by Elizabeth Magee, RD, LRD
I never used to mind going to the grocery store. Until lately. First, so many items are out of stock, but what is really annoying is the increasing prices. Every time I go lately the price of everything seems to have gone up. I swear the price of the purple onions jumped 20 cents last week. HOW?!?! It’s an onion! Suddenly, I feel like my dad, who was an extremely frugal person, and coupon cutter extraordinaire. Every week he clipped coupons and put them in a little avocado green Tupperware organizer he had. I never quite caught on to that. On the rare occasion I would clip a coupon, you can bet the farm I didn’t remember to bring it to the store!
It appears prices will be remaining high. So, what can we do to combat this considering we all need to eat? We may have to pivot a bit. A few things to try:
Produce
- Don’t forget to check the freezer section or the canned aisle. These fruits/veggies have been picked at their prime and are generally more cost-effective with the bonus of lasting longer than fresh produce. It pains me to throw out food that has gone bad.
- It’s the perfect time to expand (or start) your garden. We are making a bigger garden this year with hopes of saving money on produce. This also may have the effect of getting your picky kids to try things they are normally hesitant to try. Get them involved!
Meat
- First, watch your weekly ads for your normal store, but look at competitors as well.
- Plan your meals around what’s on sale. Consider if it’s a better value to buy in bulk or maybe even from a rancher (if you have the means to store it).
- Replacing or adding beans to a recipe can be another idea. Making taco meat? Add a can of black beans and corn to stretch out that batch and add other nutrients.
Pantry
- Random items to use up? Throw them in a google search to get recipes – simple as that!
- Make it a fun family challenge to come up with something from the ingredients you have on hand. Get creative.
- Plan meals around what’s in the pantry. You may still have to buy a few things, but hopefully not as much.
Stores
- Branch out, check the ads from all the stores and see where you’ll be shopping this week.
- Make a list and stick to it! This may mean you get a trip to the store with no kids!! I always end up buying extra stuff when kids (or my husband) is with me at the store. Call it self care: we could all use a little alone time.
- Be a Wednesday grocery getter. Many stores start new sales on Wednesdays.
- Always watch prices when you grab an item but also when you’re checking out. Sometimes technology fails!
- Don’t forget to check out the dollar store, discount grocery stores, and your warehouse clubs!
- Try the store brand! I’m big on this. It’s almost always cheaper and I’m generally not disappointed.
And finally, if your family won’t eat leftovers, cut back on how much you make so you don’t have any. Or find a creative way to reuse things so no one knows they are being served food from yesterday.
Be creative, try new things – we need to eat so we are just going to have to pivot when planning our meals. Talk to your friends, see if they have any other tips or tricks you aren’t thinking of! It may take more work, but certainly worth it if you can save a few bucks.
Elizabeth Magee is a licensed registered dietitian. Her posts appear monthly on OYT.
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