Tired of inflation? Bankrate swears by 3 credit cards that reward all that spending

Inflation is still squeezing household budgets. Bankrate's top picks help you fight back at the checkout counter

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images

Prices are still too high. While the worst of the post-pandemic inflation surge is now in the rearview mirror — the Consumer Price Index peaked at 9.1% in June 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — the damage it left behind has been difficult to undo. As of February 2026, the CPI stands at 2.4%, still above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. 

And it may go higher yet. The war in Iran has triggered a surge in oil prices, threatening a global energy crisis and an underlying inflation boom that may force central banks to hike borrowing rates and make debt even more difficult to repay.

The squeeze is especially sharp at the grocery store and the gas pump, where households have little room to cut. Food costs rose an average of 3.1% from February 2025 to February 2026, while electricity and home gas service climbed 6.3% over the same period. A family of four following a moderate food spending plan is now shelling out $1,348 per month on food alone, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Carrying a credit card balance is hardly........

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