Ways to cut grocery costs to offset potential increases from tariffs

HOUSTON - Economists expect consumers to see rising prices in the grocery aisles first from the tariff war.  One food industry analyst says 40,000 products could be affected.  

Fresh fruits and veggies are expected to rise 2.2%, sugar and coffee by 1.3%, while meat and seafood are expected to rise as well.

So we rounded up ways to cut your costs to help offset the potential increase.

How to save on groceries

What you can do:

First, plan meals to use up ingredients already in your pantry, fridge, and freezer.

Next, make a shopping list of what else you'll need.  AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or CoPilot can help create menus using the same ingredients so that you can buy less food.  

Then, enter that shopping list into an app such as Flipp or Basket, which will find the stores near you with the lowest prices on those items.  Plus they'll show you what's on sale, and coupons you can use at the store.

The secret to saving is being open to change, like buying lower-cost cuts of meat, buying the store's generic brand, and switching to a discount grocery store, such as Aldi, Trader Joe's, Walmart, or Joe V's Smart Shop and changing the day you shop.  Most stores put items on sale on Wednesdays.

Meat and seafood prices are expected to rise from tariffs.  So look for large family packs that can give you a week's worth of meat for less and freeze what you don't use.

Be sure to download your store's app, which can show you deals and digital coupons.  Some, such as Kroger's, also offer ways to save on gas. 

Other money-saving apps include Ibotta and Checkout51, which offer cash back on your purchases and other ways to save.

By the numbers:

Experts say sticking to a shopping list, avoiding impulse buys, and using money saving apps could save you up to 40%, potentially offsetting expected price increases from tariffs.