Are Grocery Prices on the Rise?
For our monthly grocery shopping, we set aside $300, which works out to about $75 each week for two adults. Living in southern California, we’re fortunate to have access to a variety of affordable fresh produce from local farms. Still, for the past few months, we’ve noticed that we’re consistently going over this budget, sometimes even doubling it. It makes us wonder if grocery prices are going up.
The amount people spend on groceries can vary based on where they live and how many people are in their household. In our case, careful tracking of our spending has highlighted this increase. This situation got us thinking: are we buying more expensive items, eating more, or are the prices just creeping up?
Recently, we’ve started buying more organic food. We follow the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen guidelines, choosing organic only when necessary. Our general rule is to buy organic if we eat the peel; otherwise, regular produce is okay.
Fortunately, stores like Trader Joe’s have good deals on organic items, usually just a few cents more, adding about $5 to $10 to our grocery bill per trip.
Another change has been incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our diet, mainly because my husband wants to follow a healthier lifestyle. I’ve noticed that these choices don’t usually increase our spending much. Produce is quite affordable compared to pre-packaged foods.
We’ve cut back a lot on red meat and don’t buy as much wine or frozen pizzas. Now, we mainly eat chicken, ground turkey, and fish. I’m keen to add organic chicken too, but it’s quite a bit more expensive at the moment.
I think our increased spending is linked to shopping more often and eating more. Lean meats like fish are pricey, and choosing organic products such as bread and almond milk also add up, not to mention the need to visit the store more frequently for fresh produce.
I want to find ways to reduce our grocery budget but don’t regret spending more for healthier foods. How do you feel about spending more on groceries for better eating habits?
