The Cost of Food Jumps Another 0.8 Percent in September

CPI data from the BLS, chart by Mish

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) was unchanged in July on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 1.3 percent in June. This post puts a spotlight on food.

Month-Over-Month Details

  • The food index increased 0.8 percent in September, the same increase as August.
  • The food at home index rose 0.7 percent in September as all six major grocery store food group indexes increased. 
  • The index for fruits and vegetables rose 1.6 percent
  • The index for cereals and bakery products rose 0.9 percent over the month. 
  • The index for other food at home increased 0.5 percent in September, after rising 1.1 percent in August. 
  • The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 0.4 percent over the month.
  • The index for nonalcoholic beverages increased 0.6 percent in September. 
  • The dairy and related products index rose 0.3 percent in September, the same increase as the previous month. 
  • The food away from home index rose 0.9 percent in September, as it did in August. 
  • The index for full service meals increased 0.4 percent and the index for limited service meals increased 0.6 percent over the month. 

CPI Seven Food Categories Year-Over-Year

CPI data from the BLS, chart by Mish

Year-Over-Year Details

  • The food at home index rose 13.0 percent over the last 12 months.
  • Cereals and bakery products increased 16.2 percent.
  • Food away from home rose 8.5 percent.
  • Fruits and vegetables are up 10.4 percent 
  • Other food at home is up 15.7 percent.
  • Nonalcoholic beverages are up 12.9 percent.
  • Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs are up 9.0 percent.
  • Dairy is up 15.9 percent

Food Components in the CPI 

CPI Food Components for September 2022

The numbers change slightly every month. The above pie chart is for September.

Year-Over-Year Bright Spot

The apparent bright spot is food away from home, only up 8.5 percent from a year ago. 

But that does not factor in default tips that have soared to 20 percent. There is no escape from escalating prices.

CPI Much Hotter Than Expected Led by a Surge in Price of Food and Shelter

For a look at shelter, energy, and the core CPI, please see CPI Much Hotter Than Expected Led by a Surge in Price of Food and Shelter

This post originated at MishTalk.Com.

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36 Comments
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Jojo
Jojo
3 years ago
Posted on Oct 4, 2022
“They Doubled In Price”: 34 Common Grocery Items That People Say Are Costing Them Way, Way More Than They Used To
“The other day I went to buy a pack of ramen that used to be 25 cents. I hadn’t bought any in a while and almost passed out to see it was now 45 cents. Can I still find 45 cents? Sure, but it just captures the whole problem. Prices didn’t jump; they did an Olympic pole vault.”
….
Zardoz
Zardoz
3 years ago
Judging by the plentitude of porkers I see waddling around, America can stand to eat .8% less.
jiminy
jiminy
3 years ago
Reply to  Zardoz
Self discipline is a 19th century value.
LawrenceBird
LawrenceBird
3 years ago
Most commodities have either been at these levels previously (like a decade ago) or are significantly off their highs. Even crude is well below highs seen years ago. The driver is labor costs and corporate desire to retain same margins (achieved at the expense of non-executive employees for many decades).
Jojo
Jojo
3 years ago
“There is no escape from escalating prices.”
——-
There is one – grow your own.
shamrock
shamrock
3 years ago
They warned us agriculture would be negatively affected.
Eighthman
Eighthman
3 years ago
Worst inflation in 40 years and the markey shoots up 900 points. imagine the rally we could have if NASA announced that an asteroid was due to end all civilzation on earth.
Jojo
Jojo
3 years ago
Reply to  Eighthman
We’d bump it out of the way!
FromBrussels2
FromBrussels2
3 years ago
Reply to  Jojo
…..they can t even send a rocket to the moon these days let alone bump out an asteroid …..Don t believe everything Nasa proclaims ! It s ALL political propaganda , US is great, US is entitled to dominate the whole planet !
Jojo
Jojo
3 years ago
Reply to  FromBrussels2
Yes indeed. Get down on your knees Brussels!
FromBrussels2
FromBrussels2
3 years ago
Reply to  Jojo
….you can t get a rocket on the moon these days ….and THAT is a FACT !!
FromBrussels2
FromBrussels2
3 years ago
Reply to  Jojo
….btw , you haven told us about the ‘rape’ yet ….
randocalrissian
randocalrissian
3 years ago
Reply to  FromBrussels2
Yes everything is a lie, be like George Costanza except with two tin foil hats.
Zardoz
Zardoz
3 years ago
Reply to  FromBrussels2
In America, we can have all potato we want, comrade!
FromBrussels2
FromBrussels2
3 years ago
Reply to  Zardoz
Sure Papadave , Realist…. fck what are the other ones again? can t keep up…
Fish1
Fish1
3 years ago
So housing/construction going to the cellar. Home Depot, Lowes, Ace et al. going too. Trades and their suppliers looking bad. RE of all classes will be early casualty.Layoffs coming to all those areas in spades. Travel and leisure will be next to circle the drain. How are those oil/gas positions going to do? Look out, the spinning looser arrow is likely to land on you. You think the bell will not toll for you?
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
3 years ago
Reply to  Fish1
Our washer machine went Kaput 2 weeks ago.
Of course, that means new washer and dryer (according to my wife).
Anything electronic routinely updated with new models. So, if warehouse full … and new models on the way … blow out the old. Ordered the pair from Costco for $1299.97 (on clearance). The next day price dropped to 999.97 (got the new price) and delivery in 3 days. 2 year warranty + installation + new dryer vent + haul away of old included.
I “almost” felt bad for them.
Best Buy still has them:
TexasTim65
TexasTim65
3 years ago
Reply to  Tony Bennett
Wow, Best Buy price is a LOT more than the 999 you paid.
I’m in the market for washer/dryer combo myself. Ones we have are more than 12 years old and the dryer is almost kaput (I’m constantly having to jigger with it to get it to dry). Let me know how you like them. I’m hoping dryer lasts till the Black Friday sales when I hope prices are even cheaper.
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
3 years ago
Reply to  TexasTim65
So far so good (kiss of death).
We were going Costco no matter what (for 2nd year of warranty w/o having to pay up for extended warranty) since just about every major brand has cheapened over the years.
Jojo
Jojo
3 years ago
Reply to  Tony Bennett
You can also get extended warranty (double the original warranty or even 2 full extra years ) on certain charge cards. You have to check closely though. Amex Blue card dumped their extended warranty and other benefits about 18 months ago. So I dumped that card for the Costco Anywhere Visa card, which still offers a nice collection of extended benefits.
spa sidechats
spa sidechats
3 years ago
Reply to  TexasTim65
I’m going with Speed Queen next time. Tried to tell my wife but she wanted a Samsung with all the bells and whistles. She regrets it (like most things). Things are built like a tank.
JRM
JRM
3 years ago
Reply to  Tony Bennett
I noticed the ones with “CHIPS” fail faster than the push/turn button versions!!!
Then they force you to hire a TECH WIZ to fix them or buy new one!!!
I work pretty good with my hands and have fixed many of the older washer/dryers..Even for friends and family members!!!
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
3 years ago
Alignable with another dose of Doom. A snip on restaurants:
Restaurants Downshift Holiday Hiring

And the numbers for restaurants are even more mind-boggling. Through restaurants have been struggling to staff up to the right levels for over a year, the combination of inflationary pressures bearing down on them has forced a more conservative approach to holiday hiring.

At the beginning of Q4, 2021, 56% of restaurant owners told us they planned to staff up significantly. Now, a year later, that figure is a meager 17% — down 39% in 12 months.

Drilling into the restaurant situation even more deeply, 48% of all restaurant owners taking our poll said they’re not hiring anyone — seasonal hires or permanent hires for the rest of the year, again, because their revenues won’t support it. And 8% are laying people off.

Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
3 years ago
Leave it to the EU – of all people – to solve the problem:

Crunchy, nutritious and now likely to hit dinner plates and supermarket isles; three types of bugs have now been certified as food fit for human consumption by the European Union.

European member states have recently approved house crickets, yellow mealworms and grasshoppers as so-called ‘novel foods’ which provides regulation for new them to be brought to market.

Jojo
Jojo
3 years ago
Reply to  Tony Bennett
It’s just another source of protein. With proper cooking and seasoning, most anything is palatable.
MPO45
MPO45
3 years ago
Stocking up on rice, beans and canned goods wasn’t such a bad idea as I suggested months ago huh. I wish I could go and find my post but I got a full day today….
Matt3
Matt3
3 years ago
Reply to  MPO45
Not a bad idea if you want to eat rice and beans. That wouldn’t be my first choice but it sure does sound better than crickets, mealworms and grasshoppers!
TexasTim65
TexasTim65
3 years ago
Reply to  MPO45
We’ve been doing the same here. Also buying lots of pasta too since it keeps a long time.
Debating on buying a small freezer and filling with various meat as it goes on sale. Only problem is meat doesn’t keep as long even in a freezer as canned goods / dry food.
One nice thing about living in Florida is you can grow some veggies year round outside. We always have stuff like tomatoes, peppers, beans etc growing in pots plus the obligatory fruit trees . Only challenge is keeping the Iguana’s from eating them first.
Mish
Mish
3 years ago
Reply to  TexasTim65
Definitely get a freezer. Meat will last a long time and cheese forever. Rap it in freezer paper and rotate, use oldest food first. Been doing that my whole life.
shamrock
shamrock
3 years ago
Reply to  Mish
Unfortunately quality suffers when freezing and thawing meat. Never tried it with cheese.
Jojo
Jojo
3 years ago
Reply to  shamrock
I tried freezing a wedge of swiss recently. It seemed to make the cheese saltier?
TexasTim65
TexasTim65
3 years ago
Reply to  Jojo
That would make sense since freezing removes moisture and that would in turn make the cheese saltier.
Siliconguy
Siliconguy
3 years ago
Reply to  shamrock
Cheese gets brittle but the flavor is unharmed.
Meat tends to dry out, but if you are going to crockpot it, or make stem it’s fine, it will rehydrate.
Bacon seems to be unaffected, it’s fine after thawing out.
vanderlyn
vanderlyn
3 years ago
Reply to  Mish
everyone lives differently. we walk to the market for fresh fish, and vegetables………..and some lamb or steak once or twice per week. thank heavens in a village like brooklyn, the cost of top quality cuisine from ethipian to argentina to russian and dozens of others is a mile or less away……….so cheap.
spa sidechats
spa sidechats
3 years ago
Reply to  vanderlyn
We signed up with a couple of local farmers a couple years ago. The prices are firm fixed for 6 months but prices have not gone up much. It’s not cheap but the quality is far superior, never any shortages and we are supporting our community. Only real problem is having to do a lot of meal planning with what they give you. I use to hate it but it expanded our recipes. Except for carrots. Too many carrots. I started cutting them in half and putting on the grill just too see….turned out great.
I do highly recommend a deep freezer but just make sure you also have a generator just in case you lose power. Also some of those folding square cloth grocery totes. You don’t want loose meat all over the place and having to dig through it. We have four of them for our freezer and filled by date. Works well.
MPO45
MPO45
3 years ago
Reply to  TexasTim65
A vacuum sealer will make meat last a very long time. Cook it in a sous vide straight from the freezer, if it is beef or chicken you can always brown it with a torch, not pan or grill to finish it.
Food shortages will be way worse this time next year. I’m gonna bookmark this comment and we’ll review in a year.

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