Fourth of July savings: Lower cost options to beat record cookout prices
Houston - The American Farm Bureau Federation says inflation is hitting backyards hard this year. The cost of your 4th of July cookout will hit a record high.
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Costly Backyard Barbecues
The AFBF says overall prices are up 5% from last year and up 30% from five years ago.
The average cost for a barbecue for 10 people will be about $71.22.
Items on the rise include ground beef, up 11% from last year to an average of $12.77 for two pounds, and pork is up 8% to an average of $15.49 for two pounds.
Chips are up 2.7%.
There is some good news: the price of some staples are up only 1%, such as cheese and strawberries.
Saving Tips
To save, consider some lower cost alternatives:
Two pounds of chicken breasts are down 4% from a year ago to an average of $7.83.
Making your own potato salad is much cheaper than buying it pre-made. Potatoes are down 4%.
Salsa is up 2.5%, so you may want to swap it for guacamole, which dropped 1%.
Cutting up your own fruit is much chepaer than buying it pre-cut.
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Now let's talk drinks. Did you know aluminum is up 5% this year? That's driving up the cost of cans of soda. So buy two-litter bottles of beverages instead. They're down 6%.
And rather than buying paper plates, cups, and cutlery, use dishes and utensils you have at home and wash them.
We also found some deals you might want to check out.
Deals and Offers
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Walmart is offering a collection of July 4th cookout essentials for eight people priced under $50. It includes hot dogs, buns, condiments, chips, Pepsi, ice pops, and cookies.
Kroger is offering $15 grilling recipes, including grilled shrimp and vegetable kabobs.
H-E-B's website has some coupons for some cookout items.
And Target is offering veterans and service members 10% off two purchases. It also has discounts on a variety of 4th of July party favors decorations.