Our Weekly Economic News Roundup: From Popcorn to Fruity Pebbles
August 15, 2026
How Much We Work To Pay for a Cookout
August 17, 2026
Through money and climate, we can look at the cost of a summer cookout.
Cookout Costs
Money
At $73.82, this summer’s cookout cost us $2.90 more than last year’s. But the priciest items included the beef, the buns, and the strawberries. At $14.06 for two pounds, the beef was up by 5.5%. Meanwhile, the buns cost us 7.7% more, and the strawberries, a whopping 12.4%.
The Farm Bureau summed up the prices in this graphic:
But still, what you paid depended on where you live:
Climate
In addition to our burger’s extra dollars, it also has a high carbon cost. Using the same greenhouse gas emissions as our burger, instead, we could have wound up with three grilled cheese sandwiches or five and a half bratwursts.
Similarly, our substitute menu would have ranged from 7.5 fish sandwiches to 17 Impossible Burgers:
An economist would say that it’s all about opportunity cost.
Our Bottom Line: Opportunity Cost
Defined as the next best alternative, the opportunity cost of a decision is what could have been. As a result, it is what we sacrifice. For a pricier summer barbecue, the opportunity cost identifies where else the extra dollars could have been spent. Similarly, for climate, our sacrifice is diminished carbon emissions and a healthier future. Or we could have had more grilled cheese, chicken, or bratwursts.
Everywhere though, beef is to blame.
My sources and more: Always handy for cookout costs, the American Farm Bureau had the facts and the images. From there, we went to the NY Times for our climate impact.
