I don’t know about you, but I’ve found myself asking the question, “when will food prices go down” lately. I mean, prices can’t keep going up forever, can they? We will talk about that in today’s post, along with some ways that you can prepare for inflation on groceries, because let’s be honest, it’s getting bad out there. The negative effects of inflation are evident
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WILL GROCERY PRICES GO DOWN?
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Let’s start with the first point. When WILL food prices go down? Well, here’s the bottom line, none of us really know. At least, not us everyday people. The higher ups, well, maybe they know, but they aren’t telling us.
There’s been talk about food prices going down in 2023, but there’s also been talk about 2023 also being a tough year food price-wise.
Personally, for myself, I’m expecting the next few years to be HARD when it comes to groceries and gas prices. I don’t see relief any time soon.
And while that’s not great news, and I wish I could be more optimistic about when we will see food prices go down, I’m also confident in my abilities to make a dollar stretch.
You see, I’ve learned to live on a shoestring budget ever since I was a young 20 year old who was newly married. There were the years we barely made enough money to make ends meet. The years we decided my husband would go back to school while we had young kids. The years the bills seemed to be more than the income. The years everything broke at the same time, like our vehicles, our septic system, and our well.
So, needless to say, there’s been time we’ve eaten a lot of pasta and potatoes. But I am thankful for those times. It made me so grateful for what we did have. And you know what? My kids never realized money was tight. They were fed, clothed, and enjoying the small things in life.
Basically, I’m gonna say that I think you should be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best.
We’ve recently heard that prices are going to go up again before the end of the year. So let’s talk about what you should buy before prices go up any more than they already are. It’s a good idea to buy things before you actually need them if you are able, especially with so much unpredictability in this world right now.
WHAT TO BUY BEFORE HYPERINFLATION HITS
Toilet Paper
Laundry Soap
Shampoo
Toothpaste
Ibuprofen
Aceteminophen
Diapers
Flour
Rice
Peanut butter
Pasta sauce
Pasta
Yeast
Cooking oils
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Oats
Basically, if it’s shelf stable, you can buy some of these items and stock up on them. Things like flour, rice, and other grains can be stored in food grade buckets like this one. I love these screw top lids for the buckets that last a lifetime and make it easier getting into them. They aren’t cheap, but you should never have to replace them (unless you lose them in a move like I have.)
You can also use glass jars store some of your food. I buy massive jars of pickles and use the jar after the pickles are gone! I like to put baking soda and baking powder and other things in glass jars for long-term storage.
As for perishables, you can stock up a little bit on some things with the right stuff. If you have a freezer you can buy cheese on sale, grate it up, and toss it in the freezer for months. Make sure you grate it though as it doesn’t freeze properly if you don’t. I don’t know about you but in neck of the woods full price cheese is often 3 or 4 dollars more than when it is on sale.
Some people freeze milk too, but others hate the taste of milk that was frozen. However, milk is one of those things that is going up in price drastically. Basically, all dairy is.
When you see a good deal on meat try to stock up your freezer.
WHY YOU NEED A CANNER TO HELP WITH HYPERINFLATION
If you don’t have a canner, I suggest getting one. A water bath canner like this one is great, but a pressure canner is an even better option. The reason for that is because there are things you can’t can in a water bath canner that you can do in a pressure canner. A pressure canner allows you to can vegetables, and even meat or beans.
You don’t need a farm or to even grow your own food to benefit from a pressure canner. If there’s an amazing deal on carrots at the grocery store you can buy a bunch of them and can the ones that you won’t eat before they go bad. If you buy a whole chicken and want to make broth from the bones you are able to can the broth.
You can also buy a bag of dried beans, cook the whole thing up at once, and then can the leftovers so you can easily grab a jar of beans when you need it for chili or rice or whatever else.
While a pressure canner isn’t cheap, it’s worth it. Also, make sure you get a pressure CANNER and not a COOKER. Those are two different things. Check this one out.
A dehydrator is another great tool to save money on inflation in the long run. During apple season you can buy apples at a reduced price and dehydrate them for snacks. You can also dehydrate herbs, and make your own teas from what you dehydrate.
STOCKPILING SAVES MONEY
Basically, the best way to reduce the pain inflation is to stock up when you can. If even that seems impossible, each time you go to the grocery store, if you can spare even an extra 10 dollars to stock up a bit on one item, that will help.
This will also allow you to avoid buying certain items at full price. When you see it on sale, that will be your reminder to stock up at the lower price.
BEANS AREN’T AS BAD AS YOU THINK
Consider cutting back on meat and adding beans to things. Look, I get it – beans get a bad rap. And honestly, I don’t love all kinds of beans. (Don’t you dare try to get me to eat a lima bean. It AIN’T happening.)
However, legumes can be delicious in certain meals and can stretch the budget. Add beans to chili. Make a dish of beans, rice, salsa, and top it with cheese and sour cream. Make hummus from chickpeas.
If you don’t think your kids will eat beans because they aren’t used to it, start slow. I recommend trying black beans in a dish. Those are the beans my kids are more likely to eat. Roasted chickpeas with spices are a good snack that kids are more likely to consume willingly as well.
MAKE LEFTOVER NIGHT A THING AGAIN
One of my biggest struggles over the years has been food waste in my fridge. I don’t know why, but no one seems to eat the leftovers. I’ve since attempted to do a weekly leftover night where we pull it all out from the fridge. It’s often a mismatch of a bunch of different things.
I tell the family it’s too expensive to waste food anymore, and we are trying hard to reduce that.
When I see apples near the end of their life I try to find a use for them. When leftover meat has sat in the fridge for days with no one touching it I make a casserole or a soup. And when something is in the fridge that I just don’t know what to do with, that’s when I start googling ideas instead of tossing it.
PREPARE FOR INFLATION TO REDUCE THE PAIN IN YOUR WALLET
So, are food prices going down? We don’t really know but it’s safe to say NOT FOR AWHILE. There is no denying the effects of inflation on families. It’s hard.
READ MORE ABOUT SAVING MONEY ON FOOD AND STOCKPILING
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