Your Memorial Day barbecue has gotten cheaper
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Seattle has had some of the nation's highest inflation in the past year, but in at least one area we're now catching a break: the cost of meat to throw on the grill.
Why it matters: If you're planning a big family barbecue for Memorial Day weekend, you'll feel less pain this year when you visit your local butcher's counter — at least, compared to 2022.
Driving the news: While nationwide the cost of meat, poultry, fish and eggs rose 2.8% between April 2022 and April 2023, in the Seattle metro area, those prices fell by 3.6%, according to Consumer Price Index data.
Yes, but: Overall food costs in the Seattle metro area still were up 8.0% year over year.
- So you could still be shelling out more money for your sides and condiments.
Plus: One reason we're seeing meat prices decline now is likely because they spiked so much last spring.
- In April 2022, the prices of meat, poultry and eggs in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area rose about 21.5% compared to a year earlier.
The bottom line: Your celebratory ribeye may cost less than last year — but that's not a lot of solace, given that it wasn't cheap then, either.