Americans Spending More to Eat Compared to Last Year

(WASHINGTON, DC) Americans are spending more on food this year than last, but still less than 35 years ago. According to the Economic Research Service (ERS) at USDA, the average household carved almost 13 percent out of their spending pie for food – both groceries and restaurant purchases. The increase may reflect the general increase in the cost of food in 2018, almost one percent higher, combined with decreases on costs for insurance and savings. Of the average dollar spent on food this year, 57 percent is invested at grocery stores for meal preparation and the remainder is used to purchase food for consumption outside the home.