A shopper bags fruit inside a supermarket in Chevy Chase, Maryland, on Feb. 7, 2022.A shopper bags fruit inside a supermarket in Chevy Chase, Maryland, on Feb. 7, 2022.

An analysis by Moody's Analytics found that inflation is costing the average household $296 per month.

The latest reading on consumer prices rose 7.9% in February compared with a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Ryan Sweet, senior economist at Moody's Analytics, said that it is going to get worse before it gets better.

Some are feeling worse off than others.

Want to give your finances a spring cleaning? If you want to find financial success, you need to get organized. How to get started.

The Penn Wharton Budget Model found that low- and middle-income households in the U.S. spent more on the same products in 2021. Spending by wealthy households went up.

The middle-class is getting squeezed according to a study by Wells Fargo. Inflation was half a point higher for middle-income consumers in December than it was for those at the lowest end of the spectrum, according to economists at Wells Fargo. Hispanics and Latinos had the biggest jump in living costs.

The fear of inflation, the pandemic and war are challenging what future generations consider to be the American Dream.

There are three ways to combat inflation and two things not to do.

You can save gas by being strategic about the use of your car. If you have to run an errand, do it in one trip, at a time when there is not a lot of traffic, says a certified financial planner.

When shopping for groceries, be sure to have a meal plan in place.

Lynch said that it helps people save money if they know what they are going to eat.

Flipp is a good app to look up grocery store ads. She creates a meal plan for the week that includes items that are on sale and prepares three meals on Sunday. She can avoid getting takeout or fast food if she has a plan in place for the rest of the week.

During times of high inflation, this strategy has helped my family save hundreds of dollars.

You can save money at a discount grocery store if you don't need a specific brand item. Buying in bulk in a warehouse store may help you avoid future price hikes.

The unit price is the cost per unit of a particular product. canned goods may be priced per ounce, while paper goods may be by sheet or feet. A product that seems cheaper at first may not be the best deal because it has fewer units than a higher priced item.

In-store and online coupons can be used. You can get them through a reward program or credit card. When shopping online, browser extensions like Rakuten and Honey will apply coupon codes when searching for them.

It's a good idea to review your budget on a weekly basis since prices are increasing so frequently.

She said that you want to be aware of where your money is going and give yourself the chance to lower another area of your budget to make the numbers work.

One way to lower your costs is to cut out things you don't need. Lynch suggested that you could try to lower your cable bill or car insurance bill.

Use power strips with switches that allow you to completely turn off the products plugged into it if you want to save energy. According to the Department of Energy, you could save up to 10% of your residential energy use by doing this. The heat can be turned down to save money.

Credit card debt can be tempting to ride out the storm. The senior economist at the Credit Union National Association said don't do it.

According to CreditCards.com, the average credit card interest rate is just over 16%. The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates this year.