Dupage Policy Journal

Hannah Billingsley, a candidate for Illinois State House District 49, addressed the rising cost of groceries in an October 11 Facebook post. She shared an anecdote about a recent shopping experience, stating, "He said he was surprised at how much my groceries cost for just a few bags and wanted to make sure he hadn’t overcharged me."

"As I was about to leave, my cashier stopped me to check my receipt," said Billingsley, according to Facebook. "I was curious. Everything okay? He said he was surprised at how much my groceries cost for just a few bags and wanted to make sure he hadn't overcharged me."

According to Billingsley, "It’s amazing how fast the cost of everyday things adds up, even when you’re just buying the basics." She recounted noticing her favorite protein bars increase from $1.99 to $2.29 overnight, which she calculated as a 15% increase. "And these increases are happening everywhere," she noted.

Screenshot of Hannah Billingsley's Oct. 11 Facebook post | Vote Hannah For Illinois Facebook page

On the same day, USA Today reported that inflation had reached a three-year low last month, although consumer prices saw a 2.4% rise from September 2023. This was slightly lower than August's 2.5% increase. The core inflation rate—excluding food and energy items—rose by 0.3% in September, pushing it to 3.3%, up from August's 3.2%.

Food prices specifically increased by 0.4% overall in September, with egg prices jumping by 8.4% due to an ongoing bird flu outbreak; bacon prices rose by 1.6%, raw ground beef by 0.4%, and chicken by 0.2%. However, breakfast cereal and bread saw price drops of 0.4% and 0.2%, respectively.

Billingsley continued in her post: "This is exactly why my campaign is focused on returning margin — both time and money — back into people’s lives." She emphasized the need for representatives to advocate for policies that provide relief rather than add stress to families and small businesses.

Billingsley is a resident of West Chicago and owns a small business. She has served as a zoning commissioner and previously worked as a teacher before founding a niche clothing company in 2015 aimed at providing modest athletic wear for Muslim, Orthodox Jewish, and Christian women; she sold this business in August 2024. Since then, she has developed a short-term rental business with nine units.