Shoppers at Windmill Farms on Del Cerro Boulevard were getting some last-minute shopping done ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday. With prices on some grocery items on the rise, there are still quite a few items where you can get more bang for your buck.
"Grocery prices are astronomical," said Yolanda Beltran, a shopper getting ready for her friend's Super Bowl party.
Data from the Wells Fargo Agri-food Institute showed prices on vegetables like celery, broccoli and cauliflower are all down compared with last year. Celery saw the largest decrease in price, down 4% from 2024.
Prices on items like chicken wings, avocados and cherry tomatoes, however, have all seen a jump as high as nearly 12%.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
"Honestly, I used to not pay too much attention to which store we were going to, but now I've downloaded the apps for all of the different stores so they'll tell you which store is having a sale on certain things, so just being more mindful," Beltran said.
A typical Super Bowl party will cost about $139 for 10 people, according to Wells Fargo. That's an increase of 10 cents compared with last year, or 0.1%.
Beltran said she's also taking into consideration the possibility of tariffs on Canada and Mexico in the coming weeks after the Trump administration announced a 30-day pause on Feb. 3, several hours before they were set to go into effect.
Local
"Luckily we have a steady income, and we're budget conscious, but you do have to plan very well for making sure your money lasts," Beltran said.
Financial experts said the best move right now for shoppers is to buy frozen grocery items. Whole frozen shrimp, for example, cost 4% less than they did last year, according to Wells Fargo.
Only time will tell what impact tariffs could have ahead of next year's Super Bowl, but for now, shoppers like Beltran are taking things one day at a time.
