MSC News

MSC News National Headlines Sports Top Headlines CBS US News CBS Technology

Printer Friendly

Email to a Friend

Impulse Buys Can Hurt A Food Budget

By Joel Hardy

04/28/2014

(KAIR)--According to the latest statistics from the United States Bureau of Labor, the average cost of food staples such as fish, poultry, and eggs, has steadily increased over the past year, and the price of beef has skyrocketed.

K-State Research and Extension Nutritionist Mary Meck Higgins predicts that with increasing global demand for these items, it does not appear as if prices will be dropping in the near future. She says that consumers can cut their food costs by using a shopping list to reduce impulse buying. The gives the example of the average shopper who may spend forty percent on impulse purchases without a list. If they spend $50 a week, that would be about $20 in impulse buys, which adds up to about $1,000 a year.

Higgins says that another way you can reduce your food cost is by switching from name brand to generic on most, or all of the items you buy regularly. Generic brands usually cost less than a name brand, even when a coupon is used. She adds that if you really prefer a name brand product, then the best thing you can do is to look for coupons to help reduce it's cost.

For more tips on nutrition and how to best manage food costs, you can visit your local county or district extension office, or visit the extension website: ksre.ksu.edu.

You will need to be logged in to leave a comment.

Please Login

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited.

Click here to review our Terms of Use.