New Yorkers Worry as Grocery Expenses Rise

BROOKLYN, NY, MAY 22, 2025

“Food is a basic necessity and the prices we’re paying are ridiculous,” said Amie Sanogo. The Bronx native, is one of many New Yorkers whose lives were disrupted by the rising costs of groceries and because of that Amie’s parents and oldest siblings have prioritized budgeting for food. Amie feels that President Donald Trump hasn’t paid attention to the rising cost of food.

Since 2020, the cost have groceries has been on the rise. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that from 2020 to 2024, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 23.6 percent. That has affect families like Sanogos and others throughout the New York City.

Aime’s family shops at their local supermarkets and discount stores. They try  Bravo, Trader Joe’s, BJ’s, and Food Fest. She feels her family is not getting quality produce for what they are paying.  She blames President Trump.  “Trump is so ignorant,” said Aime.“He doesn’t care about the lower class, doesn’t care about the middle class. He only cares about the high-income class, and he’s going to clash with our society.”

Before the uptick in grocery expenses, Amie’s diet heavily consisted of protein. She had to sacrifice eating her favorite, eggs, because of the price hikes. That also means setting aside her passion for baking.  Aime noticed a price hike in prepared desserts, produce, dairy, and plant-based milk. “I enjoy baking, and you know, eggs just throw me off and make me not want to bake. I started baking like two years ago. I’ve always had a passion for cooking and baking. I don’t really have access to eggs anymore, and the prices have risen. They’re not in my budget anymore,” said Aime.

Amie does not think anything will change until the United States elects a new president. Amie’s concerns are not unfounded, since the beginning of his second presidential term, Trump has issued periodic tariffs on prominent trading partners. On April 10, 2025, the White House clarified that a 145% tariff was imposed on China. The tariff numbers and threats keep changing.

In addition to his tariffs, Trump’s secretary of the United Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.),  urged states to bar recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from purchasing soda. That’s part of his plan to to “Make America Healthy Again.” RKF Jr encouraged governors to follow behind Governor Patrick Morrisey, by submitting a waiver to the USDA to remove soda from SNAP.

Amie is a member of the debate club and aims to raise awareness any time she is at a debate, “I’m always promoting a politician we need in the U.S. to just, you know, advocate for those who don’t really have that many resources,” said Amie.

Like her sister Aime, Ferima Sanogo, a 20-year-old college student, feels the quality of produce is declining, and prices will continue to rise until 2028. As of January 2025, Ferima noticed this increase, “I feel like eggs were a part of my diet often, and then trying not to buy them is harder.”

Aime and Ferima’s parents buy meat in bulk every three to four months. Ferima notes that her family’s weekly expenditure on essentials like bread and eggs totals $200 and those prices are likely to go up. The USDA anticipates that all food prices are predicted to increase by 3.2 percent. Prices for eggs, sugar, sweets, nonalcoholic beverages, beef, and veal are predicted to grow faster than historical average.  Egg prices are predicted to increase by 57.6 percent, while prices for cereals and bakery products are predicted to increase by 0.8 percent. And prices for fresh fruits are expected to grow at near-average rates.

The Sonogo family is one example. But there are many others.

“I’m buying the same stuff, just paying more for it,” said Michael Thompson, a 35-year-old software engineer who lives in Greenpoint. He spends about $60 to $70 a week on grocery shopping at his local Jubilee Market. His weekly groceries consist of pears, bananas, apples, eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, milk, leafy green vegetables, and protein including ground beef or chicken thighs. The price of everything has gone up about 10%

He feels the quality of produce is poor, “Sometimes I’ll buy some vegetables and see that ‘oh wait, they’re rotten already.” He has tried shopping at other stores for produce, but does not see much of a difference. Thompson says he has bought less produce in New York compared to the other places he has lived.

Thompson believes that healthy food should be affordable for everyone, “That should be a pretty common standard delivery. Everyone should be able to afford that stuff. So, yea, [it] sucks to see the price going up so much.”

In Queens, Maureen Kast, 78, shops at different grocery stores. She believes certain grocery stores are good spots for specific products, and takes pride in purchasing quality items. Kast grocery shops twice a week, on Sunday and Saturday. She shops at Whole Foods, Stop and Shop, and Trader Joe’s. “I like each of those stores for certain products, like Whole Foods is my product; they always have organic produce, and fruits, they have the best organic fruits,” said Kast. She adds, “Trader Joe’s has some custom items that you can’t get anywhere else. They also have very good meat, and the prices are usually very good. At Whole Foods, I don’t buy meat. Stop and Shop is my store for generalized groceries.”

Kast, who grew up in New York, also looks for sales. “I think I get good quality, but I’m paying more now in the last six months to a year. You know what I mean? Everything has gone up,” Kast added.

On the upside, the rising costs have made Kast aware that she has over shopped and overspent. “I used to buy too much. I have stopped doing that now. No more leftovers. I buy only what I use for a certain number of meals. That’s how I’m cutting back,” said Kast. She adds, “I’m on a pension and social security, and it’s cutting in, more and more, you know, like right now. She makes weekend meals for family who come to visit. “I’m still able to make big Sunday and Saturday dinners. You know, I may have to ask my son to chip in pretty soon.”