With food costs on the rise there are a few more things to think about as a consumer. First and foremost, food waste. Anything that ends up in the trash adds to your increased food cost. While it may not seem like this is a culprit of your rising food cost, it’s always been there so tackle what you do have in your control first. Revamping leftovers or storing them in the freezer are the first things to come to mind. Our next favorite tip is to intentionally plan a night of just leftovers as a “clean out the fridge” night. It gives the whole family the opportunity to reheat their favorite meal of the week and decrease food waste. Second, while the prices in the aisles are indeed higher, not everything is. If you’re not already practicing these next few tips, try implementing one this week:

1. Use store brand items (ours are: Signature, O Organics, Open Nature, Lucerne)
2. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time while also check the ads, and additional digital deals on the app to save yourself for both splurge purchasing and saving more
3. Use your rewards and make sure you gain them by typing in your phone number

With those tips in mind, here are some of our favorite items we grab when we’re pinching pennies:

1. Dry Beans
2. Canned Fish, packed in water
3. Whole Wheat Pasta
4. Frozen Vegetables & Fruits
5. Canned Vegetables & Fruits
6. Eggs
7. Nut Butter
8. Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
9. Bulk Section Nuts/granolas/sweet treats
10. Individual portion sized items

A lot of the items on the list are so versatile. For example, nut butters can be drizzled over your yogurt bowl for breakfast, used on your sandwich at lunch, and be used in a vinaigrette on your dinner salad. Another trick when you’re watching your pennies is to look at the price per ounce and not just the overall price of the product. While this isn’t all of our tips and tricks, we’ve got a lot planned throughout the year to make sure you’re receiving the biggest bang for your buck.