How did the regular price of cereal become so expensive?

 

I saw that there was a $5/2 Magic Spoon Cereal Ibotta offer and in my mind, I was thinking "cheap cereal after rebate"....oh boy, was I WRONG.

The regular price of the Magic Spoon Cereal 7oz at Ralphs and Vons/Albertsons is $9.99 (on sale at Ralphs for $8.49 bu remember that it's a 7oz box).  At Walmart, the price is $9.48 and at Target, the regular price of the cereal is $9.99 but they have a 20% off Target Circle offer which makes the cereal $7.99.

I don't know how regular Americans are affording grocery shopping at the grocery stores and this is why I ensured that my brother had a fully stocked kitchen before I left and I used every trick in our couponing toolbox to get it done.