It is said that bad things come in three's.
1. Mortgage rates have recently become a great concern due to the current credit crunch.
2. Higher rates on fuel, particularly petrol, have angered many drivers.
3. Now daily reports on the rising prices of food completes the trio.

Most of us are aware of the fact that whatever happens in the US has a significant impact on the UK. According to CNNMoney.com we may all have to get used to paying more on groceries for another two years or more.

On the supermarket shelves, some foods have increased gradually over the past five to ten years, whilst others have recently soared. New research carried out by MySupermarket.co.uk, based on 24 staple products, shows that the price of an average shopping basket has risen by 15% at Asda, 10% at Sainsbury's and 8% at Tesco, over the last 12 months.

As a result, families across the UK are already choosing cheaper food alternatives, eating out less or doing without, in order to adjust their budgets, cutting back on indulgent comfort foods, whilst pensioners and students struggle to afford even the basics.

Butter has gone up by over 60% in the past year, with poor harvests and fierce competition for food supplies already meaning the price of eggs, rice, bread and pasta in supermarkets have rocketed. Bloomberg and FAO/Jackson Son & Co predict there are to be more rises particularly with rice, wheat and vegetable oil.

Even children are feeling the pinch. The British have an inherent love of chocolate. The Telegraph say the price of cocoa, chocolates' key ingredient, has risen about 28 per cent in the past year.

Now that many are experiencing a period of belt tightening, it's not all doom and gloom. Money is an important factor, when it comes to shopping for the family, and this is where the Eat, Drink & Be Merry prize draws could help towards improving that cash flow problem. Eat, Drink & Be Merry is the name of a text service where adults can enter prize draws and competitions for a chance to win valuable money-off vouchers to spend at top retailers in the UK.

New prizes are announced at www.afvgroup.co.uk/food.html and AFV advise consumers to also send them a list of places they regularly shop along with their email details. This is so that AFV can alert potential winners of forthcoming prizes which cater towards their shopping habits.

If you regularly shop at some of Britain's well known high street retailers, this could be worth your while. Vouchers or gift cards from top retailers, such as M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose could be won by simply texting AFV to a five digit code using a mobile phone. From all the entrants, a winner is picked at random. Vouchers of different values from trusted retailers, some with thousands of outlets across the UK, will be on offer so spending the prize shouldn't be a major problem.

Anyone over 16 can play and individuals can enter as many times as they like, to increase their winning chances. The act of sending a simple text could make the difference between affording a satisfyingly grand Sunday roast dinner for the whole family or making do with what's left in a half empty fridge. It goes to show, a little voucher can make a big difference. So get texting AFV to 82055.

All texts cost £1.50 + 1 standard message. To terminate the service, just text 'AFV STOP' to the same number. For more information go to www.afvgroup.co.uk/food.html

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