An extra trip to the grocery store to stock up on common staples may be worth the time and money. That’s because some staples, made outside the U.S., could be going up in price in the coming months.
And since pantry items typically have a longer shelf life, they could be worth buying now.
The savings site The Krazy Coupon Lady helped identify nine smart grocery buys to help consumers tariff-proof their pantries.
“I'm looking at those labels and seeing where it's sourced from these days,” said senior editor Kristin McGrath. “Everything from coffee to sugar to vanilla to olive oil.”
While you can’t stock up on fresh bananas or avocados, a great deal of items can be bought and stored safely.
“All the items we looked at were things that you can keep for a year or more if it's sealed and kept in a cool, dry place,” McGrath said.
One example is chocolate chips, according to The Krazy Coupon Lady experts. Since the U.S. imports cacao beans from the Ivory Coast and Ecuador, chocolate chips for baking are expected to become more expensive.
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“It's going to depend on the milk content, but if you're buying darker chocolate, that can keep for up to two years,” McGrath explained.
WATCH AS THE KRAZY COUPON LADY SHOWS GROCERY STAPLES TO BUY NOW:
Here is the full list of The Krazy Coupon Lady’s recommended buys:
- Canned pineapple
- Canned tuna
- Canned vegetables
- Jasmine rice
- Chocolate chips
- Coffee
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Extra virgin olive oil
You may have noticed canned foods on the list more than once.
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“With tariffs on aluminum, some of the packaging costs might also be inflating the cost of some of these items as well,” McGrath said.
Smart buying, not panic buying
McGrath tells us her team isn’t tracking huge markups on individual items just yet. For example, canned tuna prices are up about 3 cents per ounce.
However, when you add up the price of everything in your cart, you will see a difference.
McGrath said there is no reason to panic buy. Instead, she recommends consumers think about the pantry staples they don’t want to be without.
“Know that smart stock up price so that when they see it, maybe they buy two of them and store them safely for a couple years,” she said.
That way your pantry is slightly less vulnerable to tariffs, so you don’t waste your money.
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