Sizing Up America's Grocery Bill
Is your grocery bill continually rising? Now that it’s summer, produce should be cheaper than usual, but what else could you change to lower your costs? A recent report posted by National Public Radio’s Planet Money shows what America Spends on Groceries. It outlines how we use our grocery money, and more importantly, how our spending has changed in the past 30 years. While you can't change the price of food in America, perhaps a closer look at your grocery receipt will help you shuffle your food priorities.
Healthy Food Really Is Cheaper
The dollar menu of any fast food restaurant would scoff at this fact, and you might too if I didn't tell you how. Foods high in fat, added sugar, and salt really are cheaper than fruits and vegetables. That is if you're counting calories. Specifically, the cost per calorie for healthier foods is definitely higher. If you pay a dollar for an orange, at just 62 calories, when you could have had a McDonald's Cheeseburger at 300 calories, you might feel a bit jipped. But, when you consider that a large orange is heavier than the cheeseburger, 184 grams vs. 114, you should feel a little better. In fact, a new study released by the United States Department of Agriculture shows fruits, vegetables, and grains are cheaper when compared to the price of edible weight. Andrea Carlson, of the USDA's Economic Research Service recently authored a study revealing how the cost per calorie assumption is flawed. "Using price per calorie doesn't tell you how much food you're going to get or how full you are going to feel." Because research shows that people eat a similar weight of food everyday, regardless of the calorie counts, finding the cost per portion is important in finding the value of the food you buy. Because an orange is more satiating than a donut, that dollar may be well spent on the former.
Slashing Your Grocery Bill
Now that you know fruits and vegetables are cheaper, you may feel more comfortable switching to them from processed foods. If you did, you could cut your grocery bill by almost 23%. The NPR report used numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to compile a chart that shows in the past 30 years, Americans have shifted from meat as their highest grocery cost to processed foods. In 1982, processed foods accounted for 11% of costs, a number that has more than doubled. Reallocating the cost of processed foods to fruits and vegetables could actually give you more bang for your buck both in your wallet and your stomach. To view the chart that shows how prices have changed click here.
Avoiding Waste
There's a more alarming trend in America when it comes to buying food, the amount that ends up being wasted. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, food waste makes up the single largest component of municipal solid waste reaching landfills and incinerators. Just think back to the last party you've been to. There's always so much food left over, it's a shame. To avoid wasting food and money, plan a weekly trip to the grocery store and ensure you don't have meals waiting to be eaten. Check first to make sure you're not buying things in your pantry out of habit. Pasta, cereal, rice, and beans always seem to be in abundance in mine. Also, fresh fruits and vegetables may need to be eaten within 3 days after purchase before going bad. Opt for the frozen variety when in doubt, and go fresh for produce that lasts a little longer like apples, carrots, bananas, avocados, squash, and potatoes.
Your thoughts...
How do you keep yourself from going over budget on groceries?
Comments
They are clearly just jealous of our awesome organizational skills. I try to organize my meals every two weeks, since I only go about that often. Anything I need from there prior to the store trip, I can go to the small market near my house and walk or bike there, but I usually don't have to, unless I really want something I wasn't planning on having a craving for!
I also plan my meals to draw up the shopping list before going to the supermarket, there are only advantages!
* Buy only what you need, so saves money and wastes less
*Only go once per week to the supermarket, and spend less time there (since I also organize my list per section of the supermarket)
* Am less tempted to add junk food to the cart if I'm following a list rather than wandering around aimlessly trying to trink of what I want to cook.
I also check out the weekly deals on internet before planning my menus, to try to incorporate sale items. No coupons in the Netherlands, but every week there are different fruits/veggies and meat on sale.
I use the grocery list right on the supermarket's own website. That way, I also get an idea of just how much it's going to cost! I also try to stick to the list as much as possible. Trying to think of everything more than a week ahead of time. We belong to a CSA this year, so much of our produce is taken care of through Thanksgiving.
I also do all of the above but I only go for a big shopping biweekly. I save part of my grocery budget for the off week for perishables since they won't keep for two weeks and any good sale items. That way I stock up on stables when they are on sale. Funny though, I still spend about the same amount as I used to pre eating less meat( reduced that by 1/2) and I never bought a bunch of junk food( except I used to buy one 12 pack of diet soda a week), always bought fruit and vegs. so I guess groceries have gone up a good bit in the past year. At least in my area not only do fresh veggies cost a lot, we don't have good sources except a few months in summer so they don't last either.
A budget helps imo since you don't buy stuff you don't need if you don't have a limitless amount.
I completely disagree with this article.
My Homeopath put on me a 1 week meal plan of juicing vegetables, some protein and dried fruit a couple of weeks ago.
It cost me personally over $250 for the fruits and veggies - 2 bundles of celery rang it at $11.94, 4 Pears were $8.00, 5 lbs of carrots $6.00! This was the cost for 1 Person and didn't include the protein products I had in my freezer.
It might be cheaper in the U.S. for fruits and veggies, but here in Canada fresh fruits and vegetables are EXPENSIVE ALL year round!
Shopping for healthy foods on a budget can be a tough nut to crack. I have created shopping lists of everything (yes everything) I eat or need in my home.
My shopping lists are divided by store. I have a Costco list, a Kroger/HEB/Food Town, a Wal-mart/Sams Club list. I have the lists on my iPad and highlight things I need as I get low. That way I can shop quickly and only for the items I need.
I am working on organizing meals. The hard part for my planning is that my hubby works second shift and when he gets home, sometimes he's hungry, sometimes he isn't... but then we'll just have leftovers! :D
I LOVE the idea of making the list on the store website! That is awesome! Never thought of it, especially since we're trying to keep a budget.
Moirad- My sister lives up in CA and we're constantly comparing prices! You guys are always more expensive, and generally by quite a bit!
Thanks for the article! I always hate when people say they buy fast food because it's cheaper. Really?? It's not cheaper on your health! LOL
Original Post by: moiradI completely disagree with this article.
My Homeopath put on me a 1 week meal plan of juicing vegetables, some protein and dried fruit a couple of weeks ago.
It cost me personally over $250 for the fruits and veggies - 2 bundles of celery rang it at $11.94, 4 Pears were $8.00, 5 lbs of carrots $6.00! This was the cost for 1 Person and didn't include the protein products I had in my freezer.
It might be cheaper in the U.S. for fruits and veggies, but here in Canada fresh fruits and vegetables are EXPENSIVE ALL year round!
they are talking about per weight which kind of isn't really all that truthful. I mean how many people plan a grocery budget on how much their groceries weigh? 
Juicing is really expensive. My husband used to do it. Pears here are usually about $2 a lb so much less expensive, celery about $3 a bunch
I don't know if the writer is aware that 'jipped' is an offensive term, but I hope they remove it.
Original Post by: moiradI completely disagree with this article.
My Homeopath put on me a 1 week meal plan of juicing vegetables, some protein and dried fruit a couple of weeks ago.
It cost me personally over $250 for the fruits and veggies - 2 bundles of celery rang it at $11.94, 4 Pears were $8.00, 5 lbs of carrots $6.00! This was the cost for 1 Person and didn't include the protein products I had in my freezer.
It might be cheaper in the U.S. for fruits and veggies, but here in Canada fresh fruits and vegetables are EXPENSIVE ALL year round!
I'm from Canada too, not sure in Canada where you are but I've never heard of two bundles of celery being twelve dollars or two dollars per pear..maybe you should reconsider where you are shopping? It sounds as though you are being ripped off !
thanks for the clarification on the incorrect word jipped. I did not know the origin of that word or that it was offensive. now I do!
Also thanks to all you organized people who do a menu and a list and follow a budget. I have tried and failed so many times I was beginning to wonder if it was possible! I have such a hard time choosing what to have for the meals. Then I go online and look at new recipes. Then my grocery bill gets way to high because of all the ingredients from the new recipes, then I spend hours in the kitchen cooking all week. Then I quit because it was horrible. LOL! Maybe stay away from the new recipes?!
I love the suggestions everyone has, and I also try to plan my menu ahead of time, shop according to the layout of the store, and here's a BIG one: never shop when I'm starving! It's amazing how those chips and other "extras" find their way into my cart when I'm hungry. I also keep a list of the meals my family likes, so when I'm not feeling especially creative, I can fall back on those.
If you live up north in Canada or in a remote area - yes, groceries are crazy expensive. I have noticed that the cost of food has gone up on a lot of items (almost double in price) since 2008 credit crisis.
Trying new recipes does not necessarily cost more $. I am always trying new recipes and now, when an item goes on sale, I know exactly what recipes I have for that item. I have found most of the recipes in "Looney Spoons Collection" do not tend to cost a lot to make, they are healthy and they give you great tips regarding healthier eating. I also use recipes from Chatelaine and Canadian Living.
Again, planning a menu and making a grocery list helps when you want to try a new recipe once in awhile.
I'm a Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Educator out of Buffalo, NY. We created a website that provides weekly shopping lists, meal plans, and quick and easy recipes based on foods on sale and couponed items from a local grocery store chain. Although were in beta testing, the site is called www.savingsforhealth.com and it aligns well with comments I have read about putting a shopping list together based on meals and snacks for the week.
The program is covered by some insurance companies as well. Otherwise just $19.95 per year! Love to hear feedback from those who might think of using the healthy food planning site.
I'm in Canada too. Prices here are insane. I moved from the east coast to the prairies two years ago; our food costs jumped about 30% for everything we buy no matter where we shop, and housing increased even more. To buy a pound of just about anything for less than $10 is rare and usually considered a good deal. I've been incorporating beans and lentils into our meals to make them stretch a bit further, but even the price on those have gone up quite dramatically in the last few months. We're also growing parsley, tomatoes, radish, chives, garlic, and trying different lettuce varieties on our windowsills (plastic lettuce containers and DQ cake lids flipped upside down and covered in plastic wrap when the plants are small work really well). My kids love to watch the "gardens" sprout, and love to eat food they've grown.
I have a family of 7 and we eat well, for about $600-$650 per month. Whole fruits and vegetables are definitely the way to go, but I also do other things to save money. Remember that anything that is done for you by your grocer is usually going to cost you more. For example, at my grocer store, the average cost for boneless, skinless chicken breast is about $3-$4 per pound. Instead, I opt for the whole breasts, skin and bone, and remove them myself (which is easier than it sounds). The price? About $1.25/lb. Also, I take the time to check the "Sell by" dates, and if it is approaching by 2-3 days, my market manager will usually mark down to $1/lb!
Staying away from processed foods has definitely cut my grocery bill down. Also, when everyone in the house is using correct portioning at meal time, then you don't have to buy as much food. No more seconds and thirds means less $$$.
You want to save money on your food bill? Write your congressperson/member of parliament and demand they pass legislation banning financial speculation in food and oil commodities. That is why your food bill is outrageous.
Of course, North Americans need better eating and spending habits, but let's remember why food is expensive.
Find some way to grow some vegetables. Here in Eugene, OR - we who are apartment dwellers and those who are real estate challenged, have plots in parks and other civic locations for Community Gardens. Here we grow organic, wonderful vegetables, fruits and berries, for a mere fraction of what they cost in grocery stores and farmer's markets (highest prices of all). Plus we get the added benefit of some terrific exercise that actually means something. As in, you get something out of it besides sweat. You get great food. Two hours of weeding, cultivation, general garden work nets you around 600 calories burned. The first time you bite into a luscious red tomato warmed by the sun ... well, it's almost as good as sex.
I have no idea why you would say something so offensive. No one in this thread of comments has said anything about being **jipped** The proper and non-offessive would have been ripped off.
Original Post by: usoppYea, what is this "jipped". Gypped - as in gypsies. Glad someone else noticed that.
maybe it was the author's way to not use a deragory term?
Also not mentioned in this article: in the U.S. the big agri-businesses, i.e. corn, wheat, rice and beef producers (not the small ranchers, but the feedlot owners) http://bit.ly/nXb2kF are subsidized by the government whereas the farmers who grow the fruits and vegetables are not.
Original Post by: melizabethOriginal Post by: usoppYea, what is this "jipped". Gypped - as in gypsies. Glad someone else noticed that.
maybe it was the author's way to not use a deragory term?
It's STILL derogatory, it's just spelled differently. The word is essentially the same, and means the same thing.
Did any one notice the fact they said fruits and veggie go bad in 3 days? That's clearly wrong...
When working in Europe (a small town of about 8,000 pop.), I grew accustomed to shopping every day. Unlike the "New World", few had more than the very small freezer on top of the small fridge unit. On returning home in the evening I would buy the small volume of meat (cut in front of me), pick up the several individual vegetables and breads needed for the meal that day and for breakfast (I retained the habit of a big breakfast and not the Continental style). There was little or no waste.
Yes, things were cheaper at the hypermarket in the next, larger town (3 miles away), but I didn't have to drive and the local butcher/baker/fishmonger/greengrocer/grocer still existed. It was an interesting contrast to my habitual weekly expedition for food. Most of the vegetables were grown locally - though the usual fruits were imported (bananas, oranges etc) and the meat was broken down in the butchery from carcasses brought in every day or so - nothing was pre-packed in styrofoam and shrink-wrapped. By US standards the level of hygiene would be unacceptable I suppose, but then I am of a generation that has an active immune system so nothing sickened me.
We have evolved a very cheap food distribution system - heavily subsidized by cheap fuels and cheap corn feeds that allow feed-lots and factory farming of chickens - further subsidized by a generous taxpayer. This ought to have meant that even the lowest paid should be able to have a healthy diet - except that it is cheaper still to pick up packaged and pre-prepared food with less nutritional values. In the end we will reap what we sow - obesity and diabetes. Not that this is new, studies done recently indicate that often the "poor" ate better before the industrial revolution than after and that the Army in 1917, found many recruits were malnourished to the extent they were not suitable for service.
I respectfully disagree with certain portions of this comment. I cannot speak to shopping for large families, but generally I cook for one or two. I am also busy, typically leaving for work at 6 or 7 in the morning and returning at 6:30 or 7 at night. Yet, I find that it is far more cost effective to not shop once a week. Generally, my shopping breaks down like this. Protein sources are bought every two of three days. Here the problem is portion control. A single boneless, skinless chicken breat ranges between 9 and 15 ounces. That means that the typical chicken breast is more than one portion and in some instances more than 2 portions. By shopping more than once a week I can adjust my purchase to real life conditions (how many times do you get home and just don't feel like cooking and eating what you planned) without too much waste. Staples like pasta, olive oil, etc. can be purchase once a week, or in many instances every ten days or two weeks. Fresh veggies and fruits, again taking into account portion control and the fact that everything does not quite ripen on a schedule get bought every day, two or three. You may pay a little more for going to a place where you can purchase in this fashion, but you tend to waste less -- not to mention that the products taste better.
I'm at point where meats I buy every 2-3 weeks depending on what we go through. Produce I shop for every week and sometimes twice during the week, depending on what we go through.
I plan my meals based on protein sources that I have. Or, at least get a general idea of what I can make with what I have.We aren't the type of people that fill our fridge and cabinets with food that could last a year.
I am working on planning meals out more so that I make sure I'm using the food to the best of my ability. One thing I do with meat before I freeze it is portion it out. With chicken breast, I weigh it all to 4 ounces and then put 2 in a bag and then mark it. That way, I pull out exactly what I need. For sausages, bacon, hot dogs etc. I freeze them on pans by themselves first, then toss them in a large ziploc bag so that I can pull out what I need when I need it.
The biggest things I've cut down on the lower our grocery bill are processed foods and meat. I try to expand a meal out with beans and whole grains such as Israeli couscous or whole wheat pasta, which provide both fiber and protein to help fill us up.
The processed foods get bought maybe once a month. That's generally ice cream, ingredients for chex mix, cereal and a random snack or two. I'm trying to find ways to make the snacks we like. I.e making chex mix from scratch. It's a lot cheaper and I can choose healthier ingredients, such as whole wheat chex and no bagel chips and less peanuts.
I think in the end though, each family has to figure out what works best for them and their budget. Some think going once a week works best whereas others go every day or couple of days. Some wander through the store and others go on a strict list and yet others are somewhere between the two. Prices are only going to keep going up, so we all need to figure out how to keep feeding our families healthy food on a budget!
Original Post by: tdirpincessI am working on organizing meals. The hard part for my planning is that my hubby works second shift and when he gets home, sometimes he's hungry, sometimes he isn't... but then we'll just have leftovers! :D
I LOVE the idea of making the list on the store website! That is awesome! Never thought of it, especially since we're trying to keep a budget.
Moirad- My sister lives up in CA and we're constantly comparing prices! You guys are always more expensive, and generally by quite a bit!
Thanks for the article! I always hate when people say they buy fast food because it's cheaper. Really?? It's not cheaper on your health! LOL
I totally do the same thing. I have three different places I go to that are relatively close to each other in order to keep that grocery bill down while still making sure I buy all the essentials. I completely disagree with what the article says because $10 buys way more junk food than it does produce. Although I understand that the article states that the value can be found when basing the food on weight and not calories, but this is simply not true. A medium sized bag of Doritos is definitely more filling than any one fruit of an equal price. It is expensive to buy more healthy and this is one thing that frustrates me every time I shop for my grocery. Also, has anyone ever noticed how the coupons for groceries are usually for snack foods (junk food) and high sugar drinks? How convenient for the stores but especially for the producers of such foods. I've already prioritized on buying only the essentials, making produce my number one expense, yet I've paid a steep price for it (well monetarily, not in regard to my health).
$1 for a cheeseburger, orange or donut!!! Wish I lived in the US!! I don't know anything you can buy for $1 here in Sydney - maybe a carrot or something! I love to cook and always use a wide range of fruits and vegies, and my family of three spends over $250 on shopping a week without any extras!
Original Post by: moiradI completely disagree with this article.
My Homeopath put on me a 1 week meal plan of juicing vegetables, some protein and dried fruit a couple of weeks ago.
It cost me personally over $250 for the fruits and veggies - 2 bundles of celery rang it at $11.94, 4 Pears were $8.00, 5 lbs of carrots $6.00! This was the cost for 1 Person and didn't include the protein products I had in my freezer.
It might be cheaper in the U.S. for fruits and veggies, but here in Canada fresh fruits and vegetables are EXPENSIVE ALL year round!
Actually switching to I'd say 80-90% veggies cost me about 50 more per grocery. Putting me up to 300/two weeks. (Family of 4). I did notice that the more veggies we eat the less we wasted. I didn't throw anything out last grocery. I will also admit that the day before groceries THERE WAS NOTHING left in our fridge.
And I'm Canadian too. Unless it's Canadian grown and in Season, it's expensive. So all fruit except apples are expensive, most veggies are cheap, but only end of summer and fall....
Fresh produce is expensive but I'm betting it's cheaper than a heart attack or stroke. Even if you do have insurance.
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1. I usually shop once a week,
2. Take time to make a menu and make a grocery list accordingly.
It takes time to do the menu and list but I am way too busy during the week to have to think about what to make for meals. If I didn't do this I am sure I would opt for fast food and eat out more - which really defeats healthy eating and costs much more.
3. I also try to look at flyers to see what is on sale for the week - I don't go to several stores but I'll go to a couple and buy the sale items. Often what is on sale on the front and back pages of the flyers are the best discounted items.
4. Again, due to my busy schedule during the week, I don't have a lot of time to cook on the week days. I try to choose meals I can cook on the weekend that can be frozen and used later in the week. Having those meals with salad and fresh fruit can be quite simple to prepare during the busy nights.