The Real Numbers | Where the Money Went
Fifty Dollars a Week, Reshuffled
The average household grocery bill rose from $120 a week in 2020 to $170 a week now. Here is where the extra money came from, and where the rest of the entertainment dollar went instead.
CUT BACK Restaurants 66% of strained households Streaming Netflix down 19% in 12 mo Clothing Shifted to grocery line Multiplex / Casual Hollowing out fastest SPENT MORE Groceries $120 → $170 a week +42% in five years Walmart +33%, Kroger +18% Live Events 159M concertgoers in 2025 Live Nation +19% Memberships Costco fees +14% YoY The discretionary dollar did not disappear. It moved. WHO LOST Netflix down 19% in twelve months Casual chain dining hollowing out Cheap recurring subscriptions WHO WON Walmart up 33% on retail-media revenue Live Nation: 159 million fans, $25.2B revenue Costco fees: $1.35 billion in one quarter
Sources: FMI 2026 grocery shopper survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, YouGov February 2026 budget survey, Live Nation 2025 results, FinanceCharts TTM returns.
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