It’s gone up too much and am looking for general tips to bring it down a bit.
Stop buying name brand
to add to this, don’t turn your nose up at the discount options – dollar stores, Grocery Outlet, Walmart – and along those same lines, keep an eye out for any ethnic markets near you (fruit, vegetables, meat)
Be careful with those budget/dollar stores though, the actual price per weight is often higher than regular grocery goods.
Around me there’s an Amish store that gets stuff that was pulled from regular groceries - damaged outer packaging, just past expiry (dry and canned goods where that doesn’t matter as much), and stuff that doesn’t sell well, that heavily discounts everything. If there’s anything like that around you, it’s a great way to save a ton.
Also, befriend gardeners if you can - they love to share!