SALISBURY, Md.- From education to food, clothing and rent, it seems costs are going up all around us. According to the government, cost of living in the United States is rising at a rate of 3 percent every year. Yet some argue the actual number is much higher than that and closer to 10 percent.
Chris Lewis of Salisbury is not buying what the government has to say about cost of living.
"As a guy with a family, who's had a business, has seen the prices skyrocket, that's just not accurate," he said.
Lewis tells WBOC he has witnessed prices going up first-hand almost everywhere.
"Electricity, food, everything. The basic [cost of] living has gone up through the sky," he said.
Others agree.
"I see it in my phone bills, utilities," said Ruth Fleming of Salisbury.
Rhonda Banks spent Monday afternoon getting a head start on her Fourth of July grocery shopping and said she definitely felt the pinch.
"Food items, mostly in the grocery store and if you're able to go out shopping for clothing, prices seem to be a bit higher," she noted. "You have to be very selective."
Mary Miller's family has made adjustments to deal with higher costs.
"Our family has had to downsize vehicles, downsize our apartment. We've had many, many struggles," Miller explained.
With costs rising seemingly across the board, some people say they are happy to finally be catching a break at the pump.
"It helps a little but it's not that much of a consolation to the cost increases," remarked Trevor Stark of Lewes, Del.
For people like Chris Lewis, striking a balance is proving tough.
"Everything you have and spent your life creating has gone down in value while everything else has gone up," he said.
Rhonda Banks spent Monday afternoon getting a head start on her Fourth of July grocery shopping and said she definitely felt the pinch from higher food costs. (Photo: WBOC)
