Long Islanders struggle to pay the bills as inflation hits 40-year high

Middle Island resident Isiah Sidberry say he and his wife both work, but it's still been hard to fight back against inflation.

News 12 Staff

Mar 10, 2022, 11:03 PM

Updated 1,022 days ago

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Inflation has hit a 40-year high, and Americans could face even more high prices because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Middle Island resident Isiah Sidberry says it's getting hard to keep up with the cost of groceries, gasoline and housing.
"It's crazy. It's mind-blowing because it's like we work so hard to support our family and everything, and we come to the store and it's like it's extra hard. We still got to work double the amount that we're doing to support our family with the prices going up," Sidberry says.
Inflation rose to 7.9% in February. According to the latest Moody's report, the average family is spending $250 more a month due to inflation to put food on the table, cover the cost of housing and getting gas.
Sidberry say he and his wife both work, but it's still been hard to fight back against inflation.
"It's hard to actually take my son to places now because the gas prices are going up," Sidberry says. "So we try to find stuff around the house to do like board games."
Food pantries like Branches Long Island have also noticed what inflation has done. They say double the amount of families a day are coming to pick up donated food than in 2021.
"A lot of them are working families, middle-class families just trying to get by, and they have to make choice. So, we can help offset the cost of food and they can use it for other things they need," says Katie Dunphy, of Branches Long Island.
Sidberry says the food pantry's donations are one stress off his mind.
In an effort to stop the rise in inflation, the Federal Reserve is set to raise interest rates several times this year - beginning next week.