The good news is that the expenses related to hosting a Super Bowl gathering are projected to remain relatively stable this year, with an estimated rise of roughly 10 cents compared to last year.
However, the bad news is that consumers might need to employ some clever strategies to stretch their budgets further.
Experts at the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute have identified significant variations in prices for popular snacks and prepared foods, suggesting that effectively choosing between higher-priced items and those that have seen price drops can help keep costs manageable.
They estimate that the average cost of a Super Bowl party catering to 10 attendees will be approximately $139 this year, marking a nearly negligible increase of 0.1% from the prior year.
While terms like inflation and “shrinkflation” have dominated grocery aisle conversations for quite some time, creating a budget-friendly plan to please party guests may become even trickier with potential new tariffs from the Trump administration on the horizon.
In the absence of a clear and straightforward theme to guide budgeting, the Wells Fargo economists emphasize the necessity for party organizers to become “food fluent” in order to adeptly manage price changes.
An analysis by NielsenIQ, which monitors food purchases at U.S. retailers, indicates that celery and broccoli are this year’s leading options for dipping since they have both experienced price reductions.
While prices for salsa and nacho cheese have remained stable, the situation becomes more complicated with guacamole dip.
Fresh avocados have seen a notable price increase of 11.5% compared to last year; however, the cost of prepared guacamole has only risen by 1.5%.
Thus, making guacamole from scratch could be a more economical choice despite the hike in avocado prices.
The situation illustrates a broader pattern of price fluctuation within this category.
Overall, the total price of chips and guacamole has only risen by two cents from last year.
When it comes to beverages, beer and wine prices have increased by a modest 2%.
Chicken wings remain a popular choice, yet they do come at a higher cost this year, showing an increase of over 7%.
This rise in price reflects not only inflation but also a continued strong consumer demand supporting these elevated prices.
On a positive note, the retail price for whole frozen shrimp has dropped by 4%, attributed to an increase in supply from shrimp-exporting nations and reduced demand following soaring prices during the pandemic.
While shrimp has a price per pound two and a half times greater than that of chicken wings, it could serve as a game-winning alternative for fulfilling protein needs.
