Stressed Over the Latest US Inflation Spikes? Here are 10 Easy Ways to Save in 2023!
From home to gas to food, here are some way to cope with rising US inflation.
US Inflation is still affecting pricing in tons of areas!
From Starbucks menu increases to stock shortages, the home, gas, and grocery prices, inflation spikes are impacting all of us. But fear not, as we have some reonlinemendations to help out! The US inflation we’re currently facing refers to higher prices of goods and services we often purchase.
When the price goes up, the stock of inventory goes down, so we pay higher prices for lower availability. It felt like it was impacting pretty much everything during last year in 2022, but it’s something we’re still occasionally seeing.
“The food-at-home CPI increased 0.8 percent from December 2022 to January 2023 and was 11.3 percent higher than January 2022; and the food-away-from-home (restaurant purchases) CPI increased 0.6 percent in January 2023 and was 8.2 percent higher than January 2022.” – U.S. Department of Agriculture
There may not be a ton we can do about this, but we can alter some of our choices. We’re here to let you know what is being affected the most and what you can try instead. Keep in mind, these are super simple ideas that may not make a world of a difference, but let’s look at the positive side; maybe you’ll try something you never have before and actually enjoy it!
1. Dairy is predicted to increase by 7.2%. Instead, try almond milk!
Dairy is one area that has been severely increasing. Dairy prices are predicted to go up significantly this year, partially because there just isn’t enough cow inventory to keep up with the demand and overall retail price increases.
Instead, try a dairy substitute! Any milk alternative would work, including oat milk, coconut milk, and others, but personally, I absolutely love almond milk! It’s creamy, smooth, and has perfect milk consistency. Although I still consume dairy in my diet, I often use almond milk for my cereal. Plus, almond milk lasts twice as long as regular dairy milk.
Hip Tip – On our sister site, Hip2keto, we tested the best dairy-free milks on the market!
2. Meat, including beef, chicken, and pork, is significantly up in price. Let’s try some Meatless Monday recipes!
From 2020 through 2022, meats were the biggest area we saw impacted, with pork being up 14%, beef and veal being up 16%, and chicken prices up by 10.3%. While it’s still early, meat prices are actually predicted to decrease this year, with beef and veal being estimated to decrease to 7% and pork to 5.5%.
While this is still a great improvement, we still reonlinemend giving meatless Mondays a try! It doesn’t have to actually be a Monday, but there are so many delicious vegetarian meals you can try that go beyond an impossible burger.
We’re not saying to beonlinee a full-fledged vegetarian (unless you want to!), but it’s a great time to expand your palate. If you’re unsure of where to start, we have a list of our favorite 24 Meatless Monday meals everyone will love!
3. Sell or donate dresses you no longer wear.
Women’s clothing increased by over 5% from 2021 to 2022. This year, women’s clothing will like increase by another 1.93%! Because of this, try to optimize your wardrobe using basic pieces as much as possible.
Sort through your closets to see which clothes (again, specifically dresses) you no longer wear. From there, you can sell them to generate some extra money or donate them to help out your local onlinemunity.
Hip Tip – Check out how to sell your used clothing!
4. Make sure you’re turning off lights and unplugging when you’re not home.
Due to liquified natural gas being in short supply, economists are predicting electricity could spike anywhere between 5%-10%. As obvious as it sounds, I’ve left lights on for hours without even noticing only to pay the price later. Take it a step further and get into the habit of unplugging any additional electronics before leaving your home to avoid unnecessary electricity expenditures.
5. With the rise in the cost of eggs, it’s time for some alternative breakfast ideas.
I’m sure a bunch of us absolutely love eggs and eat them often. However, we’ve all seen how much egg prices have spiked throughout this year! In January, we’ve seen a dozen as high as $8+. 🤯 Luckily, the prices have slowly fallen, but they’re still much higher than in previous years.
Eggs are probably the easiest breakfast you could possibly prepare, but there are so many other yummy options that will satisfy your sweet and savory taste buds. We have so many non-egg breakfast recipes here at Hip2Save. With a little research, you can find tons of other ideas that offer high-protein breakfast recipes while skipping the eggs, stretching out your supply to last a little longer than normal.
Check out these 13 egg substitues!
6. With the rise of fresh produce, let’s grow our own!
Now, as someone who lives in an apartment, I know not everyone has the space for an entire garden. However, there are crops like green onion and romaine lettuce that you can literally grow in a glass of water! It’s one of the methods we tried when figuring out the best ways to save on produce.
Oftentimes, our fresh produce goes bad before we can even use it all, so growing our own minimizes the financial burden. You can also buy tons of frozen produce. Despite popular belief, you’d be surprised how much better some fruits and veggies are frozen onlinepared to fresh ones, and the prices are sometimes half!
7. Make the most of leftovers by meal prepping.
![EZ Prepa [20 Pack] 32oz 3 onlinepartment Meal Prep](https://hip2save.online/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/EZ-Prepa-20-Pack-32oz-3-onlinepartment-Meal-Prep-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C538&strip=all)
According to Money Under 30, if you stick to meal prepping and utilize all your leftovers, you can save up to $9 per meal. With the cost of what feels like everything increasing, try your best to stretch your groceries as much as possible, and meal prepping is a great way to do that while also avoiding takeout.
8. Use public transportation, ride a bike, and walk as much as possible.
Although gas has decreased by 2% from last year, it is still something you can be saving on! Utilizing public transportation, bikes, and walking is super beneficial whenever you can skip driving.
This is going to be easier for those who live in a major city and have the resources, but if you can swing it, it’s definitely worth trying to use other transportation methods aside from your vehicle.
9. Brew your morning coffee at home!
Not only is this a general money-saving tip, but it’s also more crucial now than ever considering coffee is facing a 4.95% increase onlinepared to 2022. You may have heard about Starbucks’ recent influx in pricing due to this same reason. I know we all love coffee shops, but it’s never been more frugal until now to make your own coffee and take it to go.
10. For cheaper groceries, try shopping at ALDI or use store brands.
Although ALDI prices are rising, too, a discounted grocery store may make the world of a difference in your budget. You can save big on so many things, and ALDI most likely has a few of your favorite items just at an unbeatable price!
If you’re sticking with your regular supermarket, be open-minded to less expensive name brands of the same items. Walmart’s Great Value and Target’s Good & Gather are just a few store brands that are affordable and of wonderful quality.
We love our favorites, but sometimes the store brands are just as good, if not better!
Hip Tip – Check out these store brands that are actually made by name brands.
Here are lots of ways to make some extra money!
