If you’ve shopped for groceries recently, you’ve probably noticed your receipt totals climbing. In a post-COVID economy recovering from the global pandemic, shortages and price surges have become an unwelcome new normal.
With inflation expected to play a significant role in 2022, you need to be an even wiser shopper. Check out these three grocery items that will surge in price and discover the best ways to prepare and maybe find a less expensive alternative.
3 Grocery Items Expected to Surge in Price in 2022
Rising food costs that started in 2021 are expected to continue into the new year.
Soaring food prices can make it hard to stick to a budget. Workers and transportation are hard to find, and there is a lot of demand. These problems in the supply chain cause delays and higher prices for customers.
Due to higher production costs, many companies raise essential item prices, which is reflected on grocery store shelves.
Everything from milk, coffee, General Mills cereal, packaged breakfast meals, and frozen poultry to Heinz Kraft products and pet food now comes at a premium.
If you regularly buy beef or chicken, fresh vegetables, condiments, or popular cereals such as Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, or Trix, experts anticipate prices to rise by mid-January.
Watch out for these three staple items that are expected to surge in price and take steps to help your grocery dollars stretch further.
1. Meat
It’s not just fancy packaged meats such as bacon and sausages that are expected to skyrocket.
With the economic crunch, we’ll likely continue to experience a general rise in meat prices.
While steaks already came with a hefty price tag, with even Costco’s Rastelli Market 18-pack of steaks weighing in at almost $750, regular beef and veal prices have soared this past year. In addition, chicken and beef have gone up 9% since 2020.
The National Chicken Council’s President, Mike Brown, said in a December 2021 press release that even this price rise isn’t enough to keep up with inflation.
According to CNBC, all meat prices are up 21.1% from pre-pandemic prices because of rising prices and problems with the beef, chicken, seafood, and pork industries.
To make matters worse, consumer demand for meat and poultry products has reached an all-time high. So, as farmers and industries work to keep store essentials stocked, it’s a good idea to prepare for long-term shortages or raised prices.
Pro-Tip
- Shop the sales.
- Buy in bulk when possible and freeze the extra meat.
- Try the store brand.
2. Eggs
Here’s another grocery basic that’s important whether you’re shopping on a single salary or trying to make a food budget fit an entire family.
From breakfast staples to baking essentials, eggs are one of those things that are hard to leave off a grocery list.
With cartons of eggs currently at an 11.6% cost increase from a year ago, there are ways that you can prepare for coming price surges by substituting products whenever possible.
For instance, expect a significant difference in organic egg prices compared to non-organic options.
This is because organic food companies such as Pete and Gerry’s feed their hens high-quality organic feed and ingredients. However, since animal food prices have also risen, industries must adjust their consumer prices to cover their operation costs.
With organic egg ingredients at an all-time high, expect to see the price of eggs, mainly premium brands, rise and fall during the upcoming months.
Pro-Tip
- Instead of buying name-brand, opt for store-brand.
- White eggs are often less expensive than brown eggs.
If you typically buy name-brand, organic, brown, or free-range eggs, trying the store brand and ditching organic options can save you a few dollars.
3. Vegetables
It’s essential to stay healthy, and access to fresh vegetables plays a big role in remaining well.
As you might imagine, fresh vegetables are one of those essential grocery items that experts say will go up in price this January.
Keep in mind that this may not apply to all vegetables. Certain vegetables will see a price hike:
- Potatoes.
- Celery.
- Squash.
- Broccoli.
- Cabbages.
- Cauliflower.
This is partly because it costs more to move heavier vegetables than lighter ones.
Pro-Tip
Maybe try a service that offers vegetables for reduced prices because they are “ugly” or not aesthetically acceptable for the store.
