FARGO — Trips to the grocery store and filling the gas tank continue to empty Americans’ wallets.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates an average family of four will spend between $1,200 and $1,400 a month in 2026.
At the same time, the Consumer Price Index shows inflation jumped in March by 0.9% from February and 3.3% from this time last year.
“From now on, we can see some increase of prices because of gas prices,” said Jorge Scarpin, the Offutt School of Business department chair at Concordia.
Scarpin said rising gas prices drive up the costs of transporting food and other goods to grocery store shelves. And gas prices are up because of the war with Iran.
“If it ends soon, the impact will be lower,” Scarpin said.
According to the Consumer Price Index, gas prices spiked by more than 20% in March. And groceries are up almost 2% from this time last year.
“Our world is very connected right now, so something that happens thousands of miles away impacts our grocery prices in the Fargo-Moorhead area,” he said.
So what can people do to save money on groceries?
“Making small, incremental changes over time is going to be what’s going to have significant impact down the road, significant pay off.” said Jan Stankiewicz, a health and nutrition specialist at NDSU Extension.
That meal planning and sticking to your grocery list.
“It’ll help to plan out your trip, kind of get an idea as to where those food items are located in the store,” Stankiewicz said, which means less time walking through aisles of temptation.
And it can cut down on food waste.
She also said people can switch from buying fresh produce to canned or frozen vegetables.
“Canned beans are a really great way to incorporate additional fiber and protein in our diets, and they’re typically inexpensive, and they can really help that meal go further,” Stankiewicz said.
Another recommendation from Stankiewicz is to possibly roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty.
“Growing your own food and planting a garden, whether it be one container on a porch or a full on garden in your backyard, is a really great way to reduce the overall cost of and reduce your overall food budget,” Stankiewicz said.
There has been one silver lining for grocery costs — the price of eggs is back to normal.
A major bird flu outbreak last year sent egg prices soaring, but they are now down by about 45% compared to this time last year, according to the Consumer Price Index.
Kjersti Maday joined WDAY as a reporter in May of 2024. She is a native of Granada, Minnesota and graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2015.
Dining and Cooking