Grocery bill prices are expected to climb for the remainder of the year

Grocery bill prices are expected to keep rising in 2021, a lasting fallout from pandemic stockpiling, NBC News reports. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the largest one-month increase in nearly a decade, showing a 0.6 percent increase in March. For instance, before the pandemic, the national average for a pound of bacon cost $4.72; last month it hit $5.11. Economists note that rising costs from gas prices, increased imports by China, and heavy Midwest crop damage all likely contributed to the spike. Increases are also connected to the supply chain disruptions that occurred last year; prices simply never went back down.