It’s gone up too much and am looking for general tips to bring it down a bit.
Stop buying name brand, some store/home brands are better then name brand, just takes time to find them.
Specials are your friend, of there is another store 5min away selling something at a discount buy some extra to save of off your regular bill.
National chains are likely to be more expensive anyway, try going to a smaller shop or international chain to get cheaper goods.
Now for the controversial take. Eat less meat, give some of the fake meat a try. They are generally cheaper and less deadly if cooked incorrectly.
Remember I said less meat, not none. You can still get meat if you want but meat is far more expensive then substitute meats.
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!
In what world do you live that fake meat is cheaper then regular meat???
Beyond is ~$8/lb Impossible ~$9/lb
I can regularly find chicken and beef for $4-6/lb If I shop around can usually score meat for ~$2/lb
We have a frozen food chain around here (Ontario, Canada) that has a wonderful selection of faux meat, often brand name (Beyond, Gardein, etc), but also their own brand.
Super cheap! I usually get massive bags or boxes of the stuff for under $20, usually much less. Not long ago they had vegan cheese for like $2.50 a bag, and the bag was at least the size of 4 or 5 dayia packages.
I consider myself extremely lucky to have them around. I refuse to pay $8 for four veggie sausages 😂
Stop buying name
I disagree with this only because prices for store brand stuff has been wacky the past year.
I’m often finding much better prices (per 100g) on brand name cereal than no name. Even brand name condiments, spreads, or drinks, have gone on sale to be cheaper than no name equivalents.
But yes, generally speaking, no name is often cheaper for just about everything.
Start shoplifting.
Eat less is the simplest solution.
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A lot of the “pre-made” stuff, we cut down on. Cheaper to make breakfast burritos rather than spend $2 per burrito.
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finding when they mark down prices. My supermarket always throws 50% off stickers on hot food around 3pm on certain days. I can get a whole 10pc fried chicken for $6.
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eat more staples. Most of my meals are now rice + protein + vegetables. Or bread + veggies + proteins.
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Asian supermarkets sell things cheaper
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mostly vegetarian diet. Meat is expensive AF. But lately, the meat alternatives are getting pricey too.