This post is part of a series chronicling news coverage of rising prices in the United States. See more here.
Fox 56 News Lexington reporter: “Financial experts say that people are having to dip into their emergency funds just to make ends meet”
Reporter: “Higher gas and energy costs can lead to more expensive groceries, and that can make it more difficult for families who are already trying to balance rent, utilities, and other monthly expenses”
Published
Video file
Citation
From a May 14, 2026, video uploaded to the YouTube channel of FOX 56 News
JACE O'BARTO (REPORTER): Well, financial experts say that people are having to dip into their emergency funds just to make ends meet. But, they say there are things that they can do to help ease that burden and start to build those savings back. Kimberly Palmer with Nerdwallet says food prices are projected to rise nearly 4% this year.
And she says, because so many products have to be transported long distances, higher gas and energy costs can lead to more expensive groceries, and that can make it more difficult for families who are already trying to balance rent, utilities, and other monthly expenses. To help cut costs she said she recommends people compare prices between stores and gas stations, and that can be done using price comparison apps. And she suggests people take advantage of store rewards programs and coupons. She says the money people save can then be put back into their savings accounts.