Rising prices leave some citizen wondering, what’s going on

Everywhere people look, prices seem to have risen

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Everywhere people look, prices seem to have risen; whether in the grocery stores, restaurants, and even the gas pump.

Inflation is nothing new, but the speed at which prices have climbed; had consumers concerned and even irate.

“It’s taking me about $60 to fill up my car. Grocery prices, yea, they’ve gone up a good bit. When you go to the grocery store now you spend at least two or three hundred dollars while you’re in there,” said Columbus resident Stephanie Todd.

Some were ready for the responsibility.

“I think we’re a little surprised at how all the prices did go up, but I think that we as adults have to really start to think about how we’re spending our money and how we’re saving our money,” said Columbus resident Jan Miller.

Inflation is a common business cycle; however, the ongoing pandemic has prolonged the rising prices.

“What we’re seeing right now is increased inflation and ongoing. The pandemic is just causing it to stick around longer than expected,” said management and marketing instructor at Mississippi University for Women, Thomas Haffey.

Haffey said the demand for almost everything has gone up tremendously, while the supply hasn’t had a chance to catch up.

“We’ve got cargo ships sitting off the ports right now that can’t unload the goods from overseas markets particularly then we have a trucking shortage that can’t get those goods from the coast to the inland markets that we are at the moment and we can’t then get workers in the local stores to unstock the truck and load the shelf,” said Haffey.

Inflated prices during the pandemic have been higher than years prior, and it’s not expected to slow down for a while.

“That’s not expected to stop right now it’s probably going to be sometime in mid to late 2022 before economists really expect things to even out,” said Haffey.

This inflation does have a perk for some.

“While inflation is bringing the prices in the marketplace up right now. in an aggregate sense we’re also seeing the income of many people rising right now too,” said Haffey.

With shortages in drivers and labor; Haffey encouraged families to adjust to paying a little more for what they need and buy holiday gifts early.