Rising fuel prices are causing people all over America to struggle to pay their other bills, and the sudden inflation of food prices isn’t making it any easier. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for gasoline are 131.93% higher in 2022 versus 2000, that’s a $4.74 dollar difference in value. Per year, gas prices received a 3.9% average inflation rate. The current average national price of gas is about $3.59, which means if it were to cost $3.59 in the year 2000, the gas would cost $8.33 in 2022. Americas overall inflation rate was actually lower than the gas inflation rate which hasn’t happened since 2011.

With coronavirus rates dropping and food banks surging, and with pandemic assistance ending, Americans are struggling to make ends meet. According to the Washington Post, after child tax credit payments ended in early February, “35 percent of adults living in households with children said they struggled to cover usual costs.” This surge of gas and food prices could be blamed on the air, the war is also causing shortages abroad.

At the national level, food banks are moving twice as many truckloads as they did two years ago, and transportation costs are up 20% for those trucks. Even the cost of what’s inside of those trucks is rising. A truckload of peanut butter costing about $34,000 in February 2020 currently costs $40,000. Most food banks are saying costs for purchasing, transportation, and distribution are up. They are even having labor shortages, and hopefully the American government can give them some sort of assistance.