Amy Scott

How does it make you feel?

Robbed.

Smith says he doesn't blame the store owner, but it makes him think there's something wrong with the overall system.

Cornell agricultural economist Chris Barrett says rising food prices make shoppers feel powerless.

Most of us bristle a little bit when we feel our agency is really limited and there's nothing we can do about it.

Food prices are rising for lots of reasons, including climate change, a weaker dollar, and tariffs.

And Barrett points out the increases hit low-income people hardest because food takes up a bigger chunk of their household budgets.

Barrett says we're all paying attention to where we get our nutrients and how much they cost.

In Baltimore, Eric Smith says he's trying to eat smaller portions.

Also, he says his mindset toward eating has changed.

He says he used to eat for fun.

Now, he feels like he eats to survive.

In Baltimore, I'm Stephanie Hughes for Marketplace.

Well, one way people are managing the higher cost of living is debt.

Overall, credit card debt is up more than 5% from a year ago, according to the latest data from the New York Federal Reserve.

And a new survey from Bankrate suggests Americans are carrying credit card debt longer than they used to.

More than 60% of people with credit card debt say they've carried a balance for more than a year.

That's up from 53% in 2024.

Marketplace's Daniel Ackerman looked into it.

Overall, wages are growing faster than inflation, but that's not the case for everyone, says Steve Blitz, chief U.S.