It’s not necessarily the meat prices that are up. It’s staples and the condiments. Bidenflation has caused food prices to reach new heights and this year the Memorial Day backyard barbecues are costing more than they did for last year’s get-togethers.

Ground beef for burgers and pork chops are a little less expensive this year. Prices for steaks and bone-in chicken are up this year.

A new study from data-analysis company Datasembly found that barbecue staples are more expensive than they were last year, with condiment prices leading the charge. The price of a 32-ounce bottle of ketchup has increased 28% since this time last year, going from $4.08 to $5.22, and a 20-ounce container of mustard has risen 13.04%, from $2.07 to $2.34.

What about the beef? Well, if you want ground beef for burgers, you’ll be paying a few pennies less per pound, on average, than you did last year. But if you want a steak, it will cost about 2.8% more than it did last year, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which came out in April. Pork-chop prices were also down by a few pennies per pound, while the price of bone-in chicken rose by about 8 cents per pound.

The price increase for ketchup is crazy. The price increases of condiments and other necessities like buns won’t be a deal-breaker, though, because people want to get together and socialize after the time lost during the pandemic. Memorial Day weekend is a somber time as we remember the fallen but it is also thought of as the unofficial start of summer. Everyone is ready for better weather and to forget about the pandemic.

Consumers are used to pinching pennies as they grocery shop during the days of Bidenflation. It won’t be any different as people make purchases for Memorial Day barbecues. No doubt people were checking out store sales and deals on items on their shopping lists. Store loyalty cards and apps usually are good for savings. People switch to store brands or shop at discount stores like dollar stores. Everyone feels the pinch of Bidenflation.

Consumers can expect to pay an average of nearly 9% more than they did last year for a family-sized selection of barbecue essentials, including eight-count packs of hot dogs, burgers, hamburger buns, and hot dog buns, along with relish, ketchup, and mustard.

Those basics will cost the average clan $27.32 this year, compared with an already spendy $25.07 in 2022, according to the Datasembly Grocery Price Index, which measures weekly changes in pricing for grocery products using data from more than 150,000 stores across the country.

“Most people will be paying more for the hamburger bun and condiments than they did a year ago, and the price of beer has also increased,” David Ortega, a food economist and associate professor at Michigan State University, told The Post.

The price increases for summer staples tracks with the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ April Consumer Price Index. The cost of food in April was up 7.7% year over year. Junk food is up 10.1% over 2022 prices. Want some chips with your burger or hot dog? It’s gonna cost more, especially for name brands. Beverages are up, too. Alcoholic beverages are up 4.6% compared to 2022 and carbonated soda is up 11.9% compared to 2022. Bakery goods for dessert are up 12.9%. It all adds up.

Inflation rose to a 4.4% annual rate in April. And, a measure of inflation that takes out energy and food prices, Core PCE inflation, showed a 4.7% year over year rate. Don’t look for anything to change this year, but maybe next year.

“We will be sticking with the forecast for the Fed to keep rates unchanged through the remainder of this year,” said Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. “However, odds are rising that we will be altering the forecast for the fed funds rate in 2024, reducing the number of rate cuts.”

Plan accordingly.

I hope you have a peaceful and reflective Memorial Day holiday. May we never forget the sacrifices some have made for us to have the freedom of enjoying a backyard barbecue or get-together with family and friends.