Slash Supermarket Expenses by Skipping These 13 Overpriced Items
Rising inflation has forced Americans to make tough choices whenever they visit the supermarket. If you want to stretch your grocery budget, avoid the items that have inflated most rapidly in recent years.
1. Sugar
If you want non-health-related reasons to cut sugar from your diet, do it for your bank account. The cost of sugar increased by 7.7% between January and September 2023, making it one of the most inflationary grocery items you can find.
2. Pork
Protein is the common denominator among many of the items on this list. As those most concerned about climate change wage a “war on meat,” we can expect the cost of pork and other beloved cuts to increase further.
If you can still afford pork, read your meat packaging closely. Lab-grown meat has officially been cleared for sale, and it may hide beneath a price tag that’s cheaper than natural alternatives.
3. Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
Through September, the cost of frozen fruits and vegetables had increased by 8.1% in 2023. These are essential items for smoothie drinkers and those who cannot justify visiting the store for fresh vegetables every time they make a side dish or stir fry.
It’s time to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, as these items have undergone less dramatic inflation than their frozen forms.
4. Beef and Veal
Lumped into the same category by researchers, beef and veal have seen a 7% price increase (on average) since January 2023. Dedicated carnivores will continue to purchase their red meat even as prices increase. Still, many shoppers have had to make Taco Tuesday into Taco Every Other Tuesday due to rising beef prices.
5. Hot Dogs
The price of a pound of hot dogs is increasing at a rate of 37% year-over-year, making a staple of frugal foodies far less affordable. When hot dogs no longer serve the role of being an absurdly cheap meal, they lose much of their appeal.
6. Potato Chips
Nobody wants to give up their Lay’s Salt and Vinegar or their Fritos Honey BBQ Flavor Twists, but the Federal Reserve and lawmakers’ ceaseless money printing is taking a toll on chip lovers. The cost of potato chips is increasing at a rate of 18.25%, leading more and more shoppers to say “nay” to Lay’s.
7. Eggs
One of the earliest poster children of grocery-specific inflation, eggs continue to rise in price by nearly 30% year-over-year. Some data suggests that egg-flation could be as high as 70% per year.
While some blame may lie with the Avian flu, supply chain issues, and other price-inflating factors, there is a broader trend of dollars buying less and less than they used to. Inflation is no yolk.
8. Butter and Margarine
If Americans love one thing, it’s butter. However, researchers have found that the cost of butter and margarine has risen faster than most other grocery items. But what do I do without butter, you ask?
While olive oil is typically more expensive than butter, it’s widely considered the healthier alternative. Now may be the time to make the healthy switch, as the margin between the cost of butter and olive oil may be smaller than it’s historically been.
9. Roasted Coffee
Coffee is another essential that has inflated more quickly than a caffeine addict’s Starbucks bill. For those who see coffee purely as a means to energy, never has a shot of Five Hour Energy looked so affordable.
10. Bread
Trying to kick the carbs? We wish you could carve bread out of your diet under more elective circumstances. However, a 6.1% rise in the cost of bread between January and September 2023 may be just the excuse you need to go keto.
11. Flour
Even before the out-of-control inflation (and spending) that has defined 2023, the cost of flour had risen by more than 23%. You may have noticed a trend: cooking essentials are getting more expensive quickly.
There is a silver lining, though. You can avoid the ballooning cost of some of these items (including flour) and benefit your health in the process.
12. Chicken
The annual rate of inflation for chicken has been around 2%. Between 2021 and 2022, the cost of cutlets rose by more than 15%, and that trend continued into 2023 and beyond.
With warehouses stuffed full of feathered protein, how could the cost of a rotisserie-cooked bird rise so high?
13. Crackers
Foods we typically consider “cheap” have even risen noticeably in price. Crackers, in particular, have seen a 16.3% price increase. You shouldn’t have to afford a stay at the Ritz-Carlton to afford a pack of Ritz, but here we are.
