PHOENIX (AZFamily) \u2014 The latest Consumer Price Index shows food and energy costs are climbing as gas prices lead monthly increases nationwide and Phoenix shoppers are feeling the pinch.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything is more expensive,\u201d said Kyle Evans. \u201cCost of food is going up and living too,\u201d said William Bogart.<\/p>\n
The latest Consumer Price Index<\/a> shows that groceries saw a 2.7% increase in September versus this time last year. Nonalcoholic beverages were up 5.3%. Ground beef and steaks were around 12%.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just the nickel and dime stuff that, like, why does it have to be twice as much for groceries as it used to?\u201d said Evans.<\/p>\n WalletHub also ranks inflation in Phoenix as the 12th-worst<\/a> metro area in the nation.<\/p>\n As for gas, it\u2019s also up according to AAA. Arizona gas is about 7 cents more expensive per gallon than this time last year. It\u2019s also higher than the national average. Arizona\u2019s average gas is $3.35, while the national average is $3.06.<\/p>\n These price increases are taking a toll on shoppers like Bogart. \u201cIf it\u2019s not one thing, it\u2019s another,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Evans said what frustrates him is that wages aren\u2019t following the increasing trend. \u201cI\u2019m not making any more. My salary stays the same, yet injustice is being done,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Bogart said he\u2019s tired of political games and hopes someone in power hears the pleas of ordinary people. \u201cWe have to talk to somebody to make it cheaper for us to live,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n