Many people have heard the term, “Broke College Kid”, and many of us have been one, so why are today’s “broke college kids” different from previous generations? 

In recent years, inflation has majorly affected how the public purchases groceries, and that’s especially true on many college campuses like our own Murray State University. 

After reviewing the results of an anonymous survey shared around campus, it can be seen that, among college students, the majority buy their groceries weekly or biweekly, with the average trip costing between $46 and $80. 

When placed alongside the information that 40.7% of respondents hold only an on-campus part-time job, the grocery bill seems more expensive. This is due to the fact that the student worker minimum wage rests at $8 per hour. With a maximum of 20 hours per week between all campus jobs, a student can only earn $160 per week, before taxes. 

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics website provides a wide variety of tools that can be utilized to take a broader look at the current state of inflation. 

To find out more about how the change in inflation rates has affected our grocery prices over the last four years, check out the video, “I’m a Broke College Kid”.