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Soaring Inflation Is Increasing The Cost Of Living For People Who Commute To Work

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- If you've been working from home and returning to the office, you'll notice the cost of your favorite lunch items going up while some companies are quietly shrinking the sizes of your favorite food products.

"I can tell from having the same budget that I had before all of this, I would get less," Darrina Carr, a deal-hunting mom, said. "It seemed like the bags would get smaller and smaller."

The index for food away from home has increased 7.4% over the last year, according to a Labor Department report.

Prices you buy to eat at home rose almost 12%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's the biggest 12-month jump since 1979.

"It is kind of a scary feeling thinking about what I used to be able to get before all of this compared to what I can get now."

Meanwhile, Starbucks raised prices in the U.S. earlier this year and said costs could continue to rise.

And since the start of last year, salad chain Sweet Green raised its menu prices by 10% according to recent earning reports.

Then there's also shrinkflation. Bags of Fritos scoops marked party size used to be 18 ounces. Now. they're 15.5 ounces at most retailers.

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