How to Fight Surging Grocery Prices

One day or Day One, you decide. Here are some ideas and info to help you along…

You Should Know

• Some good news - deflation (falling prices) is happening for many physical goods, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. From Jan. 2023 to Jan. 2024, prices fell for major household appliances (-7.3%), girls’ apparel (-9%), video and audio products (-5.8%), toys (-4.2%), and college textbooks (-5.7%).

• Renting a multiple bedroom home is cheaper than owning one in 90% of the U.S., according to a new study by ATTOM, a leading curator of real estate data.

• 98 days! That’s how many days are between Presidents' Day (Feb. 19) and the next federal holiday, Memorial Day (May 27). It’s the longest gap on the calendar without a federal holiday. Ugh.

Use These Powerful Tools to Fight Grocery Inflation

You know it. We all know it. Inflation in the grocery aisles has been cruel and frustrating. Grocery prices have skyrocketed by 25% over the past four years, outpacing overall inflation of 19% during the same period. We could tell you to buy less and use coupons, but that the savings are marginal and unfulfilling.

We recommend you use these game changing apps/websites to get massive savings on food:

• Flashfood - This app helps you score staggeringly good deals on groceries nearing their expiry date. There are abundant deals on food staples – raw steak and chicken, fresh fruits and veggies, cereals, etc. Partnering with various grocery stores, Flashfood allows you to browse discounted items, purchase them directly through the app, and pick them up at your local store.

• Martie - This site sells overstock shelf-stable groceries and household items. Martie works with hundreds of famous brands to buy their surplus inventory and resell it to you. Through their online store, you can buy items for up to 70% off and Martie will package it all up and send it your way.

• Misfit Markets - This service specializes in "imperfect" produce, offering fruits and vegetables that may have cosmetic blemishes but are perfectly safe to eat and equally nutritious. You can save up to 40% compared to conventional grocery stores. Misfit Markets is a weekly subscription service. You’ll build your weekly order from 500+ different grocery items, and your box of misfit food arrives at your doorstep on your selected delivery day.

• Too Good to Go - This app is like Flashfood, but it focuses on restaurants and you can’t select exactly what you want. The app offers "surprise bags" filled with food that the restaurant couldn’t sell (and will otherwise throw out at the end of the day). No surprise - pizzas and bakeries are the most available vendors in this app, since bread products will go stale overnight. Users simply select a nearby restaurant, purchase a surprise bag, and collect it during designated pickup times.

• Basket - The more you know, the more you save. This app leverages the power of crowdsourcing – users contribute real-time price info on products at various stores in your area. You can create a grocery list and see where you can find the best prices for each item, saving you money by strategically choosing stores for different products.

Need to Boost Your Income?

Check out these opportunities:

• Data Annotation Tech will pay you to interact with an AI chatbot or perform writing/editing tasks to help improve AI technology. Pay starts at $20/hour for writing and general AI training projects. You need to complete a one hour Starter Assessment, and strong English skills are required. You choose when to work, how much to work, and which projects you’d like to work on. Work is available 24/7/365.

• AmusementAdvantage (AA) hires mystery shoppers to evaluate theme parks, theaters, water parks, family entertainment centers, bowling centers, zoos, aquariums, museums, science centers, and more. As a mystery shopper you will visit the establishment and compile a report about your experience. You must supply samples of your writing before being approved to mystery shop. Right now AA is especially hiring people to watch movies in theaters.

• Nielsen, the TV ratings and digital measurement company, needs people to join their Computer & Mobile Panel. Just download their app or computer software and use your devices like normal. Nielsen will pay you $60 in rewards points annually to measure your web activity.

• Dscout allows you to participate in market research projects and share your experiences through photos, videos, and short answers. These "missions" can pay anywhere from $25 to $150. Payment is through PayPal.

Carry a Credit Card Balance? Small Banks Will Charge You a Lot Less Interest

It’s confirmed. Big banks charge their credit card customers higher interest rates than what small banks and credit union charge. Big banks dominate the credit card industry, and the average credit card interest rate for all accountholders in the U.S. is more than 20%.

In a recent study, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) found that the difference between interest rates charged by large banks (Chase, American Express, Citi, Capital One, Bank of America, etc.) and the rates charged by small banks could be as high as 8 to 10 percentage points. This translates into annual savings of $400 to $500 for a person with a $5,000 balance.

The CFPB reports that half of the largest credit card issuers offered cards with a maximum purchase APR over 30%! In contrast, federal credit unions have a statutory interest rate cap currently set at 18%.

Granted, large lenders often offer attractive rewards programs, so if you’re smart about earning rewards, cards issued by big banks may be worth it.

Of course, the best strategy to avoid high interest rates is to not carry a credit card balance from month to month, because you won’t be charged any interest at all. If you must carry a large balance, you might want to consider credit cards issued by regional banks and credit unions. Here’s a nice list of credit cards from small issuers (your eligibility may vary from card to card).

Freecycle Is Awesome

Freecycle is a website where users can find completely free items and give away stuff they no longer need. You can find free furniture, clothing, electronics, household items, cleaning products, sports water bottles, hangers, etc. Virtually anything can be offered or donated on Freecycle.

There is no catch. Freecycle is a nonprofit endeavor and membership is free.

Freecycle’s mission is to reduce waste and promote sustainable living. There are now over 11 million members from over 5,000 towns who participate in Freecycle.

Joining is easy. You just sign up for your local group and browse listings for items others are offering or post your own unwanted items. Everything posted must be free, legal and appropriate for all ages. You can also set up your own, smaller personal Friends Circle for gifting and lending of items with just your friends.

The Best Times to Enjoy the Lowest Ticket Prices at Disney, Universal, and Major Theme Parks

You should put down your coffee before we tell you this. Mousehacking, a site devoted to Disney travel, estimates a “baseline” trip for a family of four at Disney World (five days of park visits, accommodation, food, etc.) costs over $6,000.

There’s a whole industry that has popped up dedicated to saving money at Disney and other amusement parks, and you probably need a full weekend to study most money saving options.

However, the most effective way to save money is simply to visit theme parks during the off-peak/low season. Major theme parks now have congestion pricing – more crowds mean higher ticket prices. What are the exact best days for the lowest ticket prices? Here’s our recommendation:

• January 8 - February 13: Why? Most children are back in school after the winter/holiday break and parks are pretty barren until Presidents' Day weekend.

• May 1-22: It’s warmer than the winter but the crowds are still thin, at least until Memorial Day weekend.

• August 14-31: Yes, it’s the summer season and crowds are larger because of family vacations, but these are the dog days of summer – hot and sweaty. This period is the least busy time at amusement parks during the summer. If you must go during the summer, this is the best time to go.

• September 4-30: Most kids have gone back to school, which means the adults can more freely wander around the parks.

• October 1-15: Kids are still in school, so it’s a great time to go, but avoid the weekends before Halloween because of higher ticket prices due to Halloween related festivities.

• November 1-21: Take advantage of the “calm before the holiday crowd storm,” which typically starts a week before Thanksgiving week.

Within these off-peak seasons, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are typically the cheapest days to visit an amusement park.