LAST UPDATE | 23 May

THE PRICE OF a bag of potatoes has doubled, the Dáil heard this month.

It’s just one staple for which consumers are paying more. 

Meat, milk, cheese, eggs, chocolate and sweets, fruit, juice, bottled water – the list of products driving grocery price inflation of 3.4% in the year to April goes on and on, according to the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) data.

And the most recent analysis from market research firm Kantar shows grocery prices are rising much faster than they were a year ago, meaning further increases are likely to be on the way.

It’s no surprise that discount retailers Lidl and Aldi are growing their Irish market share.

The inexorable increase in the price of essentials is enough to make a person want a little treat, maybe a take-away coffee - but they’re going up in price too, as is eating out in general. 

Bigger bills for food and alcohol in pubs, restaurants and cafes drove hospitality inflation in the year to April, despite the price of hotel rooms falling, according to the CSO. Food business owners don’t see an end in sight to the cost pressures they are facing and forced to pass on.

Let us know what you’re experiencing

We want to hear how the increasing price of food and drinks and other essentials is affecting you.

• Have you noticed a hike in the cost of your ‘big shop’, or has the price rise for a particular essential item – be it food, drinks, toiletries or anything else – jumped out at you?
• Have you changed your spending habits, be that changing where you shop or the brands you buy, or are you simply buying less?
• Have you cut back on eating out, takeaway meals or coffee, or socialising?
• What impact is the increasing cost of food and drink having on you and your family?

Please get in touch by emailing answers@thejournal.ie and telling us about your experiences.

Please include your name, age and county, and let us know if you would like to remain anonymous.

We’ll reflect your stories in a future article on this subject.