Dealing with Milk and Food Prices

 Maybe it's just Colorado.  (I certainly noticed it before we left in mid-October.)

Maybe it's just Michigan. But prices seem to be even higher here, and not just on gas.

I'm talking about food.

Some media types made fun of this family griping about the rising cost of milk. In their neighborhood, milk prices had gone up considerably -- and they drank an estimated 48 gallons a month. Which considerably crimped their budget.

Granted, they had a huge family, and many of the kids were younger. But I did an estimate of the milk the Brick and myself (mostly me) put away, and it's easily 8+ gallons a month. Let's see -- milk, both here and in Colorado, went from approx. $1.99 (on sale) to $2.59 each gallon. So whether I like it or not, I'm suddenly paying about $5 more, for the same product.

If you're dealing with 48 gallons a month -- and they're paying much more than that increase -- it's not going to be enjoyable to deal with. There are ways to amend this, of course:

*Use dry milk.  Amy Dacyczyn of the Tightwad Gazette swore by her family drinking this. My family, however, did not like it at all. They didn't mind, however, if I used it for baking and soups. And I only bought it on sale. The Mama used to belong to a program that gave out free food for seniors; she regularly collected bags of dry and shelf-stable milk she sometimes passed on to us.

*Buy whole milk, and water it down.  As much as 2-3 extra cups of water can be added, without loss of taste or creaminess. Whole milk is the same price as skim in my areas -- but tastes much better thinned with water than the original skim. (Don't tell -- but when the gallon started getting low, Iand I had no time to go to the store, 've sneaked in some water to keep it 'fuller.' Did my family notice? Naaaah.)

But it's not just milk.

Food prices are fairly consistently rising at least 10-20% across the board in recent months. Meat is one of the worst culprits, particularly beef. Thanks to the Brick's recent harvest, we're not as hard-hit as some. But I continue to be very careful, watching prices. Sales and clearance bins have taken on new importance. For people on fixed incomes like us, being told 'You're rich, you can afford it' is no comfort.

 Even the discount stores I've relied on have been raising their prices, or putting less in the packaging. Dollar Tree has great potstickers for a buck -- but only 6 are in the package now, instead of 8. Daily Deals, one of my favorites here in Michigan, now charges $3.99/lb ON SALE for bacon it was offering at half the price a few months ago.

So what can you do?

*Stock up on your favorite canned goods now -- IF you can get them before the price jump.  Places like Amazon and Walmart tend to raise prices after the current stock is depleted. Beat them at their game by getting 6, 8, or even a case now -- especially if they're on sale. 

     Frozen goods are a smart choice, too -- especially items like pizza. Usually three or four will be eaten up before freezer burn becomes a serious problem.

     This is a great way to invest. The only problem for us: where do I put these, in our fifth-wheel? Fortunately, we have a "basement" lower level that holds a fair amount of items. We also keep a few cases' worth in The Mama's kitchen right now, since she isn't using it. (See below.)

 *Use discount spots to double-check prices.  Aldi's, Walmart and other discount places are a good starting point. However, my favorite right now is Amazon's Warehouse Deals. They sell all sorts of items at discount -- but right now, my biggest savings comes from groceries. I've gotten everything from jarred peaches to Hawaiian coffee at a big discount -- sometimes because they're just about ready to go out of date, sometimes because it's past the holiday. (Halloween candy i going for a nice price right now -- do you REALLY think it will be noticed in Christmas stockings?? Our girlies used to look forward to the large Easter rabbits I snagged from the Russell Stover outlet near Manhattan, KS. P.S. They now ship! Click on the link, and get 20% off your first order.)

*Always double-check your 'discount.'  Sometimes the item in question hasn't had its price raised...yet, that is. I've even found this on regularly-priced items from Amazon. Yet it can also be higher-priced than if you walked in and bought it off the shelf. How do I know for sure? Websites like Walmart.com and Sams Club.com are good starting points. Type in the item, and compare its price. (Don't forget -- if you're not on Amazon Prime, you'll have to order at least $25 worth to get free shipping. Sometimes I'll just park the items in my cart, then search to see if another will fill out the $25 minimum.) 

*Substitute other tasty options.  We won't be eating prime rib at Thanksgiving -- because I found turkey at an astounding 33 cents a pound. (I still don't know what's going on -- the best I saw before this was $1.89/lb.) Yes, we love bacon. But the Brick also loves ham, which I found spiral-sliced at Daily Deals for a similar astonishing 88 cents a pound. These excellent proteins will be stretched with homemade mashed potatoes (about 8 cents a pound, on sale) and pumpkin pie (free pumpkin from a cousin, baked and the pulp scooped out). If I can save on the main item, I can even spend more on sides -- and it's not so painful.

*Try foods that stretch ingredients.  Soup is a wonder, but so are casseroles and stews. Macaroni and cheese can mix leftover cheese with reasonably-priced pasta. Spaghetti Carbonara combines bits of leftover vegetables with parmesan and a few strips of bacon. There are all sorts of options, if you're willing to experiment.

Mavis' copycat version of Panera's tomato bisque is amazing.

*Read up on other possbilities.  Grow a garden. Eat more grains, and research frugal recipes. Find out more about beans. International favorites, like Thai food. All these are easy to research, thanks to the internet.

Are we going to be paying more for food costs? Unfortunately, yes. Supply chain problems and emptying shelves are going to stay with us for a while, at the very least. But with care, you can reduce the "OUCH!" on your food budget to an occasional wince. 

And that's an improvement.

UPDATE:  Donna Freedman has put out a chapter of her second book -- a free Google document that focuses on food costs. It's helpful and thorough -- click here to access it.  (Thanks so much, Donna.)