Not all that long ago, food shopping was one of Joei Chan’s mindless chores. She didn’t think about which grocery had the best prices on bananas or bread, whether to wait until items on her shopping list were on sale, or whether there might be a coupon for yogurt. But these days, the Boston resident says, food shopping has become “strategic.” “Now, it’s all about: How can I best save my money?” says the recent college grad who now works in hospitality, trying to speak over the amplified announcer and screeching brakes of Boston’s T. Why We Wrote This Rising grocery bills have become a driver of decreased affordability, even more than housing or gas. Since 2020, U.S. grocery prices have risen by almost one-third, outpacing inflation and adding a hurdle to meeting this basic need. Housing and healthcare costs received a lot of the cost-of-living attention in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. More recently, gas prices have captured headlines. But it’s the food costs that people such as Ms.…