Burning money
We ran an interesting Associated Press article in yesterday’s Business section about how the rising cost of food and fuel will affect the average summer barbecue this season.
I know it caught my eye, because like many other Americans, we plan to have a few friends over for a cookout this holiday weekend.
From the article: Food inflation is the highest in almost two decades, driven by record prices for oil and gas, mounting global demand for staples such as wheat and corn, and rising costs for proteins such as chicken.
I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve noticed the difference in my grocery bill every time I go shopping. Just about everything on my list is more expensive, and it seems to be most noticeable in the produce department. But maybe that’s just where I’m paying closest attention.
How does it all really break down? Well, that was the most interesting part of the CNN version of the same story, in my opinion. While they say the overall cost of the cookout has gone up about 6 percent from last year, they provided some exact figures for all the individual components.
See below the jump:
BARBECUE BOOST
(From the Associated Press — New York)
Percent change of average price increase from 2007
1 lb. beef … 1.1 percent
8-hotdog pack …6.7 percent
8 burger buns…16.7 percent
8 hot dog buns…14.5 percent
1 lb. American cheese…4 percent
1 lb. Tomatoes… 8.6 percent
1 lb. Lettuce… 9.1 percent
16-ounce bag of chips…11.8
6-pack of beer… 1.2 percent
Soda, 2-liters… 10.8 percent
16.4-oz Propane cartridge…8 percent
Lighter fluid… 3.4 percent
Charcoal…1.4 percent
Ketchup..8 percent
Mustard…2.1 percent
Mayonaise…13.1 percent
Salad dressing…6 percent
Jar of pickles…4.9 percent
Paper plates…13.8 percent
Napkins…3.8 percent
Based on this list, it appears as if the grain-based items, such as buns or chips, and the produce have gone up most substantially. But then there’s a 13.8 percent increase in paper plates. What’s that about? And soda has gone up 10 percent, probably because it contains a bunch of corn syrup.
Even the junkiest and least healthy of foods are going to cost us! The good news: apparently beer has only gone up 1.2 percent. But I digress.
How to alleviate the pressure a bit? Well, the AP suggests buying store brands, evaluating unit prices, clipping coupons, using a store card, buying frozen foods and eliminating all pre-cut convenience foods from your list.
That last one really caught my eye. Just yesterday, I was conversing with a woman from the Virginia Department of Agriculture who suggested that those pre-cut fruits and veggies would be the first thing to go in American households feeling the pinch. I’ve been saving money by cutting up my own green peppers and cantaloupes for years now.
Buying locally, while sometimes more expensive, can also be cheaper if you look for the best deals, particularly in terms of produce.
Do any of you have further suggestions for cutting the grocery bill in these expensive times?
May 23, 2008 - 11:06 AM
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Going to the farmer’s market for produce (and sometimes certain types of meat and eggs) can be infinitely cheaper than going to the grocery. As far as grilling out goes, I still believe in charcoal.
I find that shopping for most staples in the no-name brand sections makes a little difference. Cereal costs can be cut in half or better here.
My father is the ultimate coupon cutter. He organizes them on a computer spreadsheet. He uses the spreadsheet while making his carefully planned grocery list. I used to think he was crazy with a capital “C”, but now I see the method to his madness.
I have found that most veggies and some fruits are cheaper at the farmer’s market than the grocery store. The cost of precut pineapple at the grocery store is ridiculous. You can buy the whole pineapple and cut it up yourself for at least $2.00 less.
Shopping for produce at your local farmer’s market has an added savings: no “end cap” sale displays to tempt you to splurge. Besides, the produce hasn’t been trucked 1,000 miles while not yet ripe so it can get to your grocer. It also supports your local economy; farmers have to eat too!
Marion – did you know that large produce and distributing companies actually gas their fruits and vegetables to keep them from riping? And then when the produce is finally delivered to the grocery store they are gassed again to promote riping.
My husband’s U.S. Foodservice representative told me that. I was shocked myself. I never knew they could control the clock that way.
I usually do not buy pre-cut veggies because it is more expensive. However, if I don’t need an entire pepper, for example, I will buy the precut. On Friday I was going to make burritos and wanted some sweet peppers. It was cheaper for me to get the pre-cut ones ($3.99 at Ukrops) than to purchase 3 separate peppers (I needed red, yellow & green).
I also cut coupons every Sunday and then only purchase an item if I’ve got a coupon and it’s on sale. My husband and I are usually able to trim about $50 off of our grocery bill this way.
Coupons, coupons, coupons!! I have saved upwards of $10 or more off of my bill by being diligent about cutting my Sunday coupons. I’m kind of a brand name snob when it comes to certain items so that’s where the coupons come in handy.
I also will buy generic for those items that I’m not picky about. You can save quite a bit of money buying generic and usually the quality is just as good (sometimes better). I’m not just talking about food items either!
I’m a brand name snob on certain items (Helmann’s Mayo, Heinz Ketchup being the two I can’t ever remember settling for another brand) but I am stingy at the grocery store. I cut coupons every week, and probably spend an additional hour a week because of my comparison shopping. I’ll never use a coupon if another brand or generic is just as good or cheaper, so I tend to leave a lot of coupons on the shelves for someone else to use. That said, by using coupons and watching for Kroger card specials, I save no less than 25% each week on groceries, which for a family of 4 usually comes to between $50 and $80 a week. Typically, I feel dejected if I save less than 30%, however. And those total don’t include the money saved by snatching up the reduced meats, which don’t show as savings on the receipt. We probably save an additional $10 – $15 a week that way. I think my personal best was $110 in savings on a $240 grocery trip.
WOW, Nathan. Those are a lot of savings. I think the most we’ve saved on a grocery bill was $27, but we are just a family of 2 (not including the cats, who do eat a lot).
We, too, save by clipping coupons, watching for sales and buying generic items. The best is a circumstance with a sale AND a coupon on the same item.
Every time I shop, I also check the reduced meats and look for stickers on other items that have been reduced. It’s also good to use the store cards, because some stores mail out special coupons to regular customers.