Here's how much more you'll spend on your Fourth of July BBQ this year

Not even Fourth of July barbecues are immune to inflation. Americans feeding a group of 10 this holiday weekend will spend an average of $71.22, according to a report. It’s a record high: 5% more than last year and 30% higher than in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. The biggest driver of the pricier supermarket bills will be the cost of meat, which accounts for about half the total cost. Ground beef will cost an average of $12.77 this year, up 11% from a year ago. Pork is also more expensive, increasing 8% to an average of $15.49. On the positive side, some items are cheaper than last summer. Chicken breasts now cost an average of $7.83 nationally, down 4% from a year ago. Homemade potato salad also saw a 4% dip in price. The cost of other staples including cheese and strawberries barely changed. Food prices are no longer skyrocketing like they were two years ago. The cost of a Fourth of July cookout is 5% lower than the record set in 2022. Regional differences exist, with the cheapest barbecue bill in the Northeast and the most expensive in the West.