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With the rising cost of groceries on everyone’s mind, the Whole Foods “wholesale” joke is hitting a lot closer to home these days. While food price inflation hit a 43-year high in August 2022 at 11.4%adjusted, it has been around 2.1% today. But inflation has increased since 2020, making it less likely groceries cost a lot of moneyit doesn’t matter where you shop.
These days, the cost of eating out and buying all the ingredients is the same as cooking at home, especially if you’re cooking for just one or two people. And our sustainable nature has made food delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash part of our business, which is growing because of rising grocery costs.
If your weekly shopping expenses have been bothering you, see what artificial intelligence can do about it. If an AI can write observations, then it can create ways to save eggs, right? I decided to take the Copilot AI tool for a spin to see what it could do.
Microsoft’s Copilot was launched in February 2023, two months after ChatGPT started. You can read about CNET Copilot manual reviewsbut I chose it over the competition to create AI chatbots ChatGPT and Google Gemini because it has a “cooking assistant” GPT, which seemed like a good sign to save on purchases.
Like ChatGPT, there is a free version of Copilot or a paid version for add-ons. It promises to be “my everyday AI companion.” Let’s see.
Preparing for the first episode
Before I opened Copilot, I made a list of my grocery items and the expenses we usually spend as a family. Here is what I have included:
- Natural coffee
- Coffee creamer
- Apples
- Banana
- Sourdough bread
- Eggs
- Pears
- Mushrooms
- Arugula
- Feta cheese
- Yoghurt
- Granola
- Vegetarian snacks or pretzels
- Chicken, salmon, steak
- Rice and potatoes
- Asparagus and broccoli
- Ice cream bars
- Chocolate
We spend $100 to $150 a week, just for two people.
I presented this information to Copilot and asked for suggestions on how to save money on food.
While some of the advice was interesting (such as increasing the cost of plant-based protein), the recommendations were not very helpful. I doubt that matcha or mushroom coffee is cheaper than regular store coffee, and I’m looking for a cheaper way to buy eggs, not an egg alternative in cooking like applesauce. I no longer want to make my own sourdough or eat cottage cheese instead of avocado.
Note 2: “I like to eat organic, fresh produce, and Mediterranean foods. Whole Foods is my local grocery store. How can I save money on the items on my list? I don’t want to change or exchange the items. It’s cheaper to buy in-store at ShopRite or buy online at Whole Food?”
The copilot told me that ShopRite was cheap and would be worth the 10-minute drive. I asked what day and time was best to shop, and he told me: “The consensus among various sources is that Wednesday is usually the best day to shop if you want a bargain. Lots of stores.” They start their new sale. On Wednesday, you’ll have the first discount and promotion of the week.”
It also told me to wait until late in the evening or close to closing time to get perishable items including meat and produce.
So far, I have learned three important things:
- Add inexpensive sources of protein such as plant-based products.
- Switch to ShopRite (10 minute walk vs. 7 minute walk).
- Shop on Wednesdays, after work if possible – or ask the store when the sale starts.
Shopping for food based on AI recipes
I decided to try this in a different way and ask for food suggestions.
Note 3: “Use my grocery list to prepare five lunches and dinners for my friend and I. We like to eat Mediterranean food and you can add tofu as another source of protein. Our budget is $75 a week.”
I run it through Copilot and Copilot Cooking Assistant. I loved the Cooking Helper menu, but it was the flavors that I loved. Who has the energy to cook bechamel-eggplant on a Friday night?
I asked her to use more items from my grocery list and added chicken dishes, salmon and steak for dinner, and egg dishes for lunch and said I didn’t want anything fancy, time consuming or expensive.
The copilot made me salivate!
After I was happy with the meal plan, I asked for a list of what I needed for the week, to be under $75. It gave me a shopping list of exactly how much of whatever I needed, and divided it into categories for produce, protein, dairy, carbs, pantry and “other.”
A caveat on AI pricing information
Although Copilot has an online presence, it is unlikely to have up-to-date prices, especially for daily sales at local stores. In other words, take Copilot’s advice with a grain of salt.
You may need to upgrade the system based on your pricing. Expect to ditch, change or change things based on your budget once you get to the grocery store and see what’s on sale or what’s gone up in price.
What Copilot does best is help you easily create and organize menus using the ingredients you already have, so you can shop smarter.
For more ways to use AI, here how to use Copilot to make notes on anything and how to use ChatGPT to land your dream job.
