I'm a single guy....I don't go grocery shopping often....But I went today....

[marmar]

..... OUCH!


I spent $30 today, which in the grand scheme of things isn't much, but I compared it to a receipt from a few weeks ago for the EXACT same roster of items. That receipt totaled $23.

EVERYTHING. And I mean everything was noticeably higher, except for the coffee creamer 'cause I bought the cheaper store brand rather than CoffeeMate this time. Soy milk, veggies, fruit, bread, ..... even canned tuna - YIKES!

Those of you who have to buy for families must really be feeling it. :hurts:

[question everything]

1. The irony is that one reason is the ethanol based fuel

many farmers have switched to corn at the expense of other crops like wheat and soy beans so the prices of these commodities have gone sky hight.

Add to this the cost of fuel just to grow and harvest anything, and to ship - and there you have it.

[SoCalDem]

3. and the Amazon rainforest is being slashed & burned to grow

soy beans :cry:

we quit growing them, to grow the more profitable crops, and the poor Brazilians see an "opportunity".:cry:

[CreekDog]

44. how many is a brazillion?

:hide:

[madinmaryland]

51. You had to ask, didn't you? :grr:

January 24th, 2009. In the oval office of the new Democratic president:

The Secretary of Defense is giving the President the daily briefing. He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, three Brazilian soldiers were killed."

"OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!"

The President's staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands.

Finally, the President looks up and says, "One Brazilian is too many! I am glad that we are beginning to draw down our presence in Iraq and put an end to this long national nightmare."

:evilgrin:

[CreekDog]

53. is that joke in your signature or something

:rofl:

[madinmaryland]

55. I gotta give turtlensue something to do through the day. (Counting how many

times I post the Brazilian joke!)

[CreekDog]

57. no more often than I complain about Rush

:think:

[ieoeja]

89. Why did you change that joke to be about a Democrat?

Seen that joke many times over the past few years. Always it was about Bush. Which makes sense given his command of the english language.

Why did you change it to be about a Democratic president instead?

[Lorien]

50. Most of the Brazillian people are appalled that the rainforest is being

destroyed. They throughly understand that their forests are "the lungs of the planet" and that higher forms of life on earth can't survive without them. But their President is a soya farmer, so he seems more than happy to sacrifice life on earth for short term profits. Sound like anyone else we know?

[cutlassmama]

13. They switched because they get "farm subsidies" from the Feds

for certain crops. Corn is one of them.

[Two Americas]

99. the right wingers don't need any help

Every successful progressive and humane society has subsidized agriculture one way or another - it is really the eaters we are subsidizing. The right wingers have been busy dismantling and crippling our public agriculture infrastructure, of which subsidies for row crops are but one small component. They don't need any help.

Agriculture subsidizes suburbia - the world of shuffling paper assets and manipulating markets. Farmers would survive without suburbia. The suburbs would die without the farmers. Let's stop subsidizing suburbia and non-productive capitalism and the waseful and destructive life it has created. Suburbia has squeezed our agriculture, pushing farms farther and farther away from the eaters, and pushing land costs up. Suburbia has also led to the first generation of people in history who are so far removed from their food source, and so ignorant about it.

Rather than dismantling farms to create more suburbia, I think it is time to take another look at the American dream and reconsider thinking that suburbia is a sustainable model for human communities.

[Hippo_Tron]

16. Another reason we need to get rid of agriculture subsidies

[yardwork]

56. I think that the price of oil is the main reason for price increases everywhere.

This country ships products by trucks on interstates. Higher fuel costs = higher costs of all goods sold. Further, it takes a lot of oil to produce steel, and steel goes into everything, including the trucks that move our food around.

The U.S. economy is based on oil. As the price of oil increases, so increases the price of everything else. Everything.

[ieoeja]

90. Plus oil is used in plastics which also has widespread use/cost. n/t

[lligrd]

2. Yep, I Began Noticing It Weeks Ago

I'm not hurting financially but it still hut to pay those prices and I absolutely refused to pick up some regulars.

[TomInTib]

4. That's why I am living on wine.

Out here in Fornicalia, the price is holding steady...

[marmar]

6. Beautiful Tiburon.....

..... I visited San Francisco last May and we ferried over to Tiburon - I loved it! Much less touristy than Sausalito.

[TomInTib]

10. Yeah...

I live 110 feet direcly above the ferry landing.

We could've waved at one another.

[kineneb]

11. guess I should learn

have vineyards and wineries almost within walking distance... may be all we will be able to get for food soon...

from the other wine country, over the hill from Calistoga... Lake Co.

[unapatriciated]

100. I have just what you need...

and the price right. :toast:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE8cVV6NGxM

[Fovea]

5. Importing food

as our currency sinks becomes a losing game.
Add the price of transport and we can get quickly very upside down in this.

If you have a local farmer's market, I suggest you give it a try. Buy fewer highly processed foods, cook a bit more. I find myself eating less meat.

[kevinbgoode]

7. Food shopping has become a creative art. . .

I'm a very busy graduate student, but I watch ever sale, sometimes clip coupons, and I eat according to what is on sale and stock up if I have any extra money. For example, that can of tuna you are talking about was on sale a month ago. . .$1 a can for Star Kist solid white tuna - a major discount. I bought around 8 cans.

The bad part is that I'm starting to eat foods which I had given up (higher sodium or fat) because they are just simply cheaper and have some nutritional value beyond the bad stuff. But fruit and veggies - through the roof! I paid nearly three dollars for a very small package of fresh pineapple chunks. I need to drink cranberry juice (which I hate) so I try to stock up when that is on sale as well. ..

At any rate, it is pretty awful. I do have one nice rump roast (marked down to $2.99/lb) that I'm saving for a special meal.

When I want to get more balance, I'm eating out more - buffets, which I usually don't like, have enough variety that I can get things I can't afford to buy for meals at home alone. But that isn't even a good option for families - paying for four at even an inexpensive Golden Corral is a pretty shocking dinner tab.

[better tomorrow]

8. wheat is going up this week...or so I heard....

by 4 percent. Buy a breadmaker.

[CoffeeCat]

9. Yes, it is totally outrageous...

I have noticed prices steadily climbing in the past six months.

There are certain items in our store that have risen 100 percent. The price of basics,
such as eggs, milk, bread, fruit, veggies--are through the roof.

I pay close attention to prices, because I belong to a coupon club and we're kinda
nutty about it. We also pay attention packaging portions--and that's another way
the consumer is being screwed. Cereal boxes are getting smaller, as is other
packaging. Toilet paper and paper towels are shrinking as well. So, in addition
to prices skyrocketing--you're getting less for those higher prices, in many cases.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cutlassmama]

14. We're in the process of buying a house with a little acreage

(10). It has different fruit trees, pecan trees, grapes growing on the fence and 4 water wells. The way I see it, this is the best way to go. Try to be as independent as you possibly can. We're going to hook up a windmill and solar panels to subsidize the electric too. We plan to plant vegetables and raise chickens. It will be hard work, but the way things are looking now, it very well may be work the effort.

[better tomorrow]

18. you are wise and lucky.....

the cities will be the pits....

[cutlassmama]

23. thank you. It's about 1/2 an hour from a city. nt

[marions ghost]

54. if there's massive shortages

the only way to go will be community farms and gardens. The vast majority of people will not be able to move to the country. We will actually have to pull together instead of looking out for ourselves alone. Good for you in pioneering and it does help that more people will know survival skills --but it's not really a realistic solution for most. That's going to take some creativity.

[TML]

15. I'm in the same boat

Clip coupons. I'm not kidding. I buy at least one copy of the Sunday newspaper for the coupons.

When grocery stores double them, and if you take advantage of weekly sales you'd be surprise how much money you save in a month.

[lildreamer316]

43. Head over to the Frugal Living group and search for the couponing threads..

we have a good amount of coupon queens here!

[TML]

48. Thanks

I will definitely check it out.

[lildreamer316]

67. Whoops!

You need a star to do so; e.g. a donation.
I'll see what I can do....

[TML]

69. No worries

I get paid a commission check in just over two weeks. I can wait.

[Spiffarino]

17. I bought enough for two nights' dinner for my family

...plus some bleach, cat food and a couple small items: $126.00

My wife and I work full-time. I can't imagine what it must be like for somebody who lost a job or is underemployed. Bush has turned America into yet another of his failed ventures, but neither Daddy nor the Saudis will have to bail him out this time because the rich aren't being hurt, only the middle and poorer classes.

If Bush and Cheney are ever convicted of any of their myriad crimes, their punishment should be to bring food and water to the tent cities that are springing up because of their callousness and stupidity.

[TML]

22. Bush turned America

into a Third World Country. I know Mexico has a very large, poor working class and a very small upper class. Our economy is beginning to look more like theirs with every passing day.

[barbtries]

28. same thing happened to me

my son and i went to the store "for a few things." over a hundred books later. i was just shaking my head. i finally got a job making decent money and at this rate i'll be back at square zero next week.

[Alcibiades]

47. Dang

You must have a big family--or maybe you shop at Harris Teeter. I shop at Kroger, and am able to feed our family of three for $90 a week. I don't work outside the home, so I'm able to save by making most meals from scratch. Of course, we do get takeout or go out about twice a week. I imagine we will have to stop doing that. When I go back to work, I'll have to get more prepared food, so I'll probably be in the same boat as you. :hi:

[Spiffarino]

59. I don't have a big family.

We do have our friend over once or twice a week, though. He is currently unemployed and has a large family. We have them come over whenever we can, so we tend to buy a little extra.

Plus beer. Lots of beer. Makes unemployment a little more bearable. :beer:

[Alcibiades]

71. That's great

It's really good of you to do that for your friend. The average income here in Durham is about 40K a year, and I often wonder how it is that people with kids make ends meet. We're just barely getting by with only one kid and another on the way.

As for the beer, with a 3 year old, I don't drink it nearly as much as I used to, but when I did, it was homebrew. It's a great hobby, and not terribly time-consuming. Plus, you can make beer that's as good as or better than many brands costing 6 to 10 dollars a six pack. You also have control over the conditions under which it's made--I don't know how many times I've had a skunky import because the beer distributor failed to rotate their stock or store their product properly. All the equipment costs about $150, and once you have that, you can brew two and a half cases (five gallon batches) at a time for anywhere from $15 to $30 a batch. It also gives you something to talk about when you are drinking it.

[Spiffarino]

81. Thanks for saying...and as for home brew

I've always wanted to try it, but I'm so impatient I'm afraid I'll drink up the mix before it's done!

[yardwork]

58. Cat food has gone sky-high. First they poisoned our cats, now they're starving them.

[Spiffarino]

60. But...but...

...doesn't buying our poisoned pet food from China make it so much cheaper that we shouldn't complain!? We should be thanking our corporate masters for their generosity!

:sarcasm:

[kwyjibo]

80. It has! It's crazy - a 20lb bag used to be $35 and is now $50!

that's Hill's Prescription Diet Feline C/D

[yardwork]

83. I guess this is our punishment for complaining about the poison in the food.

They poison our cats. We complain. They jack up the cat food prices.

[Nutmegger]

19. Why does milk keep going up?

It has within the past month. I don't get it. Don't we subsidize milk?

I spend about ten to fifteen dollars more in food than I did last year. It's a mess out there.

[better tomorrow]

20. it is more than a gallon of gas here....

and trucking it to the store is probably the reason it is up.

[shaniqua6392]

32. It is because of the price of corn which is fed to the cows.

Corn and wheat prices are significantly higher and is causing items such as bread, milk and cheese to go up. More farmers are growing corn for ethanol which makes the cost of corn for feed go sky high. The prices on all groceries is killing those of us trying to feed a family.

[Spiffarino]

62. Don't forget soy

Soy beans are way up, too, and they're used in all sorts of products including livestock feed.

[shaniqua6392]

68. Good point.

Maybe it would be easier for us to list the things that have NOT gone up!! That is a really short list because I can not think of a thing that has not increased in price.

[yardwork]

84. The price of oil keeps going up. Oil runs the trucks that deliver the milk.

Oil runs the machines that milk the cows and pasteurize the milk. Oil runs the trucks that deliver the grain to the cows that produce the milk that are milked by the machines run by oil.

[NickB79]

97. There's also a huge demand for dairy products overseas

I work for a large dairy company, and we discussed this with upper management a few months ago. The Asian market in particular is booming, even though they have historically used relatively little milk.

[EmilyAnne]

21. Are you, by any chance, A Barack Obama supporter? Just curious about someone's bizarre-o reaction

upthread.

I, too, have noticed a difference in grocery prices. Mainly, my partner and I budget out a set amount for groceries each week. We've been over budget the last few weeks, with no big changes to th ekind of stuff we are buying or where we are buying it.

I can't wait for the Spring and Summer time farmers' markets.

[cutlassmama]

24. I often think of the families with 6 kids or more. How do they afford

groceries??? It's beyond comprehension.

[EmilyAnne]

26. Me too. There is a family of 5 across the street from us. They use a lot of pizza coupons.

A lot. It makes me sad because I know its not very healthy or well balanced, but they are trying to do the best they can.

The father of this family lost his job two years ago and now drives a snack truck. He had a heart attack in the interim, without insurance, and he was only in his early 40s. I don't know how they are getting by.

[votenovember2008]

41. I'm just thinking . . .

Does anyone besides me wonder if they couldn't provide a more nutritious meal cheaper than PIZZA!? There are many nutritional things, such as dried beans and cornbread. I was raised by a single parent, no assistance from anywhere and my mother fed us pretty well. Pizza, even with a coupon doesn't sound cheap and can't be helping the bread winner of this family with the heart problems!

[LostinVA]

64. Or make pizza

We made pizza for lunch yesterday. Whole wheat pizza dough was $0.99, plus some cheese, pizza sauce, olives and garlic. The whole thing probably cost under $3 to make, and it was healthier than ordering pizza. Took about 20 minutes, including prep and cooking time.

[votenovember2008]

70. Pizza

Exactly! Thanks for replying.

[EmilyAnne]

76. That's exactly what my girlfriend and I do! Actually, I make my dough with oat bran. It may sound

gross, but its so good! So much healthier. In some kind of fantasy, I walk across the street and offer to instruct them on healthy eating and more sensible shopping methods. Its just none of my business, but I worry about the health of the whole family. The kids are learning horrible eating habits! Poor things.

[LostinVA]

87. We just discovered the Trader Joes pizza dough yesterday

They also make regular dough and garlic herb. We're trying all three.

We think we're going to start making our pizza once a week, instead of ordering it. Especially since the only place that delivers to us added a delivery charge.

[truedelphi]

91. I have no idea how Trader J's can make

he dough for the price it's sold at.

And it seems to taste pretty good too.

[unapatriciated]

101. simple no middle man, no sales, no coupons no cards.

All the above cost big money and is eventually passed on to you. They buy direct, dealing with smaller companies you won't find coke or coors at TJ's. They also set their own standards and do their own quality testing. Doesn't hurt that unlike the major Grocery Chains they pay their bills on time .
They don't expand unless they can pay for it up front.
Here is a fun little vid.
:toast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE8cVV6NGxM

The pay and benefits are pretty good too.

[Fireweed247]

94. Pizzas can be very nutritious and creative too

You can make a mexican pizza with beans and salsa, cheese, corn, olives, onions...
You can slip some veggies and tofu under the cheese and the kiddos barely notice...

[EmilyAnne]

75. Thank you! Every time I see them carrying those pizza boxes, I just shudder when I remember this

guy's recent heart attack. They're such nice people, but I don't want to get in their business. I don't understand why they are eating this way and I wonder how typical it is for a family with two working parents to subsist on fast food or pizza. I hope its an anomaly.

[Alcibiades]

72. They should try homemade pizza

It's cheaper, tastes better, and is better for you. Of course, the process is time-consuming, though I think you can save some time by freezing the dough, or by buying premade dough frozen.

[MADem]

30. Rice and beans? NT

[kath]

61. deleted - dupe

weird posting glitch...

[kath]

63. problem is, out here in OK the prices at the "farmers' markets" are almost always higher

than prices in the supermarkets. And, unless it's specified as a "grown in OK" market, a lot of the stuff comes from the same produce wholesalers that supply the supermarkets -- ie, it's NOT locally grown, and it's crap - tasteless tomatoes, etc. Pathetic.

[Breeze54]

25. Only buy what's on sale and buy store brands always! Use coupons!!!!

Also only shop at the discount grocery stores.

If something like coffee creamer is on sale? Stock up and freeze the extra till needed.

Don't buy at the deli. But a large roast beef, cook it and slice and freeze the extra.

But potato's in bulk and make a day of mashing and freezing them. The same for other vegetables.

Get your bread at a bread factory outlet, like Wonder Bread or Pepperidge Farm.

[conflictgirl]

27. Yep...we're spending about $100 a month more to feed our family of 5

It would surely be more if we weren't pretty careful about our grocery shopping habits.

I have the bumper sticker on my car that says "When Bush took office, gas was $1.46". One day my son asked how many gallons of gas we use per week for both cars and calculated the amount extra that gas in the cars is costing us compared to pre-W...it was like $175 more a month, and we have fairly fuel-efficient vehicles (e.g. no SUVs). So between gas in the cars and the increase in groceries that's almost $300 a month...and we damn sure haven't gotten $300 a month in raises since then. We're definitely feeling the pinch!

[verdalaven]

33. How do you keep your grocery bill so low?

We buy exactly what we need for meals and spend between $100 and $150 a WEEK on food. Share your secrets! :)

[lildreamer316]

45. Please see reply #43 - n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

52. We clock in at $105/week

It's pretty consistent, regardless of varied menus and occasional "big ticket" items like olive oil. Yesterday was $104.68.

I haven't really noticed an uptick over the last few months. In at about $105 consistently since August.

[conflictgirl]

82. Oh no, we spend approximately what you do!

Our food costs have gone up BY $100 a month, not TO $100 a month :)

We actually spend about $125 a week for food and misc items like laundry detergent, shampoo, etc. Until prices went up we could do it for $100 a week.

[verdalaven]

92. Oh, darn it!

I was really looking forward to some major tips on frugal living! :P

[Midlodemocrat]

88. Wow. I'm jealous. I spend roughly $500-600 a week on food.

And, that's not a lot of prepared stuff. I cook every night. Teenaged son. Ugh.

[Saphire]

103. Holy Crap!! What are you feeding the boy???? I have a teen son

AND a teen daughter AND a hubby and I only spend $120.00 a week (Note: I used to spend about $70.00)

[Midlodemocrat]

104. There are a total of five of us.

I must be doing something very wrong, that's for sure.

[Liberty Belle]

29. Time to grow as much of your own food as you can.

Plant a garden. Get your neighbors to do so, too, with different crops, then share.

Even in small spaces, you can grow quite a bit. Train beans or peas up fences. instead of ornamental shrubs, plant cabbage.



We have 14 fruit trees and a 400 square foot garden. In good years, we rarely have to buy produce at the store, except for cold-weather crops we can't grow in California.

Our 2 orchards have several kinds of oranges, lemons, grapefruit, plums, nectarines, kumquats, avocados and macadamia nuts. We also have blackberry and grapevines. Our garden typically includes tomatoes, peppers, onions, zucchini, cucumbers, beans, radishes, lettuce, spinach, beets, and more.

Our lot is only about 2/3 of an acre and we still have a big lawn and lots of shade trees.

If zoning permits, consider raising a few chickens for the eggs. You might also take up fishing to catch your own dinner.

[verdalaven]

31. Grocery shopping is scary these days

I spent $100 for three people/one week's worth of food yesterday, and was relieved it wasn't higher. That was the lowest amount I have spent in weeks. Fresh fruit and vegetables are the worst-I spent $2.86 for 2 heads of lettuce(!) that were not organic, just heads of lettuce. That hurt. I can hardly wait for the farmer's market this year.

[democrank]

34. Food is going nowhere but up around here.

Can`t wait to plant a garden. Bought the minimum 125 gallons of kerosene Friday for....$4.00 a gallon!

[KingOfLostSouls]

35. I hear ya

groceries are crazy but you know, it just depends on a couple things. the main thing is always buy the store brand. I don't care if its ketchup, mustard, hashbrowns, whatever. I shop at safeway and usually their store brand is better than the other stuff. buy a brita or something to purify water instead of getting bottled water. learn to cut the treats back. I'm a sucker for coke, so I buy in bulk at costco. its cheaper usually since they just put them in the lil crates instead of the big packages. I've found Safeway and Kroger food stores usually have the best deals for the quality out here on the west coast.

veggie wise, shop around, look for deals. its all generally the same if you buy canned veggies like corn or green beans. learn to cook stuff for yourself. if you're on the go like I am usually, find stuff thats really easy to whip together in a hurry. I learned in college that taco bell and ramen were usually more expensive than buying beef in bulk and butchering it myself, and boiling up a bunch of spuds and keeping the ones I needed. learn to make simple stuff that'll keep like chili and stews. you can make a big kettle of good chili for cheap, the most expensive thing is usually the beef. just soak the beans, dice up some peppers, toss some curry pepper in and some browned beef and you can munch on that for days. you can subsitute diced ham for beef also. buy stuff in bulk that'll keep at costco like beans or rice.

and if you live out in the country like I do, learn to hunt. game is better for you anyways. fresh pheasant and duck is way better than hormone loaded chicken from tyson. and a box of shells will buy you a freezer full of meat for the year. maybe the kucinich supporters will get mad at you for shooting bambi, but goddamn if it doesn't taste good. if that doesn't work, call some ranchers, see what it'd cost to buy a whole cow or hog or something. talk to local butchers the usually have better deals sometimes than the stores, just have them chop up what you need and freeze it.

[npincus]

36. Damn Striaight! I can't f*cking believe it, either!

I DO shop almost everyday (live about 30 feet from a supermarket) and it is fricking SHOCKING...

[FunkyLeprechaun]

37. One of the things in British society

Is to buy things that are in season. It's cheaper when in season. If not, it gets more expensive. Have you seen Kitchen Nightmares? Gordon Ramsay aims to bring down the cost of the food in the restaurant by buying in season foods.

I just bought a cookbook called Cheat by Delia Smith and she emphasises buying in season. I've only just grasped this concept here so I don't know if it's true stateside.

[TreasonousBastard]

38. Parly true here, but...

we've developed systems to move food around so fast and cheaply that it often doesn't make any difference. Too many places, like here in the Northeast, have abandoned much of the local truck farm acreage to housing and malls so "in season" doesn't mean much any more. Since we've moved much of our vegetable prosduction to Florida and California, it doesn't really cost that much more to move spinach from Argentina or yellow peppers from Holland.

The local farmers who are left around here often charge more for their produce than the grocery stores. The major markets can get the cheapest prices from anywhere in the world and that could be lower than local production cost. Some farmers here are organic, and others just claim freshness to charge a premium for their produce.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

39. Hmm

The emphasis should be on seasonal foods. I would have thought foods shipped in from other countries would be more expensive than local produce. There really should be more focus on local farmers.

We don't have our milk delivered here but there are plenty of people who get their milk delivered by a local farmer (even our SPAR sells local milk in those glass bottles). The big chains really try to promote local produce here. They do sell foods from other countries but they try to promote the local farmers.

[TreasonousBastard]

40. Well, the truth is that there just...

aren't enough local farmers in the Northeast to feed the local population.

Fer instance, my county, Suffolk, NY, has about 1 1/2 million people and one small dairy farm that I know of with most of that milk going for designer cheeses. Next closest dairy farm I can think of is in New Jersey.

We gave up on Long Island Ducklings, with maybe two small duck producers left who are just barely hanging on. Potatos? Cabbages? Fugeddaboudit-- costs of farming here make it almost impossible to meet the prices of other areas. There once was something called the Long Island Cauliflower Association and A&P had a warehouse out here, but that sort of thing is long gone. The smarter farmers who still want to farm are growing specialty items and charging top dollar for them. They also make soups and pies, or anything else with value added. Sod farms and vineyards are big, too.

I remember a while back when farmland in New Jersey was going for $10,000 an acre and only devlopers could afford that. Well, if you're close enough to the water out here, your farm could go for up to a hundred thousand an acre and if your kids aren't interested in driving a tractor at 6 AM, whaddaya gonna do?

Pennsylvania and upstate New York still have a lot of farmland, but they're feeling the pinch, too, and some farmers are going belly up and/or selling out to developers. The present housing crash is stopping that, but nobody expects it to stop forever.

[marions ghost]

65. the big chains here

don't support local farmers. The only place you find local produce, dairy and other food is at small specialty food markets or farmers markets, which are more expensive. There are local bakeries and usually they are a pretty good deal.

But I agree with your main point that if we did support local farmers more, then food should be cheaper from them in season. We are just so far away from that ideal in America. I mean it's just ridiculous for us to eat fish from Vietnam and tomatoes from Holland. You can't get pineapples from Hawaii anymore--they all come from Asia now. Produce from Mexico and South America makes a little more sense.

At least we should get our staples --dairy, eggs, vegetables, meat and fish--from local farms and sources. In America, I think "local" means anywhere within the state or the neighboring state.

[AngryOldDem]

42. I know what you're talking about.

I go when I need basic necessities and rarely have a full cart. Everytime it seems the cost goes up roughly $10. Saturday, when I had to buy mainly household stuff (light bulbs, TP, etc.) along with two or three food items, I paid nearly $52. Just bullshit.

[annabanana]

46. The Supermarket is the "Front Line" in the war against the

American consumer.

The things you need are on the bottom shelf, because premiums are paid to put impulse buys at eye level.

The package you are used to buying has shrunk a little. (A pound of coffee is now 11 ounces, the price is "the same as it always was". . It just doesn't seem to last quite as long)

and of course the oldest standby

Bread, milk & eggs are the farthest away from the door, so you have to walk the entire store, with it's PROVEN "buy friendly" music and it's PROVEN "buy friendly displays" to see to it that "bread, milk and eggs" aren't the only things carried to the checkout.

[dysfunctional press]

49. people need to learn how to shop.

i generally try to buy ONLY sale items...i don't go to the store with any kind of set list, and i don't have any "brand loyalty". we eat very well, and grocery shopping doesn't bust our budget.

[Vinca]

66. I'm a coupon clipper, so today I took a coupon for a bag of free cat

food to the store with me. The coupon said it was worth up to $1.99 for a pouch of the new brand of cat food. I found the stuff and the cheapest bag was about $5.99 . . . so much for that idea.

[slackmaster]

73. Single here too, and I try to buy in big quantities as often as possible

My freezer is stuffed.

[AlCzervik]

74. how in the hell is there a deleted sub thread here?

[marmar]

78. I don't know....I missed whatever the subthread was.

.... And I suspect that I'd be happier not knowing.

[Rex]

77. hyperstagnation and hyperinflation. We just might be watching our

next great jump from paying 65 cents for a can of soda, to paying a dollar per can. That is just a mild example. Gas - not to long ago it was under 2 bucks and now, soon to be summer will bring us 4 dollars a gallon. In some places it is already there. We might be looking at a run on the banks and grocery stores, every fundamental item will now cost more and our money is in freefall. Hopefully it doesn't depreciate like the Peso did. If we are not careful, the Peso will become worth more than our dollar.

[Mountainman]

79. Yesterday we went to Cosco to buy things in bulk that we usually buy in less quantities.

It cost a lot initially but we have a lot of food for less than we paid at the grocery two weeks ago.
We bought lots of non perishables and a few perishables but we can freeze most of them.

[sarcasmo]

85. $7.00 for two gallons of milk today. When many of us average 8-12 bucks an hour that

doesn't allow for a whole lot of savings.

[Chovexani]

86. I hear that. I'm glad I don't have kids for this reason.

I think a large problem too is people don't know how to cook anymore, and it's hitting them in the wallet. I'm 26 and I see a lot of people my age having a hard time with food bills largely because they don't know how to cook, so they are more reliant on fast food, casual dining restaurants and frozen microwave crap for sustenance. Staples like bread and milk have gone up, to be sure, but one thing I've really noticed lately is the way processed crap has skyrocketed. And as someone else said up thread, the packaging is shrinking so you get less of it even though you're paying more. Learning how to cook can really save you money, because then you don't need to rely so much "convenience" food. Not to mention the fact that it's better for you.

Case in point are those pre-made marinades. They're expensive as hell and filled with lots of sodium, high fructose corn syrup and all kinds of nasty ass preservatives. A good marinade is fast and incredibly simple to make from scratch. Even on my busy schedule, I can manage it. Just toss your meat of choice in some olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs (I keep an herb garden on my balcony and I'm considering expanding it).

One suggestion I've made a lot on these threads is if you really can't do without fast food, invest in the Top Secret Recipes cookbooks. The guy who writes them has been on Oprah and a few other shows, basically he reverse engineers popular fast food/chain restaurant food so that you can make it at home. I swear by those books--not only is it far cheaper to make this stuff at home, but because you can control the ingredients that go into it, you can make far healthier alternatives.

[Fireweed247]

96. I agree- people have lost the ability to cook

So many people rely on boxes and mixes, once you pick up some spices and start experimenting, it opens whole new worlds.

[Digit]

93. Krogers gives people seniors over 50 discounts on Tuesdays

I don't know if it is nationwide, but check your local grocery store to see if they offer these.
Add coupons to this and it can help somewhat.

[marmar]

95. I'm 35, so I'm not quite there yet....

:)

[leftofthedial]

98. but there is no inflation (because pretty much nothing is counted

in the inflation statistics), so the rich repuke fed can feel good about lowering interest rates for their rich repuke buddies again

[better tomorrow]

102. I started a new coupon thread.....

to help you all. Buy one get one 7 UP there. See the link -- It's the Economy, Stupid -- Coupons and then add some of your own if you know of them.