Your Memorial Day cookout will cost more this year | How inflation is impacting food prices

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Your Memorial Day weekend cookout is going to be more expensive. The I-Team is looking at how skyrocketing inflation is affecting those food costs.

Consumer Investigator Jason Knowles shows you how to use the ABC7 Price Tracker to keep an eye on grocery trends.

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A recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows inflation is at its highest point in almost three years at 3.8%.

You can see how prices have changed by using the ABC7 price tracker.

Let's look at ground beef.

According to the Consumer Price Index, the average price for a pound of uncooked ground beef $7.28. A year ago, the same pound of ground beef used to cost you $6.52 in today's dollars.

And other items have seen price increases in just the last few months.

For example, the average price for a pound of tomatoes in the Midwest in April was about $2.23.

But two months earlier, that price was only $1.77 a pound.

The good news is that some items, like eggs, are significantly cheaper with increased supply.

The national average price for one dozen large eggs has fallen steadily since March 2025 from over $6 to $2.25.

You can track the cost of all these items and more here.