At a Christmas market outside the US capital, festive cheer alone hasn't been enough to drive affordability worries out of shoppers' minds -- as American households contend with creeping inflation this holiday season.

"Prices are terrible. It makes it difficult to shop for a lot of your friends and family," said James Doffermyre, a high school teacher.

The 37-year-old was among visitors at the market in Gaithersburg -- a Maryland suburb of Washington -- browsing stalls selling everything from greeting cards to decorations.

"We always have a big Christmas, and we get one or two gifts for everybody," he told AFP.

But this year, he added, "we said all the adults were okay, (let's) just buy things for the kids."

His plans underscore the affordability pressures that American households are

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