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Planning helps take bite out of meal costs

JANESVILLE — With the ongoing recession, its only natural people are hungry for ways to stretch their food budget dollars.

Grocery prices have been rising at a pace not seen for decades, and costs will continue to climb, according to Consumer Expenditure Survey data.

For the average household, 10 items consumed more than half of the $50,000 spent annually for groceries, which were the fourth-biggest expense, behind Social Security payroll taxes, mortgage payments and car payments, according to the survey.

Angela Flickinger, a registered dietitian and family living educator for Rock County UW Extension, offered these tips to cut your grocery bill:

-- Plan ahead—Spend about a half hour planning weekly menus by using sale ads and making out a shopping list.

-- Make adjustments—Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Limit meat purchases. Instead of buying white bread or rice, buy whole-grain products that have more fiber to fill you up.

-- Avoid buying junk food and snacks—These foods are not healthy and can eat up a big chunk of your grocery money.

-- Avoid shopping when you're hungry—Almost everything looks yummy on an empty stomach.

-- Avoid using a credit card to buy groceries—Unless you plan to pay off the balance every month, you'll be adding credit card interest rates to your food costs.

-- Shop in one or two stores—If you drive to more stores for special deals, it might not be a "deal" when you consider the cost of gasoline.

-- Compare brands—Most store brands are similar in quality to name brands but cost less.

-- Clip coupons—Some stores double the value up to a certain amount.

-- Check your receipt and change—Mistakes happen, so carefully examine your receipt to make sure you received the sale price.