U.S. grocery prices have been steadily rising over the last year. Recent data for April 2023 revealed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the all-items Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.3% between February – March 2023 and was up 5% compared to March 2022.
To combat these challenging price increases, it’s sensible for shoppers to take proactive steps to help them deal with rising food prices and the impact of inflation on everything they buy.
There’s no doubt that the real impact of inflation on shopping habits is clear and significant. It changes consumers’ shopping behavior in response.
Some shoppers are noticing shrinkflation (products are smaller but at the same price) and the effects of price gouging, where there is a dramatic rise in prices during tough economic times.
With all this in mind, what savvy actions can shoppers take so they can learn how to save money during inflation?
Reap Rewards With Loyalty Programs
Getting on board with brand reward and loyalty programs can help you maximize your spending and deliver future benefits at the same time. Many retailers offer reward points or loyalty cards that clock up the points when you’re buying products. So you can use these to limit the impact of grocery prices on your hard-earned money.
Look for signs in your favorite local stores that signpost you to the loyalty program forms you can fill in and start to save money on your groceries.
Check Online Review Sites
Online reviews give you access to some valuable information around how to save money during inflation amid rising food prices and still get the items you need every month. Consumer review websites, such as PissedConsumer.com, perform a kind of customer service to help shoppers save money.
When you become familiar with the reviews website of your choice, you’ll see that there are countless other shoppers in the same position. Shoppers often turn to online reviews so they can read about new or regular products to see where and how they can grab these cheaper.
There’s a treasure trove of information about grocery prices and smart shopping habits. You can find tips on how to swerve rising food prices amongst a wealth of other shopper snippets and retail news.
Stay Loyal to Your Shopping List
We all stray a little at times from our well-intentioned shopping habits and go all out with that new shiny product. However, with rising food prices our pockets are taking a hit.
Taking a little time to write a proper shopping list so you know what you can afford to buy is a great step to squeeze the impact of inflation. Think before you buy – do you really need this product? If it’s not on the list, then you can probably leave it on the shelf and save yourself some money.
Catch That Promo Code or Coupon
Smart shoppers know they need to think ahead and future-proof their spending power. There’s never been a better time to streamline your shopping behavior with some added know-how.
One way you can really save some dollars is through promo codes. Retailers frequently feature a free delivery code to save you some serious cash on your monthly deliveries.
Be sure to regularly check those websites you use the most for any codes to shave off some of the total cost, allowing you to save money on groceries in your next shop.
These days, becoming a smart shopper and staying ahead of the curve is wise. It’s unlikely that prices are going to take a sharp downturn in the near future. So it’s always a good idea to pause if you absolutely don’t need that product.
Being cautious and thinking things through is one way we can all become careful consumers and reduce our exposure to high grocery prices.
Comments