ATLANTA — The cost of groceries is changing the way Americans handle their finances.
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According to a KeyBank survey, nearly 60% of people say groceries are their top financial concern.
So Channel 2 Action News and Family 2 Family decided it was time to help.
Over the last few weeks, Channel 2 has introduced viewers to some pretty amazing people while giving away free groceries to unsuspecting shoppers.
But one shopper was especially excited to meet Channel 2’s Fred Blankenship: Gloria.
“Fred Blankenship!” Gloria said with a laugh. “I watch Channel 2 News every day!”
To say Gloria was surprised to see us is an understatement.
When Fred offered to buy her groceries, Gloria shared that she has been teaching kindergarten for 25 years.
After her husband passed away four years ago, it’s been her and her adult son living at home.
“It’s been hard, but you’ve got to go on,” Gloria said. “But I make all my meals and bring my lunches to work.”
Channel 2 Consumer Adviser Clark Howard says this is a difficult time for many households trying to cover their expenses.
“Yeah, this is really a push-comes-to-shove time for so many households that there’s just not enough money for everything you need in a month,” Howard said.
Howard recommends looking for deals to stretch every dollar.
“So chicken right now is much, much cheaper than beef. If you can build recipes around chicken rather than [beef], you’re going to reduce your food costs enormously,” Howard said.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, grocery costs are expected to increase by 3% this year. That means a monthly food budget of $1,000 could cost about $360 more per year.
For Gloria, Channel 2 Action News was able to take some of that pressure off, covering $273.78 in groceries.
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