Rising Grocery Prices Strain Family Budgets

Over the past month meat, dairy products and even fresh fruits increased in price at grocery stores.  And while it may only be a few cents, it could make a big difference in family budgets.

When you have a large family, grocery shopping is rarely a quick trip or even cheap. The Polcher family knows this all too well and sees a big increase especially during the summer.

"When it's the summer time and everyone is out of school the grocery bill sky rockets. It's best if I don't bring help with me grocery shopping because that will add another $80 easily each trip," shopper Joey Polcher said.

But with grocery prices rising across the country, this can put an even bigger strain on your pocketbook; it's one that many shoppers are already seeing.

"It is, especially like hamburger because we use that so much for hot dishes and everything else. I mean just buying a pound of hamburger is almost $4 for the good stuff," Polcher said.

Some are now finding that planning and reusing really do come in handy.

"And leftovers are a big thing in our house. The kids never really used to like them.  But now we add a little extra something to it to change it up the next day and they are good with it," Polcher said.

And Polcher's family isn't the only one seeing the increase. 

"I buy for a week's worth. Because we live an hour outside of Sioux Falls, when I come I buy as much fresh stuff as I can keep, that will keep for a week," shopper Lauren Biegler said.

While it may be just a few cents here and there, at the end of the day it can really add up.

"We buy a bunch of apples and bananas. And yeah, you are right a couple of cents doesn't seem like a big deal but when you buy enough of them," Biegler said.

Polcher feels that in the long run her family will be able to cope with the added expense.  But she also has concerns for those less fortunate.

"I just think about people who can't really afford grocery items or things for their children, so we are one of the fortunate ones," Polcher said.

Many shoppers we talked with say the best way to deal with the price increase is to pre-plan meals and make sure you waste as little as possible.