Life Talk

Reading NPR and BBC together: a short checklist for the weekly shop

The GONOM post on grocery prices put two explainers side by side, and I think together they make a decent practical checklist. Nothing new, but it's handy written down.

1. Know which of your items are 'jumpy'. NPR's examples, like eggs and ground beef, can move because of what's happening to that product alone. Have a substitute in mind.

2. Count the trip, not just the till. The BBC said September's UK inflation rise was driven mainly by petrol and diesel. If you drive to shop, fewer and better-planned trips matter.

3. Don't panic-buy on a headline. A single-product spike often settles, and stockpiling perishables just moves the waste to your bin.

4. Look at the unit price. Ireland's shelf labels show it, most places do. Use it.

Happy to hear what others would add.