7 Ways To Save On the One Grocery Item Hit Hardest By Inflation
Written by
Jordan Rosenfeld
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Americans don’t need reports to know that, despite our efforts to manage our money well, inflation has been high; they feel it every time they go shopping. Nonetheless, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer price index has painted a very stark picture that inflation has driven up the cost of essential goods and services to record highs over the last couple of years.
While some products have stopped rising in price — even come down — and inflation has leveled off from its worst peak, one category of product saw a staggering increase of 27.2% year-over-year from February 2023 to February 2024. That would be your juices and beverages.
For families that go through a lot of juices and beverages, this price increase can push groceries into an unsustainable range or force them to quit drinking some of their favorites. Read on to find out how you can save on your favorite beverages.
Buy a Limited Selection at Costco
GOBankingRates spoke to Consumer Analyst Julie Ramhold with DealNews.com to find out some of the best ways to shop for your favorite liquids in order to save the most money.
If you have a membership, the beverage deals at Costco tend to be very strong, Ramhold said.
“They offer some of the best prices on things like soda and sparkling water, but the unit price on some items like juice can also be much better than what you’ll see at traditional grocery stores,” she said.
The biggest downside is that the selection is going to be limited, so you may not find what you’re looking for if it’s outside of some of the mainstream selections. However, if you’re saving money, you might not feel quite as choosy.
Take Advantage of Unique Items at Sam’s Club
Similar to Costco, Sam’s Club has some of the best unit prices on beverages you can find and as an added bonus, you may be able to find more limited-time items too, Ramhold said.
“For instance, Victor Allen’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch iced coffee, Waterloo sparkling water in a summer variety pack and GoodPop mini cans.”
Don’t Rule Out Target
If you need a regular big-box store to shop at for beverages, Target can have decent prices, especially if you lean into their Good & Gather brand, Ramhold said.
“You can also stock up on sodas but it’s best to wait for them to be on sale in a buy more and save type of promotion.”
Get Your Soda at Walmart
Walmart can offer pretty strong deals on name-brand sodas in smaller amounts, such as a 6-pack of 16.9 oz bottles of Dr. Pepper for just under $4, Ramhold said, but she warned that “not everything will be that good.” If you need to purchase more, she recommended a warehouse club as your best bet.
Don’t Forget About Dollar Stores
Though Dollar Tree and Dollar General stores don’t always have a reliable inventory of the same kinds of beverages from week to week, they do tend to keep plenty of a variety on hand and may be a great place to shop in between other grocery store trips.
Utilize Grocery Apps
If you don’t want to make a trip to the store only to find out your favorite beverages are too pricey, consider using a grocery price comparison app, like Flipp or Grocery AI, to help you comparison shop in advance.
Cut Out Sugary Drinks
Alternatively, let the high price of beverages be a motivation to cut out any sugary drinks from your diet altogether. The more expensive of said drinks include things like flavored milk, bottled sports drinks, bottled water, pre-packaged smoothies and the kinds of teas and coffees you purchase away from home.
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