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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Changes are on the way to help you save at the grocery store and other places too. starting today, the state dropped its sales tax on groceries.
Temporary relief from grocery and gas taxes took effect today. Governor J.B. Pritzker recently announced the tax relief and now people are wondering how much they’ll be able to save. With gas prices hovering around $5, another place people are looking to cut back is the grocery store. WCIA 3 spoke with a few shoppers on Friday who told us, even if it’s only a dollar, it helps.
Paul Littleton who lives in Champaign says, “it’ll help a little bit, um for sure. Every little bit helps.”
Inflation is at the highest rate in nearly four decades and it’s costing people more at the gas pump and grocery store. Girish Chowdhary, who also lives in Champaign says this tax reduction comes at a perfect time, “I feel that this is the right move at this time. It means a bit to our family but I’m sure they are other families to whom it’ll mean a lot more.”
Littleton, who lives in Champaign says higher prices at the store prompted him and his family to cut back on spending, “right now I’m basically holding back on high end purchases, some of the nicer things, so I’m kind of just cutting back a little bit right now.”
People will also see a suspension of the increase in motor-fuel tax through December 31st, a sales tax holiday on back to school items, running from August 5th to the 14th amounting to 1.25% instead of 6.25%, and an additional property tax rebate of up to $300 for homeowners.
David Stewart is visiting from another state and says the recent inflation and higher taxes has forced him to limit how many times he eats out while visiting Illinois. So, the tax relief is a welcome site.
Stewart also says, “in the summertime, the call to relax and go out is still there. groceries, I don’t notice so much at the grocery store, gas and going out definitely.”
For Littleton, the price increases have left them with one option, “just get back into budgeting, for a while we kind of slipped, didn’t budget as much, but let’s look at how much were going to spend this month and go from there.”
Across the board, shoppers say the new tax relief will definitely help while the prices for goods continues increasing. Littleton also told WCIA 3 he and his family have cut back on items such as red meat, cheeses and bread. Shoppers WCIA 3 spoke too said their grocery bill changes, but remains high.
