Summer Cookouts Cost US Nearly $3 More than Last Year

The sizzling cost of summer grilling

The cost of hosting a classic backyard barbecue this summer has hit an all-time high, driven by persistent food inflation, historic cattle shortages, and extreme weather.

Summer cookouts cost US nearly $3 more than last year

At a 4 percent increase from last summer, the cost of backyard barbecue has grown in price at about the same pace as inflation, according to the annual American Farm Bureau Federation survey. The West is the most expensive region…