In November, families in Europe and the United States will stock up for the traditional "Thanksgiving" and "Christmas" double festival. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are also great bargains. This year, however, American consumers are finding that their shopping budgets aren't keeping up with rising prices for everything from Turkey and milk to gasoline and used cars.

The US consumer price index rose 6.2% in October from a year earlier, the biggest increase since November 1990, according to data released by the US Labor Department. "Inflation is getting worse and inflationary pressures are building up," said Seema Shah, chief strategist at Principal Global Investors. Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and other media reported that "the United States will enter a six-month period of rapid price increases," which could continue into next year or beyond.

Behind the sustained and rapid rise in prices in the United States is nearly $4 trillion of liquidity injected into the market by the Federal Reserve's "unlimited quantitative easing" last year, and over $5 trillion of economic stimulus measures launched by the Us government. "The report shows that inflation is rocketing and the current administration's failed economic policies are crushing Main Street," Rep. Blaine Luetkemeye, R-Missouri, told Fox News. It is obvious that prices will continue to rise... That's the last thing hardworking Americans need ahead of this holiday season."

Inflation is also being fuelled by persistent problems such as higher commodity costs, supply chain bottlenecks and Labour shortages. In Los Angeles, Long Beach and other places, there are severe shortages of port workers and truckers, making it difficult to deliver large quantities of goods that are piling up at ports, according to the PBS website. Experts warn that shortages and soaring prices caused by disrupted supply chains may not ease in the short term.

Ordinary people in the US and Europe are having to fork out more for a Turkey and Christmas tree, and this year's double Festival could be the most expensive ever. And for many more Americans, being able to buy goods straight off the shelf rather than waiting for them to pile up in containers at the port is "good enough."

Perhaps Americans should heed the Christmas Tree Association's advice: because of fires, drought and tight supply chains, buy real or artificial trees as soon as possible.