Article author:
Canadian news agency
Brett Bundale
Great for long Canadian day weekends to eat burgers on the grill, enjoy a cold drink, or spend time with family and friends. It's time.
Still, backyard barbecues come with a bigger price tag this year.
Inflation reached its highest level in nearly 40 years, raising food prices in May by 9.7% compared to a year ago.
The prices of many barbecue favorites like steaks and vegetables are rising even further, and entertainment with family and friends will be expensive this weekend.
Using the prices collected by Statistics Canada, today the cost of hosting a Canadian Day barbecue with 8 adults and 8 children is $ 302.04. This is more than 17% higher than in 2021, when the bill was $ 257.27.
As people try to save money in grocery stores, higher prices can change their shopping and spending habits.
"Prices are rising much faster than we're used to in the last 40 years," said Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Financial Group.
"People may start switching to cheaper products, especially when it comes to food. For example, you can save money by using chicken instead of steak."
Traveling long weekends puts even more money on your budget. The cost of filling one tank of gas and staying in a hotel room per night has risen from about $ 220 a year ago to about $ 317. This is about 44 percent higher.
Still, no higher costs are expected to discourage Canadians from gathering and celebrating this Canada Day.
"The tedious demand for socializing, going out and barbecuing this summer outweighs the higher costs," Guatieri said.
"But when households run out of some of their savings and demand stagnation subsides, behavior can change significantly."
Costs skyrocket Despite this, Canadians are better off this year than last year, said Angelo Melino, a professor of economics at the University of Toronto.
"More Canadians are working and they are working more time," he said. "The country's GDP, the amount of goods and services we produce, has increased and consumption has increased quite dramatically."
Some higher costs are for Canadians. Prices for some backyard barbecue staples are stable, although it may encourage you to buy cheaper alternatives at grocery stores.
"Alcohol and recreational cannabis haven't increased as much as others, so beer may be cheaper for a drink on July 1st, but hot dogs instead of steaks. You might buy. "
This is the cost of a typical cannabis day barbecue menu item.
(Food Group Percentage is the average price increase in May compared to a year ago, based on Statistics Canada inflation data. Price details for certain items are in the latest 2021 4 Average estimates for the month and April 2022. Price breakdowns are available and statistically incomparable months. The cost is an estimated cost of grocery shopping for a barbecue for 16 people.)
Beef: 11.2%
Cost The price of a kilogram of striploin steak in April 2021 was $ 22.87. For a barbecue with eight adults, each consuming about 0.5 kilograms of steak, the cost would be $ 91.48. A year later, the cost was $ 28.80 per kilogram and the total bill was $ 115.20.
Chicken: 7.9 percent
In April 2021, the price of chicken breast was $ 12.58 per kilogram. Two kilograms shared on a barbecue costs $ 25.16. Today, it costs $ 15.32 per kilogram and costs $ 30.64.
Hot dogs, sausages: 9.9 percent
In April 2021, the price of a Wiener of about 400 grams is $ 3.76, and for 800 grams it's about $ 7.52 (about two packages). .. In April 2022, the cost increased to $ 4.09 for 400 grams and $ 8.18 for 800 grams.
Bread, Bread Rolls, Bread: 11.1%
White bread increased from $ 3.03 in April 2021 to $ 3.37 at 675 grams in April 2022.
Vegetables: 10.2%, Fresh Fruits: 11.3%
1 kilogram of tomatoes increased from $ 3.70 to $ 4.21, 1 kilogram of potatoes decreased from $ 4.22 to $ 4.18, onions One kilogram rose from $ 4.14 to $ 5.28 and Romane lettuce rose from $ 3.58 to $ 3.58 to $ 2.63. The price of cantaloupe melon rose from $ 2.82 in the previous year to $ 3.28 in April. The cost of one avocado rose from $ 1.76 in the previous year to $ 2.35 in April.
Ice cream: 4.1%
Ice cream, which was about $ 4.50 in 2021 and $ 9 for 2 liters, is now about $ 4.70 or $ 9.40 Become. 2 liters.
Edible fats and oils: 30%, seasonings, spices, vinegar: 20.6%
1 liter of ketchup rose from $ 3.32 to $ 4.07, and mayonnaise rose from $ 4.55 to $ 5.93. , Vegetable oil increased to $ 10.83 at 3 liters, up from $ 6.48 the previous year.
Beer: 4.8 percent
A 24-pack of beer, which was $ 47.50 a year ago, now costs about $ 49.50.
Wine: 4.7%
A year ago, the price of $ 20 wine was just under $ 21 today, $ 40 for two bottles, and now $ 42.
The total cost of hosting a Canadian Day barbecue in 2021 was about $ 257.31. Today, the cost of the same barbecue is $ 302.00, which is more than 17% higher.
Inflation will be even harder for anyone traveling this weekend on Canada Day.
Tourist accommodation: 40.2 percent
Hotel rooms rose from about $ 141 a year ago to about $ 200 in May.
Gasoline: 48%
Canada's gasoline price in May 2021 was $ 1.32 per liter. In May 2022, prices across Canada averaged $ 1.95 per liter. The cost of filling a 60-liter gas tank has risen from $ 79.20 in 2021 to $ 117 in 2021.
For a family traveling this Canada Day, filling up one gas tank and staying overnight in a hotel room, the cost has risen from about $ 220.20 to $ 317 — almost 44 percent. It's getting higher.
This report by Canadian Press was first published on July 1, 2022.