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business Tuesday 3 May 2022

Kimberly Palmer: To fight inflation, take down food expenses

By KIMBERLY PALMER of sway, says Erin Lowell,
of NerdWallet a Bowdoin, Maine-based
Like many shoppers, I've lead educator at You
noticed my grocery bill Need a Budget, a budget-
getting bigger each week: ing app . By spending more
February food prices were time cooking or substituting
7.9% higher than they cheaper ingredients, you
were a year ago, accord- can feel an immediate sav-
ing to the U.S. Department ings impact, she says, unlike
of Agriculture's Economic with other costs, such as
Research Service. To com- bills or rent, which can be
pensate for my family's busy harder to change.
spring schedule, I'd also Lowell suggests assessing
been turning to shortcuts how much effort you're
like prepackaged snacks currently putting into mini-
and meal kits, which further mizing your food spending
added to our total bill. and taking that effort up to A man browses in the meat department at Lambert's Rainbow Market, on June 15, 2021 in
To counteract these pres- the next level. For example, Westwood, Mass. Associated Press
sures, I applied all my go- if you currently order pizza
to savings tricks: opting in for delivery, then consider can use in tacos, pasta and ones you already have at try to keep five to 10 easy,
to my grocery store's loy- buying a nice frozen pizza salad later in the week, for home. "Be confident in your budget-friendly meals in
alty program for extra dis- for a quarter of the cost. If example. "You can do the cooking: If you have farro, the house at all times,"
counts, using a credit card you already buy frozen piz- heavy lifting Sunday, then use that instead of brown Lowell says. For her, that
that gave me bonus cash za, then consider making mix and match throughout rice. Use hot sauce or vin- list includes ingredients for
back on grocery purchas- your own from scratch for the week." egar instead of lemon." homemade pizza, frozen
es, and planning our week- just a few dollars' worth of Planning also helps you Hoffman also recommends fish with fries, and a pasta
ly menus around sales. Still, ingredients. avoid food waste, which is "next-overing," which is dish. "It's never expensive,
shopping for my family of PLAN YOUR MEALS another budget killer, warns transforming the previous and I'm always happy to
five continued to give me "When people are over- Rob Bertman, a certified fi- night's dish into something eat it."
sticker shock. spending on food, it's al- nancial planner and family new. Roast chicken one LEAN ON YOUR COMMU-
For extra guidance, I turned most always because budget expert in St. Louis. night can become enchi- NITY
to budgeting and cooking they're eating out too of- "Buy in bulk for things you lada fillings the next, for ex- While some local food
experts with experience ten," says Jake Cousineau , know you will go through, ample. banks have eligibil-
making food spending a personal finance teacher but if food sits in the freezer Beans, which are generally ity requirements, many are
more manageable, as the in Thousand Oaks, Califor- or pantry and gets thrown inexpensive, are also a flex- open to all members of the
USDA predicts food prices nia, and the author of "How in the trash, that gets ex- ible staple, she adds. You community who need the
will continue to increase, to Adult: Personal Finance pensive." He and his wife can serve them on their support, says Willa Williams
growing 4.5% to 5.5% in for the Real World." He says keep a list of the poten- own or add them to salads , an Orlando, Florida, area
2022 . Here are their best planning ahead is key to tial side and main dishes or soups. "Beans are still the financial coach at Trinity Fi-
tips for saving money on combating the temptation they have on hand in the greatest thing around. Just nancial Coaching and co-
food: to order takeout at the last freezer, fridge and pantry give them a little marinade, host of "The Abundant Liv-
CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN minute. so they don't forget to use add garlic and make sure ing Podcast." Some neigh-
While so much about the "If you meal prep on Sun- those ingredients. they're seasoned." borhood gardens similarly
economy can feel com- day and make six to seven BE RESOURCEFUL IN THE KEEP YOUR PANTRY WELL- offer the community veg-
pletely outside of our con- meals, you're not faced with KITCHEN STOCKED etables and other produce
trol, including rising interest that decision of 'Should I or- Maggie Hoffman, a Brook- Investing in staples can end at harvest time. "The food
rates, inflation and supply der out or prepare food?' lyn, New York-based digital up saving you money be- is here, so come and get
chain challenges, our food every night," Cousineau director at cooking website cause then you can quick- it," she says. "It keeps you
spending is actually one says. He typically cooks Epicurious, suggests substi- ly make last-minute meals from spending your food
area where we hold a lot meat for Sunday that he tuting recipe ingredients for instead of ordering in. "I budget."q