High living costs have plagued consumers for years, with different items shooting up in price over time. No item in a grocery store is truly safe from price inflation—not eggs, Spam, bread or even lettuce, some shoppers have shown.
Even as customers recommend switching grocery stores or brand names for products purchased, some categories of food and necessary items simply leave shoppers with few options. One such category is baby formula.
One customer of Texas-based grocery store H-E-B says she “can’t do it anymore,” as the cost of the store-brand baby formula she has purchased for her child has risen by at least $10, quickly approaching the cost of the name-brand canister.
In a video that has drawn over 1 million views as of Friday, TikTok user @flippymama shared her frustration with the rising price of the formula she needs for her child.
“I can’t anymore, I’m so done,” she says in the video.
She explains how she went to the store to pick up formula for her son, recalling that a week and a half ago the formula was purportedly $28.
“I was p*ssed off about that because not long before that it was around $20, $22?” she continues. “Well I get here today to pick up more, and I’m trying to pick my jaw up off the floor because I get over here and this is what I frickin’ see. Why the hell is it now $30? Almost $31.”
She says she has no choice but to buy it, leaving her with no alternative but to pay the heightened prices.
“You might as well, it’s pretty close to the name brand at this point,” she says, panning her camera to the $35 Similac formula. “Why? I don’t understand. Just a week ago it was $28. I can’t. I’m so done with this. I really can’t do it anymore.”
@flippymama Replying to @thecoolmom650 @H-E-B WHAT is going on with these price hikes on your baby formula every week?!? Why is it $3.00 more than it was just last week?? Me over here asking like yall gonna respond 😏 $9 price jump in less than one month! #hebbabyformula #heb #babyformula #corporategreed #momsoftiktok #angrymom #formulafeedingmoms #specialneedsmom ♬ original sound – Tiffany & Ivan the great
The Daily Dot has reached out to @flippymama via TikTok direct message regarding the video, as well as to H-E-B via email.
Several viewers were shocked at the price increase, and wondered how people were expected to feed their children with the jump in costs.
“There are certain items that inflation shouldn’t effect [sic] like formula,” one commenter wrote.
“How sad because you know that there are babies starving because their parents can’t afford it,” another said.
“I can’t believe this! I was getting formula from Dollar general for 18 dollars in 2015-2016,” one commented. “I’m so sorry you have to deal with this now.”
Others shared that the rising costs of raising a child, exemplified by the cost of baby formula, have deterred them from having children altogether.
“Been thinking I might want a second kid,” one commenter wrote. “Ha! Thanks for this. Hell no.”
“Sending this to my wife to remind her why we shouldnt go for a third,” another wrote.
“Just more incentive to stay child free,” one said.