Home > Health > MOMania > Archives > 2008 > May > 21 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USHow are you dealing with the rising price of food?
April showed the highest one-month increase of food prices in 18 years.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’ve all noticed that our grocery bills are higher and AJC staff writer Elizabeth Lee wrote a great story explaining how much groceries are increasing and why. She also tells us what foods are increasing the most and which are still good buys. Here’s what she reported:
“Food prices notched their largest one-month increase in 18 years in April, giving shoppers the kind of sticker shock that SUV owners are getting used to at the pump. Milk prices, which had retreated from last November’s high of $3.90 for a gallon of whole milk, edged up to $3.80.”
“Higher costs for fuel and commodities are working their way through the food chain, pushing prices higher at retail. Food prices jumped 0.9 percent in April, with increases in all six grocery categories, according to Consumer Price Index figures released (last) Wednesday.”
“It’s shaping up as the second year of the highest food inflation in nearly two decades. Last year, food prices rose 4 percent.”
“Earlier this spring, government economists had predicted up to a 5 percent increase in food prices in 2008. That may change because of uncertainty over fuel prices, said Ephraim Leibtag, an economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food commodity price increases are starting to moderate, but fuel costs keep rising.”
Lee had a chart with her story (I love charts!) and some tips for cutting costs. Here’s what the chart said:
Food prices are increasing across the board, with a few exceptions. Here’s a look at price changes between April 2007 and April 2008, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
WHAT’S UP
Chicken: Higher feed and energy prices. Up 5.5 percent, to $1.18 a pound.
Bread: Higher prices for ingredients like flour. Up 14.3 percent, to $1.37.
Milk: Feed and energy prices. Up 21.2 percent, to $3.80 a gallon.
WHAT’S DOWN
Oranges: Weather issues pushed prices high in 2007. Down 25 percent, to 93 cents a pound.
Iceberg lettuce: Better growing conditions this year. Down 8.5 percent, to 90 cents a pound.
Chuck roast: Less demand for cuts with longer cooking times. Down 4.9 percent, to $3.25 a pound.
HOLDING STEADY
Pork: Oversupply is keeping prices low. Look for price increases in 2009 as farmers reduce their breeding stock. At $3.15 a pound for pork chops.
Romaine lettuce: Better growing conditions. $1.55 a pound.
One other interesting article I would like to point out is about how to spend strategically on organic food. The author’s point is if you’re going to go organic on some things then choose the ones that would normally absorb the most pesticide. Here’s a chart showing which foods absorb the most pesticides as they grow. So for example, you might choose to buy the regular broccoli because it doesn’t absorb as many chemicals as say peaches. The peaches absorb a lot of pesticides so that would be worth your organic dollar.
Are the price increases enough for you to take notice? How are you adjusting what you are cooking for your family to save money? Do you spend strategically on organic foods?
Permalink | Comments (32) | Post your comment | Categories: Family Life
Comments
By Thor
May 21, 2008 8:40 AM | Link to this
I’m cheap! Here is a great website for coupons:
www.couponmom.com
Anything to save money!
By Jeff
May 21, 2008 8:46 AM | Link to this
Food prices aren’t killing me yet, and I could stand to lose a few pounds in the first place!
What IS killing me is gas prices. Driving 200 miles a day and having to get a new tank of gas roughly twice a week will do that! (Hence the reason for looking for a job closer to home. Though I’ll keep the one I have until I can find one IN Albany, as Columbus really isn’t any closer than Macon and is actually HARDER to get to!)
By JJ
May 21, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this
I’ve always been a coupon cutter, and I watch the sales at Kroger & Publix.
Every Sunday I sit down with the paper, and see what’s on sale. Then I make my menu for the week, and shop accordingly.
The last two weeks I have spent less than $65.00/week on groceries. That feeds two of us all week long, lunches included.
Now that the weather is nice, I tend to make a lot of salads.
By jct
May 21, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this
I am with you JJ. Coupons and following the sales helps. Last week I stocked up on chicken at Kroger. I won’t have to buy any chicken until at least August. I spend about $65 per week for 3 of us.
I also grow a ‘salad’ garden. I grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, soy beans, peas, eggplant and squash. My garden is about 6 feet wide by 12 feet long.
This really helps in the summer. My first tomatoes are almost ready to be picked. It really easy and does not take up a lot of space or time.
By Lauren
May 21, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this
The other day at Sam’s Club I got a flat of Perdue skinless boneless chicken breasts for 17.50 (16 breasts). That is just a little more than a dollar per serving. Very cheap. I just portioned them out and put them in the freezer. Also, their produce is quite reasonable and you can buy most of it in smaller quantities. I went to Publix yesterday and they had lots of BOGO items that we like so I stocked up. Things are tough but there are bargains to be had, you just have to look. We drink organic milk which is always expensive but I make room for it in my budget because I am suspicious of how the hormones in conventional dairy products effect young girls and I have three of them to worry about. We have basically cut out eating out unless a special occasion comes up. Eating at home is much cheaper, but we do miss eating out. Also, if you prepare from scratch you may take more time but your food will be cheaper (and tastier and healthier!). Buying prepared, processed foods adds expense. A can of vegetable soup may only cost about a dollar but it only has two servings. I can make a pot of vegetable soup for about 7 dollars and it will last for two or three meals for my family and it tastes much better.
By Jeff
May 21, 2008 9:22 AM | Link to this
T and I typically spend about $120-$150 every two weeks for the two of us, so we’re about with y’all.
Question: Which stores are cheapest? T SWEARS by Walmart, but I am not so sure, and since she likes to go grocery shopping around 2p on Sunday when everybody and their mama is at Walmart, I’d MUCH prefer to go to another store!
By jct
May 21, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this
@ Jeff
I don’t think any store is the cheapest.
I have found cheese cheaper at Walmart than Kroger but Walmart’s cornmeal to be $.10 more than Kroger.
It all depends on the item.
By Liz
May 21, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this
I always make a list and rarely buy anything unless it’s on my list. I also know where items are the cheapest. I buy certain things in bulk from Costco, some items from WalMart and most other things from ALDI.
Anyone who has never shopped there should check it out. The prices are amazingly low. Of course, I do my homework and keep up with pricing.
I feed a family of 5 on roughly $150 to $200 a week. We eat very well and cook from scratch.
By Becky
May 21, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this
I’m big on coupons & sales..JJ, I wish I could do more planning with meals, but that’s something that I’ve never been real good with..Jeff, I feel for you with T wanting to go to Wal Mart, I don’t mind the shopping part, it’s trying to check out that irks me..50 cash registers & only 2 cashiers. What’s up with that?
By JJ
May 21, 2008 9:49 AM | Link to this
I will NOT shop for groceries at WalMart…….
I usually hit Publix once a week for huge shopping. I hit Kroger for fillers.
I have been buying paper products at Dollar General for that last 6 months.
Thor I hit that website. Thanks for sharing……
By Stan
May 21, 2008 9:53 AM | Link to this
Jeff, We do most shopping at Walmart for non-meat items. Caned stocks, cleaning supplies (meaning vinager and amonia), some cheese, milk etc. we’ll get some produce there as well but I prefer to buy meat and produce at Kroger. Publix I find to be more expensive for what we buy.
By new mom
May 21, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this
Here in babyville, I just don’t have the time/interest in doing a lot of meal planning or cooking from scratch. Hopefully that will change soon, because I love to cook, but until then…
I buy boneless skinless chicken breasts from either publix or kroger when they are 1.99/pound. Then I bag 2 breasts together with some bottled bbq or some other sauce in a freezer bag. We usually end up with about 20-25 bags of meals. :) That way, I don’t have to give a lot of thought to ‘what’s for dinner’, I can get out a bag of chicken the night before to let it thaw in the fridge, then bake it or grill it the following night. We don’t eat chicken every night…but probably 3 times a week.
I love publix, so it has been hard to branch out in my grocery shopping. I have started looking at the kroger and ingles ads, and I’ll go to those stores if I find enough deals to justify the time and gas.
We recently started our own “grocery store” in our basement. We are using those plastic storage shelves, and are storing things I find on sale, like paper towels, laundry detergent, cereal, peanut butter, etc. So if there’s a nuclear war, we will be OK. ha ha I do feel kinda like a nutjob with the stockpile…oh well.
We have also started using those green bags for fresh produce (I can’t give up my salads) and I think they really do help lengthen the amount of time you can use your produce. We bought ours from bed bath & beyond using one of their coupons. :)
By Stacey
May 21, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this
I have always been a coupon shopper and a lot of non-perishables (cereal, tissue, paper towel, etc) I only buy when they are on sale AND I have a good coupon. I buy a lot of stuff at “no frills” type grocery stores that are cheaper than Kroger. I shop 1st thing Saturday morning because one of grocery stores in my neighborhood marks down meat & cold cuts with that day’s “sell by date” and I will either cook it or freeze it immediately. I also buy a lot of store brands.
Jeff…In my opinion, Wal-Mart’s grocery prices are high. I shop their for health & beauty items and other non food items but rarely for groceries. Publix is also expensive to me. Kroger has good sales and they double coupons. I can sometimes catch salad fixing & deli items marked down at Kroger when I stop on my way home from work. We have rotisserie chicken and salad for dinner and have enough leftover for my lunch the next day.
By new mom
May 21, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this
The only area we are organic (so far) is baby food. I had always thought I’d make my own baby food….ahh, the dreams of pregnancy…anyway, we buy either gerber organic or earth’s best baby food.
I haven’t done the math, but it might be cheaper then buying the organic foods to make your own. At least it’s easier. Now I have more time to play on the floor with our baby.
By Stacey
May 21, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this
New Mom…Thanks so much for mentioning the “green bags”. I had considered buying them but I didn’t know anyone who had used them and was afraid they would be a waste money.
By FCM
May 22, 2008 6:58 AM | Link to this
I find that the cupboard is stocked with the essentials. I stopped eating meat, that let’s me spend less because I eat twice as much as my kids together. I shop the sales closely.
As to Walmart…do your homework, if you have all the other sales ads, Walmart price matches. Instead of schlepping to all the stores, you weed through the ‘junk’ mail. Then do the coupons. Last, double check where the product is from, I am still not buying any apple juice from China. Also, I do not do Walmart meat. Honestly, Kroger has the best but since I shop Publix for certain things (Bakery Bread) I get the little meat I do buy there.
Invest in a freezer. Buy items in bulk (Costco or Sams) or on sale or in Family Paks and freeze them. Be sure to clearly lable when you purchased so you can use oldest items first. Those little plastic shoebox style things that kids use for storing their toys? They hold boxes of vegetables etc very well and make sorting through my freezer chest easy.
By motherjanegoose
May 22, 2008 8:26 AM | Link to this
I HATE shopping at Wal Mart.
This from someone who spent 7 years with them in high school, college and right when we got married ( to maximize my profit sharing.)
I am so with you on WHY do they have 24 lanes and 3 are open. I would love the answer to that question.
I was in Las Cruces NM and picked up a peach colored shirt to wear under a jacket. It did not match. I walked back in the next day with the receipt and shirt in the bag. No one said a word to me. I waited for 20 minutes at the exchange desk and when I got to the front, the lady said, ” do you have a sticker?” I said,” no, what kind of sticker?” You should have gotten one at the front door if you came in with merchandise.” “Well, I have my receipt and did not get one…” “You need to go back and get one…as our manager is very picky about returns and we cannot give you one without a sticker…” “Really, then maybe you should look at the video to see who should have given me a sticker and did not…I am not leaving this desk and do want my refund now.”
THIS is why I cannot stand shopping there. since the employees are making nearly nothing…they do not have customer service skills.
I stock up at Costco and also keep a freezer full of stuff. With a little planning, you can save about $50 with coupons and I try to do this once per month…that would fill the tank in my Malibu.
By Lucia
May 22, 2008 9:28 AM | Link to this
Don’t even get me started on Wal-Mart. 100 customers ready to pay, 50 cash registers, 4 cashiers. I don’t have that kind of time. Everyone is offering really great advice on saving money at the store. Buy low, buy smart, use up everything at home. The truth is that we still have to eat and it’s the extras that get trimmed or cut out entirely. I stay away from the mall and look for free or cheap activities for the kids.
By motherjanegoose
May 22, 2008 10:07 AM | Link to this
FYI…you can also use coupons for eating out. We rarely eat out without some sort of a coupon. I have a ziploc bag on the side of the fridge. When the advertisements come in, we clip the coupons we want and pop them in there. Also, I buy any fundraiser coupon books the kids sell. Entertainer books right now are $9.99 and they have a $5 Kroger coupon in it plus the Regal movie ticket coupons are $6 if you do not go the first two weeks of release. Anyway, my daughter has told me that she is going to put this on my headstone when I die: DO WE HAVE A COUPON!
Yep,that is me!
By Stacey
May 22, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
motherjanegoose…LOL at your epithat! That sounds like me. My coworkers call me “Coupon Queen” because I keep a folder of coupons in my desk drawer. I also go online and find BOGO coupons for restaurants near the job. For the most part, I’m a brown-bagger but when I do splurge, you’d best believe I have a good coupon!
By motherjanegoose
May 22, 2008 11:30 AM | Link to this
OOOPS….forgot this important tip. Take the kids with you to Costco or Sam’s Club around lunch time. Hot Dog or Polish Sausage and a Drink for $1.50. I think Pizza and a Drink is $2.50. Don’t forget to gas up too…saves about 6 or 7 cents per gallon!
By single mother of toddler
May 22, 2008 11:56 AM | Link to this
WOW! Lots of great comments.
Thanks Thor for the share. I put the site in my favorites.
I’m having another baby in a few months so I’m definitely going to consider the organics and since I’ll have two girls I might need to switch to organic milk.
I have a BJ’s card and need to renew my Sam’s membership. Is Costco better?
I usually shop at Publix (convenient to get to). But my mom always says Kroger is better. I’ve heard of Aldi but haven’t been.
Since I received my stimulus check, I guess I’ll shop sales, cut coupons, and stock up on some canned goods and meats.
Thanks everyone!!
By Trish
May 22, 2008 1:09 PM | Link to this
OK, I was in Publix one day last week, and saw Okra $3.49 lb. I havent gotten over that yet!
By Haleysmom
May 22, 2008 4:08 PM | Link to this
ALDI! ALDI! We save a bunch of money each week shopping (with CASH) at ALDI. there are not many choices so it is not a big store and you get out pretty quickly. The prices are fantastic.
By Coupondiva
May 22, 2008 4:17 PM | Link to this
We’ve started doing several things, and I’ve even started my own website www.coupondiva.net
Check it out for tips, shopping summaries and local deals!
Not your grandmother’s couponing!
By Stacey
May 22, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this
To my fellow coupon clippers….Have any of you had a problem with stores refusing to take online coupons? I have encountered this problem at several different stores. At Wal Mart it seems to honestly depend on the cashier. Some of them say that the policy is that if the coupon scans, they will accept it but others refuse to take them at all. After waiting in line for 30 minutes to pay, instead of subjecting myself and the people behind me to another 30 minute wait for a CSM, I just have them take the item off and use the coupon another day.
By karia
May 22, 2008 5:58 PM | Link to this
Another coupon queen here. I just love matching double coupons with sales at Kroger. I have gotten so many items free (or nearly free)! And I second Aldi. I hadn’t been there in a while, but went the other day. Their milk is $2.49 a gallon! And they have the best .99 spaghetti sauce…I always stock up on it.
I smiled at the suggestion to buy lunch at Costco or Sam’s. There are great deals, but you should do what my dad does when my mom is out of town. He goes to Costco on Saturday afternoons when they’re giving out all those samples, and that IS his lunch! LOL I never believed him til he took me with him one day and I swear…just having one of each sample in the store, we were stuffed. Can you tell I came by my frugal tendencies honestly?
By motherjanegoose
May 22, 2008 7:59 PM | Link to this
Karia…you go girl! You are right on with the samples. If you go during the Thanksgiving or Christmas season you REALLY get to taste the best of the best…hahaha!
When our son was a baby, we lived in an itty bitty town. We would take a monthly trip to the pediatrician in Corpus Christi and stock up on things. I would clip coupons and buy 4 or 5 big boxes of diapers. Folks would just stare at us but I knew we would use them and they would NOT go bad! We saved at least $2-$3 per box and that was a lot for us 20 years ago.
By new mom
May 23, 2008 10:01 AM | Link to this
Love all the ideas!! :)
I just remembered a couple of other hints:
1) We started buying organic milk, for two reasons: 1, it tastes so much better. honestly. but 2, it is ‘ultra-pasteurized’, so it stays good SOOO long! Since baby isn’t old enough for it yet, it takes a while for just hubby and me to go through it, and now we don’t waste any. Seriously, it stays good for nearly a month or so! And once baby is old enough for it, we plan to stick with organic.
2) If you are buying more expensive items where you really prefer the brand name (for example, I love viva paper towels and won’t use any other brand) try going to that brand’s website!! Many time you can print a coupon. It may not let you print the coupon more than once, but you can make copies of it if you plan to purchase several of that item. (I am a stickler for following rules, so if it says only use it once, I will follow that—but usually they never say ‘don’t copy’!) It’s a great way to find more coupons for items you REALLY want, instead of using coupons for things you were buying just because they are cheap. A few weeks ago Publix had their bertolli dinners on sale (we keep them on hand for emergencies) for 5.99 and I found $2.50 off coupons on the bertolli website! I was able to purchase several for 3.50 each. Not bad for a cheap emergency dinner for 2. :)
Oh one more—when you get those annoying free calendars in the mailbox, check the individual pages for restaurant coupons. We found one for a bogo dinner at dominicks in lawrenceville—we plan to go there on our anniversary for cheap! YUM
By motherjanegoose
May 23, 2008 12:37 PM | Link to this
new mom…we LOVE Dominick’s. Whatever you order, make it a full size. You will have so much food you can eat it the next day for lunch and dinner. If you and your husband each order full BOGO, Then you will have 2 days worth of meals for the price of one entree. BON APPETIT ( sp?)!
By new mom
May 23, 2008 2:59 PM | Link to this
yep motherjanegoose, we may have even seen each other there and not realized it! :)
I love dominicks sooo much, haven’t ventured there since baby came, but we’re looking forward to it. I LOVE their garlic bread….emphasis on garlic!!
Usually I order a half order and still have 2 more meals left over! Last time I went (was 8 mths pregnant) I ate bread and salad, and couldn’t eat a bite of my half order entree! People think pregnant women can pig out, but our actual stomachs have no space for much food at one time. It’s only AFTER baby gets out of the way that we can eat a big meal!! :)
Have a great day, motherjanegoose!
By FCM
June 3, 2008 2:06 PM | Link to this
@ Lauren
Publix milk is hormone free. I saw Trader Joe’s is too and about 10 cents cheaper. I only hit TJs once a month. I spend maybe $50 when I am in there. I buy some heat and eats mostly, specialty sauces and coffee.