CHARLOTTE — Across the county, food prices are still going up. In fact, they’re outpacing inflation overall. Products like coffee and beef are showing especially sharp price jumps, but consumer advisor Clark Howard is sharing his best strategies for stretching your food dollars.
According to the Consumer Price Index, prices for all food are predicted to increase 2.7% in 2026.
To keep costs down, Howard recommends buying store brand instead of name brand items, skipping organic eggs, and following the “reverse shopping list” rule. Build your list using the weekly coupons, and shop the deals.
Charis Brown runs ClarkDeals.com. She expects to see big discounts this holiday season.
“84% of people now would prefer to get a better price than stick with the brand, so that’s gonna be really important for retailers, I think, to think about,” Brown said.
Howard says we’ll get a chance to catch our breath on prices in the next few years, but in the meantime, you’ve got to watch every penny.
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