Price of food, gasoline on rise

Consumers aren’t just feeling the pinch at the gas station pumps. They’re also being hit at the grocery store checkout counter.

In the last year, while regular unleaded gasoline has increased by 66.6 cents nation-wide, staple foods such as eggs, meat and fruit also have seen increases according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Statistics.

From March 2007 to March 2008, the cost of grade-A large eggs increased by 56.9 cents, ground chuck went up 20.4 cents, apples by 14.1 cents and white bread by 18.9 cents.

“The price of gasoline has increased and has affected many products,” said Susan Jackson, Harvey County Extension agent, family and consumer sciences and community development. “The place I notice it is the most is at the grocery store.”

While the climbing cost for food and fuel eat into paychecks, those checks aren’t rising as quickly — an average of about 3.5 percent per year, according to the Labor Bureau.

There are ways consumers can trim food costs and still eat well, said Mary Meck Higgins, an associate professor of human nutrition in the College of Human Ecology at Kansas State University.

Eating out occasionally, rather than regularly, can trim food costs and yield health benefits, she said. Food prepared at home generally is healthier because the consumer can choose the foods and decide how it is prepared.

To save on groceries, shop regularly and with a list to reduce the need for extra trips to the store, Higgins said.

She recommends shopping less frequently, and using perishable foods within two to three days. Beyond that, shoppers can fill in with canned or frozen foods prior to the next shopping trip.

“Shoppers who return to the store for one or two items rarely leave with just one or two items,” Higgins said. “Extra items add extra costs. Making a shopping list that follows the general layout of the store can reduce the amount of time a shopper will spend retracing his or her steps and the temptation to pick up extra items along the way. Using a list following the store layout also can save time.”

Often, the least-expensive items — seasonal fruits and vegetables, dairy products, grain products and lean meats, poultry and fish — often are arranged around the outer edges, or perimeter, of the store, Higgins said.

Promotional items may be placed at the end of the aisles, but don’t assume such items are sale priced, Jackson said. More expensive processed foods typically are displayed in center aisles.

Processing adds to food costs, and consumers often can realize a savings if they are willing to do some of the preparation themselves, she said.

Packaging also will add to the cost, said Higgins, noting that breakfast cereals packaged in a waxed paper or cellophane bags often will be less expensive than similar products offered in a gimmicky box.

Shelf placement can be an indicator of price, as well, said Higgins, explaining that the most expensive items often will be within easy reach, in the shoulder-to-knee range. Less-expensive items often are placed on a higher shelf that can be more difficult to reach or on a lower shelf where such products may be overlooked.

Checking the cost-per-serving or unit price posted on the edge of the store shelf where the product is displayed is recommended, said Higgins, who typically advises consumers to choose the lowest cost per serving.

For a single or small family, buying a supersized package of a seldom-used item may not yield a savings, though.

“Buy realistic quantities so as not to waste food, time and money,” Higgins said.