Supermarket expert: How to save when shopping despite rising prices

Created: 05/11/2022, 16:46

By: Corinna Maier

Food prices go up and up.

Many are therefore increasingly relying on special offers.

It is not said whether they are really cheaper.

Even large packs are often not a bargain.

©Oliver Berg/dpa

Grocery prices in supermarkets have gone up across the board.

Nutrition expert Andrea Danitschek explains how the household budget can now be relieved.

Munich - Everyone notices it when shopping: groceries have become significantly more expensive almost across the range.

On the one hand, the war in Ukraine has disrupted supply chains.

As a result, many agricultural products – such as grain or sunflower oil – are becoming scarce and more expensive.

On the other hand, the war and associated sanctions are making energy costs more expensive across the board, which is also having an impact on product prices.

We talked to Andrea Danitschek, nutrition expert at the Bavarian Consumer Advice Center, about how to relieve the household budget when shopping.

Everything gets more expensive.

Have you ever calculated how much that costs an average household?

There is a calculation by Pricewaterhouse Cooper.

Accordingly, an average household is burdened by the price increases of 242 euros per month.

That's almost 3000 euros a year - and the study is from February.

One can confidently assume that the burden has increased significantly since then.

Especially since the price jumps in energy costs only came afterwards.

Let's stick to the food.

What is currently cheap?

What to buy

Usually things that are in season are the cheapest.

But pricing in retail is complex and not always easy to understand.

Long-term effects of the Corona crisis are having an impact, such as bad harvests for certain types of fruit and vegetables.

But in general you should stick to the seasonal goods.

Much of what is in stock is still cheap at the moment, i.e. parsnips, carrots, apples or pumpkins.

Potatoes - actually a very inexpensive food - were relatively expensive up to now because the harvest in autumn was not that special.

But now the early varieties are coming onto the market, and then you can access them again.

Leaf lettuce, which is now gradually coming from local cultivation, will soon be on the market - and then comparatively cheap.

Tomatoes, on the other hand, are still quite expensive.

You have to wait until summer for cheaper prices.

It's too early for strawberries too.

Nutrition expert Danitschek: Especially with fresh produce - be careful with special offers

Buying seasonally used to be easier because not everything was available at all times.

Many people no longer even know which vegetables are in season.

Can you give them any advice?

Simply search the Internet for a seasonal calendar.

You can see when cauliflower, rhubarb or asparagus are harvested.

You can get inspiration from this for your menu.

When you take advantage of special offers, can you do something wrong?

Especially with fresh produce, you have to realistically consider how much of it you can use or process.

If too much purchased goes bad, the savings effect is quickly gone.

In addition, of course, it doesn't make much sense to drive to several supermarkets because of small price differences - especially not with the high fuel costs at the moment.

In addition, it is not said at all whether a special offer is really cheaper than the product from another manufacturer.

Also, a larger pack is not automatically cheaper than a small one.

How do I know?

The basic price, which must be stated on all packaged food, helps here.

So the price per 100 grams or per liter.

This makes the goods comparable in price.

For example, there are no uniform packaging sizes for muesli, one is a 500 gram bag, the other 750 grams. You can't calculate that quickly, and the basic price helps enormously.

Saving despite rising food prices: Expert advises on cooking and shopping plans

What about the quality?

When it comes to products that are not organic, I often find it difficult to justify a preference for branded products.

If you compare the ingredient list, there is often no difference to the supermarket's own brand, and thus little reason to pay more for the brand.

For example, I bought oatmeal this morning.

The branded product costs almost exactly twice as much as the no-name goods.

I couldn't see any difference in quality based on the information on the packaging – there aren't any different ingredients in pure oatmeal.

If you can't rely on special offers, how can you save?

I'd rather invest the time in making a plan.

A cooking and shopping plan for the whole week is best.

Then you go – not under time pressure and not on an empty stomach – once a week to do the bulk shopping and then buy fresh produce once or twice more.

The more often and unplanned you go shopping, the more money you spend on superfluous things.

Should you write a shopping list?

Yes, very old fashioned.

Or on your smartphone, it doesn't matter.

It's important to see what else I have in the fridge or pantry and what else I need to make something out of.

You take into account what will soon go bad and what will last longer.

And write a shopping list accordingly.

You just have to invest in time what you want to save in money.

Food more and more expensive: Price increases expected, especially for processed products

Many are overwhelmed when they suddenly have to conjure up something from leftovers or pick up seasonal vegetables.

Nobody has to start with preserving and waking up.

If you don't have much experience in the kitchen, just go for it.

The easiest way to preserve fresh food is to freeze it.

Almost everyone has a freezer compartment in the fridge or a chest freezer.

By the way, you can also preserve bread very well in this way.

Simply freeze slices and then bake in the toaster or oven again.

This also counteracts food waste.

I agree.

This also includes knowing that a best-before date should not be confused with an expiry date.

This is especially true for dairy products.

For example, a yoghurt that you find in its original packaging in the back corner of the fridge and whose sell-by date has expired three weeks ago.

If it smells and tastes normal, then it's still good.

What do I do if I can't cook?

It has never been so easy to start cooking.

Today I don't even have to buy a cookbook anymore, I can watch how dishes are made on YouTube.

Or you can ask mum, she might be happy about it.

It is clear that heavily processed products in particular will probably become even more expensive in the future because the raw materials, animal feed and fertilizers, will increase in price.

Learning to cook definitely pays off.

You can often save even if you only prepare things yourself.

For the money a sandwich from the store costs, I can usually get a whole loaf of bread, a packet of cheese and a salad on top.

Nutrition expert explains: You should pay particular attention to this in the supermarket

What do I have to pay attention to when shopping in the supermarket?

First on the placement of the goods.

Expensive branded products are mainly found at eye level.

There is also the so-called buck goods, which are mostly the much cheaper own brands of the big chains, which are placed on the lower shelves.

In addition, it often pays off if I have a regular supermarket that I know well.

Because full-line suppliers often have goods sorted in different places.

For example, there is a nut shelf with the popular high-gloss snacks.

And there is a baking shelf where sometimes the same walnuts are a lot cheaper.

What should you save on and where not?

There is no point in skimping on fruit and veg.

It contains the vitamins that we urgently need.

You can't just leave them out.

When it comes to animal foods, on the other hand, you can certainly save.

Most people eat too much meat and sausage anyway.

It is also good from a nutritional point of view if we eat less of it.

In addition, saving is particularly worthwhile because the products are expensive and will probably become significantly more expensive in the medium term.

You can also see that prices are going up for some dairy products, such as cream and butter.

Can I shop with a clear conscience even with little money?

I understand anyone who doesn't have enough to buy fair trade or organic.

Depending on the product, there is sometimes not that much difference in price, with organic carrots, for example, it is only a few cents.

In the case of conventional goods, the costs are not billed at the checkout, but are incurred as environmental costs.

That also has to be considered.

But if you really don't have the money for organic, buying seasonal and regional is a good alternative and the second-best solution.

Rising prices in the supermarket: an incentive to cook for yourself

When groceries become more expensive, it may well be that we value them more again.

Yes absolutely.

At least I hope so.

In the course of the sustainability debate, the focus has increasingly shifted to the fact that we cannot throw away so much.

If you now feel this even more in your wallet, that can be an incentive to pay more attention to it.

Can you see anything positive about the growing need to save?

It's not that easy to involuntarily give up something.

Food that you are used to and like also gives you a feeling of security.

Psychologically, this should not be underestimated.

Of course, anyone who has been flirting with a change in diet for a long time can take the opportunity.

So eat less meat and less dairy products, instead more legumes - these are very high quality protein suppliers - and they are still comparatively cheap.

Even those who have always wanted to cook more themselves now have another incentive to start doing so.

It might even be fun.

Interview: Corinna Maier