Elephant ears, hand-squeezed lemonade, carnival rides and more can only mean one thing, county fair season is almost here.

Household debt in the U.S. is at an all-time high, reaching more than $18 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Over the last decade, prices have generally increased at a rate of 3.5% per year. Over the last 20 years, consumer inflation has typically risen by 3.3% annually. The Federal Reserve, however, has ...