More than ever it seems like people are looking for additional ways to bring the food budget back in check. The cost of food has risen almost dramatically in the last several months, and it doesn’t look like we’ve hit a plateau yet.

I would love to hear about ways others are finding to help trim their food budgets without resorting to inexpensive and less nutritious processed foods. Meanwhile, I thought I’d pass on a couple of price comparisons for items that are staples in the typical American pantry.

Ghirardelli chocolate chips - if you typically buy a chocolate chip with a higher cocoa content this is a great bargain. Typically these chips sell for around $3.49 per 11.5 oz bag at the grocery store. Currently, Cost Plus World Market is selling these chips for $6.99 per 36 oz bag; that’s almost an entire bag for free! World Market often carries an item only until it’s sold out. If you make chocolate chip cookies for your family on a fairly regular basis, run out and get these before they’re gone.

Jasmine rice - rice is one of those staples that has a nearly sky rocketing cost right now. Jasmine rice has always been a bit more expensive than regular long grain white rice, but is a less expensive (though slightly sticky by comparison) alternative to Basmati. I was recently shocked to see the price of Jasmine rice at the grocery store. It was $3.29 for a 2 pound bag. At Trader Joe’s you can get 3 pounds of Jasmine rice for $2.49.

With the rising cost of food, I’m going to be more and more vigilant about shopping around when I am able and pass my findings on to you. Do you have any money saving tips or price comparisons you can share with the rest of us?