The price of flour and cereals has increased 5.1% over the past month — and is up 10% over the past year — while bread has increased by 0.6% in a month and 8.6% over the year. Pasta rose 4% in the month and 9.5% in a year.

These increases are mostly due to disruption in wheat supplies caused by the war in Ukraine. There are similar price increases for margarine and edible oils because of projected disruption to sunflower oil production.

You could describe the grocery budget as an elastic band — stretch it too far and it’ll break. Added to this, to meet the costs of rising electricity and gas prices, most households need to find €10 extra per week compared to last year — and that’s before they put fuel in a car.

This disproportionately affects families on low incomes. 

If you look at the cost of running a household, energy price rises have to be met from somewhere.

When you have fixed costs such as rent or a mortgage and childcare, variations in the cost of fuelling the car, heating the house, and running appliances have to be funded from another “flexible” budget.

Families with a higher disposable income can divert funds away from savings or cut back on socialising to pay their bills and fill the shopping trolley.

Lower-income families have no wiggle room. There is no cushion against these price rises but the bills still have to be paid and food  put on the table.

As food and energy costs continue on an upward spiral, more and more families will fall below the poverty line.

When the elastic band breaks, families go cold and hungry. The gap between the haves and the have-nots gets bigger. Pressure is then put on charities, such as food banks and those supporting any families in difficulty.

This stopgap intervention is appreciated but it’s only a sticking plaster, a temporary solution to a society-wide problem.

Many readers have been in touch with me to express their frustration at not being able to buy the food they are used to. Yesterday I was contacted by someone having difficulty buying gluten-free bread and other items for their specific dietary needs.   

“A lot of the bread has increased in price from €3.79 to €4.99,” they said.

Another reader wants to buy local and ethical produce but simply can’t afford to any more.

Then there is the carer who needs to run the washing machine three times a day and have the heat on all the time. They do not have a way to reduce energy costs but still have to feed and care for the family on a social welfare income that will not rise to match inflation.

Universally, my readers wonder when it will all ease but acknowledge that there is no end in sight. We can all understand this.

• Caitríona Redmond writes a ‘Family cooking on a budget’ column for Irish Examiner ‘Weekend’.