Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. American households are facing growing financial strain as the cost of everyday essentials continues to climb, outpacing wage growth and eroding purchasing power. Affordability Crisis ‘Getting Worse’ On Sunday, in a post on X, The Kobeissi Letter, said “basic necessities have never been more unaffordable,” while noting the steep increases in core expenses since February 2020, with grocery prices up 29% to ...