The American Farm Bureau is reporting that the price of a July 4th cookout is going to be a “bit higher” this year thanks to persistent inflation.
Every year the AFB releases a report on the average cost of a summer cookout for the 4th of July and this year they report that feeding a group of 10 attendees is going to cost $71.22.
The $71.22 figure is up 5 percent from 2023, when the bureau estimated the average cost would be $67.73, and up 30 percent from five years ago.
The basket of goods measured by the bureau includes hamburger buns, cheese, ground beef, cookies, ice cream, strawberries, chips, chicken breasts, pork chops, pork and beans, lemonade and potato salad.
“Meat will put the biggest dent in your grocery budget,” the bureau says. “Ground beef, pork chops and chicken breast account for 50 percent of the total cookout cost, as we see changes in the pork and beef industries having a big impact on supermarket prices.”
The only prices which have decreased since last year are chicken breasts, which is down 4 percent from last year and potato salad, which also is down 4 percent since last year.
