Is Your 2025 New Year’s Resolution to Cut Your Grocery Shopping Bill?


Is Your 2025 New Year’s Resolution to Cut Your Grocery Shopping Bill?

Here are Some Tips for Big Savings Even as Food Inflation Continues

By Melody Winston

You barely survived the holidays -Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

The grocery bills for the festive family and community parties nearly doubled. Even the cost of purchasing popular products to bake the traditional cakes, pies, cookies, candies, and other goodies you presented to friends, neighbors, teachers, and faith-based leaders was higher, costing more than some appropriate gifts.

A dozen large eggs ring up for $7.99 at the check-out counter. A five-pound bag of pure cane granulated sugar is $4.89. Four sticks of butter will cost you $7.99. You also spend $4.99 for a gallon of milk, $7.99 for a 48-ounce bottle of vegetable oil, $4.99 for a five-pound bag of unbleached purpose flour, and $5.39 for a 12-ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

You can do better with your supermarket budget, so your New Year’s resolution for 2025 is to cut your grocery bill even though food inflation is projected to rise nearly 2 percent this year. This means that for every $ 100 you spent on groceries last year, you might have to spend an additional $ 2 this year, which can add up significantly over time.

And you can. But first, let us explore why some key grocery items continue to rise, some at a record pace, when prices are dropping at the gas pump and for used cars.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the cost of most food items increased in 2024. We all experienced price shock when we placed eggs in our shopping carts. Grade A eggs continue to rise as farmers address a strain of the H5N1 bird flu. Egg production was down 4 percent in November. With the limited supply and the high demand, especially during the holidays, the cost of eggs rose 54.6 percent in November, a 94.4 percent height from the previous year.

The supply and demand also impacted the cost of beef and veal, which increased by 5.5 percent. Poultry increased by 4.4 percent, nearly 10 percent higher than in 2023. Fruits rose 21.8 percent, 11 percent higher than in 2023, and vegetables rose 35.2 percent, 34.3 percent higher than in 2023.

But some items were not as painful on our pocketbooks. The prices for dairy products, including milk, were down. There were discounts on bakery items and cereal, which dropped 0.3 percent and 1.3 percent in November. Seafood costs were also down 1.9 percent.

Experts predict food inflation will fluctuate in 2025. Foods for home meals can decrease at times to -3.7 percent but rise to a high of 5.8 percent. The prices will increase from 1.8 percent to 5.3 percent for those who prefer to dine at restaurants.

To cut your supermarket bill, you must become a price-conscious shopper. No longer can you be spontaneous, swayed by enticing commercials, drawn only to popular brands, or committed to big-name retailers and supermarket chains. Some of your best deals can be found at your independent retailers vested in your community. For those retailers dedicated to customer service and building a loyal consumer base, significant savings can be achieved. By getting to know your store and meat directors, who are there to meet your needs and provide you with the freshest and highest quality products at the best prices, you can make a significant impact on your grocery bill.

Here are some savings tips to help you achieve your New Year’s resolution.

1. Reduce dining-in or takeout orders at restaurants, where food prices will be 3.5 percent higher; instead, prepare more home-cooked meals."

2. Plan your food selection before visiting the grocery store. This simple step can help you avoid impulse buys and stick to your budget, making your shopping experience more efficient and cost-effective.

3. Use loyalty points, coupons, food-saving apps, and other discount savings

4. Exhibit flexibility with your shopping list by adjusting your meals based on store sales

5. Purchase highly rated generic buys

6. Buy non-perishable items in bulk. This can often lead to significant savings, especially when items are on sale or you have coupons, making your grocery budget stretch further.

7. Select frozen and canned vegetables and fruit instead of fresh produce

8. Buy fruits and vegetables when they are in season for better savings

9. Avoid food waste

10. Visit independent and community supermarkets instead of the highly advertised big-box brands. Independents offer many exclusive deals, and when coupled with other shopping tips, the savings can go a long way toward reducing the cost of your family’s favorite meals and festive occasions

11. Meet your store and meat director to find the best days to make key purchases, especially seafood and meat

12. Use credit and debit cards that offer cash rewards for grocery shopping, but pay your bill off on time to maximize the savings

Some New Year resolutions are hard to achieve. But you got this! With a simple strategy and dedication, you don't have to be defeated when saving on your grocery bill in 2025.

Melody Winston is the senior executive of Living Fresh Market, the nation’s largest full-scale grocery store owned by an African American, located in the Chicago metropolitan area


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