Top Ten Thursday: 10 Foods That Increase Your Grocery Bill (And How To Deal)
By admin
Happy Thursday!
Did you guys get a chance to listen to the latest podcast with my friend April? If you haven’t, check it out (I’ll post it at the bottom).
Have you gone grocery shopping lately and noticed your bill climbing higher and higher? I certainly have.
Since we don’t have kids yet, I shop for just two people so you would think that our bill isn’t crazy. But over the past year, I think it’s safe to say that I’m spending around $ 40 more… without changing my list!
So what gives?
I came across this MSN article announcing the foods that are rising in price for 2013. I want to share them with you because when you’re aware you might be able to come up with alternatives to bring that bill back down!
Top 10 Foods Making Your Grocery Bill Increase
Beef:
According to MSN, beef is on the climb this year.
Let’s break it down:
Ground beef will increase by at least $ 0.10/pound. Steaks will be about $ 0.20/pound more!
What’s going on with the cattle industry? The issue is that there are limited livestock operators, and high feed cost which affect the overall cattle sizes.
Not a huge deal, considering limiting red meat intake is a smart idea anyways. Change things up… try grilling portabella mushrooms for a “meaty” steak texture and flavor.
If you think that changing to “grass fed” is going to help, think again. This is just my guess but I think that demand of it will increase and of course then lead to an increase in price. Plus, it’s not cheap to begin with (but it is better for you!).
Pork:
Since I don’t eat meat, I was shocked when I found out that bacon retails at over $ 4.50 per pound! And it’s only going to go up more… about $ 0.10/pound.
Pork chops are also going to increase by about the same.
Like beef, it’s due to droughts affecting the cost of feed. And it’s only going to get worst as the year goes on.
Have you ever tried tempeh? It’s a fermented soy product and works awesome for bbq sandwiches!
Chicken:
Wow, right now I am loving this vegan thing! I’ve dodged 3 out of 3 price raisers. When it comes to chicken expect an increase the same as beef and pork per pound.
Unfortunately, I can’t completely avoid this one. Dan eats chicken pretty regularly. While our consumption has decreased significantly since my trip down vegan road, we still keep it stocked in the freezer for him. Costco seems to have the best prices.
**Before moving on, I also wanted to quickly share this article from the NY Times, on the recent increase in “superbugs” in more than 1/2 the meat at stores. Super bugs being drug-resistant bacteria. Ugh. Another reason to cut back:
Report on US Meat Sounds Alarm On ‘Superbugs’
Eggs:
Of course of chicken is affected then eggs will also. But not because of a limited supply but because of demand.
Ever since it was revealed that it’s okay to enjoy whole eggs, those guys are becoming more and more popular! Dan eats 2 eggs each morning, so I guess I am getting hit by this one.
I have noticed a big price in egg prices, which is one of the reasons I want to have my own coupe one day.
Seafood:
Seafood is expensive any ways, but because it’s price is affected so much by natural disasters like oil spills, hurricanes and tsunami’s it is really hard to make a real prediction on the “market price”.
Right now, expect salmon prices to increase by around $ 0.09/pound; shrimp around $ 0.12/pound; and catfish by about $ 0.14/pound.
Living in Charleston, seafood is to us like chicken is to others… it’s a staple in our diet. In fact, to say I never eat a piece of fish, an oyster or a shrimp would be a big fat lie. Good thing my family likes to fish!
Milk:
This is one I have seen rise and rise and rise some more over the years. Dan drinks 2%, I drink almond milk… so each week we spend over $ 7 just on milk. Because of the feed prices (mentioned above), milk production will drop and milk will go up by around $ 0.16 per gallon!
If it goes up much more than that, I think it’s safe to say that I will be attempting to change Dan from cow’s milk to plant based!
Cheese:
Cheese is in the same boat as milk (makes sense) but expect to see your cheddar, swiss, and everything else increase by as much as $ 0.25/pound!
Do yourself a favor, start weening yourself off cheese now or at least cut back on it. You won’t only save money but you’ll save calories too.
Found out why I cut out all dairy a while ago.
Fruit/Veggies:
I am really upset to announce this. I could live off fruit with as much as I eat.
But have you checked the price of apples lately? Even non organic ones are over $ 2/pound! And oranges… they are so much more expensive than I remember. Due to our reliance on importing produce, and the weakness of our $ , the price will continue to rise.
To keep spending under control, search out local, seasonal fruits and veggies. For us, that means strawberries and soon peaches (my favorite time).
Sugar:
By sugar I mean candy. Sugar production is actually at an all time high due to great sugarcane harvesting in Mexico. However, sugary products don’t care about that and instead raise their prices based on packaging, demand, competition, etc.
Candy prices are already up about 1.5% just from last year. Another reason to say “NO” to the Snickers Bar!
Bread/Grains:
Again with last year’s drought across the US.
It’s causing white and wheat breads to increase in price by around $ 0.10/pound.
This is also the case for grain products, so don’t think by skipping out on the bread alone is going to help.
How can you avoid bread? Don’t cut it out but limiting it might be smart. Instead of a sandwich every day for lunch, pack left overs, salads, open faced sandwiches, etc.
How To Handle The Rising Prices
To say that you can completely avoid an high grocery bill is just silly. However there are some things you can do to make it more manageable.
Create a shopping list
Cut out cheese
Try milk alternatives (coconut, almond, flaxseed)
Try a “meatless night” to limit meat purchases
Shop local for fruits and vegetables
Avoid processed foods which are filled with sugar and processed wheat
Other Common Items That Affect My Bill
While these are the items expected to increase in price this year, there are other foods that I have noticed make a big impact on my wallet. Because several of these are must-haves for Dan and I, I try to limit them and alternate weeks of when I’ll buy certain things.
For example, I never buy olive oil and coconut oil at the same time. The same goes for quinoa and mung bean pasta (both around $ 4/box).
Oils
Coffee
Ezekiel bread (I made Dan decide between eating this or eating microwavable pizzas, he choose the bread).
Yogurt
Granola
Walnuts and macadamia (only get on sale)
Missed the “What The Fitness” Podcast?
As you’ll notice Dan says Kindal a lot. Incase your don’t know why, here’s all about my pen-name.
Also make sure you subscribe and give our podcast a 5 start review on iTunes. Thanks so much!
What item(s) do you buy that you wish you didn’t have to in order to save money?
Have you seen your bill increase lately?