World Photo by Lou Sennick Bob and Teresa Adams joke as they talk about Bob's skills for finding bargains while grocery shopping.

NORTH BEND — When she first met her husband, Teresa Adams had a hunch her family would have no trouble feeling at home with him.

There was his religious faith, his kind demeanor and his easygoing sense of humor.

And then she went shopping with him. After that, Teresa knew for certain Bob Adams was going to fit right in.

The Adamses are bargain hunters. They can spend several minutes scanning the shelves to find the specific box of crackers that corresponds with a coupon. Or they will buy in bulk, knowing the voracious appetites of their six children will ensure nothing spoils or has to be thrown out.

They do this not because they can’t afford to pay the full price of food — though with six children, it doesn’t hurt — rather, it has become a ritual, one that started for Bob in his high school years, and even earlier for Teresa.

Growing up in the Coos Bay area, Teresa would go with her mother to McKay’s. The store accepted green stamps for discounted goods.

“She lived by coupons and shopping like this,” Teresa said on a recent shopping excursion with Bob. “She wouldn’t buy canned fruit because she canned everything herself.”

Bob worked in grocery stores in high school and through his college years. He remembers seeing how much people saved by using coupons and buying things on sale, and figured it was silly not to do the same.

“It can be a challenge, but it can be fun, to see what you can save,” Bob said.

Finding those two-for-one discounts and other sales has become all the more important as food costs have soared.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, since 2003, prices on a number of commodities have increased by more than 25 percent, including milk, ground beef, bread and orange juice. During that time, the cost of a dozen eggs nearly doubled from about $1 to $2.

Finding low-price alternatives can be time-consuming. It is not uncommon for the couple to spend a full afternoon weaving down one aisle after another. They go to different stores to benefit from the sales at each store, but sometimes they’re forced to shop at just one.

“You know something is cheaper elsewhere, but you don’t have a choice, you just have to grab and go,” Bob said.

Last Saturday, the couple spent about three hours shopping, half of the time at Safeway in North Bend and the other half at Albertsons in North Bend.

They bought everything from chicken tenders to animal crackers, bread and cheese to pickles and peaches. They wound up buying goods that would normally cost $311. Thanks to coupons and discounts, they spent $130.

Adams said the savings were about average, noting his family spends about $500 a month on food.

Ever conscious of prices, Bob and Teresa have noticed with dismay as food prices have risen over the past few years.

This year, economists are estimating the average price of food will increase 5 percent or more.

Teresa said her family can easily go through two or three gallons of milk a week. Since the price of dairy products has gone up, they try to make sure they aren’t going through too much. That can be hard when their 14-year-old son gets home from soccer practice and reaches for the milk carton.

“I tell him to drink a glass of water first,” said Bob, smiling through his bushy brown mustache.

Fresh fruit and vegetables also are going up in price, Teresa said. It’s a hard balance to be economical while also providing healthy alternatives, she noted, though she makes sure there is always at least one kind of fruit in the house.

Teresa said her sister raised a garden to cut costs. While Teresa has not gone that route, she has a plot in the Coos Bay community garden, and also shops at the Wednesday farmers market in Coos Bay when she gets a chance.

On top of nutrition and price, the Adamses have to consider the tastes of their children. Even if there is a great sale on garlic-flavored pickles, that doesn’t mean they will be throwing several jars in their shopping cart.

“Of course, if we buy something and nobody (in our household) likes it, we will give it to the food bank,” Teresa said.

By the end of the three-hour sojourn, Teresa was beginning to tire, but Bob still glanced along the shelves for sales items.

One of the last stops of the day was the Albertsons meat counter, where hamburger is discounted after 6 p.m.

“When they see me coming, they know I will take the rest of it,” he said. “It makes them smile.”

On Saturday, hamburger was not on the menu, but they did buy about five pounds of chicken tenders, which the family would consume before the middle of the week.

Teresa concedes that some friends find their attention to shopping a little strange. Others contend they don’t know the real challenge of shopping because they don’t bring their children along. They leave them home to do their chores.

For the Adamses, shopping together can be enjoyable, as long as it doesn’t last too long.

“We kind of treat this as a date,” Teresa said, grabbing Bob around the waist for a quick hug.