DAYTON — We all need to eat, and that takes us to the grocery store; however, food prices have increased, making shopping an expensive experience for families.
News Center 7′s Gabrielle Enright dug through old Instacart orders to compare prices and looked for the best deals.
Jaylin Brown is a mother of two and loves taking trips unless they lead her to the grocery store.
“Food is very expensive to buy,” Brown said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
- 4 area high schools to play in OHSAA football state semifinals
- ‘I just don’t want to see it torn down;’ Church holds final service after nearly 200 years
- 2 dead after shooting at Ohio house party
College senior Derrick Wilson shops for food twice a month. He’s a coupon clipper.
“It’s all about the sale, honestly. If I can find anything on sale, that’s what I’m going to go for, and I cook a lot too. I’m a self-acclaimed chef so I don’t need too many ingredients,” Wilson said.
The cost of those ingredients has gone up, but so has people’s pay. According to the Federal Reserve, the average household income in 2020 was $60,000. The average household income in 2024 is $73,000.
So, why does everything feel so expensive?
Ryan Beach, a financial advisor with Edward Jones, said “The power of understanding is huge, especially when it comes to your money.”
He continues by saying, “It’s simple math at the end of the day. People are getting paid on average about 22 percent more over the same period, but their cash outlays for things like groceries is 22% and that’s why people are feeling the pinch,”
Instacart customers can look back at their spending.
Wendy Zimmerman has been using Instacart since 2018. She said, “I get off work late at night and I don’t want to go to the grocery store after I get off work.”
News Center 7 looked at some of Zimmerman’s orders and focused on one she makes all the time. Then, we compared the prices from July 2019 to now. Some of the increases were shocking.
Enright and Zimmerman looked at Kroger Half and Half, which costs $3.99 now. Zimmerman bought Kroger Half and Half one quart was $1.99 a few years ago. That’s a $2.00 difference.
“I feel like I’m going to go off. I’m trying not to. $2.00 to me is too much of a jump, especially in four to five years,” she said.
News Center 7 found similar price jumps with some of Wendy’s other favorites. Potatoes went up $2.00 from $2.99 to $4.00.
The current price of cereal went up. In 2019, Zimmerman was paying $2.99. Now, she is paying $4.09.
“That’s just ridiculous,” she said.
Her Instacart order in 2019 was $43.61. Now, her Instacart order is $64.62. The same food costs her close to $65, which is almost a $21 difference.
“Looking at the price now, maybe I should consider just stopping at Kroger. Stopping there might be less than I’m likely paying on Instacart,” Zimmerman said.
Wendy pays about $10 per month for her Instacart delivery service. She also tips her delivery driver every time she orders. For comparison, News Center 7′s Gabrielle Enright ordered the same nine items Zimmerman ordered on Instacart on Kroger’s website and requested free pick-up service.
Enright said she was also able to use coupons. Zimmerman’s items cost me $35.17 versus nearly $65 on Instacart, which is almost a $30 savings.
For perspective, Enright went to Aldi, Walmart, and Kroger to compare prices on things we all use such as bread, eggs, milk, and cheese.
Bread at Kroger at Aldi costs $1.39, $1.42 at Walmart, and $1.99 at Kroger. Eggs cost $3.97 at Aldi, $3.97 at Walmart, and $3.19 at Kroger.
Meanwhile, milk at Aldi costs $2.63, $2.57 at Walmart, and $2.89 at Kroger.
“The power of understanding is huge, especially when it comes to your money,” said Beach.
He also said you can save money with a few sacrifices.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
