Food recipe blog, Inspired Taste just surveyed over 1,000 Americans to explore how they are coping with grocery inflation.
So, they compared grocery store prices across 50 U.S. cities to determine how much Americans should budget to afford only the essentials.
Here’s what the survey found.
Nearly one in four Americans have used savings to pay for groceries this year.
Three in four Americans are concerned about the cost of food for their holiday celebrations this year.
The most expensive cities to feed a family of four on only essential grocery items per month are Honolulu, HI ($1,510.89); Boston, MA ($1,280.39); and New York City, NY ($1,277.53).
The most expensive cities to host holiday festivities this year are Honolulu, HI; Los Angeles, CA; and Anchorage, AK.
On average, Americans will pay $40.64 for a 15-pound turkey to feed 10, or an average of $2.71 per lb.
Cutting Costs This Holiday Season
Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) hosting Christmas this year say they are concerned about the cost of their holiday celebrations this year. Being on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t comfortably celebrate the holidays with friends and family. Our survey shows that Americans are getting creative to cut costs this holiday season. A popular choice is to go potluck-style, with everyone bringing their favorite dish (37%). Others plan to buy a smaller turkey (30%) or offer fewer dessert options (27%).
Millennials are leading the way with some unique cost-cutting strategies. They’re much more likely than other generations to limit the alcohol at their Holiday festivities. They’re actually 45% more likely than Gen X to do so. Meanwhile, Gen Z isn’t willing to part with their sweet treats – only 14% of them plan to serve fewer dessert options.
Even though we’re all feeling the squeeze from inflation, it’s interesting that women are 11% more likely than men to worry about the cost of food for their celebrations. And Millennials are 12% more likely than Baby boomers to stress about food costs for their holiday gatherings.
Top Ways to Fight Grocery Prices
This year, 50% of shoppers have clipped coupons to cut down on rising costs, while others are cutting non-essentials entirely.
Since 2020, grocery costs have skyrocketed by over 25%. Naturally, folks are tightening their wallets. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for saving money, our survey data shows some pretty savvy strategies. The top three ways consumers are cutting costs are couponing (50%), limiting brand name buys (49%), and cutting back on snacks (47%). Baby boomers were most likely to stop splurging on name brands at 55%, while Gen Z is most likely to combat grocery inflation by buying in bulk (49%), boosting Costco to #3 on the list of budget-friendly stores. Walmart holds the #1 spot, with Aldi right behind at #2.
Half of Americans say they’ve clipped coupons to combat rising prices. But if hunting for coupons isn’t your thing, then maybe you’re a part of the 10% of Americans growing their food at home. Families of four were 21% more likely to swipe a credit card for purchases and were 19% more likely to travel further to cheaper stores than those living alone. And let’s be honest, who wants to spend hours in the kitchen after driving further for groceries? That’s where our easy and quick recipes come in handy.
