|
May 12, 2008
Up, Up and Away!
 I am positive that you are well aware that the cost of food is rising, and quickly! According to recent figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show that during the 2007 calendar year, U.S. food prices increased by a whopping 4.9% – .8% higher than 2007 inflation rates and 2.8% higher than food prices increased in 2006. And most food folks would agree that we ain't seen nothing yet!
In the past, agricultural commodity prices tended to be volatile, with an overall decline trend, because they were supply-driven. Technology and productivity improvements in farming increased agricultural yields to meet supply, keeping prices down. Today, higher fuel prices are increasing the cost of transporting commodities, while various weather conditions and trade issues are currently contributing to lower supply. The result is higher prices across the board.
In the U.S., staples like milk, cheese and bread experienced especially marked hikes, with poultry, fruits and vegetables, cereal and meats following close behind. Internationally, increases in the prices of dairy and grains pushed the food price index used by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations up by almost 40% over the last year. By comparison, in the previous year period, the food price index was up only nine percent.
With global commodity stocks at historic lows, a growing demand for food, feed and fuel, tight supply, and no plan for increased agricultural productivity, this higher price phenomenon is likely to continue. The International Food Policy Research Institute estimates that global cereal prices will rise 10 to 20% by the year 2015.
So what can you do?
Here are my 5 basic tips to keep on budget:
1. Make a shopping list and stick to it.
Create the ultimate shopping list by taking receipts from the past month, list all the groceries you regularly buy by name on a spreadsheet. Then go thru the fridge, freezer and cupboards and look at what you have, then cross off the week's list what you don't need. You'll cut your spending by 15 to 25 percent by not buying more of the same.
2. Use coupons.
Don't think you're above clipping coupons from the newspaper, magazines or even online. The average coupon value is almost one dollar! Also, put your kids in charge of coupon cutting and gathering, since it teaches valuable lessons about money, and be sure to give them a percentage of what you save as their allowance.
3. Sign up for frequent-shopper cards.
You will end up giving up brand loyalty because you'll be going for whatever is on sale. But there is no doubt you'll save money.
4. Buy the store's own brand.
Most stores offer a 100-percent, money-back guarantee on their products and most of today's store brands are of the same quality or exceed the quality of name brands – this alone can save you 15% or more.
5. Buy produce in season or from local growers.
It's tastier, more nutritious (as it had a longer growth cycle and was picked when ripe) and less expensive. For those fruits or veggies that are not in season, head to the frozen food case. Frozen and canned fruits and veggies are picked and processed at the height of flavor and can be up to 50% less than their out of season imported counterparts.
Share your tips on how you can save $$ on your grocery bill and we will select 5 people at random and send them a SupermarketGuru canvas tote bag as a thank you!
"Phil,
these are terrific! Thanks. Like to add one more - leave the kids at home!!!!
Bob
"
Grocery Giggles!
Read on... 12 more stories follow... Supermarkets Offer Bonuses For Shoppers Receiving Economic Stimulus Checks
Most Americans haven't received their economic stimulus checks from the US Government yet, but two of the nation's largest supermarket chains already are offering ways for consumers to get more for their money by offering bonuses to those who ...
more... The Things You Need to Know About CHEESE
In the United States, more than 10 billion pounds of natural and processed cheeses are made every year, from about one-third of all the milk produced in the country; and the average American consumes about 27 pounds of cheese every year ...
more... The Farm Bill…finally!
After months and months of what appeared to be constant delays it appears that The Farm Bill may actually be signed. This past Friday, the House and Senate reached tentative agreement on the new $290 billion bill. Yet another slap in the face for ...
more... Happy Earth Day!
This year, Earth Day, which has now become as mainstream as the rest of us who have broken the 30-year old ceiling, is receiving more attention than in decades. The truth is that we all seem to hang on every "sustainability" message that retailers...
more... Fruits: when to buy, and when not to buy
On Weekend TODAY this past Saturday, Lester and I talked about the basics of buying and storing produce..a lot of our viewers sent emails and wanted more detail – so here's the 101 on buying fruit!
Remember that my best recommendation – for taste ..
more... Cloning: are we missing the point? It’s not about the science; it’s about the information!
In January, the FDA announced that food from healthy clones of cattle, swine and goat is as safe to eat as food from non-cloned animals. This finding, according to the FDA was derived from years of detailed study, and came as no surprise to ...
more... Health and Wellness: Caffeine
Caffeine consumption of 300 mg/day or less does not cause adverse effects, according to an International Food Information Council (IFIC) review of recent key research on caffeine and health. The review looks at caffeine's effects on a variety of ...
more... What Does it Take To Make it as a New Product?
As you can imagine, we receive hundreds of new food and beverage products to taste and evaluate every month. What I will never understand is why the vast majority of them are unsuccessful. According to a new study from The Nielsen Company, there ...
more... What’s Hot! The “old” vs. “new” food trends
Acai is the new pomegranate
Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a Brazilian berry original from the Amazon Region that is considered one of nature's most complete and healthy foods. Acai is a palm tree that grows in the North of Brazil. It is known ...
more... What food retailers should learn from Tennis
One could argue that tennis is one of the most civilized activities. This past week I was lucky enough to spend time in Indian Wells California at the Pacific Life Open tournament. Those who know me surely would agree that my beat is much more ...
more... Salt: Our 101
One of our readers, Bob Kilpatrick, sent me an email asking about the differences between salts. He noted that "these days it seems that there are more varieties of salts popping up on the store shelves; but truthfully isn' salt ... salt?"
more... Healthy Home Delivery
Most of us would love to eat better ... whether its to lose weight or for better health! But who has the time to read the labels, buy dozens of ingredients, clean them, prepare them, cook them and then have the confidence that these "healthier" foods
more...
|
Kitchen Sleuth 
All About Low Fat Cheese
Following our feature “All About Cheese” Shelly Sherman has a case for Kitchen Sleuth and writes:
Dear Kitchen Sleuth,
I'm a dietitian and often am asked to recommend lower fat cheese choices that don't compromise the taste.
Which do you think...
Click... Feature Columns 
Allergy Friendly
For allergy sufferers there is more than one hidden danger at the deli counter.
Since identifying my own wheat and gluten allergies one of my go-to lunches at my desk has been to buy sliced meats and chopped veggies at the market ...
Click... Floral Answers and Gardening Guide 
Herb Growing
This week we have two questions for Diana on growing herbs, but first we wanted to include Kimberly Yocum's response to last week's "Deer Eating the Roses" column, as she also has some great tips for Leon Wiggins and his deer problem:
Hi Diana ...
Click... Steal This Recipe® 
Bucatini all’ Amatriciana
This week we have stolen a recipe "con permesso" from Sergio Bitici, chef-owner of Macelleria Restaurant, NYC, which he owns with his daughter Violetta.
"Macelleria" means butcher shop in Italian and the restaurant fits well in it's trendy ...
Click... SupermarketGuru 
New Product Hits & Misses
Before you bite – be sure to check out this week's new product reviews and ratings! Nominate a product as a HIT or MISS and if we feature it we'll send you a SupermarketGuru Tote Bag! New every Wednesday ...
Click... Feature Columns 
Coffee Chat News
The Coffee Chat News Newsletter with Phil Lempert provides coffee news, coffee recipes, coffee tips, coffee reviews, coffee brewing techniques, coffee trends and much more
Click...
As of today there are 7204 fat diary registrations,
6087 private diaries and
1117 public diaries.
Since September 1st, 2004 there have been 224152 Food Allergy Buddy cards printed.
|
