Outsmart Inflation

Drink wine! And other important steps toward beating rising prices.

Big news this week: the cost of living is higher. (No duh.) Since last year prices rose by 3.9 percent – that’s inflation for you. But the truth is that prices for all things are rising by the same amount. In fact, some delicious delicacies are actually cheaper. (That’s right.) It all means you can skirt around the expensive stuff and — with exquisite grace — still enhance your standard of living. Here’s how….


	Cut Carbs and Fat Just as buttered bread expands your waistline it shrinks your wallet. Wheat bread slices are 11 percent more expensive than they were last year and bread rolls are priced 8.7 percent higher. On top of that – pun totally intended – margarine prices are up by 19.6 percent and butter prices are 9.2 percent fatter. Leave these items out of your shopping cart and stretch your supermarket money further.


	Save Gas Fuel costs are vandalizing your disposable income. You can’t quit carpool – if you’re not in a carpool join one – but two simple steps can cut your fuel expenses by 30 percent. First, take the golf clubs or anything heavy out of the trunk. Extra weight means your engine has to work harder, using more fuel. Also new rule No. 2: no drive-though windows. When your car is idle, it’s getting zero miles to the gallon. While you’re at it, don’t wait for someone to run into the store. Parking pays, big time.


	Drink Wine Like we have to tell you twice. But the sobering truth is that – thanks to a blossoming number of new vineyards – the price for drinking wine at home has dropped by 1.6 percent from last year. Whiskey prices – despite our love for the goldest of liquids – have actually risen by 1.2 percent and beer prices are 1.3 percent higher. Plus as long as you’re drinking at home you won’t drive – please don’t – saving you money on gas. Talk about a two-for-one.


	Buy Frozen Vegetables Sure, sometimes an in-season fresh variety will be cheaper. But overall fresh veggies are 6.5 percent more expensive while those stocked in the grocer’s freezer have risen in price by just 3.8 percent. Frozen vegetables aren’t just a better value, they’re also usually more nutritious. That’s because they’re picked and immediately preserved in ice. Fresh vegetables loose a lot of their vitamins on the long trip from the farm.


	Put on an Extra Sweater Another culprit in the high cost of living is heating your home in winter. Fuel oil, for one, is up 33.4 percent from last year. Rather than cranking up the thermometer to tropical temps, keep it low — layering on sweaters during the day and extra blankets at night. Also make sure there isn’t a draft destroying all your heater’s hard work. Find out by standing in the middle of room – naked and dripping wet from the shower if necessary – and feel for cold breezes. Then, plug up leaks with insulation or other quick fixes from the hardware store. It will make you happier to open your heating bill.