Food Sleuth: Putting Some Thought Into Trimming Grocery Costs

By Melinda Hemmelgarn

Columbia Daily Tribune

May 28, 2008

Available online at: http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/May/20080528Food006.asp

It’s hard to tell which costs more: filling up our gas tanks or loading up our grocery carts. In fact, the two are related. Rising food prices reflect increasing costs of fossil-fuel dependent inputs: from fertilizer to running farm machinery, processing, packaging and hauling food cross-country.

Global food shortages have more complicated economic roots. For example, when U.S. agribusinesses pressure farmers to use genetically modified seeds rather than generations-old seed saving techniques, or when we encourage the production of export crops and biofuels rather than diversified food crops to support local needs, we can expect more people to go hungry.

Long-term solutions require significant policy shifts and renewed infrastructure that support energy conservation, and local, sustainable food systems. For the here and now, I’ve compiled dollar-saving strategies for putting healthful meals on your family’s table. But pay attention to state and international farm and food policies. They have an impact on every bite we take.

To cut everyday food costs:

● Plant a garden. Growing more vegetables and less lawn puts food on your table for pennies and saves mowing time and gasoline. No yard or sunny spots? Share community garden space, or plant a row or two with a neighbor or friend. Freeze or can extra produce to last during the winter months.

● Shop for seasonal produce at farmers markets. Local food requires less fossil fuel to transport. Plus, it tastes fresher.

● Make a shopping list, and stick to it. The more often we shop and the longer we spend in the grocery store, the more we’ll spend.

● Avoid shopping when hungry, and leave impulse buyers at home.

● Eat at home more often and cook from scratch. You’ll gain the satisfaction of self-sufficiency.

● Beware of "stock-up sales." It’s easy to buy more than we need or can use before it spoils.

● Check out buying clubs or cooperatives. You can order bulk items at a discount, then split your order with a friend.

● Look for "use-by" and expiration dates on perishable items.

● Pick up meat, poultry, dairy and frozen foods toward the end of your shopping trip and store them promptly in your freezer or refrigerator to prevent spoilage.

● Avoid waste. Use last night’s leftovers in tonight’s soup, stew, omelet or stir-fry. Store leftovers in reusable airtight containers to preserve quality.

● Use coupons only if the item is something your family uses and it costs less than a comparable store brand. Coupons promote more expensive, brand-name items you might not ordinarily buy.

● Buy less expensive generic and store brands. The cost of advertising for national brands is passed on to consumers.

● Look for less expensive products placed on the highest and lowest grocery shelves. Higher-priced national brands tend to be placed at eye level.

● Beware of market practices designed to make us buy more: food samples, end-of-aisle displays and items located by the checkout counter.

● Use unit pricing - the price per ounce or per pound - to find the most economical package size or brand. Unit prices should be posted on the shelf below the product. If not, divide the price of the container by the number of ounces it contains.

● Read labels to get the most nutrients for your dollar. Ingredients are listed in order of predominance, so a cereal that lists sugar first, with the grain second, provides more sugar than grain per serving. Fruit drinks and sodas might appear to cost less than milk or 100-percent fruit juice, but we get what we pay for.

● Leave bottled designer and vitamin water on the shelf. It can cost more than gasoline.

● Learn more about rising food prices: USDA’s Economic Research Service: www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/WRS0801; Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy: www.iatp.org.