It's not just eggs: Americans feel prices are higher on most goods

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

Why we asked: As prices rise for eggs, we thought we’d see if people are feeling it.

What we found: In the years we have been asking this question, a high number of people generally say prices on most things are rising. Which, well, we’ve been asking during inflationary times, so yes, they have. But the shifts give us some interesting signals.

Today, sentiment is relatively flat since we last asked in June (for most items). Slightly fewer say gas is more expensive. Nationally, gas prices are almost 20 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to gasbuddy.com. But even when prices are lower, people don’t always recognize that. We hadn’t asked about dairy prices (including eggs) since last year at this time, but now 82% say they are rising, compared to a still-high 74% last year. Older Americans, who tend to be on fixed incomes, and plausibly pay more attention to their grocery bills, seem to be feeling the pinch more acutely.

Related, we asked people when they think prices will go down again. And there’s a tiny bit of what could be read as new optimism in that the number of people saying “never” fell from 41% to 36%.

More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:

Americans are feeling much less confident about their economic status

Many Americans are losing faith in the safety of air travel

Only half of men think feminism benefits both sexes

Republicans and independents are feeling more threatened

The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about