Save Money on Grocery Bill 12/8/04

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Supermarkets stock thousands of products, yet, according to Michael McBurney at the Kellogg Company, customers typically make 50 percent or more of their purchases from a list of about 150 products.

Despite Abundance, Not Everyone is Eating Well

MANHATTAN, Kan. --Supermarkets stock thousands of products, yet not everyone is eating well.

In Kansas, about 10 percent of the population, including about 35,000 children, are either hungry or subject to an uncertain food supply, said Mary Meck Higgins, Kansas State University Research and Extension nutrition specialist.

“Many people of all ages are eligible for food assistance programs, but fail to apply for them,” said Higgins, who offered a toll-free number for more information: 1-888-369-4777. Information also is available at local K-State Research and Extension offices.

“Their other purchases often are impulse buys that can add to the grocery bill unnecessarily,” said Mary Meck Higgins, Kansas State University Research and Extension nutrition specialist. “Impulse purchases also can increase when shoppers are hungry or shop without a list.”

People usually can trim grocery bills and still eat well, said Higgins, who offered these shopping and cost-saving tips:

* Study the layout of the supermarket. The basics – fresh produce, dairy products, meats, and bakery items usually are arranged on the perimeter (outer wall) of the store. More costly processed foods, such as snack foods, cereals and mixes, usually are on interior aisles. Frozen food cases are grouped, often in center aisles.

“Organize the shopping list to match the layout of the store to minimize time needed to retrace steps and to decrease impulse purchases,” she said.

* Observe product placement. More expensive products usually are placed on middle shelves, within easy reach. Less expensive foods (store brands, for example) are placed high and low, where they are not so easily reached.

“The old saying, ‘look high or low to save dough’ still fits,” Higgins said.

* Check prices on product displays. Store displays, including those at the end of the aisles, do not always feature sale products. Use a grocery receipt to make a note of prices paid for frequently-used items on a master shopping or price list. Take the list of prices and the grocery list when you shop, or note price and brand on a computer-generated list that can be printed and used as the basis for weekly shopping lists. Use it to verify bargain prices.

Compare Costs With What Others Are Spending

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- A U.S. Census Consumer Expenditure Survey (2002-03) found that, on average, an American family of four spent $5,357 or about 13 percent of their total annual expenditures, on food. Costs were slightly higher in the Northeast, ($5,771), lower in the South ($5,030), and about average in the Midwest: ($5,133). Fifty-eight percent of the total expenditure was spent on food at home.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) tracks monthly costs of foods purchased at stores and prepared at home. In Oct. 2004, for example, the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion reported that an average American family of four with two children ages five and under spent $100 a week on a thrifty food plan, $154.90 on a moderate plan, and $191.10 on a more liberal spending plan. A family of four with one child aged six to eight and a second child between the ages of nine to 11 spent $115.80 on a thrifty food plan, $185.60 on a moderate plan and $224.70 on a more liberal plan.

The Web site, www.cnpp.usda.gov [Click on Publications & Reports, then Projects.] includes formulas for adjusting costs to fit personal circumstances and links to healthful recipes and menus.

* Keep a running grocery list at home to avoid return trips for forgotten items.

Reducing the number of trips saves time and money because shoppers rarely limit their purchases to one item. It’s time-consuming and not always profitable to ‘store hop’ for only the specials. A warehouse or discount store is unlikely to have the lowest price on all products, however. Higgins advised shoppers to consider time, money and convenience.

* Check prices and products in supermarket advertisements, inserts or fliers. Shop the specials and use coupons only if you will save money by doing so. Limit purchases to products that can realistically be stored or used. Prices on multiple sales, such as 10 cans for $10, may be pro-rated per can.

“Buy one, get one free” sounds good, but often the “one” is being marketed at an increased price. A loss leader is a product -- a name brand cereal, for example -- that a store is willing to sell at cost or less to attract customers who will buy other products while in the store.

Brand name items usually cost more than store brands, but are not always better quality.

* Use cost-savings to your advantage. Buy a larger quantity – 10 pounds of ground beef, for example – and re-package the meat in family-sized packages before storing or freezing.

* Eat seasonal foods that cost less because of large supplies, such as fresh lettuce, spinach or strawberries in late spring and early summer or apples, squash or sweet potatoes in the fall.

* Can’t make up your mind about which product to buy? Higgins advised reading labels and checking unit prices or cost per serving or use: A one-pound boneless roast will yield four servings; a bone-in roast with the same weight and cost will only yield three servings.

* To save the most money, shop alone, at a time when a store will be stocked, but not crowded, perhaps early in the morning or during the week.

“While it’s true that each additional person can add expense, there is value in encouraging a child to choose a fruit or vegetable to try or to learn more about where food comes from,” said Higgins, who prefers to shop with a partner, either one of her children or her husband.

“Inviting a family member to accompany you provides one-on-one time that can be educational. Family members can sometimes spot bargains that I might miss,” Higgins said.

Extension Now Offers
‘Month of Menus’

MANHATTAN, Kan. – New to K-State Research and Extension in 2004 is a “Month of Menus,” which includes recipes, kitchen how-to’s, shopping lists, and food safety information. The kitchen guide, an outgrowth of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Family Nutrition Program at K-State, was developed by Shawnee County K-State Research and Extension staff, including Lisa Martin, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program agent; Cindy Evans, family and consumer sciences agent; and Kristi Lee, a dietetics intern.

“Month of Menus” can be downloaded from the K-State Family Nutrition Program site at http://www.humec.ksu.edu/fnp/materials.html Scroll to the right and choose supplemental materials. A print version, priced at $3 to cover duplicating costs, can be picked up at the Shawnee County Extension office, 1740 SW Western Avenue, Topeka 66604-3095 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The guide also is available by mail and priced at $7 to cover mailing costs.

"If the family is attending a school or community event at 6:30 p.m., but not everyone will arrive home before 5:45 p.m., plan a meal around leftovers that can be reheated quickly or buy food to make sandwiches. Reserve recipes that require more preparation for days when time is available,” said Higgins, who encourages cooking once and eating twice.

“Doubling a recipe or cooking a larger quantity can save time and money. Wrap, label, date and freeze leftovers – I prefer to call them ‘planned overs’ – for a future meal,” she said.

More information on food, nutrition and health is available at county K-State Research and Extension offices and also on Extension’s Web site: www.oznet.ksu.edu.

K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.