How Rising Prices On Groceries Are Changing What People Buy

Have you ever picked up something at the grocery store that used to be an automatic purchase, looked at the price, and thought, “Nope. Not today”?

Our question to you is: Name a small item you buy that has gone up so much in price that you now think twice about buying it?

We got a LOT of answers, and apparently it doesn't take a major purchase to make people stop and rethink their spending.

THOSE PURCHASES SEEM OVER THE TOP

Pop was one of the answers we heard over and over again. Several people mentioned pop, including the price of getting a pop at a restaurant. Coffee also came up. Those might seem like small purchases, but if you are buying them regularly, they can really add up.

Of course, people also had plenty to say about snacks.

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GOODBYE SNACKING?

Chips, candy, chocolate bars, M&Ms, and beef jerky all made the list. One listener said they recently saw a bag of M&Ms for $20 and remembered thinking they were closer to $5. That's quite a jump for something that is supposed to be a little treat.

FROZEN PIZZAS AND MEAT PRODUCTS

Frozen pizza was another answer, along with hamburgers, steak, and meat in general. One person said they are thinking twice about buying meat, while another said rising meat and gas prices have changed how they spend their time and money.

WHAT'S MORE THAN 'A LITTLE' EXPENSIVE?

And then there are the things you never really expect to be expensive.

Heavy whipping cream was one answer. Batteries came up several times, with one person saying, “Batteries are outrageous.”

Another listener said basically everything has gotten expensive, but there are still things we need to buy. Someone else summed up their new shopping philosophy pretty well: “No more wants, I focus on needs only.”

That one probably hits home for a lot of people.

But these people weren't just complaining about higher prices. Some also shared ways they are trying to save money.

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SAVING TIPS FROM OTHERS - ARE COUPONS MAKING A COMEBACK?

One individual pointed out that people who are buying pop should keep an eye on Dollar General ads. They said there are often promotions where you can get multiple items for the price of fewer items, and sometimes those deals can be combined with a $5-off-$25 Saturday promotion.

Maybe you wait for a sale. Maybe you buy the store brand. Maybe you compare prices between stores. Maybe you stock up when something you regularly buy finally goes on sale.

The interesting thing about our question is that most people weren't talking about expensive electronics, vacations, or big purchases. They were talking about the little things.

A can or bottle of pop...A bag of chips...A candy bar...A package of batteries...A frozen pizza...even a cup of coffee!

MY SHOPPING CART HAS A BUDGET

Those are the things that used to go into the shopping cart without much thought. Now, more and more people are looking at the price tag and asking themselves if they really need it. I know I have a set budget. If my budget is $150 and my cart ads up to $215, there are items that are going back.

And maybe that's the biggest change of all. It's not necessarily that people have stopped buying these things completely. They're just paying a lot more attention before they do.

So now we're curious about you.

What's that little item you used to buy without thinking that now makes you stop and say, “Whoa...how much?” Judging by the answers we have received so far, apparently we're all looking at the shopping cart a little differently these days.