It’s time again for the Grocery Benchmark Report.
Actually I continue to be amazed by the relative stability of prices. I hate it when the data doesn’t match my hypothesis š However I do have some thoughts on why.
1. I am using ALDI for my source. It is quite possible that ALDI is purposely trying to keep their prices level due to their brand image and customer base (ie the very economically minded consumer)
2. I am using staple items, not anything that is premade. As my kids sometimes say, it’s ingredients, not completed food. It is possible that those types of items are slower to show price increases than commercially prepared food and more luxury items.
Either way, I think that continuing to track these prices long term will be very interesting. The things I have noticed this month: Although sugar, flour and eggs have gone down in price since last month, they are still up overall for the year. Ground beef continues to slowly creep up. Cheese, butter and egg prices seem to fluctuate-I wonder if there is some sort of seasonal reason?
April Grocery Benchmark
| Item | First recorded price AUG 2011 | Jan-12 | Mar-12 | Apr-12 | Change since Aug-2011 | Change YTD | Change since last |
Sugar (5lb) |
2.69 | 2.39 | 2.85 | 2.75 | 0.06 | 0.36 | -0.10 |
Flour (white, 5 lb) |
1.69 | 0.89 | 1.75 | 1.59 | -0.10 | 0.70 | -0.16 |
Milk (2%, Gallon) |
2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Cheddar Cheese (1 lb) |
3.49 | 3.49 | 2.99 | 2.99 | -0.50 | -0.50 | 0.00 |
Mozarella Cheese (1 lb) |
2.99 | 3.49 | 2.99 | 2.99 | 0.00 | -0.50 | 0.00 |
Eggs (lrg, 1doz) |
1.25 | 1.39 | 1.25 | 1.09 | -0.16 | -0.30 | -0.16 |
Butter (1 lb) |
2.39 | 2.29 | 1.89 | 2.29 | -0.10 | 0.00 | 0.40 |
Tuna (chunk light, 5 oz) |
0.55 | 0.59 | 0.59 | 0.59 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Canned Corn (15.25 oz) |
0.39 | 0.49 | 0.49 | 0.49 | 0.10 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Lettuce |
1.29 | 1.39 | 1.29 | 1.29 | 0.00 | -0.10 | 0.00 |
Potatoes (per lb) |
0.29 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.37 | 0.08 | 0.02 | 0.02 |
Gr Beef (80/20 per lb) |
2.79 | 2.59 | 2.69 | 2.89 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.20 |
Chicken (BS Breast, per lb) |
2.49 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | -0.49 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Chicken (Whole, per lb) |
0.79 | 0.85 | 0.85 | 0.85 | 0.06 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Pinto Beans (per lb) |
0.99 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Bread (white sandwich) |
0.75 | 0.89 | 0.89 | 0.89 | 0.14 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
So how does this “benchmark report” work?
Each month I record prices on a set basket of “staple” grocery items. I price all items at my local ALDI store to keep things simple.
The columns show the price when I first started recording (Aug 11), the price at the beginning of this year (Jan 12), the prices last month and the prices this month.
These price columns are followed by a “Change since Aug 11” “Change, Year to Date” column and a “Change since last month” column.
Note: If a price is shown in green, it’s gotten cheaper. If it’s in red, it’s more expensive.
Remember-prices can vary wildly by region. My desire here is to help us all notice and take action on price TRENDS so we can make decisions about how best to manage our budget for our own households.
Wondering why I’m so concerned about rising food costs? Because the the price of food at home is projected to rise by 4 to 5 percent this year, and another 2 to 3 percent next year, according to the US Agriculture Department.
Thanks to Malloreigh for the photo that I found on Flickr to create the graphic from.
I find this totally fascinating – thanks for pulling it together and keeping track for the rest of us! And for the record? Aldi’s is the bomb!
I think that the longer I do this the more interesting the data will be too!