SALT LAKE CITY — As Americans prepare for Independence Day celebrations, there's good news for those shopping for holiday cookouts - grocery prices have stabilized over the past few months.
Popular Fourth of July items like burgers, corn on the cob and watermelon haven't seen major price increases, making holiday meal planning more predictable for consumers. "People who shop at the grocery store and plan their meals ahead of time, there are a lot of ways to stretch your budget right now given the stability of those grocery prices," said Kimberly Palmer, finance expert with Nerd Wallet.
Palmer recommends shopping the perimeter of grocery stores to find better deals. "Once you get into the interior of the grocery store aisles, the prices actually go up a lot. The perimeter of the grocery store you have produce and your meats, and you can shop across those categories in a way that helps you save," Palmer said.
For additional savings, Palmer suggests using digital couponing apps rather than traditional paper coupons. One app she specifically recommends is Flipp. "Put in your zip code and then it pulls in all of the grocery stores in your zip code, and you can actually shop across categories and see, 'Oh, the items I want to buy actually cost less at this store,'" Palmer said.
With grocery stores competing for Fourth of July spending, using price comparison tools like Flipp could help consumers find the best deals on holiday essentials while supporting smarter savings goals.
