14 Grocery List Staples That Are Getting More Expensive

Russet potatoes

Current average price: $3.07 for a 5-pound bag

Price change (from Q1): up 43 cents

Percent change: 16.3%

Projected change for 2011: 4.5%-5.5%

Savings tip: Make the most of a bargain 20-pound sack of spuds. Mashed, fried, baked or roasted, potatoes are filling and can stretch a meal budget. Store in a dark, cool place to keep fresh longer.

Sirloin tip roast

Current average price: $4.48 per pound

Price change (from Q1): up 52 cents

Percent change: 13.1%

Projected change for 2011: 7%-8%

Savings tip: Minimize your mealtime costs and make your cardiologist happy by going meatless twice a week. A family of four can save $624 annually by becoming part-time vegetarians.

Bacon

Current average price: $4.18 per pound

Price change (from Q1): up 32 cents

Percent change: 8.3%

Projected change for 2011: 6.5%-7.5%

Savings tip: Get a better deal by buying your bacon in bulk from a warehouse club. Put your extra slabs of pork in re-sealable plastic bags and stash them in the freezer. Bacon defrosts rapidly.

Apples

Current average price: $1.56 per pound

Price change (from Q1): up 11 cents

Percent change: 7.6%

Projected change for 2011: 3%-4%

Savings tip: Buy apples by the bagful rather than individually to reap a lower unit cost. Stow your Granny Smiths and Red Deliciouses in the refrigerator to keep them crisp and juicy.

Sliced deli ham

Current average price: $5.26 per pound

Price change (from Q1): Up 35 cents

Percent change: 7.1%

Projected change for 2011: 6.5%-7.5%

Savings tip: Ask your local butcher for the lunchmeat ends that may otherwise go to waste. They’re cheaper than a pound of deli meat and just as tasty in your brownbag lunch.

Ground chuck

Current average price: $3.29 per pound

Price change (from Q1): up 19 cents

Percent change: 6.1%

Projected change for 2011: 7%-8%

Savings tip: Instead of buying ground beef, purchase a chuck roast on sale and grind it yourself. It’ll taste the same -- or perhaps better, considering the money you’ll save -- and allay your mystery-meat fears.

Whole milk

Current average price: $3.62 per gallon

Price change (from Q1): up 16 cents

Percent change: 4.6%

Projected change for 2011: 5%-6%

Savings tip: Reserve your regular milk for your morning bowl of cereal. For recipes that call for it, use the less expensive powdered version instead. Just add water. You won’t taste the difference.

Vegetable oil

Current average price: $3.01 for a 32-ounce bottle

Price change (from Q1): up 13 cents

Percent change: 4.5%

Projected change for 2011: 6%-7%

Savings tip: If you normally use expensive extra virgin olive oil for cooking, opt for a lower grade instead. Scan your supermarket shelves for bottles labeled simply “olive oil.”

Toasted oat cereal

Current average price: $3.17 for a 9-ounce box

Price change (from Q1): up 12 cents

Percent change: 3.9%

Projected change for 2011: 3.5%-4.5%

Savings tip: Try your grocer’s store-label equivalent or buy a generic version of your favorite morning munchies. If you can’t live without name brands, look for coupons in the Sunday newspaper.

Eggs

Current average price: $1.65 per dozen

Price change (from Q1): up 3 cents

Percent change: 1.9%

Projected change for 2011: 4.5%-5.5%

Savings tip: Visit your farmers market near closing time for a better deal on fresh, locally produced eggs. At day’s end, vendors are more likely to slip something extra into your bag.

Orange juice

Current average price: $3.18 for a half-gallon

Price change (from Q1): up 4 cents

Percent change: 1.3%

Projected change for 2011: 3%-4%

Savings tip: Head to the frozen foods aisle for cheaper-per-ounce and just-as-refreshing orange juice concentrate. Add water, stir and enjoy the very same vitamin-C rush.

Bread

Current average price: $1.86 for a 20-ounce loaf

Price change (from Q1): up 2 cents

Percent change: 1.1%

Projected change for 2011: 3.5%-4.5%

Savings tip: Pounce whenever your grocery store or bakery has a two-for-one sale. Eat one loaf immediately -- French toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch and grilled cheese for dinner -- and freeze the other for later.

Bagged salad

Current average price: $2.67 per pound

Price change (from Q1): up 1 cent

Percent change: 0.4%

Projected change for 2011: 3%-4%

Savings tip: Go online to find discounts for popular brands of bagged salad. Check Facebook and Twitter pages for printable coupons, and subscribe to e-mail alerts for special deals.

Flour

Current average price: $2.52 for a 5-pound bag

Price change (from Q1): up 1 cent

Percent change: 0.4%

Projected change for 2011: 3.5%-4.5%

Savings tip: Unless you’re an avid baker, you probably don’t use much flour. If that’s the case, only buy what you need when you need it from a bulk bin. Don’t let your money sit idle in the pantry.

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