Residents in this US state now spend 10% of their income on groceries — the highest rate in America. Here’s how struggling families are making ends meet

Nevada spends the fourth-highest amount on groceries, behind only Utah, Alaska and Hawaii.

Nevada and Utah also spend the second highest share of household income on groceries (10.1%), behind only Idaho (10.4%).

Kitchen staples like mini sweet peppers have sky-rocketed in price by as much as 99% in some instances, while the price of avocados rose by up to 75%, forcing families to rethink their entire approach to grocery shopping.

Here’s how Nevada families are adapting.

Shoppers feeling the sting of higher prices

According to the analysis, grocery bills are a whopping 27% higher in Nevada than the national average, so shoppers are second-guessing what they pick up at the store.

"There's a lot of stuff that I don't buy anymore because I won't pay for it. Like chips, I don't buy chips anymore," Anna Marie Hyatt, a Las Vegas resident told KTNV ABC 13 News. "I am not going to spend 6 bucks on a bag of chips. "

While shopping at her local Smith’s near Desert Inn and Decatur, Hyatt told ABC 13 News that she and her husband hit the grocery store weekly, but lately, each trip feels more painful. Like many Nevadans, she’s watching prices climb higher with every checkout total.

"Up, up, up, it's about all I could say, it's up," said Hyatt. "Whoever has the cheapest price, that's where I am going to buy it," she said.

According to LendingTree’s analysis, organic groceries continue to carry a hefty premium, with half of them costing shoppers more than 50% more on average compared to their conventional counterparts.

In some cases, such as with iceberg lettuce and Brussels sprouts, shoppers are paying more than double the average price.

Roughly one in four organic items reviewed in the study cost at least 75% more. But the overall price increases of organic versus conventional groceries were similar year over year, at 2.4% and 2.5%, respectively.

When you consider that American households are spending an average of 7.4% of their household income on groceries, according to LendingTree, every dollar counts.

Nevadans tighten grocery budgets, but at what cost?

With high food prices, families are stretching every dollar they can.

To cut costs, many households are buying in bulk, trading brand names for generics and planning meals with military-like precision.

Store apps and loyalty programs are also getting a workout as shoppers hunt for deals. And with more of the paycheck going to groceries, non-essentials like dining out, streaming subscriptions and even weekend getaways are on the chopping block.

But for some, trimming the budget isn’t enough. Some short-term survival tactics may be keeping fridges full, but they’re also setting the stage for serious financial consequences down the line.

According to a study by Urban Institute, about six in 10 adult shoppers are swiping credit cards at the grocery store just to get through the week — and 20% aren’t paying off the full balance.