It's not just our gas tanks that are getting more expensive to fill up. Filling the grocery cart with food may also be putting a strain on wallets.
That's according to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation's latest market basket report, which looks at 20 commonly purchased food items. The overall food basket price was $53.27, up $5.24 from the same time last year. The 20 items surveyed include products such as milk, eggs, different types of meat, and produce.
The Federation's Paul Ketring says rising fuel prices are largely to blame, because the cost of getting food on store shelves is being passed on to consumers. As a result, expect to pay more as prices continue to climb.
However, growing global demand is also a concern. Ketring says the increased use of corn and other crops around the world is causing more demand for limited supplies.
To help lower costs, he suggests consumers look at products made her in Wisconsin. He says products that travel a shorter distance to get to the grocery store could lower the bottom line for shoppers.