I live in metro Seattle.
Food prices have gone up a lot, but sale prices are still pretty good.
I live within walking distance of two major grocery stores, so I can shop every day, and stock up, which really helps the budget.
I have noticed that sale prices are less and less frequent, and the sales last less time.
Unfortunately, two of my favorite items, Nature Valley granola bars and canned peas, almost never go on sale anymore, so I’ve had to stop buying them.
A couple years ago, canned peas almost doubled in price, and they have never come back down.
One of our near-by stores in the Houston suburbs always used to have pages and pages of food coupons for edible items which you could clip and use if you have a “special card”. Noticed recently that there are almost as many pages but most of the items on sale are personal care products and non-edible items like washing powder.
I don’t shop every day but do stop in a couple of times mid-week and just buy those items that are on sale. Found Folger’s coffee this last week at $5.99 instead of $9.99 but it was just for one day only and since I have not seen it this low before did stock up. Store doesn’t seem to advertise the really good sales.
What I have noticed in our local stores is that the “sale” items often are not sale-priced,but are marked in the ads as “every day low prices” That’s a joke. Some items don’t change much,but I’m sure these are the things that will keep under long-term storage. The mess with the irrigation in California seems to me to be a problem easily solved....if someone would do it. The people that are the cause of that need to be prosecuted,IMHO.
anyway, you are right in shopping every single day....every single day there is usually at least one thing on a sale....buy and stock up is the way to do it....