SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diegans who have been walloped by levels of inflation not seen in 40 years got a bit of relief Tuesday.
More than 150 people drove up to Toyota of Poway, where workers from the Salvation Army gave each a prepackaged box of essentials, including spaghetti, canned food, cereal, toilet paper, paper towels, and ramen. Relief, not only because the box was free, but because the prices for the items inside it are up along with pretty much everything else in San Diego County.
"Everybody knows the cost of goods, the cost of living, has just gone up so much," said Michael Silberhorn, a Rancho Penasquitos resident. "It's been very difficult."
On Tuesday, the Labor Department reported annual inflation at 7.9 percent in San Diego County. Groceries were up 10 percent, while the price for a gallon of gas was up a whopping 47 percent.
While prices are still high, there is a tiny bit of optimism creeping in.
Over the last couple of weeks, the average price for a gallon of gas is down to $5.81. That's about 20 cents off its record high, according to The Auto Club.
And while 7.9 percent inflation is still at levels not seen in 40 years, it's fallen below the 8.2 percent annual rate the region saw in January.
Nationwide, prices are up 8.5 percent year-over-year, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.
