DAYTON — Keeping our budgets in check seems almost impossible right now, especially when it comes to filling our pantries, but Consumer Advisor Clark Howard shows us several things we can do to trim our grocery budgets.
Everybody feels inflation differently depending on what’s going on in their lives except at the grocery store.
Damon Jones is a shopper, and said, “I definitely noticed a spike.”
It doesn’t just seem like it, since 2019 the cost of groceries increased 25 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Americans waste nearly $500 billion on uneaten groceries every year. Another way to avoid overspending is meal planning.
Heading into the store with a meal plan means you avoid buying items you don’t need. And remember, build your plan based on the sales.
The app Flipp will help you do that. Flipp allows you to see the sales at every store you shop. It will also send you updates when there are deals available.
Other apps to consider is Ibotta and Grocery Pal. Ibotta helps you earn cash back on purchases.
And know when it pays to spend the extra on organic products and when it doesn’t. According to the Environmental Working Group produce such as pineapple, avocados, and sweet potatoes have very low levels of pesticides to begin with. Also, skip precut fruits and veggies and do it yourself. It will save you a lot of money.
As for where to shop, Aldi, Walmart, and Costco Wholesale seem to be favorites among consumers. But remember it doesn’t always pay to buy in bulk and choosing the store brand will always save you big money and maybe even cut your cost up to 40 percent.
We are in an unusual time with groceries because they’re back to high prices depending on what’s on sale that week. Do the reverse shopping list where you build your meals based on what’s on sale that week.
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