SACRAMENTO, Calif. — How much are you spending on groceries? Chances are it’s a lot.
New research shows costs keep going up and inflation rose again in February, so how can you get more out of your budget?
“I love Honeycrisp (apples), but $8-9 for a bag of apples? No, that’s not good,” said shopper Terea Johnson. “I’m living paycheck to paycheck because it’s so hard to save.”
Pamela Rodriguez, Sacramento-based financial planner and CEO of Golden Wealth Capital, says Americans are noticing.
“Technically, your groceries are only supposed to make up about 4% of your overall budget,” said Rodriguez.
But data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Californians pay the most in the country for groceries — about $300 a week.
“Right now, we're seeing groceries be the second largest expense and sometimes the largest expense, even over a mortgage,” said Rodriguez.
Cereal and egg prices rose again with eggs up nearly 6%.
President Joe Biden touted this month’s inflation report saying, “my top economic priority is lowering costs and we continue to make progress.”
“Unfortunately, we pay higher taxes than all the other states and that also goes for businesses. They will kind of pass down expenses,” said Rodriguez.
U.S. Census data also shows family size and their age can impact grocery bills, too.
“When you have older kids who are very vocal about what they like, don't like, what they want, what they don't want, and they make it very difficult for you to figure out what you want to have for dinner. That's when it becomes a lot pricier,” said Rodriguez.
It’s not always easy, but money can be saved by sharing the same home-cooked meal. Convenience vs. cooking from scratch impacts grocery bills.
“There's a lot of prepackaged food, which is the most expensive thing at grocery stores,” said Rodriguez.
So, stick to the edges of the store where the fresh produce and meats are. Skip the center aisles filled with packaged food.
“My best advice is always to plan ahead,” said Rodriguez. “I also love being part of a specific grocery store club’s savings when they will really save you quite a bit.”
Other expenses are going up — gas rose 3.8%, rent is up 4% and clothing rose 0.6%.
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