Combating Rising Grocery Prices

 

Spiking gas prices as well as increased prices at the grocery store are nothing new.  We've had this happen before, however this time around is pretty rough.  This is the biggest rise in inflation I have ever experienced in my lifetime, including the gas crisis in the mid seventies when I was a child.  I do remember though that my parents were very concerned about what was happening at the time and they made a lot of changes in order to survive during that time.  Currently there is nothing any of us can do personally about the soaring price of fuel, utilities, grocery prices and shortages, or the many other things that are going on in our world.  But, like my parents, we can makes changes to survive this situation we all find ourselves in.

 

In 2014 I wrote a post about a similar situation we were experiencing as we were pulling out of the last recession.  One of my readers contacted me and suggested it might be helpful if I talked about it again.  I've received a lot of emails from readers lately that suggest to me that our current world events have really impacted a lot of you in ways that cause you to worry and be fearful.  Especially those who didn't or weren’t able to prepare or do any stockpiling ahead of all of this and now are concerned it might be too late.  It's really not.  We can still do things to keep food on the table and not go broke in the process.

 

If you are able to increase your grocery budget at all I recommend that you do with the idea that the extra funds are to be used to stock up your freezer and pantry.  Basic staples like flour, sugar, salt, yeast, rice, pasta and canned goods is a good place to start.  When meats go on sale stock up on those too.  If you are able to buy a deep freezer or some canning supplies and equipment, it's a good idea. 

 

I know for a lot of us increasing our budget isn't possible and that's okay too.  We just have to figure out new strategies to work with what we have and get the most out of the dollars we spend.  Along with trying to only buy items on sale or marked down for clearance I sign up for my store's rewards card and as such I have access to gobs of digital coupons as well as special customer offers.  I get a lot of FREE food this way too.

 

I like to employ investment cooking as a way to fill my pantry and freezer.  There are many ways to investment cook - canning fruits, vegetables, meats, pasta sauce, salsa, pickles, jams and jellies, etc.  I use my slow cooker a lot to make soups, sauces, cook meats and make larger batches of meals that can be divided and canned or put up in freezer containers.  Often I can make two meals, like lasagna for instance, for about the same price or just a little more and freeze one while I serve the other.  Not only does this save time it saves effort and energy too.  Simply make larger meals and serve leftovers more often, but if you don't care for leftovers just freeze the extra and serve it later.

 

Incorporating more meatless and vegetarian meals into the menu plan is an easy way to make our groceries go further.  Macaroni and cheese, vegetable lasagna, mushroom fettucine alfredo, black bean enchiladas are some ideas, but there are loads more.  Sometimes simply omitting the meat and replacing it with veggies is all it takes to turn your favorite meal into a meatless one.

 

I typically make a soup each week which is a great budget stretching strategy.  One of my favorite meals is simply soup, a salad and some homemade bread.  Homemade soups are very nutritious and a great way to use up leftovers too, especially small amounts of leftover meat that aren't enough for another meal and produce that is starting to lose its luster.  Soups also freeze and reheat really well.

 

Make items from scratch instead of purchasing premade items which costs so much more than the ingredients to make our own food.  I can make my own condiments such as fry sauce, tartar sauce, BBQ sauce and salad dressing.  It costs pennies by comparison to bake our own bread and rolls.  Buy a bag of potatoes and a bag of rice to prepare instead of using instant or precooked varieties.  You can do a lot with a simple potato.

 

Consider eating less, eating less often and using a meal plan based off of only the items you already have on hand.  It is so easy to overeat, especially when we are stressed.  Our family has been in the habit of only eating two meals a day for years - brunch and supper.  We pay attention to our portion sizes and we eat a lot of veggies.  It is much easier to construct a meal plan based off of what is already in our fridge and freezer instead of coming up with a meal that needs to be shopped for, especially with the higher costs and shortage on items that may not be available.

 

I find myself shopping less and making do with what we already have and we don't waste food.  I even save the juice I drain off of a can of veggies to use in soup and my veggie scraps and chicken bones to make broth.  Whenever I brown meat like ground sausage I always skim off some of it to put in the freezer.  A little leftover pasta sauce and the frozen sausage as well as some homemade pizza dough make a very economical meal.  Again, mere pennies as compared to a premade frozen option or takeout, healthier too.

 

The biggest thing is to not get discouraged and just keep trying.  Search my blogs for recipes and ideas, check online and scout out videos on Youtube for inspiration and ideas.  There are a lot of good ideas out there and loads of people that can help you figure it all out.  And I'll keep posting my ideas here and on my other blog too.  If you are really struggling please call 211 for assistance or visit a food bank or church pantry.  There is no shame in asking for help when we need it.  Let me know via email (tireless.retirement@gmail.com) if you have any questions, suggestions or need a copy of a workable pantry list.