Lets Blow the Whistle on Outrageous Grocery Prices!
I think it’s time to blow the whistle on outrageous grocery prices and hopefully give you a few extra money saving ideas at the checkout counter. As if you hadn’t noticed, the grocery prices have gone sky high in this past couple of years…and they will be going higher due to the hot summer and crops not growing well because of it. According to Daily Finance a family of four could see an increase of as much as $875 on their grocery bill in the coming year! Who can afford that!? That’s not really my big complaint though. Although I would love lower prices..my beef with the Grocery Chains and big business Food Distributors is this…
Lets Blow the Whistle on Outrageous Grocery Prices!
I have noticed that packages are getting smaller and prices are STAYING THE SAME… However the grocery stores are advertising these items as a great deal with great savings! I DON’T LIKE THIS!
A few examples of this:
- $2.00 for a box of granola bars..pretty good score with no coupon..right? NOPE..the other day I noticed that this particular brand had gone from 6 bars to 5? Is this really a deal..NOPE.
- $6.99 on a can of my fave coffee..Yahoo..NOPE..The can has a new look and guess what 2 oz. less of coffee!
- Ice Cream..ummm have you noticed is no longer a hefty 1 quart…downsized…same price!
That is just a few small examples..if I made an exhaustive list it would be a mile long.
If you compare prices with quantity..in fact .. YOU ARE NOT GETTING THE SAME DEAL YOU DID WHEN THE PACKAGE HAD MORE IN IT!
Am I being petty? I don’t think so..when companies do a little downsizing they don’t do it on a big scale so as not to send consumers into a panic. A little here and there from many, many brands adds up to A LOT of extra expense!
I am not going to name names on brands or stores because I have seen it across the board. We have 4 major grocery store chains in our area, so I am able to shop each for competitive prices and each store does the same thing! I am well aware there is a whole system to pricing..but I’m thinking that it’s not in the best interest of the consumer right now.
So what shall we do about it..I would suggest if you really see something like this that bothers you..contact the store headquarters. They do listen to consumers if we speak up!
Other than that we need to be SMART consumers and manage our finances well.
Making ends meet these days is becoming increasingly harder. One area I am almost always able to save is at the grocery store. I cook from scratch, buy in bulk, coupon and stick to sales on my meal planning. I consider myself a pretty savvy bargain shopper for the most part…but even I am having to make some changes in the way we eat and shop!
Here are some little things you can do to save a little here and there at the grocery store:
Instead of buying 90/7 ground beef, buy 80/20 and cook very thoroughly..then rinse thoroughly all the excess grease! Yes this will reduce the fat content a TON!
Instead of buying Large Eggs, buy Medium..there is almost no difference..except in the price! You can save a ton of money by simply buying medium…
Join a food Co op! Check out the savings I get from my produce for $20 each week! It’s worth it!
Buy in Bulk! I can show you how to cook AND prepare 40 lbs or less of chicken in no time!
Only clip coupons that you will use! (it’s easy to overspend with coupons on items that are not really needed)
I’m also serving up Soups/Chili’s and Homemade bread a couple of times a week now instead of once every couple of weeks
If you have a great way to save $$ ..I would love for you to share, so that we may all have an excellent resource to pull from and handle our finances properly in these economic times!
More ways to save:
Freezer Cooking Methods ~ Save tons of money by Freezer Cooking and pick the method that is right for you!
Buy what is on sale when through out the the year ~ 4 page printable planner with Grocery and Retail Store Sales Cycles
That’s very interesting about the eggs!
Making snack foods saves a ton, and the snacks are usually much healthier, too!
Thanks for the encouragement.
I always look at the price per unit which is on the shelf price tag to make sure I’m getting the best value for my money. Not long ago I almost bought my salad mix before realizing they were selling organic for even cheaper that week! Score and score! It’s also super helpful when I’m buying cheese and there are so many different volumes…bricks…shredded…sliced…and I’m in no mood to do math. 🙂
That’s insane. Grocery bills are already too high! 🙁
Thank you for linking up at Frugal Friday. Hope to see you again there next week. 🙂
It really is frustrating. The cost of everything is going up, up, up and I think one day this huge bubble will have burst. When I find myself becoming frustrated with our grocery budget, or any part of our budget really (high heating bills), I have to remind myself that it is ok. The Lord has continued to provide and always will. Yes, it is frustrating to pay nearly $4.00 for a gallon of milk or outrageous heating bills, but at the end of the day my tummy is full and I get to sleep in a warm bed. I’m thankful the Lord is taking care of me and my family.
Thanks for linking up today at the SHINE Blog Hop.
I can’t believe how much some groceries (like eggs) have increased lately, though I figured it was mostly about gas prices – which had me hoping they might fall back again soon. I haven’t noticed the phenomenon you’re talking about, though I’m going to watch out for it now.
But about your suggested strategies,beware of false economies: all the calculations I’ve seen show that larger sized eggs are generally a better buy. Eg., a dozen “large” eggs by law has 3 oz. more egg by weight than “medium” (i.e., 14% more) and at least at stores where I shop, they’re never priced nearly as much as 14% higher, which makes larger a better buy. (In fact, jumbo is the best buy, I believe, though most recipes are designed for large eggs.)
Likewise, if you throw away the fat from your ground beef, you’re getting considerably less meat than the labelled package weight. A pound of 93/7 ground beef will contain at 16% more meat than your rinsed 80/20 one (and if you don’t rinse the 93/7, you’d be getting 25% more). So it’s only more expensive if it’s priced more that 16% higher. Maybe it is, I don’t know, because I always buy 80/20 for the flavor – I keep the fat in and put more rice/oats/etc. in the meatloaf to soak it up.
I avoid the typical grocery stores for this reason exactly. I went to a “cheap” grocery store this past week and spent around $60 which was nearly double what I spend at Trader Joes for almost exactly the same things! I try to buy when things are on sale and freeze produce so I don’t toss it and have to rebuy!
I totally agree! It’s ridiculous how much food is now a days. Lets all start gardens and raise chickens! Lol! These are some good money saving tips, though. I’ll keep them in mind 🙂
I feel like you do. Grocery prices are getting out of control. I spent $5 on our last jar of sandwich spread. Yikes!
Great post Shari!
Thank you Susie! Blessings!
Great post, Shari. The best way to “vote” is with our wallets. So much has changed in our household, & many manufactures (& stores) no longer get our “vote”. And now many awesome & great local farmers DO get our “vote!”
Yay for you Kristen! I say that’s the best way to “vote” too! 😀 I love buying local and I do our produce co-op and save BIG! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Blessings!
Just got done, oddly enough, with our grocery shopping for the month. Fry’s (a Kroger affiliate) wanted $3.99/lb for 73% lean ground beef (didn’t get any); got a 10 lb ham (on sale) for the same price as one (1) NY strip steak; now buy a lot of meats in the Manager’s Special (i.e., about to spoil) section. Paid $1.00/each for frozen vegetables. Our favorite coffee – Yuban – formerly in a 33oz can is now in a 29oz plastic container – at the same price. (Two strikes: less coffee and less environmentally friendly – their former claim to fame.)
There are only 2 of us, but Mark is disabled and we’re on a very fixed income. We battle every month to find food we can afford that an insulin-dependent diabetic with failing kidneys and HCV can eat.
Hi Jules! It’s totally crazy isn’t it! And guess what..that’s the brand of coffee I was talking about! Boo Hoo, because it’s my fave too:( Clearance meat section..it’s still good meat..just ready to be cooked or frozen immediately and I think it’s a great way to get some of those more expensive cuts of meat.
My hubby is insulin dependent also..so I can totally understand. Let’s put our heads together and think of some great ways to save $$. We just can’t let it get us down! The Lord will totally provide but it can definately be overwhelming at times.
Thanks so much for stopping by and many blessings to you and your husband!
Oh I know it! I was just at the store today. I paid $2.00 a bag for the frozen microwaveable vegetable bags. A year ago I was paying $1.00 crazy!
It’s crazy isn’t it Esther :\ It’s hard to feed a large family with such high costs of food..thankful that God always provides though! Blessings and thanks for stopping by!
Yes, it’s getting ridiculous! I buy in bulk whenever possible, really keeps the prices down.
As wages go up, products have to adjust their pricing. They just hope we don’t notice the differences, but their prices have actually gone up. Always check price per unit or by weight on the shelf tag. (remember the indention in the peanut butter jar? Less product, but the package looks the same) It is just a new way to deal with inflation.
Oh, and egg grades are done by weight, not just size.
Hi Andrea! You are so right..Peanut Butter is a good example of a sneaky way to give less but charge the same price..I’m just so irritated about this kind of deception. Thanks for stopping by! Blessings to you 🙂
Thanks for sharing! Great tips!
You are welcome Dawn 🙂 Blessings!
Thank you for the great tips! I hate that the box of ice cream has gotten so much smaller.
You are welcome…I know ..not the ice cream! Boo Hoo! Thanks for stopping by..Blessings to you!
Great post!!!! I totally agree!
Thanks Kristen..you are sweet! Blessings!