I don't have many qualifications for the presidency, but I can tell you the price of a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread. Bill Clinton was grilled about them when he ran for president in 1992. And, being Bill Clinton, he rattled off the correct prices and wowed some voters.

    I might give Bill a run for his money when it comes to grocery-store prices. That's because I do the shopping in our family.

    This week's column is a cheapskate's guide to grocery shopping. Consider it an early Christmas present. (Notice how it's not costing me anything.)

    First, the bad news. Food prices have soared and aren't likely to get cheaper anytime soon. Soaring commodity prices were the culprit the past couple of years. But now that prices have dropped for everything from wheat and orange juice to beef, food makers aren't lowering prices much in turn. They know Americans aren't going to stop eating in a recession. Indeed, we may shop more at supermarkets as we cut back on restaurant meals to save money.

    Even in this tough terrain, it's possible to cut your food bill. But you have to approach shopping strategically. Where you shop depends on what you eat. I employ the following multipronged approach, which could work for many households:

    Focus on the basics. It's key to have one store that has reasonable prices for most everything. That's going to be your first stop most weeks, and if you're pressed, it may be your only stop. Wal-Mart Stores, of course, is hard to beat on price, and it has a surprisingly good selection these days.

    But it doesn't have to be Wal-Mart. When I lived in Dallas from 2004 until earlier this year, I did the bulk of my shopping at Fiesta Mart, a chain that targets Hispanic shoppers. Its prices are low, it carries Mexican sauces my wife uses in her cooking, and it has a large assortment of non-ethnic grocery items.

    Buy one, get one free. Supermarkets can run some astounding specials that can make Wal-Mart look expensive. In my new home state, New Jersey, my local supermarket will sell strip steak for $3.99 a pound or grapes for 99 cents a pound or chicken breasts for $1.29 a pound.

    If you're flexible with what you eat, you can simply consume whatever's on special and eat pretty cheaply. My five-person family consumes three or four half-gallon cartons of orange juice a week that cost roughly $3.99 apiece at full price. The good news is that our local store usually has one brand on sale every week at a price between $2.50 and $2.99. So that's what we drink that week.

    Think ethnic. I'm a big produce hound, and in most of the places I've lived, the best buys can be found at ethnic grocery stores. They serve customers who eat lots of produce and aren't willing to pay an arm and a leg for it. Good chance there's such a store in your area.

    In Dallas, the above-mentioned Fiesta Mart has good produce deals. In an earlier stint in New Jersey, we bought our fruits and vegetables at a neighborhood store owned by Korean-Americans. The prices were probably a third below a normal grocery store's.

    Has anyone seen the arugula? Whole Foods Market isn't called 'Whole Paycheck' for nothing. Doing all your shopping there would be a good way to eat yourself out of house and home.

    But there some good values in its 365 Everyday Value house brand on everything from olive oil to whole-wheat pasta. You can also do OK buying things like cereals or nuts out of the bulk bins.

    Read the labels. I usually do, and I'm often surprised what I find. Stores generally give you a volume discount -- but not always. Sometimes smaller boxes actually have a lower per-ounce price.

    Another thing to look out for: Instead of lowering prices, some food companies are cutting back on sizes. A few years ago, ice-cream makers quietly downsized the age-old two-quart container to 1.75 quarts. I bought ice cream the other day and noticed several major brands had downsized the standard carton yet again -- this time to 1.5 quarts. Talk about being cold-hearted.

    I did discover one exception. Whole Foods still sells its house-brand ice cream in two-quart containers.

    我沒有資格去競選總統

，不過我可以說出一加侖牛奶或一個麵包價格幾何。比爾•克林頓1992年競選總統時，就有人拿這個問題來考他。貴為比爾•克林頓, 這位仁兄飛快答出了正確的價格，引來選民一片讚歎。

    在食雜品價格這個問題上，我還是可以跟比爾爭個高下的
，因為在我們家我負責采購。

    是有辦法的本周的專欄文章是食雜品采購省錢指南，就當是提前送的聖誕節禮物吧。（請注意我可是分文未花哦。）

    首shou先xian說shuo壞huai消xiao息xi。食shi品pin價jia格ge一yi路lu飆biao升sheng
，而er且qie看kan來lai近jin期qi也ye不bu會hui回hui落luo。過guo去qu幾ji年nian，食shi品pin價jia格ge的de突tu飛fei猛meng進jin是shi因yin為wei農nong產chan品pin價jia格ge飛fei漲zhang。可ke如ru今jin從cong麵mian粉fen到dao橙cheng汁zhi到dao牛niu肉rou所suo有you東dong西xi的de價jia格ge都dou跌die了le，為wei什shen麼me食shi品pin廠chang商shang卻que沒mei怎zen麼me相xiang應ying地di降jiang價jia呢ne？因yin為wei他ta們men知zhi道dao，經jing濟ji雖sui然ran不bu景jing氣qi，但dan美mei國guo人ren還hai是shi得de吃chi飯fan。事shi實shi上shang，為wei了le省sheng錢qian，我wo們men不bu但dan少shao上shang館guan子zi了le，而er且qie也ye多duo去qu超chao市shi買mai東dong西xi了le。

    即(ji)便(bian)形(xing)勢(shi)如(ru)此(ci)嚴(yan)峻(jun)，要(yao)降(jiang)低(di)食(shi)品(pin)開(kai)銷(xiao)還(hai)是(shi)有(you)辦(ban)法(fa)的(de)。不(bu)過(guo)你(ni)必(bi)須(xu)在(zai)購(gou)物(wu)時(shi)采(cai)取(qu)一(yi)些(xie)策(ce)略(lve)。不(bu)同(tong)的(de)東(dong)西(xi)要(yao)去(qu)不(bu)同(tong)的(de)地(di)方(fang)買(mai)。以(yi)下(xia)就(jiu)是(shi)我(wo)的(de)全(quan)方(fang)位(wei)省(sheng)錢(qian)術(shu)，可(ke)供(gong)很(hen)多(duo)家(jia)庭(ting)借(jie)鑒(jian)：

    抓(zhua)住(zhu)主(zhu)項(xiang)。找(zhao)到(dao)一(yi)家(jia)絕(jue)大(da)多(duo)數(shu)商(shang)品(pin)價(jia)格(ge)都(dou)很(hen)公(gong)道(dao)的(de)店(dian)是(shi)很(hen)重(zhong)要(yao)的(de)。多(duo)數(shu)時(shi)候(hou)這(zhe)家(jia)店(dian)就(jiu)是(shi)你(ni)購(gou)物(wu)的(de)第(di)一(yi)站(zhan)，手(shou)頭(tou)吃(chi)緊(jin)時(shi)可(ke)能(neng)也(ye)就(jiu)是(shi)唯(wei)一(yi)一(yi)站(zhan)了(le)。要(yao)論(lun)價(jia)格(ge)的(de)競(jing)爭(zheng)力(li)，沃(wo)爾(er)瑪(ma)當(dang)然(ran)是(shi)鮮(xian)有(you)對(dui)手(shou)的(de)，而(er)且(qie)如(ru)今(jin)在(zai)那(na)裏(li)也(ye)能(neng)買(mai)到(dao)非(fei)常(chang)好(hao)的(de)商(shang)品(pin)。

    不過也不一定非得是沃爾瑪。從2004年到今年年初，我都住在達拉斯。我大部分的東西都是在Fiesta Martgoumaide，zhejialiansuodianyilameiyirenweimubiaoguke，jiagedilian，bingqiejingxiaowoqizishaocaishiyaoyongdaodemoxigetiaoweizhi，tongshiyeyougezhongfeiminzufengweideshiza。

    抓(zhua)住(zhu)促(cu)銷(xiao)的(de)機(ji)會(hui)。有(you)些(xie)超(chao)市(shi)會(hui)搞(gao)一(yi)些(xie)讓(rang)人(ren)大(da)跌(die)眼(yan)鏡(jing)的(de)促(cu)銷(xiao)
，其(qi)優(you)惠(hui)價(jia)格(ge)令(ling)沃(wo)爾(er)瑪(ma)也(ye)自(zi)歎(tan)不(bu)如(ru)。我(wo)現(xian)在(zai)住(zhu)在(zai)新(xin)澤(ze)西(xi)，我(wo)們(men)的(de)社(she)區(qu)超(chao)市(shi)裏(li)有(you)時(shi)候(hou)會(hui)有(you)3.99美元一磅的長條牛排、99美分一磅的葡萄或1.29美元一磅的雞胸肉。

    如ru果guo你ni對dui所suo吃chi的de東dong西xi不bu挑tiao剔ti，那na麼me很hen簡jian單dan，認ren準zhun促cu銷xiao品pin來lai買mai，那na你ni花hua在zai吃chi上shang頭tou的de開kai銷xiao就jiu會hui很hen省sheng了le。我wo們men一yi家jia五wu口kou每mei周zhou消xiao耗hao三san到dao四si紙zhi盒he半ban加jia侖lun裝zhuang的de橙cheng汁zhi
，如ru果guo不bu是shi搞gao特te價jia的de話hua
，每mei盒he大da概gai得de花hua3.99美元。好在我們社區商店裏每周都會有一個品牌的橙汁搞促銷，價格從2.50到2.99美元不等。 我們就喝當周促銷的牌子。

    光guang顧gu少shao數shu族zu裔yi人ren士shi開kai的de店dian。我wo到dao了le哪na兒er都dou喜xi歡huan四si處chu尋xun找zhao好hao的de農nong產chan品pin。在zai我wo住zhu過guo的de多duo數shu地di方fang，少shao數shu族zu裔yi人ren士shi開kai的de食shi品pin店dian通tong常chang價jia格ge都dou是shi最zui劃hua算suan的de。他ta們men的de服fu務wu對dui像xiang是shi那na些xie吃chi得de很hen雜za卻que不bu願yuan意yi花hua很hen多duo錢qian的de人ren。通tong常chang，你ni住zhu的de地di方fang都dou會hui有you這zhe麼me一yi家jia店dian。

    我前麵提到過的達拉斯Fiesta Mart就非常地物美價廉。之前在新澤西住的時候，我們在一家韓裔美國人開的社區商店裏買水果和蔬菜，價格比一般的店要低三分之一。

    有人關注過芝麻菜的價格嗎？全食有機食品連鎖店（Whole Foods Market）被稱為“月光店“確是名副其實。要想把自己吃到傾家蕩產，所有的東西都上這裏買就對了。

    不過他們店的365 Everyday Value自營品牌商品──從橄欖油到全麥意麵，應有盡有──有很多還是很劃算的。盛在碩大儲藏箱裏那些散賣的麥片和堅果也是不錯的選擇。

    記得看標簽。我通常都會看一看，結果常常令我很吃驚。一般說來
，大包裝的東西有折價──但也並非絕對。有時候小包裝的東西單價卻更便宜。

    還有一件事敬請留意：有些食品廠商非但價格沒降，可在份量上卻下了工夫。幾年前，霜淇淋廠商就悄無聲息地把曆史悠久的兩誇脫包裝縮水成了1.75誇脫。前兩天我買過霜淇淋
，發現有幾個大牌子把標準紙盒子又改小了一些──這一次是改成了1.5誇脫。真是太狠了。

    不過我還是發現了一個例外
，全食連鎖店的自營品牌霜淇淋還是兩誇脫裝的。