back down due to the fact that the bird-flu thing has passed and eggs are produced locally and aren't subject to tariffs.

But...the price of beef has skyrocketed locally. A single USDA Choice rib-eye of around 14-oz is nearly $22. Plus, the meat counter guy was grumpy and yelled at me for saying that the lady next to me was there first.

I wish I know the reason for high beef prices. I assume that even locally produced meat is higher because of all the imports being tariffed are driving up costs overall if beef is commodity-priced.

[moniss]

11. My grocery store was $7.49 a pound for ground chuck and

who knows if that description was even real because, despite being labeled as 80/20, the burger patties shrank by 50% and the pan was full of liquid after frying.

[mnhtnbb]

12. Yesterday I bought 93% lean ground beef

Packaged in 2.2lb wrap. It was reduced in price, effectively $7.49/lb, sell by 8/20. I make 7 burgers from that size package, freezing 6, since I live alone and allow myself one burger/week.

[lildDemz]

16. These are lower than my stores.

85/15 ground beef is $8.99/lb, but also BOGO(a sale that I interpret as a desperate call for customers). 10.99/lb for a farm-labelled brand.

[SCantiGOP]

14. My wife and I eat out about twice a week

Recently we have noticed higher prices, smaller portions, and add-ons like no free bread with the meal.
The server at our favorite restaurant recognized us so he pointed out apologetically that the free small salad was now a $5 charge so we would’ve be surprised when the bill came.
I don’t blame them. He said that they were seeing increases in their prices, and were having labor shortages in the kitchen.

[progree]

17. Wholesale fresh and dry vegetables up 38.9% from June to July, per Producer Price Index

Yes, I know the subject of this thread is consumer prices, but logically wholesale prices will get passed onto the consumer eventually if not sooner.

These are wholesale prices collected throughout the month of July, so likely some are already showing up at the retail level by now (Aug 18). Well, in the case of fresh vegetables, they'd have all been purchased by consumers by now

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ppi.t02.htm

Final Demand goods -> final demand foods -> fresh and dry vegetables +38.9% from June to July, seasonally adjusted.
(and 16.4% year-over-year).

Compare to:
    Final Demand goods: +0.7% June to July, and +1.9% yoy

    Final Demand goods -> final demand foods: +1.4% June to July, and +4.2% yoy

I've been eating 3 cups of vegetables a day for quite some time, so this is quite concerning. The Dept of Agriculture's Dietary Gudelines recommends 2.5 cups of vegetables a day.

=======================================

Wholesale prices report, LBN https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3512711

Consumer prices report, LBN https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143511498
. . . Graphs at https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143511498#post15