A Fourth of July BBQ celebration for 10 guests will cost you an average of $102.20, a 4.45% jump from last summer’s $97.77 price tag, according to statistics compiled from the Labor Department’s May average price data. However, with a little savvy shopping, you can easily lessen the blow your wallet takes this Independence Day.
All-American Burger
Putting together the American classic, a quarter pound lettuce and tomato cheeseburger, will cost consumers more this year, at an average of $1.18 per burger, up 9% from $1.08 in 2010. Accounting most for the change, ground beef jumped nearly 40 cents to $2.69 from $2.30 per pound this year. (Reuters)
Steak
Another BBQ go-to, steak, will also cost consumers more this holiday, with prices rising about 6% from $5.62 per pound in 2010, to $5.96 this year.
Chicken Breast
A cost effective solution for meat lovers nationwide can be found in chicken, which costs about 4% less this year at $3.11 per pound, compared with $3.24 per pound in 2010.
Potato Chips
Potato chips saw a significant jump this year, as prices for the fried favorite rose an average of 7.6% from $4.59 per 16 oz bag last Independence day, to $4.94 per bag this year. (Reuters)
Fruit Salad
In addition to offering a healthy alternative to the bag o’ chips, fruit salad will also be lighter on consumers’ wallets this year. A fruit salad mix of strawberries, bananas, and oranges, will cost about $6.60 for enough to feed a party of 10 (about 10 cups), which posts a 2.5% decline from last year’s average cost of $6.70 for the same amount.
Beer
Beer may offset some of the other BBQ costs, with prices dropping 3.5% from $1.22 for one 16-oz beverage to $1.17 this year. (Reuters)
Propane
One area to note in non-food costs this holiday is propane, commonly used to fuel barbecues. Prices are up 8.3% this year, at $2.87 per gallon, compared with $2.65 per gallon last year, as geopolitical news has caused growing energy price concerns. (Reuters)
The total cost for this Fourth of July BBQ for 10 guests -- offering each person a hamburger, one serving of chicken, a serving of steak, a cup of fruit salad, a beer, and a bag of potato chips -- would ring in at $102.20, or $10.22 per person. That's a 4.5% increase from America’s last birthday, when each guest would have cost their host $9.78, a total of $97.77. (Reuters)