I did the week's grocery shopping yesterday which involved going to three grocery stores (Publix, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's) and the coffee roaster/shop. I spent $124.65 on food, $2.87 on toiletries and $0.70 on over the counter medical stuff (distilled water). This is for 2 adults for a week and is once again more than I had budgeted. I didn't have any coupons, did find some store sales and got $2.60 for a senior discount. We will probably pick up a few more items during the week and we will also be eating what was already in the pantry, freezer and fridge.
Am I the only one who thinks food prices keep going up? According to the US Food Price Inflation Forecast the most recent inflation rate is lower than it was a year ago (did I understand that jargon filled post correctly?). However what we buy probably isn't the same as their comparison food basket although I can't find a description of what is in that food basket.
So what did I buy to feed us and replenish our longer term use items?
Dairy - half gallon each of milk and soy milk
Canned food - cranberry sauce, pears, peaches, soup. tuna (3)
Frozen food - orange juice, peas, enchilada, salmon, blueberries
Meat - ground turkey, ham lunch meat
Breads - cinnamon raisin bread (2), burger buns, tortillas, chocolate croissant
Cereal - toasted Os, shredded wheat, puffed kamut
Fresh fruit - apples, bananas, mangoes, cantaloupe, pear
Fresh vegetables - lettuce, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, red pepper, zucchini
Other - chutney, ketchup (expensive in glass container), cucumber dill sauce, prepared wasabi egg salad, coffee
All was in relatively small quantities as there are only two of us and much of it will carry over to other weeks but that is the case every week. I would think that the typical food basket used to gauge inflation would have more meat and prepared food but less of the other category and fresh foods.
I continue to try to strike the right balance between buying for what we will eat in a week vs stockpiling. Of course have things like condiments, partially used containers of grains, baking ingredients, etc. is unavoidable I am curious if I buy before I need things. I don't intend to figure out how much money I have tied up in our food supplies but if your are curious about what others have in theirs check out An Exacting Life's food inventory and additional links listed in her post.
Today's Decluttering Items
Unused recipes from magazines/newspapers/internet
One problem for people like us is that food in small quantities is a lot more expensive than the bulk items you buy at Costco and other places like that. But also ... Whole Foods and Trader Joe's? You don't go to those places for a bargain.
ReplyDeleteTrue, but we have dietary restrictions that can best be met by careful shopping (very low sodium for me and non-dairy for hubby) so we shop at 3 stores. I have very specific things I buy at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.
DeleteTom, have you price compared Trader Joe's? I find their prices on almost everything to be excellent compared to traditional supermarkets.
DeleteAs a comparison, I spend about $85 a week on average for two adults, including stockpile purchases. I shop primarily at Trader Joe's and Sprouts, but not Whole Foods because of the higher prices on pretty much everything there. It's the Nordstroms of grocery stores!
ReplyDeleteI buy tons of fresh fruits and vegetables at Sprouts, and nuts, yogurt, cereal, coconut milk, eggs, coffee, hummus, peanut butter, jam and bread at Trader Joe's. I cook almost everything from scratch, which yields a lot of leftovers that we eat for lunch. I buy fish from time to time, but we primarily eat meatless meals loaded with fresh produce and grains. I prepare most of our sweet treats from scratch, which I then freeze to extend their life. It's a good amount of work, but it's an enormous money saver - I haven't increased my grocery budget in three years! :-)
Ah, living in California - I'm glad to hear food prices are better and I certainly know produce is fresher. Sprouts is great.I've been to one with my FIL. Living in a state that produces very little in the way of fruits, vegetables or grains our prices are higher for all. We do cook from scratch too except for some of the special foods my husband eats for breakfast and lunch.
DeleteI thought about that as well - when I exit Sprouts I often feel a bit guilty at how relatively little I spend compared the number of bags of produce I get in return.
DeleteTo be honest, if I was willing to drive further and add another store (Aldi's or a local discount market) I could cut our bill further. The trade off isn't worth it for just the 2 of us.
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