I haven't done a big grocery shop in a while, so maybe I missed it. Or maybe things at the commissary are just catching up with the rest of the US economy. Either way, I have noticed a big jump in food prices in the last few weeks. It seems like food prices used to go up a little at a time, but now they are going up quickly and they keep going up. A little research shows that it isn't just my experience, but everyone's experience.
If you do an internet search on food prices 2011, you will find literally hundreds of articles talking about the worldwide increase in the cost of food. US customers have been a little insulated from the increases, but we are still seeing the effects of the worldwide situation. In addition, food prices are predicted to continue rising in the next 10 years, and rising fast.
We can offset the effects of higher prices through menu planning, smart shopping, decreasing the consumption of more expensive products, taking advantage of food buying programs and learning to produce more of our own food. Gardening can be difficult for oft-moving military families, but there are smart people who learn to make it work. (I haven't mastered it yet, but hopefully someday.)
I know that my readers are a creative and frugal bunch who can probably share lots of useful tips for trimming grocery budgets. I'd love to hear your ideas.
Interesting articles on this subject:
Chart of the Day: The Food Price Spike is Still With Us
Using Tools Makes Couponing Easy
Are Food Price Increases Always Bad?
