I have noticed a lot lately while grocery shopping how many items' prices have risen. Somethings I have noticed a very small rise in cost while others have risen more so. In fact, there has been an increase of 5.30% in the month of October 2021 according to Trading Economics since that time in 2020. I have made a list of 7 tips to help grocery shopping with higher food prices. As it can feel frustrating as pricing for a necessity such as food rises. It can also be worrisome not knowing how long that will last or just how high they will rise.
Food prices seem to constantly change. Fortunately there are some things that we can do to help prepare for when prices rise along with when they already have. By following the tips below, you can feel better prepared when food prices start to rise!
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Staying calm
It can be easy to get upset about rising food costs. It seems as if we set a food budget, get it just about perfect and then the prices rise again. How do we stay calm?
Reminding ourselves that prices have risen before and that there are things we can do to help afford purchasing groceries can be a help in remaining calm.
Clearance
I love clearance! So when I go to any store I be sure to stop in the clearance sections to see what kind of deals they have. I have found that many grocery stores that I shop at have clearance sections. Although they may not always be easy to find.
Here is one example of nearly missing a clearance section due to it not being easily seen. There was a small clearance section on a shelving unit in the back of a store. It was in the corner across from the freezer section with a small amount of room in between them. It was not facing the shoppers so it was so easy to miss.
So it is good to find out exactly where clearance items are located. Whether that be in each individual department, several departments gathered together or everything in one place. Another tip is asking if there is a certain day and time that items are marked down if you want. This could help you to possibly score the best items first.

Homemade cooking
It can be thought that cooking homemade food is cheaper than buying store bought items. Actually sometimes it is not cheaper to make things from scratch. The reason for this is that if you purchase some items on sale or even on clearance, sometimes that is a better deal than preparing food yourself.
One example is when I bought a premade frozen lasagna. I was able to get such a great deal on it that it would have cost more to make it myself.
Although there have been things I have made from scratch that was cheaper than store bought. Before you decide how you are going to prepare your meals, double check to see which way would be less expensive.
Shop discount stores
I enjoy shopping at some discount stores because I truly find some really great deals on some great items. A couple stores in particular are Walmart and Aldi. Listed below are some of the reasons why I like shopping at these two stores.
- Walmart
I enjoy shopping at Walmart because of all of the variety of things to buy there. But speaking in particular of food, I find that some of their items are lower in price than some other stores. I also like to shop their marked down food in the different sections. I have scored deeply discounted items that still had a day or two before its' expiration date.
If there is food that is marked down, be sure to check the expiration date. Although weather or not an item is marked down, it is always important to check the expiration date. If it only has a day or so before it expires, be sure that you will use it in time. If you buy it and do not use it, then it was not a deal after all and money wasted.
- Aldi
I have been very happy with the prices at Aldi. There have been some items that I feel are about the same as other grocery store prices but for the most part the things I purchase are less expensive. I really like their brands of food that I have tried. So with the great prices along with the great taste, that is a win win for me!
I love that when I go into Aldi, I do not feel overwhelmed at all by the size of the store. I enjoy that there are not as many aisles and that it will not take me a very long time to go up and down all the aisles.
Bakery Outlets
I have been to a couple of bakery outlets. I have found packaged baked goods for a little bit cheaper than they I have seen them in grocery stores such as brownies and cupcakes.
I have also seen deeply discounted bread items including buns. If I do not think that my family and I will use them before the expiration dates then I will sometimes go ahead and purchase some and then freeze them for later use.
Check out and see if there is a bakery outlet near you.
Stock up on sales
Sometimes there can be some great deals to stock up on. But I don't mean to stock up on just any sale. You want to make sure that the items are things that you and your family like and you know will eat. You also want to make sure that the sale is within your budget to spend. Just because something may be on sale does not always mean that it is a good deal.
Another important tip is to only buy what you think you will use. When stocking up on items it can be easy sometimes for some things to expire before we use them. Which in turn is not a deal at all, it is wasting our money.
Use less meat
Meat can be expensive. If you would like to continue to eat meat but stay within your budget, consider buying and using smaller portions at a time. Not only will you help yourself stay within your budget but it is also healthier.
Consider splitting a half a pound of hamburger and making chili rather than using a full pound for example. You can stretch this meal and add beans and veggies to your chili. Then you could use the other half pound of hamburger for another meal. Get creative and see what you can make with less meat.
Conclusion
By choosing one or more of these tips: staying calm, checking out your store's clearance items, double checking that you are actually saving money by cooking homemade food, shopping discount stores, visiting bakery outlets, stocking up on sales and using less meat can help you to purchase food within your budget when there is a higher cost in food. When prices rise, our food budget does not necessarily have to as well.
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