How to help beat high prices in 2026

February 23, 2026

4 min read

You may have heard that inflation is stabilizing, but the cost of groceries and other everyday goods feels like it keeps going up. According to the Consumer Price Index, the cost of goods and services in the United States rose steeply during the pandemic years, then fell quite a bit, and have been growing at a reasonable rate since mid-2023. It’s hard to imagine it’s “reasonable” when it feels like your wallet continues to take a hit after every trip to the grocery store.

What exactly is going on? What are ways to cope with higher prices? We’re here to help you find answers.

What is inflation?
Why do prices feel high?
Four tips for helping to beat high prices in 2026

Key takeaways

Inflation is the increase in the price of goods and services over time. When demand for consumer goods is high and supplies are low, prices rise.
Prices for expensive items like insurance are going up a lot, and some everyday goods are going up too.
Reducing your spending, price shopping, setting aside an emergency fund, investing in your career, and asking for a raise can all help you cope with inflation.

What is inflation?

Inflation is the increase in the price of goods and services over time. The federal government tracks this information with its Consumer Price Index, which regularly looks at costs of food, housing, energy, medical care, and several other categories.

Typical inflation rates in the United States run between 1 percent and 3 percent a year. Since 2024, annual inflation has been below 3%.

Why do prices feel high?

Some prices are, in fact, going up. Insurance, utilities, certain groceries like meat, home and auto insurance, clothing, electronics, and shipping are all continuing to rise in price.

If you get your health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, premiums went up an average of 26% in one year, according to health policy nonprofit KFF Health.

Rising natural disasters are driving home insurance up, as many insurance companies struggle to keep up or move out of hard-hit states completely.

The cost of electricity is estimated to go up 4.2%, and natural gas may be up 8.4%, according to reporting by the AARP.

The cost of groceries over the last few years rose so sharply that the slight increase we’ll experience this year still has that lingering too-high feeling. Plus, beef is impacted by an historically low cattle herd, and poultry and fish are also going up.

Clothes and shoes have been impacted by recent, unprecedented tariffs. Computers and smart phones are impacted by a shortage of memory chips, driven by the increase in demand for AI.

The United States Postal Service has also announced 5.1-7.8% price increases for different types of shipping.

Five tips for beating high prices in 2026

Here are some things you can do to ease the strain on your wallet.

Review your budget
Sit down with your monthly budget and look at where your money is going. Be sure to pay attention to the areas where costs are going up: Health insurance, utilities, certain groceries, insurance, clothing, electronics, and shipping. If any of these are taking up a bigger and bigger share of your budget, you’ll know where to begin thinking about cost-cutting strategies.
Price shop
If you have health concerns, use online price comparison tools to find hospitals that offer more affordable prices for the same service. Federal law requires insurance companies to post the prices they pay hospitals and doctors for services, making price comparisons possible.
Auto and home insurers also publish prices, and online comparison tools can help you compare prices.If you eat a lot of meat, which is getting more expensive, consider swapping for eggs and other dairy products, which are actually predicted to drop in price this year. Pay attention to brands, too. PepsiCo snacks, like Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, and Tostitos, are getting a 15% price cut which began rolling out in February.
Build an emergency fund
It’s always a smart idea to have savings set aside for emergencies. This won’t directly protect you from inflation, but it will make it easier to deal with price increases. Rather than spending extra cash you have on hand, consider putting that money in your emergency fund. Think it’s too hard to save? Do it effortlessly with Set & Save, which learns your money habits and saves a bit here, a bit there, until you’ve got a rainy-day fund you can depend on.
Invest in yourself
Another great use for extra funds is investing in yourself to increase your earning power. You can do this by enrolling in continuing education courses or career development training. Look for opportunities to learn in-demand skills. When you can meet today’s business needs, you’re more valuable to employers.
Ask for a raise
As the cost of living goes up, a raise can help you meet living expenses. Some companies offer yearly wage increases to offset inflation, so start by asking your employer if there are plans to do this. If not, it’s time to start negotiating for a raise based on merit. Remind your boss of all your contributions at work and the many ways you’ve helped improve the business.

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Now that you understand what’s happening with high prices, learn about how Oportun can help you build a better future. If you’re looking for affordable credit options, we can help. Visit our homepage to learn about: