Rising food prices got you down? Here’s what you can do …

Here are six tips that you can use to counteract the rising cost of food:

Mix it up.
Find a few ways to incorporate store-brand items while making your regular name-brand item purchases at your local grocery store.

Take advantage.
Do not neglect to clip those coupons or take advantage of weekly in-store grocery specials; tossing away the local grocery store flier is equivalent to throwing dollar bills into the trash.

Shop around.
We all have our favorite grocery store, where the cashiers and baggers know your name. I know I do. But there could be a better deal for that gallon of milk just down the road at a discount retailer or wholesaler. So, make a list of general food staples that can be purchased at low-priced retailers and make an effort to shop bi-monthly for those items.

Co-op anyone?
You may or may not have heard of a food co-op before, but they are all around us. In general, a co-op is a group of individuals or organizations that join together for each person’s or group’s shared benefit. According to http://www.sustainabletable.org/:

“They are created to benefit everyone and are, in fact, a business. The only owners are the members of the co-op. They do not work to make a profit. Any extra money is shared among the member/owners.”

A food cooperative consists of customer-owned businesses that supply grocery items of the top quality and best value to their members.

Do an Internet search for a local food co-op in your area and see if it fits your lifestyle.

Go to a farmers market.
Growing up in the Northeast, I had the opportunity during the summer and fall months to go with my mom to the local farmers market on the weekend. In addition to the fresh air, early morning sunshine, the bustle of vendor activity and the people watching, I remember seeing an array of hearty fruits, vegetables, poultry and seafood ready to be purchased. These food items were from local farms and other venues and could be bought by the bushel, basket or pound. And if memory serves me correct, the prices were very good too.

With spring in the air and summer just around the corner … make plans to take your family to an area farmers market for a day of good fun and hopefully good prices!

Brown bag it.
If you have any leftovers after a dinner, maybe a couple of times per week, pack them away and eat them for lunch the next day. Every little bit counts.