For Kasey McBlais, a 42-year-old single mom who lives in Maine with her two elementary school-aged children, the cost of running a household is only getting more expensive, from buying groceries to paying for her home's upkeep.

"It's really challenging," McBlais, who works at a nonprofit, says of managing her expenses. "It's paycheck to paycheck."

Cleaning her chimney cost $500 this year, up from about $200 when she bought her house in 2019. And grocery money isn't going as far either, prompting McBlais to stretch meals to make sure the family has leftovers. "I honestly don't expect anything to go back to the way they were — it's a matter of things leveling off where they are at," she said.

McBlais' concerns and struggles come as the pace of inflation continues to creep higher, remainin

See Full Page