Author Topic: How do you offset rising grocery prices?  (Read 6780 times)

Mortgage Free Mike

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How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« on: February 24, 2014, 04:50:09 PM »
I just submitted an article for money expert Clark Howard about protein sources cheaper than meat. The expert I interviewed suggested quinoa, oats, eggs, Greek yogurt, hummus -- plus a few others. Today I'm reading a lot about the California drought. Some analysts are predicting grocery prices will go up 15% temporarily.
Will you try to offset that? If so, how? I'm considering increasing my stockpile.

If you are interested here is the article on Clark's site. I also posted more details on my blog:

http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/health-health-care/7-protein-packed-foods-cheaper-beef/ndZf6/

Cheddar Stacker

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2014, 05:00:08 PM »
I'm already eating a lot of oats, eggs, yogurts, almonds, etc. I've been wanting to try Quinoa, but haven't remembered to buy any yet. I think I will do more of the same for my proteins, but that's only maybe 25-35% of my current diet. Another 25-40% is vegetables and fruits, and that's where I think this will have a huge impact on my budget.

A few thoughts I might try:
-Mix in more rice and beans (and other cheap filler stuff).
-Grow a veggie garden.
-Eat less. Seriously, this one is often overlooked when people are talking grocery budgets. In general I think I eat more than I need due to portion distortion, or simply giving into desires. I know it's likely the hardest one to accomplish, but it has a snowball effect for me. The less I eat, the less I'm hungry. It also helps in the health/weight department, but you have to balance it with maintaining proper energy levels and not withering away.

Cassie

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2014, 05:01:38 PM »
Eat more casseroles-the meat goes a lot farther that way.

Cwadda

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2014, 05:07:45 PM »
Leftovers several times per week. So many extra meals that way.

Threshkin

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2014, 05:32:34 PM »
Tofu!

Also make the meat you do eat got as far as possible.  For example, if you roast a chicken or some fish, put the bones and skin in a pot and make soup base.

bikebum

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2014, 05:48:49 PM »
Also make the meat you do eat got as far as possible.  For example, if you roast a chicken or some fish, put the bones and skin in a pot and make soup base.

+1

LynnM

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2014, 05:53:51 AM »
If you have to please picky eaters with certain foods required, it can be difficult.  If you're flexible, it's easy to substitute with whatever is a better value in the store at that time, so easier to keep a total food budget no matter how certain prices fluctuate.   We don't firm up weekly meals until we get to the store.   My husband's mother is a hoarder, so as a result, he doesn't like to keep much on hand (his mother calls us "minimalists"), so we are likely more exposed to fluctuating prices than people who stock up their freezer and pantry.   If beef is too expensive, we'll plan fish or chicken instead, and there are always enough grains/beans out there for value meals -- if quinoa is priced too high, lentils work well, too.   Soups and stews really help stretch a budget, especially if you make your own stock, and most freeze well so we get 2-3 meals out of one pot.             

soccerluvof4

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2014, 06:33:13 AM »
I like to do what i call backward shopping and it took awhile for the stockpile to build up as well as figure it all out and work into a family of 6. Now our bills are half and we eat very well. Most people (not so much on MM) tend to create a weekly buy list/meal plan , we dont do that. I shop at Sams Club and Aldis and they ALWAYS have Produce to Meat on Sale and I mean big time discounts. Fish to Steak doesnt matter. If its read tagged for quick sale i buy it and we freeze it. We dont do couponing but again buy bulk whenever we can or on sale. Besides Aldis and Sams doesnt take coupons. Out west you probably have more Costco's which is a bit more expensive I have found in the Midwest than Sams but still reasonable. Anyhow we meal plan then with what we have. And we have plenty of everything as I said we have stockpiled but in doing say have cut food bills in half.

I also agree that slow cooker/ casseroles is a great way to save. Fortunately our kids dont have any food allergies but we dont run a resturant so they eat what we make. We do try to make sure that there like are included in every meal but its tough with 4 kids. Eat to survive dont survive to eat!

nereo

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2014, 08:05:29 AM »
I just submitted an article for money expert Clark Howard about protein sources cheaper than meat. The expert I interviewed suggested quinoa, oats, eggs, Greek yogurt, hummus -- plus a few others. Today I'm reading a lot about the California drought. Some analysts are predicting grocery prices will go up 15% temporarily.
Will you try to offset that? If so, how? I'm considering increasing my stockpile.
First off - analysts are very frequently wrong. The national (and global) food supply chains are so complex that a disruption in one place can be completely offset by other factors in other areas.

As to how to offset rising grocery prices - a key strategy is flexibility.  You are on the right track about looking ofr other sources of protein, but expand that to all aspects of your grocery list and you'll find ways keep costs nearly constant.

jba302

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2014, 08:09:51 AM »
Go straight to the source. Local farmer's markets, local butchers. We buy beef from a farmer directly and are looking to expand that to chickens and pork over time. Our guy pastures his cattle and we live in a non-drought prone area (MN) so even local price fluctuations don't affect his inputs enough to change prices much.

Random Hangers

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #10 on: February 25, 2014, 09:26:01 AM »
We do things similar to those already mentioned:

1. Buy things that are on sale and figure out what to eat based on what we already have stocked, which means we only have to buy produce or the like (from Aldi if we can help it) to fill out the meal.

2. We went through a period a few years ago where money was tight, so we cut back on meat, then realized we didn't really miss it as much as we thought we would. We went from meat for dinner every night to going veggie at least a few nights a week (with one day for fish).

We also...buy chicken off the back of a truck.
It sounds weird, lol, but it's through a company called Zaycon, who functions sort of like Costco except they sell directly to consumers. My co-worker and I go in together once or twice a year for a 40 pound box of chicken, one of us picks it up off the refrigerated truck at the pre-determined place/time (they don't have a storefront), split it for 20 pounds each, and freeze it for whenever we need it. We're only a two-person household but it would be great for large families. We've also gotten ground beef and bacon for great prices, and they have other products like honey, milk, salmon, etc, depending on the area you're in.
Here's their general link: https://zayconfoods.com/
Here's my referral link, just in case (I just get a dollar per person who makes a purchase; I don't work for them or anything): https://zayconfoods.com/refer/zf41287

lexie2000

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #11 on: February 25, 2014, 10:31:19 AM »
I plan to stock up on nuts (specifically almonds, but others too) and dried fruit.  Dairy seems to be going up too so if I see cheese on sale, I'll probably stock up on that too and freeze it.

 Almonds and dried mango make an awesome snack!!

jhartt3

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #12 on: February 25, 2014, 10:43:36 AM »
We do things similar to those already mentioned:

1. Buy things that are on sale and figure out what to eat based on what we already have stocked, which means we only have to buy produce or the like (from Aldi if we can help it) to fill out the meal.

2. We went through a period a few years ago where money was tight, so we cut back on meat, then realized we didn't really miss it as much as we thought we would. We went from meat for dinner every night to going veggie at least a few nights a week (with one day for fish).

We also...buy chicken off the back of a truck.
It sounds weird, lol, but it's through a company called Zaycon, who functions sort of like Costco except they sell directly to consumers. My co-worker and I go in together once or twice a year for a 40 pound box of chicken, one of us picks it up off the refrigerated truck at the pre-determined place/time (they don't have a storefront), split it for 20 pounds each, and freeze it for whenever we need it. We're only a two-person household but it would be great for large families. We've also gotten ground beef and bacon for great prices, and they have other products like honey, milk, salmon, etc, depending on the area you're in.
Here's their general link: https://zayconfoods.com/
Here's my referral link, just in case (I just get a dollar per person who makes a purchase; I don't work for them or anything): https://zayconfoods.com/refer/zf41287

how much do you pay per pound for chicken breast.  b/c its only 1.77 at sams.

Random Hangers

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #13 on: February 25, 2014, 10:57:59 AM »
how much do you pay per pound for chicken breast.  b/c its only 1.77 at sams.

We don't have a membership at Sam's, Costco or BJ's (there really aren't any near enough to be worthwhile, I've found). Did a quick search through my records, and saw that in October 2011, we signed up for chicken breast at $1.69/lb, but the price dropped to $1.49 and they gave us a refund for the difference; in July 2012, we got it for $1.59/lb. Can't remember the specifics, but it was much lower than was available in our grocery store at the time.

For recent price comparisons, just got an email from them for 93/7 ground beef at 3.99/lb and smoked ham at $3.49/lb, if that helps. There aren't any scheduled chicken drops at the moment so I can't say what those current prices are.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2014, 11:40:21 AM by Random Hangers »

lackofstache

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #14 on: February 25, 2014, 11:52:25 AM »
We dumpster a fair amount of food, we work at a local farm co-op for produce & pork in the summer when dumpsters aren't prime becuase of the heat and we grow a fair amount of our own food.

dragoncar

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #15 on: February 25, 2014, 12:20:22 PM »
I write blog posts on the side and advertise them around the internet

Cassie

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #16 on: February 25, 2014, 05:45:51 PM »
When I was raising my kids I would make breakfast for dinner one night a week-eggs, hash browns, bacon, etc. It was cheaper and quick so I would save it for a busy night and they loved it.  Grilled cheese sandwiches & soup was also another quick & easy/cheap meal. Also we never shopped weekly. We did it every 2 weeks and just picked up milk etc in between. The more you go the more you spend. Now we only do it monthly.

Kriegsspiel

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #17 on: February 25, 2014, 07:50:52 PM »
Why did you list them as $/serving, instead of $/gram of protein, if the point of the article was to show they were cheaper forms of protein than beef?

Dee18

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Re: How do you offset rising grocery prices?
« Reply #18 on: February 25, 2014, 08:50:47 PM »
Just signed up for a small plot in a community garden. For $20 I get the soil, water, use of tools and classes on gardening.  It's a great way for me to try gardening with little financial investment....and my own yard is almost all shade.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!