Question of the Weekend - Groceries

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Question of the Weekend - Groceries

By JLP | January 12, 2008

My wife and I pretty much share the grocery shopping chore so I am aware of what things cost. I have noticed over the last year or so that every time I go shopping I spend a little more. I’m not anal in tracking our expenses so I’m not sure if it is due to the fact that prices are rising quickly or if it has more to do with us buying more expensive products. We started buying organic milk, which essentially doubled the amount we spend on milk.

This really shouldn’t be a big surprise to anyone. I highlighted a story from The Economist a couple weeks ago that talked about the end of cheap food. This brings me to this weekend’s question(s):

How are grocery prices impacting your budget?

Do you find yourself spending significantly more on groceries now than you have in the past?

Are you cutting back on certain items?

Do you have any tips for saving on groceries that you’d like to share?

I’d like to know your thoughts.

Topics: Budgeting, Question of the Day |

Comments to “Question of the Weekend - Groceries”

JSB Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

My wife and I have been finding that prices are a bit higher than they’ve been in the past. In our area, it seems that the price of meat, milk and some produce is more expensive. To cut costs a bit we’ve stopped buying the things we consider treats - i.e. chips, cookies, ice cream, etc.

JLP Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 1:59 pm

JSB,

Yeah, at $7.00 per half gallon, we ONLY buy ice cream if it is on sale. Who would have thought: $7.00 FOR A HALF GALLON! And that’s not “premium” ice cream either.

Jeremy Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 2:53 pm

We just buy only things that are on sale unless it is an emergency item or something. But if the store doesn’t have any chicken on sale this week, we just won’t eat any chicken that week. If we need some weekend snacks, if potato chips are on sale, that’s what we eat. If chips and salsa is on sale, that’s what we have instead.

So, I guess we’re really just driven by what’s on sale as to what gets purchased. The store cycles their sales regularly so it keeps everything in good rotation.

PT from Prime Time Money Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 3:09 pm

Tip: Progresso Soup (gumbo varieties) is the way to go. Cheap and filling.

Prices/Budget: As much as we dine out, I find it a plus for the budget anytime we actually buy groceries. When Mrs. PT and I have some little ones we’ll be more prone to head to the market. She says cage-free eggs (which we recently started purchasing) cost more, so that’s one item costing us more.

Shannon Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 4:21 pm

I always poo-poo’d using coupons in the past, but because my grocery budget feels like ti is out of control, I have started tracking my spending and using coupons. On average, I save 30% of my weekly food bills by using http://www.thegrocerygame.com and clipping coupons every week.

Now that I am tracking my spending, it find it amazing that my food bill for my 2 cats constitutes about 25% of my total food budget. After losing two animals to intestinal cancer, I swore I would never feed another animal commercial crap, so I only feed them the best I can find.

Neith Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 4:26 pm

Let’s see… in order of questions:

(1) prices impact my budget pretty significantly. We have made some adjustments over the last year to try to mitigate some of that.

(2) Yes. We are definitely spending more on groceries.

(3) We are cutting back - we buy essentially no prepared desserts, cookies, or sweets of any kind. We buy no pre-packaged granola or other things I can make at home myself with a little effort. We are buying almost no meat at the grocery store (see #4 below), and very little in the way of eggs.

(4) Interestingly, if you look at the numbers, organic dairy hasn’t risen in price as fast as conventional dairy. this is mainly due to the fact that a lot of organic dairy cows are range-fed for at least part of their diet. Cool, huh? Similarly, we switched two years ago to buying nearly all my meat - all the beef, pork and chicken we use - from a local sustainable farmer (he’s famous, Joel Salatin). Since his meat isn’t impacted at all by the increase in commodity prices, there has been no increase in my meat costs. I STRONGLY recommend everyone check out their local scene to find out you have access to range-fed beef - as corn prices increase, beef prices will rise as well. Another big change we made recently has been using farmers markets a lot more. I can get my fruit and veggies for much cheaper, then go fill in at the grocery store. We also buy things we use a lot of in bulk.

Big tips: create a “grocery fund” which has a slush of several hundred dollars. That way when something you use goes on sale, you can stock up - say, on soup or pasta or cheese or butter (btw, butter and hard cheeses freeze well). I find that we save a good bit of money over the long term doing that. The key is to only stock up on stuff you use FREQUENTLY. If you only eat canned pumpkin at Thanksgiving in the one pie, it’s no good to buy 20 cans in the after-holiday sales.

L. C. Burgundy Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 4:56 pm

$7 for a half gallon of ice cream? Man, I guess there are upsides to living in Michigan after all!

crazypumpkin Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 5:37 pm

I’ve actually found my costs have stayed the same or gone down. This is because while costs are rising, I’m learning to eat cheaper, so my costs stay the same really. I spend about $45 a week for just me. I also eat a gluten free diet, so that makes things a bit more challenging. But I’m learning how to make many more things at home. Last night was the first time in probably over two months that I’ve eaten out (and that comes out of my spending money, not my food money).

Yana Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 5:58 pm

I’ve noticed prices rising in the grocery store, starting with dairy products. We prefer to use real products, like whole milk, butter and olive oil, and when the 101 oz. can of Star olive oil went up to $24, I stopped buying it for a while. Our store happened to put out coupons for $10 off a $25 purchase, as a “remodeling” promotion, and when that happened I bought the olive oil on two separate trips with two coupons, so we are set on that for now.
We used to spend $150 monthly on food some years ago, and that nearly doubled to around $280, but the nature of my husband’s job now includes the ability to bring home food now and then. Now we spend around $200 monthly on food. I simply don’t buy nearly as much. The way it works most of the time for me is that the higher prices go on anything, the less I spend on everything to make up for it.

Brooke Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 6:23 pm

Prices are crazy high right now. Milk is killing me…

The biggest tip I have is only one person goes to the store. Make the list together. DON’T buy anything that’s not on the list - no excuses. Even if you forgot to write an important ingredient for a recipe, do without. Teach yourself discipline. You could even alternate which adult goes to the store. Two make double mistakes!

Neith Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 9:26 pm

I agree with the list part, but I have found that being a little flexible saves me money long-term - that’s what that additional money i mentioned above is for.

As an example, my daughter is in LOVE with mandarin oranges. i found a brand that is packed in juice rather than syrup, and, as an added bonus, is the store brand. yeah. it wasn’t on the list the week it went on sale 5 for $3. However, you can bet your bippy I bought all they had. Cleaned them out totally. The cans are now stacked in my closet on a shelf. Similarly, our grocery recently had a sale on dried pasta - 10 for $10 (the big packages, not the little ones). I cleaned them out of that one too.

Anyway, my point is that sometimes having a little flexibility can save you money.

db Says:
January 13th, 2008 at 1:22 am

Yes, I’m spending more. I try to limit myself to two trips a month to the grocery store. The thing is, I found a few years ago that whether I go once a week or once every two weeks, I tend to spend the same amount, I just shop better going every two weeks.

BUT — my threshold is creeping up. For a long time I was getting out of my shopping trip spending between $70-100 dollars. But for the past six months, it’s become next to impossible to shop for less than about $150. It kills me every time. However at this level of shopping I also have enough food in the house where I’ll cook and eat at home rather than eat at a restaurant (where, I remind myself, they aren’t necessarily as picky about the ingredients as I am).

Part of it is what I choose to buy. I’ve gotten more and more particular about avoiding foods with high-fructose corn syrup, or trans-fats, or nitrates, or HGH, or any sort of artificial sweetener, or refined flours, or food packed in other countries,….or…. but at the same time I’m buying better quality foods. There are very few processed foods going into that cart.

Also, to be fair, a chunk of the tab is taken up with non-grocery items like shampoo, cleaners, etc. If I buy a novel this category can be up to $30-40 dollars so its not all food.

But — well, just today I realized that I really MUST stop buying my favorite brand of chicken. There is a local producer here that grows free-range chickens. They kill, butcher, package and deliver the chicken to the store all on the same day, and its just absolutely the best and freshest chicken ever.

However, they charge a premium for it. When I started buying the chicken I could get a package of 2 boneless, skinless breasts for about $6-7. Now, the same package of chicken is over $10. I just can’t keep paying that, especially since there is an alternative organic free-range brand that they ship in from another state (and hence gets frozen, so doesn’t taste as fresh) that is a few dollars cheaper for 4 breasts, or half as much for 8 thighs.

I was also aghast to find a little clump of radishes is now $1.29, and fresh grapes are now $5/lb. I bypassed those even though I wanted them. Yet I’ll gladly pay a little more for organic milk and yogurt, cage-free eggs, natural peanut butter, and the only loaf of bread I can find that doesn’t list high-fructose corn syrup in it.

My days of stocking up on cheap ramen and mac-and-cheese are long gone. But yes, I am making adjustments for food prices.

Alex Says:
January 13th, 2008 at 10:52 am

My wife and I plan our menu for the week everyday Sunday morning over coffee. That’s helped us save some money by being better shoppers. I’ve also come to grips with the fact that I’ll have to go to the gorcery store every week for produce in order to not let so much of it rot which is kind of saving money. Sam’s and Costco also can save you a ton, especially on meat/poultry.

Pretty interesting that so many people on here buy organic something or another. I know I do and it’s not something I’d give up.

SteveK Says:
January 13th, 2008 at 6:37 pm

Here’s my raw data from Quicken:

2005: $4995
2006: $6015
2007: $6656

This is only food, no non-edible groceries, and does not include dining out. Two adults, no kids.

Andy Says:
January 13th, 2008 at 9:03 pm

All of the Sunday circulars are available for free at sundaysaver.com

CanadianSaver Says:
January 14th, 2008 at 8:45 am

I have been spending less the last 2 months (way under my budget of $350/month) since I’m eating from my stockpile. We got a lot of ground beef, boneless chicken, even seafood in the freezer, so I tend to plan my menus around what I already have at home and only go out to purchase the stuff to complement.

The less trips to the store, the more that stays in my pockets.

Beth Says:
January 14th, 2008 at 9:10 am

I tend to buy most paper products and cleaning supplies at the Dollar Stores. I then make my trip to the local Walgreens for some basic grocery items: cereal, poptarts, granola bars, etc. Then, I’m on my way to the actual grocery store. I tend to use at least $20-$30 of coupons each week! I even had a gentleman ask me where I got all of my coupons. I use the internet (manufacturer websites), the newspaper, and the Walgreens ads. This works for me since all 3 stores are within 1 mile of my home…multiple stops may not be convenient, or cost effective, if you have to drive across town.

Phyllis Says:
January 14th, 2008 at 1:54 pm

I do all the grocery shopping and costs have skyrocketd in the past 6 months in the Chicago area. There are only 2 of us.We eat primarily organic products, mostly fresh, and mostly cooked at home. When I went to Trader Joe’s a year ago, I could buy a significant amount of items at $50, and pretty much buy the same items every 2-3 weeks. It is now $90. We won’t go back to eating less quality, & we are not big meat eaters. We have addressed these increases with 1. not eating out or doing take out at all 2. my husband, an attorney now packs a lunch every day 3. no ice cream, cookies, etc. We froze a lot of fresh produce and free range chickens and beef from our Farmers Market 4. we are using up soaps in the closet that we may not like as much,same with toothpaste, hand lotion etc 5. buying smaller amounts of items, like 8 rolls of tp instead of 12 unless we go to Costco. The increase in gas prices, food, and utilites is beating us up. 6. no clothes buying this year 7.decrease significantly Christmas presents. 8. can’t do much about our fixed costs but address anything not necessary-if we don’t need it or can do without it-we won’t get it. We were going to get our first flat screened TV at Christmas and decided not to, don’t watch much TV, using our old tv’s are fine for now.

EA Says:
January 14th, 2008 at 2:41 pm

My grocery bills have been going up, but also what I’ve been purchasing has changed so I can’t really compare. I’ve been trying to move away from high fructose corn syrup and eat more veggies and fiber. I’m a bit picky, so my bill has gone up since asparagus in winter is more expensive than pasta. But I hope to recoup the savings down the line in reduced health care costs.

I tend to shop with a list but it’s a flexible list. In other words it says “5 lbs of meat for crockpot BBQ”, and I buy chicken, turkey or pork depending on price (haven’t tried beef BBQ yet…). This is similar to what Jeremy said above.

sam Says:
January 14th, 2008 at 3:31 pm

I do most of the grocery shopping, and have not found any large increases in what we are spending. We are buying pretty much the same things at the same places, but other than fresh produce, nothing seems too much more expensive. I assumed that the produce cost more because it’s winter time, so I have been substituting canned or frozen veggies instead.

Lord Says:
January 14th, 2008 at 3:54 pm

My costs have risen almost 9% last year. Stocking the pantry may be the best investment this year, but usually the perishables have risen the most.

nooney Says:
January 14th, 2008 at 9:54 pm

I price-match all of my local grocery ads at Wal-Mart Supercenter, and I also use coupons from the Sunday paper. A lot of Wal-Mart’s regular prices are cheaper than other grocery store’s sales prices too.

I managed to cut my food budget in half last year by reducing processed foods and eating more fresh meat, fruit and vegetables. It’s cheaper to be healthy! he he

spendingsmart.net Says:
January 15th, 2008 at 7:10 pm

The key is matching sales with coupons at the supermarket. You can buy all the brand names you want and can shop at a regular supermarket.

I like the Couponmom.com’s process of simply setting aside the Sunday circulars full of coupons, then using the database on its site to help match sales and coupons. It tells you which date the coupon was published and you retrieve it from your pile of circulars.

A no-brainer way is to simply stockpile items when they are on sale. You’ll have to keep a list of price to know when something is truly on sale. More savings comes from the sale than the coupon, anyway.

Katie Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

During the warmer months, I buy all of our meat, vegetables, and fruit from the local farmers’ markets. They are way cheaper than the grocery store (meat is comparable)–and most of the stuff sold is organic. As an example, I bought a HUGE cabbage last year for $1 (total), when it was $2.99/lb. at the store. I freeze a lot of the produce for use later in the year.

http://www.localharvest.com provides a searchable list of markets so you can find one near you.

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Question of the Weekend - Groceries