BURCHAM: Grocery shopping on a budget

Have you been to the grocery store lately? Prices have gone up and up…what can you do about it? How can you feed your busy family well and stick to a realistic budget? Illinois Extension Educator Mary Liz Wright shares these tips on what you can do: 

Here are a few tips:

• Watch what you are throwing away. If you are throwing the same things away over and over stop buying them. Also, do not throw things away according to the date stamped on the container. Food manufacturers put those dates on there to indicate when foods are “best”. Use your judgment of course, but as long as the food does not show signs of spoilage it is safe.
• Plan around sale items and what you have on hand—shopping in your pantry helps you throw less away and saves money at the store.
• Do not fall into the myth that “fresh is best”. Unless the produce is in season and local, frozen or canned is the better, more nutritious choice.
• Have you heard people say? “I can’t afford to eat healthily”. Have you compared convenience, snack foods to whole foods? Chips are more than three times the price of potatoes!
• Time is money! Convenience comes at a cost.
  • Cereal is three times the price of oatmeal (old-fashioned)
  • “Baby” carrots are twice as expensive as whole carrots
  • “Instant” noodle/rice packets are four times the price of plain
  • Microwave popcorn is four times the price of popcorn made on top of the stove
• Dairy can be expensive—keep it below 41 F and it will last several days beyond the best-buy date
• Use half the meat and/or cheese in a recipe (use the more strongly flavored cheese and no one will know)
• Go meatless one day per week —eggs and beans are super cheap and super nutritious! Have breakfast for supper!

Cheri Burcham, University of Illinois Extension

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Cheri Burcham is responsible for family life programming in the counties of Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Moultrie, Shelby and other parts of east central Illinois as needed. Cheri’s emphasis is on healthy lifestyles throughout the life span which include family relationships, communication, caregiving, stress management and human development including early childhood and healthy aging. Her passion is to help people to be their best selves and to promote a healthier, independent older population.

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