As the holiday season approaches, inflation continues to wreak havoc on consumers, leaving shoppers wondering how they'll manage to put a tasty dinner on the table this November.
Stew Leonard, president and CEO of Stew Leonard's grocery chain, stopped by Monday's episode of "Mornings with Maria" to address the issue.
He suggested some smart, simple tricks shoppers can employ to help cut costs and ensure the next time they go to their local grocery store, they can afford to buy what they want.
"Some things never change in people's lives. During the holidays, you have delicious food on the center of your table," he says.
"The question is, can you supplement it with something else?"
"For example, in our house, we have turkey, but we also have salmon, or you might want something cheaper, like some burgers, and let the kids fill them up before the main course," he told host Maria Bartiromo.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, food costs are expected to reach an all-time high after rising a whopping 17.2 percent from last September.
"I can't believe people are going to complain about turkey at $1.50, $2 or $2.50 a pound, and then they're going to go for cold cuts, and they're going to buy sliced cold cuts at $12 a pound."
Bartiromo noted that food prices rose 13 percent year-over-year and the Consumer Price Index spiked 8.2 percent last month, inflicting pain on shoppers.
Nonetheless, Leonard urged families to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and to focus more on bringing happiness to everyone around the table.
"Enjoy your Thanksgiving, but you also want to tighten your belt and shop smart," he said.
In the past, Leonard has also urged customers to fight inflation by turning to online store apps to save money, taking advantage of weekly specials, buying from local businesses and choosing the store's own brands to help further reduce costs.
He also told Bartiromo that inflation is a challenge for producers who remain committed to offering deals to customers.
And said he is trying to share costs 50/50 with producers to help ease the pressure on customers.
