Remember last Independence Day when the fledgling Biden administration — several crises ago — tweeted out that handy infographic using cherry-picked data to claim that Americans would save 16 cents on their barbecues? We do. It was bad then, and it's aged even worse since.
Planning a cookout this year? Ketchup on the news. According to the Farm Bureau, the cost of a 4th of July BBQ is down from last year. It’s a fact you must-hear(d). Hot dog, the Biden economic plan is working. And that’s something we can all relish. pic.twitter.com/7h9qLauIbC
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 1, 2021
In fact, it's rotten — and there's no way the White House can claim Americans are saving any money. The supposed 16 cents saved last year are worth about a dime now thanks to inflation and Democrats money-printing bonanza. On average, the American people are now poorer since Biden took office as inflation has run out of control and completely wiped out the wage growth Biden continually brags about entirely out of context.
So, now that it's officially summer — one in which Americans struggle to make ends meet while still filling up their gas tanks, feeding their families, and keeping their lights on — just how much will their Independence Day cookouts cost in 2022? Let's take a look.
Last year, the Biden administration used the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual price tracker, which means they're stuck using that as the authoritative source for price info, despite the fact that official data from the federal government showed prices being much higher.
This year’s 4th of July picnic basket comes in at $69.68. Here's how much your favorite foods will cost this Independence Day ?? pic.twitter.com/PSEXIyW787
— American Farm Bureau (@FarmBureau) June 27, 2022
In 2022, the Farm Bureau says the average July 4th cookout will cost $69.68 — more than ten dollars more than last year, a 17 percent increase, from the "16-cent savings" the White House tried to brag about last time.
Here's where the price increases hit, and the few products that saw prices decrease:
Individual Prices, AFBF 2022 Summer Cookout
2 pounds of ground beef, $11.12 (+36%)
2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, $8.99 (+33%)
32 ounces of pork & beans, $2.53 (+33%)
3 pounds of center cut pork chops, $15.26 (+31%)
2.5 quarts of fresh-squeezed lemonade, $4.43 (+22%)
2.5 pounds of homemade potato salad, $3.27 (+19%)
8 hamburger buns, $1.93 (+16%)
Half-gallon of vanilla ice cream, $5.16 (+10%)
13-ounce bag of chocolate chip cookies, $4.31 (+7%)
2 pints of strawberries, $4.44 (-16%)
1 pound of sliced cheese, $3.53 (-13%)
16-ounce bag of potato chips, $4.71 (-4%)
Somewhat unsurprisingly, the Farm Bureau's release of its 2022 price tracker blames the "ongoing supply chain disruptions, inflation and the war in Ukraine" without mentioning President Biden or the Democrats in Congress who've fumbled America's economy into a near-recession.
Farm Bureau also emphasizes the impact of inflation on producers — including farmers:
Despite higher food prices, the supply chain disruptions and inflation have made farm supplies more expensive; like consumers, farmers are price-takers not price-makers,” [AFBF Chief Economist Roger] Cryan said. He added, “Bottom line, in many cases the higher prices farmers are being paid aren’t covering the increase in their farm expenses. The cost of fuel is up and fertilizer prices have tripled.”
The only question now is: Will the White House tweet anything this year about the cost of Independence Day BBQs? Let us know in the comments how you think Biden admin will try to spin their inflation crisis.