Vinegar: Putting Basics to Use in an Economy With Rising Food Costs

It's time to look in the pantry and see what you have on hand that you can use to bring down your grocery bills. If you haven't already noticed smaller packages and higher prices in your local grocery, you will soon.  Fuel costs and a global demand for food are not abating.

In March of this year, the US Department of Labor said that wholesale food prices rose 3.9%, the largest increase since November 1974. Most of the increase was due to a 50% increase in the cost of vegetables, but meat and dairy products also went up.

The Federal Reserve does not count food and gas in its calculations of  "core" inflation because the "temporary" price shocks might skew the overall assessment of an inflation trend. If you think energy costs will not rise in the near future, then you can go on your merry way.  But if you have doubts, there are ways to save on the "non-core" items you buy everyday.

One way to reduce your grocery costs is to imagine how your Mother used to cook and clean when fast foods and cleaning supplies were limited. Apparently, 90% of Americans have a bottle of Heinz Distilled White Vinegar on hand, maybe leftover from their Mother's. Food, medicine, cleaning supply and beauty aid, the uses of this cheap natural ingredient are myriad. Made in the USA from grain and water, the price is still under $2.00 a quart.

Although there is a best used by date on the bottle, this ancient fermentation really never goes bad.  It's already "bad wine" and the loss of "freshness" would apply only to flavored vinegars which might lose theirs if not refrigerated.

The Heinz website provides a tips list that goes from room to room in your house to tell you where to sprinkle their product.  From salad dressing ingredient to hair shiner, this elixir could be the solution to your household finances. To help you even further, I found a 50 cent  coupon on the Heinz website.

Remember, a little vinegar goes a long way.