Foods and Finances: How Grocery Shopping Habits Affect Financial and Nutritional Fitness

By: Kristen Jowers, MS & Bethany Daugherty, MS, RDN, LD

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024), the cost of food at home increased 6.1% from 2022 to 2023. A military family's grocery spending will depend on many factors, including where they shop, what they buy, and how many people are being fed. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) develops four food plans that estimate the cost of a healthy diet across various price points. The Thrifty Food Plan is the lowest cost of the four. It represents a nutritious, practical, cost-effective diet prepared at home for a “reference” family, which is defined in law as an adult male and female, ages 20-50, and two children, ages 6-8 and 9-11 (USDA, 2024). The Thrifty Food Plan estimates that one adult male aged 20-50 will spend approximately $309.20 per month, and one child aged 9-11 would cost $234.20 per month. The reference family of four will spend approximately $992.90 per month on food at home (USDA, 2025).

As of February 2025, the USDA Economic Research Service (2025) anticipates all food prices to increase by 3.4% in 2025. This includesfood at home and food away from home. With the cost of most food items on the rise, service providers can look at ways to connect food and finances through both financial and nutrition education with military families. For example, service providers can help clients identify cost-saving strategies that they can implement and how certain grocery shopping habits can help bolster financial and nutritional fitness.

Cost Saving Strategies

Eat Before You Shop

Have you ever gone to the grocery store hungry? Hungry shoppers are more likely to impulse-buy or overspend (Xu et al., 2015). In addition to encouraging shoppers to eat before they shop, service providers can also encourage shoppers to find cost-effective alternatives, including comparing private label and store-brand items.

Comparing Food Options

Shoppers can make informed purchases by comparing food and store options. Some shoppers may have access to more than one store and can benefit from checking sale ads for additional coupons and discounts for frequently purchased items.

Conducting a cost comparison can also be beneficial for comparing different sizes or items across various stores. For example, one grocery store may offer three sizes of canned black beans.

The largest can (64 oz) has the lowest cost per ounce at $0.070 per ounce. The medium-sized can (29 oz) costs slightly more per ounce at $0.072. The smallest can (15 oz) is the most expensive per ounce at $0.083. Buying the largest size offers the best value if it can be used before it spoils. However, the 29 oz can still provide savings over the smallest option. Consider checking these prices each time an item is purchased. Prices can change, and in some cases, the larger products will not be cheaper.

Reducing Food Waste

Reducing food waste can also help families improve their grocery budget. The average American family of four throws away $1,500 in uneaten food each year (USDA, 2025). In addition to the negative budget implications, food is also the single largest category of material sent to municipal solid waste landfills. The USDA recommends four steps to prevent food waste:

1. Plan ahead - Before you go to the grocery store, write out your weekly meal plan and make a shopping list.
2. Serve smart - Don’t put a larger portion on your plate than what you will eat.
3. Love your leftovers - Portion your leftovers to pack in lunches or freeze for later.
4. Compost, don’t trash - Many food scraps can be composted to add to your garden soil.

Grocery Shopping Habits

Understanding cost comparisons like the canned black bean example can help shoppers develop consistent habits, which research suggests may be linked to better financial behaviors. Yang and Lee (2024) illustrate that grocery shopping habits are associated with better bill payment behaviors. For example:

• Shopping on the same day of the week
• Spending about the same amount each month
• Buying similar items across shopping trips
• Regularly taking advantage of deals

This research highlights an important connection between grocery shopping habits and overall financial responsibility. Just as consistent shopping routines and purchasing patterns can reflect diligent financial management, tracking grocery spending may provide insights into broader money habits. Keeping a food diary and spending log for a month can help families recognize patterns in where they shop, what they buy, and how these choices align with their goals. By developing greater awareness, shoppers may find opportunities to make small adjustments that lead to improved budgeting and bill payment practices.

To deepen your expertise in financial and nutritional fitness, OneOp offers valuable professional development learning opportunities and resources. Explore the:

• OneOp Nutrition and Food Security Series
• Economic Readiness and Military Family Well-Being
• Waste Not, Want Not: Reducing Food Waste in Your Communities
• Food Waste Diary
• Helping Military Families Understand the True Cost of Convenience
• Eating Seasonally and Economically with Gardening

REFERENCES

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Consumer expenditures – 2023. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cesan.pdf

Economic Research Service. (2025). Food Price Outlook - Summary Findings. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-...ook/summary-findings

Food and Nutrition Service (2025). USDA Thrifty Food Plan: U.S. Average. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/...lan_January_2025.pdf Accessed March 10, 2025.

Lee, J.Y., Yang, J., & Anderson, E. (2024). Using grocery data for credit decisions. Management Science. https://pubsonline.informs.org...1287/mnsc.2022.02364

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. (2024). Thrifty Food Plan.  Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/thriftyfoodplan.  Accessed March 10, 2025.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Loss & Waste. (2025). Available at: https://www.usda.gov/about-foo...-and-waste/consumers.  Accessed March 10, 2025.

Xu, A. J., Schwarz, N., & Wyer Jr., R.S. (2015). Hunger promotes acquisition of nonfood objects. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.1417712112

Yang, J. & Lee, J.Y. (2024, August 9). No credit score? A grocery list could be the next best thing. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/no...xt-best-thing-234887

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