Thirty-six percent of Americans are very concerned that current drought will lead to higher food prices, and 94% are at least somewhat concerned: CouponCabin survey

Cindy Allen

WHITING, Indiana , August 1, 2012 (press release) – With the recent U.S. Agriculture Department forecast that food prices will rise throughout the next year due to widespread drought, many Americans report they are concerned about the upcoming high costs. A new CouponCabin.com survey reveals that more than one-third (36 percent) of U.S. adults are very concerned that the drought will lead to higher food prices. Overall, 94 percent are at least somewhat concerned about the issue. This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin from July 20th – July 24th, 2012, among 2,208 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.

As the summer heat drags on with little relief and a dearth of rain, U.S. adults report they are keeping an eye on the developments. Nearly nine-in-ten (86 percent) said they are aware of the recent drought issues, with 43 percent of those saying they have been following the news regarding the drought.

With food prices set to rise, U.S. adults plan to employ a variety of strategies to save cash. When asked which of the following tactics, if any, U.S. adults plan to use to save money if food prices start to rise at the grocery store, they said the following:

Use coupons – 70 percent
Buy store brand and/or generic items instead of brand-name items – 60 percent
Buy less expensive food items (e.g. more canned goods, fewer fresh items) – 48 percent
Shop at a discount grocery store – 45 percent
Buy in bulk because unit prices are generally lower – 41 percent
Freeze large amounts of food – 33 percent
Other – 9 percent
None – 8 percent

"Shoppers are being proactive and already thinking about how they will combat rising food prices in the months to come," said Jackie Warrick, President and Chief Savings Officer at CouponCabin.com. "Sometimes, consumers get really creative in coming up with new ways to save money on food, including setting up community gardens and gatherings to swap tips and tricks."

When asked what was the most creative thing they've ever done to save money on food costs, a random sampling of U.S. adults reported the following:

Added fillers such as rice and noodles to leftovers of food that were inexpensive to cook in the first place.
Bought in bulk and then split costs with neighbors.
Bought small plates at a dollar store to cut down on portions.
Bought a lot when products were on sale due to scratches, dents or dings.
Held a coupon swapping party with friends.
Ate a more vegetarian-oriented diet.
Ate everything I had at home before going to the grocery store.
Froze fruit for winter when it's cheap over the summer.
Went to the farmers' market instead of the grocery store.
Ground our own flour and sunflower oil.
Shopped at day old bread stores.
I was a member of a community garden that has our own plots to grow things in as well as larger crops that are shared among the group.
Ate more one-pot dinners like soups, stews and pastas.
Ground my own hamburger using cuts of beef that cost less than store-bought ground beef.
Used a vacuum sealer and freeze items.

Survey Methodology:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin from July 20th – July 24th, 2012, among 2,208 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore, no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact: Allison Nawoj, anawoj@couponcabin.com.

About CouponCabin.com
CouponCabin.com is a leading online destination for coupons including online coupon codes, printables, grocery coupons and more. Shoppers have saved nearly $350 million since 2003 and with the largest selection of coupons guaranteed to work, CouponCabin is the best place to start searching for savings. The average user saves $19 in just 80 seconds on the site. With customized email newsletters, browser savings alerts, new coupon alerts and more, shoppers will never miss out on a great deal with CouponCabin. For more information, please visit http://www.CouponCabin.com.

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