We set aside $300 for our monthly grocery shopping, which breaks down to about $75 a week, to feed two adults. Living in southern California, we have access to a lot of affordable, fresh farm produce. Despite this, we’ve been going over our budget lately, sometimes almost doubling it. It makes us wonder if grocery prices are going up.
Grocery costs often differ depending on where you live and how many people you’re feeding. By keeping detailed records of our expenses, we noticed a steady increase in what we spent on food. Are we eating more, buying pricier items, or are food prices just going up?
Recently, we started eating more organic foods. We follow the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen guidelines, which help us decide what to buy organic. Basically, if you eat the peel, it should be organic; if not, it’s fine to buy regular.
Trader Joe’s has some good deals on organic products. The price difference is usually just a few cents, maybe adding about $5-$10 more to our grocery bill each time.
A major change in our diet, driven mostly by my husband’s focus on healthier living, includes eating more produce. Surprisingly, this hasn’t made our grocery bill much higher, as produce is fairly affordable compared to pre-packaged foods.
We’ve cut down on red meat and no longer stock up on wine and frozen pizzas. Our meals now mostly consist of chicken, ground turkey, and fish. I’d like to start buying organic chicken too, but it’s quite expensive.
I think the main reason for our increased spending is that we’re making healthier choices, which means we’re shopping more frequently and buying more. Fish can be pricey, and switching to organic options like bread and almond milk, along with buying more fresh produce, might be pushing up our expenses.
I’m looking for ways to cut our grocery budget but don’t regret spending more for a healthier diet. Would you spend a little extra on groceries to eat healthier?