Tips to Gain Relief from Grocery Expenses

• Author: Monica Jackson
• Posted: 2023-04-01

According to the federal government and practically every mainstream news media source you can view, America is doing great economically.

Low unemployment, the jobs are coming back, and inflation is only a mere 7%, and is transitory to boot!

To hear the government tell it, you are living in boom times, a modern-day gold rush with a powerful dollar.

However, everyone realizes the reality of the situation, even if they don't say it out loud due to fear of consequences or in not wanting to speak against their political side.

But everyone knows that prices are up and people are struggling.

One of the worst areas of inflation right now is the price tag at the grocery store. Some states are reporting a nearly 50% spike in the cost of food, and the nationwide average for food inflation is 30%.

Milk, bread, eggs, meat - all of these staples are rising by the day it seems.

Grocery expenses are becoming increasingly difficult for people to juggle, especially families. There are certain things you can do and sacrifices you can make that can help alleviate some of this burden, however.

Cheaper Cuts of Meat

One of the first things you can do is to go with cheaper cuts of meat. Red meat is up over 50%, and in some places it's up over double the cost it was last year.

Steaks, hamburger, roasts, stew meat, etc; it's all outrageous now. Though there are also cheaper cuts of meat that aren't nearly as affected by the inflation costs.

Cheaper cuts like chicken legs and thighs are a bargain. You can find these items for less than a $1 per pound in many grocery stores. It might not be the same as taking a juicy bite of a burger or cutting into a steak, but it sure will save you a lot of money.

This is an area where you can save big on your expenses.

Great Time to Diet

Don't worry; this isn't some weirdly condescending Jen Psaki advice about how if you just starve yourself, you will no longer have to worry about buying food.

Americans struggling with their expenses and day to day living have been told by President Biden's Press Secretary numerous times that if only they stop spending money, they won't be able to tell there are economic issues happening in the country.

This is all good and well for people who don't have to pay rent, buy fuel, and who have a fully stocked house with months worth of food. Sure, they can ride it out; the normal Americans, which comprise 99% of Americans, cannot. So, no, do not starve yourself. However, this is a great time to eliminate a lot of unnecessary things from your diet, which will reflect positively on your grocery expenses.

For starters, the average American consumes nearly 30 pounds of candy a year. This "candy" is a broad category which also includes things like potato chips and snack cakes.

So while you've noticed that lunch meat and bread and eggs shooting up through the roof, the average box of Pinwheels or Little Debbie cakes are also up 30% or more at the store.

Do you really need those? Millions of Americans budget for those sorts of things. They eat them, their kids eat them, and they're considered essential staples. Never mind that this is part of the reason that so many people are overweight and struggling with diabetes, it's just a bad buy in a practical sense.

That's two more loaves of bread you can get, or an 18-pack of eggs, or a pack of chicken legs. It's an entire meal for your family, if you spend wisely.

Would you rather have the extra meal, or a sugary snack to eat at some random time during the day? This isn't a welcomed tip by many.

People work hard for their money. They toil away at their tedious jobs for 40 hours a week, and they feel like buying the cookies and chips is sort of a reward.

The fact is that the entire nation is feeling the sting of inflation right now. Groceries are up over 30%, and that's a very kind estimate. Sodas, chips and crackers can wait until the country is able to level off a little bit.

You will be surprised how much more you can fit into your cart for a reasonable price if you just use a couple of common sense tips at the grocery store. Paying more does not mean that you have to settle for less food.