price increases in food in your area?

[snowleopard]

I was shopping yesterday, and found myself analyzing the price increases of food. I'm pretty predictable about some things--buy the same items at the same stores that I've bought for years. Started to look at the price increases as a whole, rather than individual items, and realized that a lot of these are half-again as much or even doubled in the last few years. A three-pound bag of walnuts at Sam's that cost $8 a few years ago is up to $17+! I'm happy to be employed, but I am pretty confident that my paycheck hasn't increased by that much.

Is this just here? If you're seeing these kinds of jumps, has your salary/wage increased sufficient to take some of the sting out of it? I know that transportation and increased cost of petroleum products are blamed for some of this, but a three-buck-a-pound increase for transportation costs seems extreme to me.

 

[pen]

Ate a piece of the wife's banana bread about 2 weeks ago and it didn't have walnuts in it for the first time in a long time. She had noticed just what you had about the price of walnuts and was holding out for a sale. She ended up finding the best deal after looking for a bit at Sam's club.

Regardless, the shopping bill in general has been expanding w/out change in our purchases. Thank god it hasn't gone up as much for all of the groceries as it has for walnuts. But there is a noticeable difference.

 

[woodchip]

Food price increases are a depressing topic here.

We had a money off voucher which started today which gave us £3 off a £20 spend.

On arrival with our shopping list we noticed that the staple things like flour had gone up about 30% in one go.

We did spend the money on stuff which had not gone up that we needed, but went elsewhere for the rest.

Overall, prices have gone up about a third this year alone.

And the really bad news is the farmers here are not getting a penny of it.......... ;-)

 

[Dix]

Big increase here. I just shake my head, and keep shopping the sales.

I gotta get myself back into the coupon thing. That can save ya a lot of dough.

 

[snowleopard]

Wow, so it's not just here.

I don't necessarily go for the more expensive name-brand foods that will offer coupons, so for me the best bets are getting back into shopping with a co-op, shopping the sales, and getting diligent about producing as much food as possible: finishing those growing boxes I've had under construction for a few years, production berry-picking in the summer and fall, and fishing in the summer. Perhaps hunting as well, but that might be more than I can pull off--a lot of work processing game animals.

Another thing I've noticed is that finding staples in larger containers used to be easy, but now is difficult.

 

[jharkin]

Noticing the food inflation eh?

Yea food has gotten really expensive, especially the last couple of years. There is a reason why the govt excludes food and fuel from the core CPI inflation figure, the number would be off the charts and more people would become aware of an open secret - the middle class standard of living has been in constant decline since the mid 70s.

The exponential rise right now is do to a number of factors - the high cost of fuel, staples like corn redirected to biofuel production, crop losses from wacky weather and high demand for grain from US from those nations who are suffering floods and droughts (Pakistan, Russia, China, etc).

 

[branchburner]

The things I've noticed the biggest increase on in the past year are fresh produce and eggs.

 

[mayhem]

Some specific items that I enjoy have risen sharply in the last year or so, but I've noticed no recent significant prince swings. Thomases bagels were $3 a bag (of 6) regular price a year or so ago, now I'm happy when I find the on sale for $4 a bag...regular price is now close to $6.

Family grocery shopping used to usually hover around $110 a week probably about 4 years ago. 2-3 years ago it rose to abotu $125. Now I'm happy if I get out of there for anything under $160 a week. Major contributor to my family's grocery bill is the gluten free food I have to buy for my wife and daughter...a loaf of bread is $6 and its only about 10 usable slices...and those slices are only half the surface area of a regualr slice of wonderbread.

 

[blades]

Not only have some items taken a 30% or more hike the size of the container has been shrunk, 10-20% also. Within the last few months coffee, which had already doubled in price has had the packaging amount shrunk with no reduction in price, Ala what the candy bar mfg did awhile back. This is only one example, the food markets are loaded with shrinking package amounts, some not so blatant as the coffee.

 

[branchburner]

Noticing the food inflation eh?

Yea food has gotten really expensive, especially the last couple of years.

We've really been very lucky until now - food costs as a percentage of income have dropped since the 40s and are still historically low. But when the REAL inflation starts, it's going to hurt.

 

[snowleopard]

We've really been very lucky until now - food costs as a percentage of income have dropped since the 40s and are still historically low. But when the REAL inflation starts, it's going to hurt.

How will we know what that looks like? That might sound sardonic, but I don't intend it that way. What I know right now is that my paycheck is not stretching as far to meet costs, and I'm actually not feeling that lucky. But what do you anticipate seeing happen?

Granted, we had a major depression in the 'thirties and a world war in the 'thirties-'forties and people were struggling in a way we don't.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yep. Most of the grocery items I buy have doubled in the last two years or so.

 

[blades]

Pyro, if want to know what it will be, research Argentina's domestic history since the late 50's. That will scary the ______ out of you. This country is on that same road at a breakneck speed and accelerating.

 

[Agent]

When soup bones are $1.50/lb and ox tails are $3.99/lb, something is just plain wrong...

 

[Adios Pantalones]

It's my understanding that there has been an incredible demand increase for walnuts in China. As it takes so long to establish trees that bear the nuts, we're exporting them and this spikes the price.

Increases in the price of gas also increase food prices, but they take a little longer as we bear the brunt of last growing season's prices (I think).

 

[BrowningBAR]

Simply Lemonade

Three years ago: $1.89
Today: $3.19

It contains water, lemon, and sugar (not fructose).

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Simply Lemonade

Three years ago: $1.89
Today: $3.19

It contains water, lemon, and sugar (not fructose).

Did you get the lemonade with walnuts? That could 'splain a few things

 

[BrowningBAR]

Simply Lemonade

Three years ago: $1.89
Today: $3.19

It contains water, lemon, and sugar (not fructose).

Did you get the lemonade with walnuts? That could 'splain a few things

Maybe the production and packaging plant runs on walnuts?

 

[billb3]

Up quite a bit. Especially beef and coffee.

I'm the second person on my road to dig up the front yard to plant veggies instead of trying to grow a weed free lawn.
At least I have nice soil for it. For the last 5 years I haven't had to buy veggies in the store except for when I get tired of eating the same things I have. Now I also have enough to give some away. I'm ahead if you use the "organic" prices to calculate any "savings".

 

[jharkin]

What we have noticed....

Mid range (not gourmet) cheeses and meats that used to be $3-6 a pound are now $8-10 a pound. Even cheap store brand ham might be $5 or $6.

Want to make a steak at home? Even at the cheap market a good cut might be $12-15 a pound. I can eat out at prices like that.

Sandwich bread that used to be 1.99 or 2.99 a loaf is up to $5

Produce.. fruits that were 0.99 or 1.49 a pound are sometimes 1.99 or 2.49

Store brand milk at $4 or $5 a gallon.

I just bought a bag of ruffles potato chip - small bag - $4.29 !

 

[branchburner]

But what do you anticipate seeing happen?

Heads, we get another recession. Tails, we get 70s-style inflation Or maybe the coin lands on its edge?

 

[jharkin]

Heads, we get another recession.

As if the current one ever ended? Maybe for Wall St, but for the common person on the street I think the textbook definition of recession over doesn't mean much anymore with millions still out of work......

 

[woodchip]

But what do you anticipate seeing happen?

Heads, we get another recession. Tails, we get 70s-style inflation Or maybe the coin lands on its edge?

A while back when the talk was of a credit crunch, and we were going into the first recession, I said to someone over here that when this recession ends, nobody will notice as things will stay bad for quite a while.

The hard thing is that incomes are being squeezed, and food prices are really going up at an alarming rate.

It's almost like the stagflation than Japan has had, stagnant economy plus inflation on all the key things, particularly food.

My own view on food is to play the different supermarkets off against each other, and if possible bulk buy each ones bargains, grow all the food you can, and be your own processor where possible. Processed food and convenience food are the two ways that added value goes onto the raw products, and if you can add your own value on in the kitchen, you can go some way towards countering the effects that food price inflation is having on everyone's pockets. I'm often seen round the half price dead and dying shelf in our local food store these days..........

The bad news is for those thrifty ones out there who are already doing their own canning, processing, and growing as much food as possible.
Because those people have no slack to take up and make savings......... ;-)

 

[blades]

The Take-a-mint will not ever own up to the truth, which in reality is depression. They just change the index mix to paint whatever picture hits their fancy at the moment. if they would add back the big 3, (housing, fuel, food) the story would be completely different.
Another thing is the unemployment numbers, they do not take into consideration the people who have fallen off the books (having used up their x amount of week of payments) but are still non-productive.
The driving force right now behind inflation is our own govt. Wish I was allowed to use the same creative accounting congress uses. For me 1+1=.25 on the bottom line if I am lucky.

 

[PapaDave]

My youngest daughter has turned into a coupon queen and can save money buying just about anything. We did that for a while a few years ago, but got out of it.
We noticed back a couple trips that the price of ground beef had gone way up. Coffee has gone way up, so unless I can find the brand stuff on sale I buy the house brand stuff.
Since we retired and moved north, we've radically changed methods for just about everything to save.
When the weather gets cooler, I start making bread, and noticed that flour has gone up, .....yeast has gone up. It's still less to make my own, although we'll buy bread when it's on sale to fill the freezer.
Being on a fixed income has us being a bit more creative with how we do things.