STICKER SHOCK - How is Caldwell coping?

Like many other Caldwell County residents, Lenoir resident Carol Taylor is frustrated with the rising cost of food and other basic necessities.

“I think it's a damn shame,” she said, shaking her head while shopping for groceries at Lowes Foods in Lenoir. “It was hard enough as it was for people here.”

Taylor said she saves money where she can, and she used to drive to Hickory to buy in bulk, but with the price of gas, she said it's not worth the trouble, especially since prices there are on the rise, too.

“How can you pinch pennies,” she said with an exasperated look. “You've got to eat, you've got to have your medicine, and you've got to go to the doctor.”

Taylor said those who are on a fixed income have that much more trouble stretching their limited budgets.

It's not just Caldwellians who are seeing the spike in staple grocery items.

The price of wheat has more than tripled during the past 10 months, making Americans' daily bread - and bagels and pizza and pasta - feel more like luxury items. And baked goods aren't the only ones getting more expensive: Experts expect some 80 percent of grocery prices will spike, too, and could remain steep for years because wheat and other grains are used to feed cattle, poultry and dairy cows.

“It's going to affect everything ... impact on every section of the grocery store,” said Michael Bittel, senior vice president of King Arthur Flour Co. in Norwich, Vt.

Consumers such as Maria Cardena feel trapped by the prices. She said the bread she buys has jumped from 69 cents a loaf to $1.09 in recent weeks.

“You have to buy it,” said the 29-year-old mother from Lubbock, Texas. “You can't go without it. Everything has gone up.”

Jayne Laws lives in the Mulberry community of Caldwell County. She doesn't spend much on groceries because for the most part, her family is self-sufficient.

“We grow all our own food,” she said, adding that they don't can their own food in her native England, but she has learned how to do that, too. “The only things I have to buy are things like coffee that I can't grow myself.”

One might think Laws isn't feeling the pinch from rising grain and fuel prices, but she is because she has livestock to support her self-sufficiency.

“Feed prices (for the animals) have gone up as much as they have for people,” she said.

Billie Logan of Whitnel doesn't do much grocery shopping, but she's noticed the price increases as well.

“All of them have gone up, especially the fruits and vegetables,” she said.

While there's not much Caldwell County residents can do to make the prices go back down, experts do have some tips about how to stretch your food-budget dollars.

“The first thing they've got to do is look at how often they are eating out,” said Debbie Cox, family and consumer sciences agent for the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Caldwell County Center.

Cox said that the grocery stores won't be the only places where rising food costs will be noticeable.

“Food cost equally goes up in the restaurants,” she said, adding that most families still eat out three to five meals a week.

Cooking at home is a great way to save money, Cox said.

“Learn to cook from basic foods; learning to make your own product will serve you well,” Cox said.

For busy families that don't always have time in the evenings to make a big meal, Cox suggests making large meals on the weekends and eating the leftovers on the weeknights.

“It's a cook once, eat twice concept,” she said. “Make large casseroles, bake eight or 10 potatoes.”

Cox said shopping smart also will help to keep food costs under control.

“Buy produce in season,” she said, adding that the Caldwell County Farmers' Market will open Saturday. “The longer you have to transport food the more it will cost.”

Cox also suggested going grocery shopping on Monday, when grocery stores typically mark down meats and other perishable items that are getting close to their sell-by date to make room for the items that are advertised in the sale papers that come out on Tuesdays.

Speaking of sale papers, Cox said that another good strategy is scouring the sales circulars and stocking up.

“Really watch the grocery store circular,” she said, adding that even small families should not count out buying in bulk. “Buying in bulk and breaking it down into smaller packages will save money.”

Cox also suggested taking advantage of local churches that participate in the Angel Food Ministry. The ministry provides a substantial amount of food once a month for $30.

“We have a very blessed community to have church groups that provide the Angel Food Ministry,” Cox said. “Those are very well-supported by our major manufacturers of food -some of it may be high in fat content - but if you're hungry, it's a great way to serve your family.”

For information about the Angel Food Ministry and to find a list of local participating churches, visit www.angelfoodministries.com. For additional food-related articles and recipes visit www.ces.ncsu.edu, www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com and www.usda.gov.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.