Grocery Games: Can You Outsmart the Supermarket?

After several years of persistently elevated inflation, manyshoppersstillfeeldefeatedwhentheycheckout at the grocery store. Over the 12 months that ended August2026,pricesforfoodathomeroseamodest 2.2%,measuredbytheconsumerpriceindex(CPI).

Unfortunately,thepricesofsometypesoffoodhave risen much more than others.1

Foodpricesarepronetovolatility,inpartbecausethe cropsgrowntofeedpeopleandlivestockare vulnerabletopests,extremeweather,anddisease. Oneprominentexampleisthepriceofgroundbeef, whichspiked7.2%overthe12monthsendedAugust 2026,andnearly29%overthepreviousthreeyears, with little relief in sight.2 Despite record prices, consumerdemandforbeefremainedstrongin2026, whiletheU.S.cattleherdshrunktoa75-yearlowdue to drought and soaring feed, transportation, and processing costs.3

Settingabudgetforgroceriescanhelpcontrolyour spending,butunpredictablepricehikescanmakeit difficult to stay on track. Here are a few shopping strategiesthatcouldhelpstretchyourfoodbudget.

1.    Sign up for loyalty programs,thenmakestores compete for your business.

Manyofthespecialsfoundinweeklyadsrequire membershipinthestore'sclubprogram.Soevenifit feels like overkill, it may be worthwhile to download membershipapps,checkforthemostvaluable promotions,andaccessdigitalcouponsor "personalized" deals before you make a list and decide where to shop.

Ifyou'reconcernedaboutyourdatabeingtracked and/orsold,youmaybeabletoturnofftrackingby store apps by adjusting the privacy and security settings in your smartphone.

2.    Stockupwhenthepriceis right.

Grocerystoresoftenrotateadvertisedspecialsfor beef,chicken,andpork,soyoumaywanttoplan mealsaroundsale-pricedcutsandbuyextratofreeze for later. In fact, freezing can be used to extend the shelflifeofmanyotherfoods(suchasbreadorfruit) thatmightotherwisegobadbeforetheycanbeeaten.

Buy extra nonperishable foods, such as rice, pasta, dried beans, canned goods, and frozen fruits and vegetables when they are on sale. You might also save money if you buy essentials in bulk at a membership store that requires an annual fee, but only if you can resist the temptation to overspend on unnecessary items and excess food that ends up going to waste.

3.    Choosemoreaffordable private-label products.

Withoutthehighcostsofresearchanddevelopment, marketing,andadvertisingassociatedwithname brands,storebrandscanoffersavingsforconsumers andhigherprofitmarginsforretailers.Forthisreason, mostlargegrocerychainssellatleasttwolevelsof storebrands—abasicvaluebrandandapremium line—andsomealsohavedistinctive"organic"or "natural" product lines. A few grocery retailers stock their shelves almost entirely with their own private labels.

One study found that consumers can save 25% to 30% on their grocery bills by purchasing private-label productsinsteadofnamebrands.4 Anotherbonusfor shoppers:Morecompetitionfromprivatelabelsputs pressureonnationalbrandstokeeptheirregular priceslowand/ortorunsalespromotions.

As of March 2026, private-label products accounted for about24%offoodandbeveragesalesintheUnited States.5 Mostconsumersarewillingtomakesome sacrificestosavemoney,butnowthereseemstobea more positive perception of the value and quality offered by private labels than there used to be in the past.Inone2026survey,about85%ofconsumers saidthequalityisgenerallyasgoodasorbetterthan thenationalbrands.6