Grocery prices lately...

[yogi]

Yes! I'm glad I'm not the only one who has noticed a big hike in grocery prices within the past couple of weeks. Egg and bread prices are getting out of hand...

[tobyradloff]

Dec 27, 2010 12:06:11 GMT -5 @wrongsideof30 said:

Has anyone noticed that the price of groceries has increased significantly over the past few weeks? Most of the staples that I buy -milk, eggs, peanut butter, have all gone up in price. Is it because gas prices are increasing? I'm in the metro Detroit area. Are others noticing this too?

When a grocery competitor is lost, prices tend to go up, especially at the remaining chains that will gain from that competitor leaving the market. Since you are from Detroit, I assume that the loss of Farmer Jack has led to higher prices at Kroger and Meijer. It was that way in Cleveland, right after Tops closed, Giant Eagle and others raised their prices. Same story in Columbus, when Big Bear left...Kroger and others picked up the slack while raising prices. Gas prices have something to do with it as well, with gas well over $3 everywhere now, and diesel fuel in the $3.30-$3.40 range now....with over $4 predicted by next summer. Still, I look for sales and specials, and use my Giant Eagle card to get the Fuelperks to save on my gas bills. Other factors, such as droughts and freezes can affect food prices.

[quotequeen]

Dec 27, 2010 15:19:17 GMT -5 The J said:

Dec 27, 2010 15:15:01 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

You guys doing this all wrong. If you are spending more than $10 on 500 items, than you spending too much, just ask SuziQ ;D

You have no idea how much my roommate eats. He's like a family of four all to himself!

I hope he pays a larger share of the grocery bill!

[The J]

When we do the big shopping trips (every 2-3 weeks or so), we split it 50/50. The rest of the time, whomever goes to the store to pick up a couple of little things pays. He does that more often, so he's definitely paying more.

[meginphilly]

I've noticed that baking staples (flour, sugar, eggs, butter) have gone up. I think this is due to retailers knowing conusmers will still buy them for holiday cooking without regard to the price. Produce is also more expensive, but that is largely due to the weather. Most other items have remained the same.

You can grow arugula at home, even in the cold. Just put a plastic window well cover over it. Instant cold frame.

[floridayankee]

Dec 27, 2010 15:15:01 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

If you are spending more than $10 on 500 items......

I'm not sure I'd even want to be in the same building as beer that only cost $0.02 each.

[sidney]

I have been complaining to my dh that I am having a hard time sticking to our grocery budget. I'm glad to know it's not just me. We recently bought a 1/2 cow and we buy a pig every year. We should only have to buy chicken and fish, so hopefully that helps with the budget.

[Deleted]

I've noticed prices have gone up. We also hosted several holiday events (with dietary needs ranging from vegan to allergies) and I'm traumatized by December grocery bill.

[Value Buy]

If I invite a Vegan, I tell them, they are on their own as far food.
Nothing more than a minimum veggie tray.
It is their lifestyle preference, not mine.

[boosmom]

Dec 27, 2010 14:10:58 GMT -5 kgb18 said:

I just went grocery shopping on my lunch break. $236 later I'd like to say prices have gone up.

out of curiosity, are these all non-perishable items? Or do you stop by home to put the food in the fridge? .

on another note: wow, did someone add different smiley faces overnight?

[resolution]

Our grocer has a sign up in the produce department saying they are having problems getting some veggies due to the weather, and also that the quality of the tomatoes is below their normal standards. When we go tonight I will probably just end up getting the canned tomatoes for my big pot of chili, although I really prefer to use fresh ones. They also haven't been able to get in smoked gouda for some reason. When I asked about it at the deli counter they said they keep ordering it and it doesn't show up.

[kgb18]

out of curiosity, are these all non-perishable items? Or do you stop by home to put the food in the fridge? .

There are perishables, and I'm an hour away from home. It's so stinking cold here that everything stayed cold/frozen in between shopping and the 3 1/2 hours it took me to get home. If it's a cool day, but not cold, I buy those insulated shopping bags and bring ice packs to keep stuff cold until I get home. But once the temperature starts to get above 60 degrees I can't do that either.

Of course since this is my last day at this job, I won't have to cram grocery shopping in on my lunch break any more. I'll have a new work schedule that will allow me to shop like a regular person.

[boosmom]

Of course since this is my last day at this job, I won't have to cram grocery shopping in on my lunch break any more. I'll have a new work schedule that will allow me to shop like a regular person.

Actually, it's kind of neat that you can get it done during your "work day". After work, I'm pretty tired by then. At the new job, maybe you can still do it at lunch but just get to drop it off at home before going back to work! Have a great last day!

Prices have been getting higher for a while around here. But what really got me was the newest rates for my employer's health insurance. Luckily we get coverage via DH.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Butter prices have definitely increased as has Pepsi!
Darn my husband's caffiene addiction!

[Deleted]

stuff has definitely gotten more expensive. We need to go food shopping badly, but since our old car got totaled we only have one car - which I need to go to work (DH is off this week). And the blizzard made sure we didn't go shopping ). So on my way home I'm picking up tortillas, tortilla chips (part of tonight's dinner), and milk. The only store on the way is Stop and Shop, so I bet I'll spend close to $10 on just those 3 things.

[breezy]

I haven't tracked the cost of individual items at the grocery store. But, I do keep a budget, and I have noticed that what I'm spending is increasing slightly each month. I have definitely felt the impact of the higher prices at the pump. I filled up at BP last night, and they have a loyalty promo going on right now - so that helps.

[The Home 6]

I am BIG into baking, and last week when Wal-mart had butter for $2/ pound, I bought 6 pounds. I remember when I first got my Sam's Club membership a few years ago, I could buy 4 pounds of butter for $5.50 or so. Now it is up near $12. It's crazy!

[Nazgul Girl]

I [glow=red,2,300][/glow] noticed that the price on a little packet of tuna fish was $2 when I was making my lunch for work today. YIKES !

[wvugurl26]

That better be one hell of a haul at Costco for $500 J!
I did spend $800 at Sams Club one time but it was all on wine for a friend's parents who were paying us back. They were so concerned we were going to resell it. They obviously hadn't met the family!
I'd say stuff has gone up but I just moved to a new area. Really good sale prices are about the same or better than what I was used to but regular prices seem higher. I spent $40 stocking up on produce and dairy when I returned from my Florida trip.
I will say the milk quality is pretty bad here. Kroger's is good for a week past the expiration date. Here I need to throw it out before the expiration date.
Of course my closest stores are Whole Foods and another organic market and they have tons of things I never knew I needed. My stepbrother (former chef) does not help either with having all this stuff for us to try. Does anyone really need 20 year aged Gouda at $33/lb?
The more conventional stores like Giant aren't as close and are in so so neighborhoods. Which would be fine if it was daylight when I got off work.

[The J]

It will be. Some of are supplies that will last for some time -- for example, we've managed to run out of canola oil, peanut oil and are super low on olive oil, all at the same time.

[wvugurl26]

I don't even think those jugs would fit in any of my cabinets. I have next to no space in my kitchen. Heck a regular sized bottle of canola oil only fits on 1 shelf out all of the ones in my kitchen cabinets. I haven't done any big shopping trips since I moved in. I need to fill in some odds and ends so I can make actual meals. That's going to hurt considering $40 wasn't even a big trip.
My brother buys the big buckets of laundry detergent. I have zero room for stuff like that anymore. Mom did finally renew the sams club membership. My brother pays for ours but mom has to do it bc its under her business one.
Something's odd the 2 lb bag of romaine is now only $1.62 at Sams Club. I can't buy a little bag for that so even if some goes bad its a better deal.

[The J]

While I have a distinct lack of cabinet space, I do have a small pantry and a roommate who is a tetris master. I also have a little storage space in the laundry room (more of a closet really), and some stuff can get stacked in the corner of the kitchen (it's a pretty big kitchen, just no cabinet and counter space).

[wvugurl26]

I was the tetris master at the townhouse. Of course I had a pantry and a deep freezer to work with. And a garage to store the pop, bottled water, and vitamin water.
Pop and water's currently sitting in my living room bc there's no other good place for it. I could go for less dining room/living room space (its enormous) and a little more kitchen space. Hopefully I will find something much better next fall.

[The J]

I keep wanting to get a chest freezer. Then again, I also want to hang some cabinets. That hasn't happened either.

[wvugurl26]

The townhouse was pretty poorly, cheaply, quickly constructed. The cabinet over the fridge literally fell off the wall one day. Fortunately it landed on top of the fridge. Still a huge mess bc we had some pretty empty wine bottles up on top of the cabinet. It wasn't destroyed and my dad put it back up, bracing it like it should have been originally.

[The J]

Geez. Mine's well built, it's just that they decided, for some reason, that they would only put counterspace and cabinets on one wall (the same wall with the sink, dishwasher, fridge and stove), even though it's an eat-in kitchen

[wvugurl26]

Fixable then and fairly easily with those carts/island type thingys.

[The J]

I have a butcher block table right now, which helps, and a short dresser that I use for some extra storage. I've considered hanging a couple of shelves with hooks for my pots and pans, to open up more cabinet space.

It's more just getting around to doing it.

[pushingit]

Food is cheap and abundant in America. Quit whining!

[pushingit]

According to this: www.visualeconomics.com/how-the-average-us-consumer-spends-their-paycheck/

We spent less in 2010 than 2009 on food. Quit yer bitchin'.