Inflation here? gas/grocery prices just continue to climb

Yep. In most cases, you can't cut out gas because you need it to go to work to make money. You might be able to cut back a little on food or maybe buy the store brand rather than brand name item, but you still need food. It's going to be the extras - books, electronics, concerts, etc. that will be cut out first.
All part of the plan for Dollar General to buy out Whole Foods