Have You Ever Cried in a Grocery Store?

I'm not talking about the process, I'm talking about the prices.

I identify with Philippians 4:12.

I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

Throughout the years of my marriage, our means have fluctuated. Provision has always been there. That “going hungry,” never meant an actual empty belly, but it did mean passing on a lot of wants and focused strictly on needs. Have I cried in a grocery store? Yes. There were seasons where my black beans and rice game was strong but passing by those displays of fresh fruit made me remember the things we couldn’t have. But then there were seasons where I was able to look at the mom behind me in line, nervously fingering the cash in her hand as she eyed the handful of items sin her cart, and quietly ask her if she’d mind if I bought her groceries today.

I’ve been in both places. I know what Paul is talking about. I think right now, many of us do. Inflation has taken our grocery budgets on a ride we didn’t ask for, a ride that is asking us to make some hard decisions financially. I did the viral “2020 versus 2024 Online Order Comparison” and yep… same items, almost double. Not only that, a lot of items have gone through “shrinkflation.”

The grocery landscape feels bleak, my friends. But we were made in the image of the Creator of the universe (Genesis 1:27). He made the giraffe, the axolotl, the Fennec fox. Surely we have in us, through Him, the ability to rise to the challenge of feeding the families He gave us in these trying time!

Today I’m going to share a few creative ideas and resources to keep you from crying in the grocery store, and maybe even help you to feel more purpose and excitement about the task in front of you. You can do this. Trust me. God created YOU for a time such as this!

Idea 1— Biblical gleaning. We don’t hear much about gleaning these days, but maybe we should! The Hebrew word for glean is laqat, which means "to collect, gather up, pick up.” It’s featured prominently in the book of Ruth, and described in Leviticus and Deuteronomy where rules are laid out for leaving some of the harvest behind for those in need to come through and collect. Can you still do this today? Absolutely. If you don’t know anyone with a garden that’s going to the weeds in August, then simply hop over to your local farmer’s market. Approach the farmers selling. Ask if they might be willing to call you to come and pick anything they can’t handle. They might ask for a few dollars (because they’re trying to feed their people, too!) but even that’s a deal. You can pay a little and work a little… and get fresh food for your family!

Idea 2— Bulk buy co-ops. The largest, best known examples of these usually charge a fee— and that might be worth it for you. But did you know that there are smaller groups that buy bulk and you can participate? Ask at your local farmer’s co-op store, or search on FB for a local group that focuses on self-sufficiency, homesteading, or frugal living. We use Naturally a Deal. I tend to buy what I can’t grow, produce-wise, for preserving. Right now is a great time to check them out!

Idea 3— Get your family in on the game of stretching meals and trying new foods. I can’t tell you how many people message me asking for #recessionproofmeals, then dismiss every one of them because they don’t have enough meat in them for their husband, or their kids don’t like green vegetables. Eating in season is your best friend when you’re on a tight budget, and those less expensive ingredients may not be familiar to your folks just yet. Find a way to encourage them to buy in!

Idea 4— The number one cookbook you need to have to cut costs is A Cabin Full of Food. No, you’ve likely never heard of it. Yes, a hard copy is pricey. But trust me— when you realize that you need to switch primarily to ingredients to save money, this is the book you want to have on hand. The author lives off-grid, and she breaks down exactly how to use just about anything edible. Her meals are simple, tasty, and filling— and they don’t use fancy ingredients. Also, she makes you WANT to be the person who can whip parsnips into mashed potatoes… not feel like you’re missing out on what the rest of the world has while doing it.

There are a ton of other ways to learn to live within whatever means the Lord has provided you right now. I’d love to hear what you’re doing to embrace creative homemaking in the face of staggering food prices! Together, we can learn how to navigate this season. God’s provision is always ample— and often, His provision is through people. Let’s be that for each other!

In Christ,

Heather