8 easy grocery swaps that could save you HUNDREDS of dollars a year: Ditch Chicken for beef

Households finally got some respite from sweltering inflation this week after it appeared that food prices had begun to fall.

Figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that food costs increased by 8.5 percent in the year to March 2023, compared to a previous high of 9 percent in September.

But don’t let the positive headlines fool you: Inflation is still well above the Fed’s 2% target — and many products remain eye-wateringly expensive.

The good news is that consumers can easily barter to save hundreds of dollars on their annual grocery bill.

For example, the costs of frozen vegetables have risen by 20.1 percent, eggs by 36 percent and flour by 17.5 percent. Still, fresh fruit is cheaper than a year ago, with a drop of 1.5 percent, while the price of bacon fell by 5.5 percent.

Here Dailymail.com explains the best articles to beat the rising prices…

Swap poultry for beef

Government data shows that the average cost of chicken and poultry rose 7.5 percent in the year to March.

Still, the price of red meat is falling. The price of beef and veal fell by 1.9 percent in March.

Surprisingly, the price of steak fell by 0.7 percent, while uncooked beef fell by 4.4 percent.

Separately, the cost of bacon ‘and related products’ is also down 5.5%.

While it doesn’t mean red meat is necessarily cheaper than supermarket chicken, it does mean it can be better value for money.

Swap butter for margarine

It’s an age-old debate: should you eat butter or margarine? It may be a close call, but the latest numbers suggest butter is a better bet.

Both spreads have fallen victim to inflation, with margarine makers blaming the Russian invasion of Ukraine for disrupting production of key ingredients, including vegetable oils.

Meanwhile, dairy farmers have significantly thinned their herds during the pandemic and are now struggling to keep up with demand.

The price of butter was 8.7 percent higher in March than twelve months previously. Margarine, however, shot up a much more painful 33.4 percent.

Swap frozen vegetables for fresh ones

Used to buying frozen vegetables to save costs? Maybe now is the time to stop.

The cost of frozen vegetables rose 20.1 percent in the year to March, while fresh vegetables rose a measly 1.4 percent.

Even canned vegetables were up 9.3 percent.

The vegetables least affected were lettuce – which only rose 1.2 percent amid rising inflation – and tomatoes, which rose 0.3 percent.

However, it is worth noting that fresh vegetables have a much shorter shelf life.

Swap canned fruit for fresh

Fruit and vegetable products have maintained lower prices, despite inflation wreaking havoc on all other supermarket shelves.

The cost of fresh fruit decreased by 1.5 percent compared to last year, but that of canned fruit increased by 11.6 percent.

The difference is partly caused by the way canned fruit is packaged and produced compared to fresh produce.

Drink beer in bars – and wine at home

Alcohol has long been considered recession-proof, and shoppers still expect it to indulge no matter how tough economic conditions are.

But as prices rise, households may be tempted to change their drink of choice.

The cost of wine consumed in bars and restaurants has increased by 6.9 percent over the past year, while beer has increased by a slightly more modest 5.5 percent.

But indoors, wine seems to be the cheaper bet.

Store-bought wine increased 2.7 percent, while beer increased 6.1 percent.

Swap white bread for alternatives

White bread was one of the products hardest hit by high inflation.

In the year to March 2023, costs shot up 16.5 percent. In comparison: ‘bread other than white’ rose by 13.8 percent.

The cost of bread was negatively impacted by the rising price of flour, which shot up by 17.5 percent.

Flour is particularly vulnerable to price increases, as almost a third of the global supply comes from Russia and Ukraine.

Keep whole milk and avoid alternatives

The cost of a pint of milk has long been considered the hallmark of how well the economy is doing.

Milk as a whole rose by 5.5 percent last year. However, whole milk fared slightly better than leaner alternatives.

The cost of whole milk rose 4.3 percent, government data shows.

Relatively low-fat milk shot up 6.5 percent.