Are Your Grocery Prices Increasing?

[justplainbill]

Gas Prices

As compared to the general escalation of wages and prices over the past fifty years, is the tenfold increase in the price of gasolene atypic?
P.S. gasolene and atypic were acceptable according to Merriam Webster fifty years ago.

 

[justplainbill]

Might the lack of mention about the prices for dried pulses say something about American eating habits?

 

[simplicity]

We have the opposite problem - too much water. I jut checked the morning paper - 57.97" of rain so far this year, almost 7" this month. I'm a gardener, so enamored with my flowers, that I never thought of growing food until this year.

We have two planting seasons, spring and autumn. My space is limited. I've now got onions growing besides the roses, lettuce by the amaryllis and radishes in the pot of bougainvilla. I will have failures, just as I do with flowers, but it's a start.

 

[Andy M.]

Might the lack of mention about the prices for dried pulses say something about American eating habits?

Legumes are generally inexpensive so a price increase is not as significant as it might be for a higher priced item.

 

[Yakuta]

I like to buy from farmer markets rather than large chains. I find that the prices are lower and the veggies and fruits a lot fresher.

I also buy a lot of stuff from my local Indian store where I can stock up on a variety of beans and spices for a lot less than what a grocery store would charge.

We make our own bread at home (roti) and I buy the wheat flour for that and store it in large containers ( I get a lot of flour for a very small cost). I buy my rice at SAMS. They sell a 15lb bag of Royal Basmati rice at a very good price and the rice is so versatile it can be used in any dish that calls for long grain rice not just Indian dishes.

 

[jerseyjay14]

I don't do one stop shopping for food. you can really save if you buy your stuff all over. i get my meats at the meat market... everyday prices are like sale prices at the gorcery stores. Boneless chicken breast is 1.39 a pound every day... boneless thighs .89 a pound.

I buy my produce from the fruit stand.... im not sure how they stay in business i get all my weekly fruits and veggies yet somehow still get change back froma 5 or 10. And they are fresher,better looking, and better tasting then at most of the markets. its also good to support small local markets.

I buy all my canned goods, oils, condiments, etc at B.J. wholesale club in bulk. You can get some good savings this way as well. especially on olive/veggie oil.

If i need anything quick i'll usually go to trader joes and pick it up, their prices are usually good. I know its not all that practical to make 3 stops, especially for those with kids and who work late, but there are huge savings to be had

 

[In the Kitchen]

Rain

Michael in FT W. But, if you want to envoke the blessings of a higher power - pray for rain!


Aren't you getting rain today? I believe in the power that prayer contains. One way or another we get an answer. May not be always what WE want but we get an answer.

Also, the bible says, we should only live for today and don't worry about tomorrow. If I did this, maybe I wouldn't be so uptight about things I can't control. These words were written long ago and I know they were for our benefit.

Only my opinion. Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts with you.

 

[Caine]

I don't buy groceries at the supermarket very often any more, but I have noticed the price of milk skyrocketing. At the beginning of summer, I was buying 2 one gallon plastic jugs of 2% milk, store brand, for $4.00. Last week, it was $6.40, and the only thing that changed was the color of the label!

I know this sounds strange, but it appeared that, as the price of gasoline came down, the price of milk went up.

 

[keltin]

I was going to post this in the what’s for dinner tonight thread, but it seems to belong here more.

Over the past couple of months, Katie E. and Uncle Bob got me interested in shopping at Kroger again. I’ve been enjoying it, and am surprised that on some things Kroger can be cheaper than a big chain like Wal-Mart and certainly a LOT fresher and better tasting.

Tonight was golden though. I stopped by Kroger on the way home. First I was in the produce section where I found Baby Portabellas, sliced, 8 oz for $1.67. Nice! I was in the mood for steak and a mushroom sauce, and it was shaping up nicely with these great shrooms.

Then found a 15# bag of Russet potatoes. About 25 potatoes in that bag, and everyone of them is baking potato size….all for 3.99. Unreal….that’s about 16 cents per baking potato.

Then the real mind blower. I hit the meat counter and saw not only an unreal Manger’s Special on beautiful T-Bone steaks, but also a Card Members Special on Flat Iron steaks. Flat Iron is a rare cut in my area, so I was surprised to find it, and more than that, I was surprised to find it so cheap.

Got two incredible T-bones for 12.58, which saved me 13.69 off regular price due to the Manager’s Special. The Flat Iron I picked up for 5.19 when it was regularly 9.09 (savings of 3.90). I’m loving Kroger….but you do have to shop for the deals because Kroger isn’t always this giving! Thanks Katie E. and UB for getting me interested in Kroger once more! If you have a Kroger near you, run, don’t walk, down there and see what deals they have. Definitely get a card there as the savings are incredible.

Here are some pics (oh, and I was picky and dug around a bit......notice the size of the club/loin on these T-Bones. Incredible!). Now....I just got to cook it!

Flat_Iron_1

Flat_Iron_2

T_bone_1

T_Bone_2

Tater_1

Tater_2

 

[Katie H]

Good for you, keltin. I love our area Kroger stores...we have 3 within close proximity. That's a real plus, because if one store has a mediocre meat or produce selection, I have a pretty good chance of finding what I want at another location

One of the Kroger stores is in a well-heeled neighborhood, so I can get some really nice ingredients there. Not the least of which are cheeses. You might want to check for cheese, too.

My bi-weekly shopping trips always includes at least one of the Kroger stores and I make it a point to look for the manager's specials in the meat department. They also have good deals on fresh fish, which is something that is difficult to get here.

 

[keltin]

Good for you, keltin. I love our area Kroger stores...we have 3 within close proximity. That's a real plus, because if one store has a mediocre meat or produce selection, I have a pretty good chance of finding what I want at another location

One of the Kroger stores is in a well-heeled neighborhood, so I can get some really nice ingredients there. Not the least of which are cheeses. You might want to check for cheese, too.

My bi-weekly shopping trips always includes at least one of the Kroger stores and I make it a point to look for the manager's specials in the meat department. They also have good deals on fresh fish, which is something that is difficult to get here.

I owe it to you and Uncle Bob. I had written Kroger off a few years ago (a few years back in this area, they tried to compete with Bruno’s and got full of themselves!), but your’s and UB’s posts made me think I should try again. So glad I did! I’m really impressed with Kroger quality, and if you hit a good deal, WOW, the savings are incredible.

 

[jpmcgrew]

One good trick is to buy in bulk the things on sale like the expensive meats which you can freeze for later or the canned or packaged items that will keep a good while.The fresh produce is another issue.The problem is that some people dont think ahead or just cant afford to stock up on a really good sale.
The sad thing is you are screwed if you have kids and need alot of milk and so on.The store brands of cereal are always cheaper than the name brands.If you have a computer you can get alot of coupons to offset the higher prices especially dog and cat food.I have been looking into the coupon thing and have found some good ones and they do add up in savings.

 

[Rom]

I don't do one stop shopping for food. you can really save if you buy your stuff all over. i get my meats at the meat market... everyday prices are like sale prices at the gorcery stores. Boneless chicken breast is 1.39 a pound every day... boneless thighs .89 a pound.

$10.49 A KILO for chicken thighs and $13 a kilo chicken breast...sometimes more expensive, sometime if its round 8.99 a kilo thats a good and nice special price to jump on....
<<insert swear words>>

i think 1 pound = 453.6 grams, which is obviously less than half a kilo

 

[miniman]

We buy most of our meat in bulk from a local butcher - half a hindquarter or half a pig - it works out a lot cheaper.

 

[Andy M.]

$10.49 A KILO for chicken thighs and $13 a kilo chicken breast...sometimes more expensive, sometime if its round 8.99 a kilo thats a good and nice special price to jump on....
<<insert swear words>>

i think 1 pound = 453.6 grams, which is obviously less than half a kilo

Roughly $2.2 kg to a pound. That's $6.50 a pound. Converting to USD gives us about $5.91 pound for chicken breasts!

 

[Chefellas]

At my butcher in Athens, Greece. I just paid around $9.00 per kilo for bone in chicken breasts.That's $4.50 a pound approx. Ground beef,rump, is $6.90 a pound approx.

 

[GotGarlic]

We have the opposite problem - too much water. I jut checked the morning paper - 57.97" of rain so far this year, almost 7" this month. I'm a gardener, so enamored with my flowers, that I never thought of growing food until this year.

We have two planting seasons, spring and autumn. My space is limited. I've now got onions growing besides the roses, lettuce by the amaryllis and radishes in the pot of bougainvilla. I will have failures, just as I do with flowers, but it's a start.

I have friends who grow enough of various lettuces in a wide, shallow container to provide salad greens for their entire family of eight.

We have a raised garden that is about 8 or 9 feet square, divided into 4 squares, and I'm still getting tomatoes from it. A couple of weeks ago, expecting the weather to cool, we planted our fall garden of red and green leaf lettuce, spinach, onions and bok choy.

 

[GotGarlic]

The sad thing is you are screwed if you have kids and need alot of milk and so on.

When I was growing up, my parents didn't have a lot of money, so my mom bought dry milk and that's what we became accustomed to. Later, when she started buying fresh milk, I didn't like it at first - didn't taste right In time I got used to it.

 

[jpmcgrew]

When I was growing up, my parents didn't have a lot of money, so my mom bought dry milk and that's what we became accustomed to. Later, when she started buying fresh milk, I didn't like it at first - didn't taste right In time I got used to it.

Same here but my mother would mix dry milk and then add whole milk to it at about 1/2 dry to 1/2 regular milk.I still hated it I could still taste the dry milk in it.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

My mom did the same thing, and I think most of my friend's moms did. I must say that I hated it, too, jp. I've often wondered if it was strictly a cost saving measure or if it was also believed to be healthier - lower fat and higher protein - because some of my friend's weren't as poor as my family and they had powdered mixed with regular like ours.