6 Easy Ways To Battle Rising Food Costs
Posted on March 10, 2008 by Melissa
Filed Under Economy, Food
Have you looked at your grocery bills lately? If so, you are probably seeing what I’m seeing.
Food prices are going up – especially for fresh food and staples. It looks like they will keep rising, too. Check out this article from the Boston Globe.
Why is this happening, you ask? Robert Gavin of The Boston Globe explains:
Several factors contribute to higher food prices, analysts say, but none more than record prices for oil, which last week closed above $105 a barrel. Oil is not only driving up production and transportation costs, but also adding to demand for corn and soybeans, used to make alternative fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.
As a result, corn prices have more than doubled in commodity markets over two years, and soybeans nearly tripled, according to DTN, a commodities analysis firm in Omaha. Meanwhile, with poor harvests in major wheat-producing regions, wheat prices have more than tripled.
These crops have a profound impact on food prices because they form foundations for many products, including oils, sweeteners, and flour. Corn, for example, is a key ingredient in livestock feed. When the price of corn rises, so does the price of feed, and ultimately, so do the prices of meat, poultry, and eggs.
He goes on to mention that the weakening US dollar and a stronger global demand for commodities aren’t helping the situation much either.
I’ve noticed that I’ve had considerable trouble staying under my $75 a week limit lately, even when I cook fewer meals and buy less meat.
Seeing the price hikes every time I shop is getting a little depressing. It makes a recession feel much more certain. Sure, gas prices are upsetting, too, but at least I fill up less frequently than I shop for food. The increased exposure to rising costs seems to be affecting my confidence. In the past I could shrug off the pessimism, but now it’s hit home in a new way and I’m a little nervous.
With more money being demanded for the same items my budget is stretching thinner than I’d like. Unfortunately, it looks like my discretionary spending is on the chopping block. I think I’ll suspend the $50 monthly donation to our “fun money” savings account. Sigh.
Pet food costs are rising, too. Two weeks ago I paid $0.33 for a can of cat food and this weekend the same brand was selling for $0.44. Both were the sale prices at the same store. Sigh.
The good news is that I’m being much more selective in what I buy. I’m asking myself if I really need an extra pound of tomatoes, or brand-name popsicles, or instant rice before I buy it.
Saving money on food isn’t all about what you spend; sometimes it’s about how you use it.
6 easy ways to keep food costs down
Eat more vegetarian based meals. Typically, meat is pricey, especially when compared to beans and frozen veggies. We are experimenting with making more meals meat-free and are having a blast. Last week, we enjoyed Pasta with Butternut Squash and Ricotta, Pad Thai with Tofu, and Vegetable Curry. Personally, I’m using it as an excuse to explore ethnic cooking. I estimate that we can save over $30 a month by skipping the meat at most meals.
Start a “Soup and Sandwich” night. Planning a “soup and sandwich” night once a week helps me save money. That night is all about simple comfort food, nothing fancy. I like to pair a classic grilled cheese with canned tomato or potato soup. How about a tuna or turkey melt with veggie soup? Substitute a baked potato every so often to mix it up. Just make it cheap and with the stuff you have at home.
Bring your breakfast AND lunch from home. Just do it. Eric keeps oatmeal, trail mix, and breakfast bars in his desk for quick breakfasts and snacks. For lunch he takes the leftovers from the previous night or I pack him a sandwich, salad, yogurt, and snack. You’ll be shocked at how much you can save by brown bagging it 5 days a week.
Minimize waste. Waste is the enemy of economy. At these prices you simply can’t afford to allow the food go bad before you can use it. I always cook fresh meat dishes in the first few days after shopping, with fish and shellfish being cooked within 1 day of purchase. Pad the end of your week with cheaper and less perishable meals like sandwiches, pasta, frozen meals, and soups. If we have meat or veggies at the end of the week it is almost always from my freezer. Eating the fresh food first really helps cut down on spoiled or unused food and that equals savings.
Plan (and hope) for leftovers. When planning your week make sure to make note of possible leftovers. I find that if I don’t plan for leftovers I’ll end up making too many dinners that week and something goes bad (either the fresh food or the leftovers). Serve the leftovers for lunch or have them again for dinner a few days later with an interesting side dish or topping. Push back meals that don’t have perishable ingredients to make room for those leftovers. Utilizing leftovers is key when stretching the budget.
Tap your pantry once a week. I usually have one or two nights a week where I don’t plan a dinner. That “free space” allows me to push back meals to take advantage of leftovers or other cravings and it “forces” me to use what I have. Many of us have stocked pantries but don’t use the food in them. When I moved I found canned corn and jello that was 5 years old! Match up the fresh food that needs to be used with several pantry items to create something interesting. Your pantry and your pocketbook will thank you.
Are you feeling the crunch at the supermarket? How do you plan to save money on weekly meals?
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I’ve really started shopping for sale items. Coupons are key! I’ve also made a serious effort to buy in season fruits and vegetables.
Thanks for the tips.
I was noticing how I have a packed pantry and am so well stocked that I think we could cut down on groceries for a few weeks. I was planning to blog about my adventure of using what I have later this week.
This is a great post, both for being thought provoking and having great suggestions. If I don’t portion off what I want to use later (for lunches or freeze for another meal) right out of the oven, it will get eaten at that meal just because “it’s there” or go bad. So that’s my tip, take your leftovers before they’re left over - before the meal even starts.
I have really noticed a lot of my staples have gone up. Simple things like eggs (doubled), dried beans (about 50% increase) and flour (about double).
It really makes me use up leftovers, in the past I have been guilty of letting too many things go bad in the fridge.
I’ve had to jump our budget from $600/mo to near $800/mo recently for our family of 8. Granted, we were probably due an increase anyway because we tried to go drastically lower than we were before budgeting…but we’re definitely feeling the effects and have had to learn to cook more for less.
One thing we’ve done besides doing the vegetarian-based meals is to just cut the meat portions in half for near every meal. If doubling up on the recipe would call for 2lbs of beef, we just use the one. The kids never even noticed!
wish robert gavin of boston globe had told the whole story…petroleum touches almost every aspect of our lives..even the ink that prints the name of the cereal you eat is linked to oil and its price. to help with my grocery budget each month i visit this little store that sells slightly dented cans etc.. i get really good soups like progresso and wolfgang puck for about 50-90 cents each. that is where i get my condiments like ketchup, mustard and pickles too.
i always have plenty of fruit on hand because i can what we dont’ eat fresh..or freeze…there is nothing better than a blackberry cobbler out of season! coupons are necessary for alot of folks but frankly, i do not use them. one thing about high prices in dairy i learned recently is that if you spend the extra 50-75 cents on organic milk it has a longer shelf life than reg. milk. i dont’ know why, but i have not had to pour milk out due to its going bad.
Great list. Another great way to save a lot of money is to purchase the store brand foods. Sometimes I find that those taste just as good as the name brand and they are half the price!
I just found your blog and have to say, I love it. You write about a lot of important issues and am curious to read more. Keep up the good work. Let me know if you ever want to swap guests posts!
Great tips! I especially like ‘plan for leftovers.’ We do this and I find myself eating less (a good thing) so I can have a nice lunch the following day! And Ben above, I agree, Melissa’s blog is one of my favorite reads!
So glad I found your site! Boy, am I glad we bought a side of beef a few months ago. Otherwise, I’d be going vegetarian too. I look forward to reading more and keeping up with you!
[…] Penny Closer presents 6 Easy Ways to Battle Rising Food Costs: “At these prices you simply can’t afford to allow the food go bad before you can use it. I […]
I have a rather unique approach for the investor class. Given our politicians’ ill-concieved attempt to resolve our country’s energy woes, they embarked on a fullhardy ethanol crusade, which in reality, has increased corn prices, and hence, meat, milk and virtually everything else you buy these days. The fact that we import and our dollar is weakening doesn’t help either.
Therefore, if you want to hedge your personal expenses, you can buy the various commodity ETFs available. I post on these routinely, but for instance, you can buy GCC, which invests in everything from corn and wheat prices to sugar and coffee prices. If these commodities continue to run, you pocket some capital gains. If they tank, you lost some money in your investment account and you realize a lower monthly bill!
Without link-dropping, there are plenty of recent articles on this if interested. Enjoy!
[…] Penny Closer reflects on 6 Easy Ways to Battle Rising Food Costs. I like the soup and sandwich night […]
i started brown bagging last year for work and i also bring my own travel mug for coffee. before this i always stop by subway for sandwiches and 7-11 for coffee. then i realized that i’ve been paying too much for a ham sandwich and coffee, even though coffee refills at 7-11 costs 99 cents if you have your own mug, it still $24/month for coffee. i started buying bread,ham & turkey slices, sliced cheese, lettuce, cucumbers, ground coffee and creamer. i was able to save a lot of money in the long run.
i’m trying to cook more often, saving coupons and drinking a lot of water thru a filter pitcher. ,maybe one day i will bake my own bread.
thanks for your cool site.
I am the queen of coupons and cherry picking for sales. CVS and Walgreens offer bonus bucks if you purchase a certain item. I use the bucks to buy food and usually i get a free food item a week. I also buy reduced bread and baked goods at Walmart..it is not outdated and if you freeze it..it is a win win. I buy on sale only and stop in succession from store to store. Gas is to high to run around. I will do a 100.00 grocery trip to a Super Walmart and then just pick up milk or fresh fruit for the next couple weeks. I feed a family of 3 for 200 a month and there are plenty of things to eat. Another great deal is a farmers market. Cut out the middle man.
Another way to keep grocery costs down is to shop at ethnic grocery stores. For example at my major grocery store (HEB) tofu costs about $1.29. At this Korean grocery store that I visited a few weeks back it was $.99 and the exact same brand as HEB.
Also did you know you can buy grocery coupons on ebay. So if you find yourself buying the same things pretty much every trip to the store this might work well for you because the shipper usually sends multiple copies of the same coupon and usually the buyer just pays for shipping, which is pretty cheap because they don’t weigh that much.
Hope this helps.
From http://www.bargainist.com/deals/2007/07/23-ways-to-save-on-groceries/
1. Always go with a list. If you go without a list, you may as well just throw your money away. Prepare a list of everything you need, making sure you have everything needed for your weekly menu (next tip) and checking to make sure you don’t have it in your pantry, fridge or freezer. Make sure you’re not forgetting anything. Now stick to that list — don’t buy anything not on the list.
2. Plan out a weekly menu. This is the best way to ensure that your list is complete, and that you have enough to serve your family dinner for the week. You can plan a weekly menu and then duplicate it for the next week — this way you can shop for two weeks at once. Be sure to plan a leftovers night.
3. Don’t go when you’re hungry. This is a common tip, but it’s true — when you’re hungry, you want to buy all kinds of junk. You’ll end up spending a lot more. Eat a good meal first, and you’ll be more likely to stick to your list.
4. Have a budget. When you go to the store, know exactly how much you can spend. Then try your best to stick within that limit. If you don’t know how much you can spend, you’ll certainly spend too much. Keep a running tally as you shop to ensure that you’re within your budget.
5. Make a pantry checklist. Make a checklist of everything you normally stock in your pantry. Keep it posted on the pantry. Put a slash next to each item for the number of items you have (if you have two cans of stewed tomatoes, put two slashes). Then, when you use something, turn the slash into an X. This makes it much easier when it comes time to make your list.
6. Keep your receipts, then enter into a spreadsheet. This will be your price list. Use it so you know when bulk or sale items are a good deal. It’s also a great way to comparison shop between stores — buy your baking goods in Store A but your fresh fruits in Store B. The spreadsheet can also serve as a checklist to use when you’re compiling your shopping list.
7. Shop online. Lots and lots of items — more than 22,000 — are now available for quick and easy purchase online at Amazon.com’s new grocery section. The majority of the prices really can’t be beat. Plus, all products can ship for free, via Super Saver Shipping, Amazon Prime, or free standard shipping.
8. Buy frozen veggies. While fresh veggies are a little better, frozen veggies are almost as good, and much better than nothing. And since you can keep them in the freezer, they rarely go bad.
9. Cut back on meat. Meat is expensive. Plan vegetarian meals several times a week (think pasta or chili) and for other meals, you could just use a little meat as a kind of seasoning instead of the main ingredient — think Asian, Indian and other such cultural food.
10. Cook a lot, then freeze. Plan to cook a big amount of food — a whole mess of spaghetti, for example — and freeze it for multiple dinners. A great idea is to use one Sunday and cook a week’s (or even a month’s) worth of dinners. Plan 5-6 freezable dinners and cook them all at once.
11. Look for specials. Every store has specials. Be sure to look for them in the newspaper, or when you get to the store (they often have unadvertised specials — look on the higher and lower shelves for deals). Don’t buy them unless they’re things you always use.
12. Try the store brands. Brand names are often no better than generic, and you’re paying for all the advertising they do to have a brand name. Give the store brand a try, and often you won’t notice a difference. Especially if it’s an ingredient in a dish where you can’t taste the quality of that individual ingredient
13. Cut back on your “one-item” trips. They waste gas, and almost inevitably, you buy more than that one item. If you plan ahead, make a weekly menu, and shop with a list, this should drastically reduce the number of trips you make for a small number of items. But if you still find yourself running out for a few items, analyze the reason — are you not making a good list, are you forgetting some items from your list? Avoid trips to the corner store. Or the gas station! These are some of the most expensive stores. (Ranking right up there with airport stores.)
14. Sugar cereals are a bad buy. Lots of money for no nutrition. Look for whole grain cereals with low sugar. Add fruit for better flavor.
15. When there’s a sale, stock up. Sale items can be a great deal. If it’s an item you normally use, buy a bunch of them.
16. Plan one big trip a month for bulk staples. You can get fresh items at another store on other weeks, but doing a big bulk trip will cut back on the expense and amount you have to carry for the other three weeks. Avoid buying on impulse at the bulk store too — just because they sell a lot of it doesn’t mean you’re saving, if you weren’t planning on buying it in the first place. Buy in bulk only when it makes sense. If you can save money, over the course of a month or two, by buying in bulk, plan to do so. But be sure that you’re going to use all of it before it gets bad — it isn’t cheaper to buy in bulk if you don’t use it.
17. Think deep freeze. If you really want to save, you’ll need a big freezer. Ask around — someone you know might have a relatively new model they don’t need anymore. You can use freezers to stock up on meat, frozen veggies, and similar staples, and to freeze big batches of pasta, casseroles, and other dinners you prepare ahead of time.
18. Don’t waste leftovers. Have a list on your fridge of what leftovers are in there, so you don’t forget about them. Plan a leftover night or two, so you’re sure to eat them all. Pack them immediately for lunch, so they’re ready to take the next morning.
19. Don’t buy junk food (or buy as little as possible). Junk food not only costs a lot of money for about zero nutrition, but it makes you and your family fat and kills you slowly. Talk about a bad deal! Opt for fruits and veggies instead.
20. Go when the kids are in school. When you bring kids, they will pester you and pester you until you buy some kind of junk food. Even if you’re able to stick to your guns, it’s not pleasant saying no 10 million times. In most cases, you’ll save money shopping without the kids.
21. Use store savings cards. These can add up to big savings over the long run.
22. Avoid frozen dinners or prepared entrees. Again, these cost way more and are usually much less nutritious.
23. Drink water. If you regularly drink iced tea, Tang, Kool-aid, sodas or other types of drinks, cut those out completely and just drink water. It’s much better for you, and much cheaper.
[…] my skills now. Here is a great post about Recession-Proofing Your Diet, and another about 6 Easy Ways to Battle Rising Food Costs. I’m getting pretty good at stocking up, so I shouldn’t have to buy much this week to […]
Another thing to do to save money is check different parts of the store for the same thing, and I have a true story to tell as an example. I went to the store to buy sliced almonds (to make granola, BTW, so easy and cheaper than buying it made), and the first container I found had 7 oz of almonds for 7.99 ($1.15/oz). Yikes! I had read this tip on someone else’s blog and went in search of cheaper almonds in the baking aisle, not the nut aisle. Sure enough! I found sliced almonds, 8 oz for 4.29 ($0.54/oz)! They were more than 50% less! They did have their skins on and the others did not, but it didn’t matter to me!
Here is another tip that has helped me out during my past 2 trips to the grocery store:
Always check your receipt before leaving the store!
I used to think that this was unnecessary because hey the computer can’t be wrong right? Wrong! Last week I went to the grocery store across the street from my house and was overcharged $1. I told customer service about it and was issued a refund, fast forward to 3 days ago when I needed to go to the same store. I was overcharged $1.07.
Always check your receipt before leaving the store! It shouldn’t take longer than 10 seconds.
I have stopped buying coffee and 1/2 n 1/2 (my favorite creamer)and save approx. $30 a month on that alone!
Also, I am now stopping the purchase of ALL foods that are not necessary (chips, chocolate, ice cream, etc…)
I shop at all the local stores that shelve brands that I normally use, but at a lower price.
This includes places like Dollar General and Fred’s. You can find a lot of can goods, cerial, rice, cleaning products, school supplies and more at much lower price.