Connie Scollan no longer buys the best cuts of meat and she eats steak less often. Scollan, of Auburn, has also noticed an increase in the cost of canned fruits and vegetables, spaghetti sauce and spaghetti.
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Local grocery shoppers get creative to cut costs
Local grocery shoppers get creative to cut costs
“I've gone to store brands because they are cheaper,” she said as she was loading her groceries from Tops into her car last week.
The rise in food prices is affecting other area families, as well, and they are looking at different ways to deal with the increase in cost.
In 2005, a survey at three Auburn supermarkets put the combined cost of vitamin D milk, orange juice, apples and eight other items totaled, on average, at $26.53. In 2008, those same items cost $28.73, an increase of 8.3 percent.
Scollan thinks that the cost of food will not decrease anytime soon.
“Once they realize people will pay the higher price, they'll stay with it,” she said.
“Supermarket Guru” Phil Lempert agrees.
“From my vantage point, I don't think prices are ever going to get down again,” he said.
Lempert has been analyzing consumer and marketing trends for more than 25 years and is the food editor for the “TODAY” show on NBC.
The cost of food has increased because of the higher price of raw materials, the cost of packaging and the delivery costs, Lempert said. For example, soybean oil costs 80 percent more than last year, Lempert said. And because many food companies use soybean oil in their products, the items go up in cost.
Also, since much of the corn production has shifted to ethanol production, anything produced by an animal is going to have higher costs associated with it, Lempert said. In addition to that, energy costs, such as fuel, affect not only trucking and delivery but also heating for buildings and packaging.
“I'm surprised it's only 8 percent,” Lempert said of the price increase in food in Auburn. “We will probably see (national) prices up between 12 and 15 percent depending on the commodity, and even more next year.”
Jackie Roe, of Auburn, spends more time in her own kitchen rather than going out to eat, she said. Roe, who has four people in her family, spends more money at Wegmans but has cut back on buying snacks and frivolous items, she said.
The price of the items for sale is not the only source of frustration for some shoppers. Some shoppers travel considerable distance from rural areas to get their groceries, which adds to their fuel costs.
Richard Middleton drives from King Ferry to go to the P&C in Auburn. Middleton used to drive to the store whenever he needed one or two items, he said. Now, he shops much less frequently and waits for his list to get longer before he makes the trip.
Sue Stubbs, of Cayuga, tries to do her shopping when she has another appointment in Auburn. That way, she “kills two birds with one stone,” she said. Stubbs also looks for sale items at the store.
“I deal with it by looking for generic cereals and things like that,” Stubbs said.
The rising costs have not affected Stubbs too much because she only has to shop for herself, she said as she put away her shopping cart at P&C. However, she wonders how people with bigger families can afford the groceries.
Lempert suggests that shoppers make a list like Middleton does before going to the store because otherwise, people can buy up to 40 percent more than they need, he said. He also recommends people use coupons.
Middleton has started using coupons more often and has also switched to store brands.
“I haven't coupon shopped in a long time, and I'm beginning to do it again,” he said.
Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5211 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
Food price comparison
Product 2005 2008
Vitamin D Milk, 1 gallon $3.14 $3.19
Cereal Kellogg's Special K, 12 oz. $3.40 $3.64
Tropicana Orange Juice, 2 qt. no pulp $3.24 $3.39
Granny Smith apples, green $1.46/lb. $2.02/lb.
Banana $.49/lb. $.55/lb.
Domino Sugar, 5 lb. $2.36 $2.55
Gold Medal Flour, 2 lb. $1.16 $1.61
Ballpark Hot Dogs, beef, 8 pk. $3.12 $3.79
Campbell's Tomato Soup, can $1.06 $1.09
Heinz 57 Ketchup, 36 oz. $2.36 $2.16
Pepsi 12 pack $4.74 $4.74
The rise in food prices is affecting other area families, as well, and they are looking at different ways to deal with the increase in cost.
In 2005, a survey at three Auburn supermarkets put the combined cost of vitamin D milk, orange juice, apples and eight other items totaled, on average, at $26.53. In 2008, those same items cost $28.73, an increase of 8.3 percent.
Scollan thinks that the cost of food will not decrease anytime soon.
“Once they realize people will pay the higher price, they'll stay with it,” she said.
“Supermarket Guru” Phil Lempert agrees.
“From my vantage point, I don't think prices are ever going to get down again,” he said.
Lempert has been analyzing consumer and marketing trends for more than 25 years and is the food editor for the “TODAY” show on NBC.
The cost of food has increased because of the higher price of raw materials, the cost of packaging and the delivery costs, Lempert said. For example, soybean oil costs 80 percent more than last year, Lempert said. And because many food companies use soybean oil in their products, the items go up in cost.
Also, since much of the corn production has shifted to ethanol production, anything produced by an animal is going to have higher costs associated with it, Lempert said. In addition to that, energy costs, such as fuel, affect not only trucking and delivery but also heating for buildings and packaging.
“I'm surprised it's only 8 percent,” Lempert said of the price increase in food in Auburn. “We will probably see (national) prices up between 12 and 15 percent depending on the commodity, and even more next year.”
Jackie Roe, of Auburn, spends more time in her own kitchen rather than going out to eat, she said. Roe, who has four people in her family, spends more money at Wegmans but has cut back on buying snacks and frivolous items, she said.
The price of the items for sale is not the only source of frustration for some shoppers. Some shoppers travel considerable distance from rural areas to get their groceries, which adds to their fuel costs.
Richard Middleton drives from King Ferry to go to the P&C in Auburn. Middleton used to drive to the store whenever he needed one or two items, he said. Now, he shops much less frequently and waits for his list to get longer before he makes the trip.
Sue Stubbs, of Cayuga, tries to do her shopping when she has another appointment in Auburn. That way, she “kills two birds with one stone,” she said. Stubbs also looks for sale items at the store.
“I deal with it by looking for generic cereals and things like that,” Stubbs said.
The rising costs have not affected Stubbs too much because she only has to shop for herself, she said as she put away her shopping cart at P&C. However, she wonders how people with bigger families can afford the groceries.
Lempert suggests that shoppers make a list like Middleton does before going to the store because otherwise, people can buy up to 40 percent more than they need, he said. He also recommends people use coupons.
Middleton has started using coupons more often and has also switched to store brands.
“I haven't coupon shopped in a long time, and I'm beginning to do it again,” he said.
Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5211 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
Food price comparison
Product 2005 2008
Vitamin D Milk, 1 gallon $3.14 $3.19
Cereal Kellogg's Special K, 12 oz. $3.40 $3.64
Tropicana Orange Juice, 2 qt. no pulp $3.24 $3.39
Granny Smith apples, green $1.46/lb. $2.02/lb.
Banana $.49/lb. $.55/lb.
Domino Sugar, 5 lb. $2.36 $2.55
Gold Medal Flour, 2 lb. $1.16 $1.61
Ballpark Hot Dogs, beef, 8 pk. $3.12 $3.79
Campbell's Tomato Soup, can $1.06 $1.09
Heinz 57 Ketchup, 36 oz. $2.36 $2.16
Pepsi 12 pack $4.74 $4.74
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