LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Everywhere you look, from food to clothes, knick-knacks and more, prices are high.
A new nationwide study by the Tax Foundation shows tariffs implemented by the Trump Administration last year have cost the average U.S. household $1,000 in 2025, and that's projected to increase to $1,300 in 2026.
I wanted to see if locals are feeling the impact, so I went to find out.
“It’s really tough, we’ve cut back quite a few things," said Kera Neff, a mother of three. “I have a 23-year-old, I have an 18-year-old, and I have a 15-year-old.”
Caring for her family has been tough recently, so she's made some changes.
“We find ways around expensive items, like especially meats and stuff like chicken breast I’ll cut in half, or like meats like ground beef I’ll cut in half, and we just try to use less. It’s really rough," Neff said.
I asked Neff what she thought about the new study showing just how much tariffs are costing us.
“That’s quite a bit more than I thought it was. That’s definitely going to put a dent in my pocket," she said.
It's not just consumers feeling the tariff pain.
“It added a couple points to my food costs, which you know, that equates to tens of thousands of dollars," said John Simmons, chef and owner of Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar and Tacos & Beer.
“A lot of adjusting, a lot of, we’ve had to raise our prices, but at the same time to give out deals as well," said Pinches Tacos co-owner Javier Anaya.
Pinches Tacos and Tacos & Beer are two local Mexican restaurants feeling the strain and trying to adapt.
“What I’ve done is I’ve really tried to focus on portion control," Simmons said.
Simmons tells me that instead of raising prices at his restaurants, portion control helps a lot. He says they will measure out all ingredients they use to save as much as possible.
Despite that, Simmons has seen a drop in customers.
“Last year our business was down considerably, double-digit percentage-wise," he said.
He says they still offer their happy hour and Taco Tuesday discounts of $3 street tacos and $3 beer.
Pinches Tacos, on the other hand, has increased prices 5% just to try and stay afloat.
That's roughly a $1 increase for their tacos; however, Anaya says that doesn't come close to covering their tariff costs.
He says that's just money to stay afloat, not even to get back to their previous profit margins.
Anaya says they have to rely on their four locations in Los Angeles right now, saying their Las Vegas location hasn't been profitable in two years, so some customers don't mind paying more to help them out.
“No, that’s fine because they don’t have a lot of employees; it’s the owners who are working it most of the time," said Pinches Tacos customer Ginny Otter.
Simmons tells me the tough part is that you can't substitute these high-tariff ingredients.
He says avocados, onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, beans and other Mexican cuisine ingredients are facing tariffs and are needed for nearly every meal.
Neff says she'll keep helping and staying optimistic.
“We have to keep hold of that hope, and we have to keep fighting for these small businesses," she said.
Locals tell me their hope for this year is that everyday items become more manageable to buy to help everyone in our valley.
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