LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With full bellies for many across Las Vegas on Thanksgiving evening, attention is turning to the bustling holiday shopping season as prices remain high due to inflation.
The rise in prices has forced some shoppers, like Candice Lammour, to make tough decisions.
"It's awful," Lammour said. "It makes it hard to travel."
A growing number of people opted to start their holiday savings by skipping the traditional Thanksgiving feast and, instead, dining out as restaurant price increases trailed grocery store hikes, especially among items like turkeys, since last year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported grocery store prices increased 13% from September 2021 to September 2022 while restaurant prices rose by 8.5%.
"Typically I be eating turkey and all that, but it's changing," said Kyle Shepherd as he left a Subway Sandwich shop.
Lammour said she's like a lot of Americans in trying to pinch every penny when shopping for friends and family while also getting quality gifts they'd like.
"You've got to work extra hard," she said. "Like, you have to look up every single price, analyze everything, and it takes double the time to find one deal. It's not right."
Bankrate.com said the number one tip to not break the bank while shopping to plan by sitting down, laying out a budget for each gift, and then not breaking that budget.
For many, it's either that or hope inflation rates fall which Lammour wasn't confident would happen.
"The governments need to work together," she said, "but I think they just love sucking every dollar they can out of the average Joes."
