Combat Rising Food Prices
Last week news reports warned that food prices will be rising this year. Apparently the world’s demand for corn is causing the surplus of corn in the United States to be be used up. Since supply is low, prices are going up. In addition, severe weather around the world is affecting the supply, and therefore prices, of other staples, such as wheat, coffee, and soybeans, are also rising.
For those of us on tight grocery budgets, this is bad news. Unfortunately we all need to eat. But do you really need to just roll over and take the impact of higher food prices on your bottom line? Well, yes, if you do nothing. But with a few changes, you may be able to lessen the impact of higher grocery bills.
Buy in Bulk (and Unprocessed, if you Can)
I recently began buying my grains from Azure Standard. A 25 lb. bag of wheat berries is much less expensive from Azure than it is at any local source I’ve found. In addition I buy grains such as Kamut and other products such as honey in bulk from Azure.
Buying unprocessed grains ensures that they won’t go rancid before I can use them, and buying in bulk gives me a cost savings. Trying other grains gives me a grain alternative, in case wheat prices go too high for my comfort level.
If you live within Azure Standard’s delivery area, you may want to try ordering a few basics from them. If you call them and find an existing drop point to join, you won’t even have to pay shipping.
Buy on a Schedule
Take advantage of Amazon’s discounts by purchasing frequently used foods with Amazon’s subscribe and save service. Amazon’s food prices are typically competitive with store prices (not using coupons), but if you use the subscribe and save service, you get 15% off, plus free shipping.
You can choose the delivery interval that suits your needs, and your items will be shipped to you automatically at the designated time. As someone who doesn’t like to grocery shop, this is a dream come true for me! Not shopping and saving money at the same time? Sign me up!
Watch the News and Experiment
When food prices are on the rise, news sources are usually quick to report it. When such news stories hit the airwaves, do a quick google search on the topic, and you’re bound to come up with a few articles telling you which food items are bucking the trend.
According to Fortune, the prices of rice, dairy products, and meat are all relatively stable right now, though meat prices are expected to rise later this year. So instead of buying wheat and corn, plan your meals around rice. And if you have the space in your freezer, stock up on meat right now.
By watching the news and being willing to experiment with foods you don’t eat frequently, you may be able to keep your grocery bill down.
Whatever your normal grocery shopping routine, be prepared to see food prices rise. You can’t control food prices, but you can control how you respond to them.
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Author
By Lynnae McCoy, on Feb 25, 2011
I'm Lynnae, wife of one and stay-at-home mom of two. I'm committed to getting out of debt by being frugal with my choices in life.
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I am always surprised when people talk about combating rising food costs, that they always forget the obvious which is to start growing your own.
I completely agree about growing our own food. However, for someone who is just learning about gardening, I certainly have to continue to eat while I master it! And I’ve already researched growing our own rice, as that is a huge staple for our family of seven. It’s just not going to be an option… Good luck everyone!
I use to buy a lot of “manager’s specials” that is until last month when my family got food poisioning from a meal that I bought on “manager special ” it said it had 7 more days until it should be served but the meat was obviously already spoiling as we all got sick on it! Life should not be so difficult as to be forced to choose between buying our meds and purchasing decent foods.
I feel certain Kroger will make it right money wise since the food was not good but still we were all very sick from it! Watch out how far you go to try to stretch a dollar somethings are just not worth it!