Why is our grocery bill rising every month while pay stays the same?

[BenjaminJJ]

I’m trying to figure out if my family’s budget is just unusually tight or if others are seeing this too. Our grocery bill for the same basic items seems to jump every single month, but our pay hasn’t changed at all.

[MarkHC]

Yeah I noticed the same thing here last year. Our groceries kept going up every month even though we did not change what we buy. I started tracking receipts for a few items and comparing prices from week to week.

[Adam.L]

Maybe it's not us maybe the prices drift up over time. I still wonder if we are just buying more or trading up to nicer brands.

[Oliver.L]

I tried switching to generic brands and looking for sales. I kept a six week price log on a few staples and noticed costs rising even when I did not buy more. Do you notice if a few categories drive your bill up?

[PaisleyD]

One night I wandered off topic thinking maybe I should just cut snacks, then a few days later I was back to groceries and prices still looked high. I am not sure if this is the same for others or if there is a trick I am missing.