The LuLac Edition #5, 554, January 25th, 2026

 

 

FOOD-TASTIC NEWS

TRUMP:

INFLATION IS DEFEATED

 

Well we know when his lips are moving, he’s lying. Actually , overall, meat, poultry, and fish prices were up 6.9% in December compared with a year earlier, driven by a 16.4% increase in beef and veal costs, which were also up 1% on a monthly basis. The average price for a pound of ground beef is now approaching $6.69 amid strong demand for protein and a shrinking cattle herd. The best thing to do in a place like Wegman’s is to buy the ground beef in bulk at that price and freeze it instead of paying slightly less for a pound

That meaty issue isn't the only price hike dogging grocery shoppers. Coffee costs were also up 19.8% in December from a year earlier, while candy and chewing gum prices notched a 10% annual increase. Banana prices also rose 5.9% on an annual basis in December, though they slid 1.6% from a month earlier.

Looking for something more affordable? Consider eggs, where prices have plummeted 20.9% from a year ago and 8.2% just between November and December.

EGGS? The food stuff the MAGAs were decrying last year. Well guys you got your wish. Egg prices are down. Everything else?

YOU VOTED FOR IT!

 

 THINGS DON’T GO BETTER   

 

WITH HIGHER SODA PRICES

 

Since 2020, the national inflation rate has been 25%, and no matter how you look at it, soda prices have outpaced inflation in the last five years.

Brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper are household names that are enjoyed by millions of consumers every day. While cheaper generic and store-brand alternatives are available, many people prefer the specific taste of these industry leaders and are willing to pay a little extra for them. With that in mind, we focused our analysis on how prices for these name-brand sodas have changed.

Our team found that prices for 2-liter soda bottles have risen at more than double the rate of inflation since 2020, going up by 62% at a time when the national inflation rate was 25%. The cost increases are even more drastic for 12-pack boxes of soda cans. From 2020 to 2025, the average price for 12-packs nearly doubled, rising by 89% overall, which is more than triple the rate of inflation during that time.

While things are more budget-friendly for frugal consumers willing to drink cheaper generic and store-brand sodas, data indicate that prices for those beverages have also risen faster than inflation.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) regularly collects and publishes pricing data for common consumer goods, including soda. The BLS data encompasses all sodas sold in grocery stores, and even with non-name-brand drinks included, the data shows the following inflation-exceeding price changes for soda since 2020:

+30% price increase on 2-liter bottles

+45% price increase on 12-pack boxes

The average price for both 2-liter bottles of soda and 12-packs of soda cans increased every single year from 2020 to 2025. 2-liter costs rose between 5 and 55 cents annually, with the biggest jump coming from 2022 to 2023, when the average price jumped from $2.09 to $2.64. All told, costs for 2-liter soda bottles rose by $1.20 in this period.

Increases were even more pronounced for 12-packs, with prices rising by more than 50 cents each year from 2020 to 2025. That includes jumps of more than $1 from 2021 to 2022 (+$1.13) and again from 2022 to 2023 (+$1.25).

Those incremental cost hikes have added up quickly. A 12-pack of cans from a leading soda company cost a little more than $5 in 2020 ($5.18), and just five years later, the average price for that same pack of soda is approaching $10 ($9.79), an increase of more than $4.50.

Since my weight loss, my main drinks are Diet Coke and Diet Snapple. But I still crave the Coke. I no longer buy the 12 ouncers but do buy the 10 pack of minis. But the minis, once $4.99 are now nearly $9.00.

The 6 packs of 8 ounces, once $3.00 are now going for $7.00. But if you are a true loyal lover like I am, shop for te lowest price. The 24 pack of Diet Coke goes for $15.00 bucks UNTIL it is slashed down to ten bucks by various stores. The 6 packs that go for $7.00 can be had at $2.99 in a sale. Scan the flyers and get the best buy.