Rising food prices force shoppers to adopt new money-saving maxims
9 p.m. Sunday, July 13, 2008
6 quick money-stretching secrets
1. It may sound simple, but you should only buy groceries at the grocery store. For example, a 12-ounce of Bauch and Lomb contact solution at Hy-Vee is going to cost you $8.44. At Walgreens, it's going to cost $8.79. But, you could pick it up at Wal-Mart for $6.
2. One good way to save some money is to look for manager's specials. During a recent trip to the store, stir fry beef was selling for $4.81 when it usually sells for $7.42. That's because it's just about ready to expire. If you don't plan on eating these types of manager's specials by the sell by date, you can freeze it and save it for later.
3. A word about organic foods We checked into the cost of buying organic eggs and found a difference about $2.36. If you don't care about having organic or cage free eggs, then you can actually buy two normal cartons for the price of one organic brand.
4. If you are looking for a prepared meal, it may not be as expensive as you think. If you put together a spaghetti dinner yourself, it's going to cost you about $4.21. But say you go to a specialty place like Delicious Dishes where they put together the meal for you and it's going to cost about $12.08 for four people. That's still cheaper than going out to a restaurant where it will cost you about $10 a piece for an entree.
5. Cut up your own fruit There's a simple way to save money on your fruits and vegetables. Instead of buying the pre-packaged cantaloupe at about $4 a pound. A whole cantaloupe sells for about $2.50 per pound.
6. Buy in bulk Invest in a food sharing program. There's usually no cost up front, but you have to plan for one month at a time. Let's Help offers a food sharing program that could save you up to 50 percent on groceries. Or you can check out the Web site Angelfoodministries.com for a similar program.
"Actually everything I got in here is on sale. I've got the chips that were on sale and some cinnamon rolls for tomorrow morning. Dog biscuits," bargain shopper Shannon McMahon said.
McMahon does as much as she can to save money at the grocery store -- everything from clipping coupons to surfing the circulars. But still it's been tough for her and her family to keep up with their rising grocery bills, she said.
She said her grocery bill had increased at least $50 per week this year compared to last.
Fellow shopper Sarah Muller agrees grocery prices are becoming a pain in the pocketbook.
"The cost of milk has sky-rocketed -- any milk products eggs, chips even fruits and vegetables," Muller said.
A recent 49 News investigation discovered people are typically spending 26 percent more on food than they did last year.
Hy-Vee dietitian Amber Groeling revealed some ways to really stretch your budget and save money at the grocery store. Groeling says you can be healthy and thrifty by buying canned food.
"Canned tuna is a great product to get protein and some inexpensive way to get protein," she said. "Canned tuna is a good way to make sure you are getting some omega fatty acids so be sure to be sure to choose it in water versus oil."
Groeling says it pays to compare brands.
"So, a can of Country Fair kernel corn is 52 cents versus 64 cents for the Hy-Vee brand," she said. "So if we go to the Green Giant brand it's 89 cents."
And, you may be surprised to know that you can stretch your dollar by buying cheaper meat, without stretching your waistline.
"Choose the 85 percent lean, which is the cheapest, and then when you cook it, but rinse it -- not just strain the grease but put it in a strainer and rinse it," she said.
Money expert Jackie Freed took 49 News shopping for a couple easy inexpensive meals for a family of four, one of which was spaghetti and meat sauce.
The items added up to $4.21.
There we spent four bucks, and that's a family of four and leftovers for the next day," Freed, with Housing and Credit Counseling, said.
49 News and Freed also put together a meal for taco night for $6.74.
So, what's the most important accessory you can take to the supermarket?
"Always take a list. People who take a grocery list and stick to it spend 17 percent less than people who go grocery shopping without a list," she said.
McMahon and Miller say they always takes a list.
"If I don't make a list, I'll forget something," Miller said, which could mean another trip to the store and more money in gas.
For McMahon from Meridan, it's a 40-mile round trip.
Our shoppers even offered their secrets to supermarket savings.
McMahon never goes to the store tired or hungry, and that reduces her impulse purchases, she said.
"When I shop by myself, the grocery bill tends to be a little bit lower," Muller said. "My husband he tends to be like a kid and picks up more along the way down every aisle we go down."
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