The U.S. inflation rate hit a 40-year high in January, with prices rising 7.5 percent from last year, the Labor Department announced on Thursday. It's the highest spike in consumer goods since 1982, under the Carter administration. Prices rose by 0.6 percent from December, going up for the sixth consecutive time and signaling the months-long surge that's been hitting Americans in the pocketbooks is not slowing down. The average U.S. household spent an extra $250 per month as prices have leapt, according to a new analysis published in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. People can expect to be paying more for virtually every facet of life, from food to cars, and even housing and their monthly bills.