Higher prices on six grocery items

[Opti]

  Think I should consider making tuna salad with something other than mayo. Only the store brand price is reasonable.
Short slide show.


www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/6-grocery-items-that-will-surge-in-price-this-year-experts-say/ss-AASnEMp?ocid=msedgntp#image=2

CNBC reported that beef and veal prices have risen dramatically over the past year, up by 20.1%. The news site suggested that the pandemic caused a major slowdown in beef production, and this extends to all types of meat including seafood and pork.

[Tiny]

I have noticed the uptick in the price of chicken. I rarely buy beef so I suspect I will be "pearl clutching" shocked the next time I buy ground beef. It was close to $5.00 per pound before the pandemic... I'm guessing it will be $8 or $10 per pound when I go to purchase it again.

Eggs have gone up - but they are still not outrageous. I've seen higher prices on eggs (as in Aldi eggs at $1.75 a dozen when they are typically under a $1.00). The current price of Aldi eggs is $1.25 the price has been slowly creeping up since last Spring when they were .78 a dozen.

I have also noticed the uptick in the price of veggies at Aldi (my Aldi has a very good fresh fruit and veggies section. I hear that not all Aldis do. )

I was shopping for groceries with a friend at Target before Christmas and I was appalled at the high prices on their fruit and veggies... two times the price of my local Aldi (and it wasn't organic veggie/fruits).

That experience "explained" past complaints from friends about "high prices" and why they are now really complaining about prices. A friend lamented their grocery bill almost doubled.

My Aldi bill has gone up a couple of bucks - not enough to hurt me. But I can see where even that "small" increase would be painful for some folks who shop Aldi out of need.

[Tiny]

As I am single - I use the packets of mayo that came with a purchased premade sandwich from the grocery or that I swiped from the office cafe to make tuna and egg salad. I so rarely use mayo that I stopped buying it - as I was annoyed by having to throw away a nearly full container once it was way past it's best by date.

I have thought about making my own mayo... I usually have eggs and then some "acid" like lemons or wine or rice vinegar... but I haven't bothered. I still have 4 packs of mayo - enough for 1 more round of tuna or egg salad. Once those are gone I may make my own mayo.

Or I'll just use greek yogurt with some add ins (I usually have that in the fridge.)

[bookkeeper]

I worked in the beef industry for 12 years.  There is no slow down in production for the beef industry.  Every calf that is born is part of the chain, whether as breeding stock or as fat cattle.  The reason for the increased price of beef is the higher price of corn (the main feedstock for beef in the north) and the higher price of diesel fuel.  Meat packing corporations are also making record profits during the pandemic.  Fun fact, most every large meatpacking corporation is owned by foreign investors.  Mainly owners from China and Korea.

Corn in the plains states is going for around $5.75/bu.  A steer getting close to 1200 pounds will eat 40 to 50 pounds of feed (mostly corn) every day.  Everything meat animals eat has to be trucked to where they are being finished.  When they are fat, the animals must be trucked to the packing plant. The price of diesel fuel is a big player in crop and animal production.

Egg production also responds to corn and diesel prices.  Corn has been high all the past year and the price of eggs really didn't move up until August that I noticed.  Most egg producers contract their corn for feed months or a year in advance to lock in commodity price.  

Pork production is a different business.  Hogs have 8 to 10 piglets each litter.  Many small pigs die in the farrowing and fattening process.  Hogs also mostly eat corn and again all foodstuffs must be trucked to them.  Most hogs are trucked from a farrowing operation to a fattening barn and then to the packer.  Diesel fuel is again a large expense in production.

I find it interesting that the talking heads on TV cry about inflation, but often focus on the food industry instead of the oil and energy industry.  I think the increasing cost of fuel is the main cause of our inflation.  Wages are going up too, but in the livestock industry, raising wages even 50% would hardly be noticed on a balance sheet compared to the price of corn going up 30%

[bookkeeper]

The price of cereal going up is a red herring.  The box costs more than the contents inside to produce.  Diesel fuel and advertising are large costs in that industry.  Cereal manufacturers have also had record profits during the pandemic.  That is why the union workers at Kellogs plants were striking.  Nothing was trickling down to the workers on the production line. These are the same workers that were asked to work nonstop during the beginning of the pandemic.  Kellogs was going to hire replacement workers to break the strike.  Whoops there weren't any replacement workers during a labor shortage.  Management eventually conceded more money to the striking workers.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Meat is the only price increase I've noticed.  I often get 1/4 (or maybe it's a half, I can't remember) of beef for "free" in exchange for the neighbors planting corn on my field, so I don't buy a lot of beef.  But, the chicken is definitely more.

[raeoflyte]

Jan 3, 2022 10:49:24 GMT -5 bookkeeper said:

I worked in the beef industry for 12 years.  There is no slow down in production for the beef industry.  Every calf that is born is part of the chain, whether as breeding stock or as fat cattle.  The reason for the increased price of beef is the higher price of corn (the main feedstock for beef in the north) and the higher price of diesel fuel.  Meat packing corporations are also making record profits during the pandemic.  Fun fact, most every large meatpacking corporation is owned by foreign investors.  Mainly owners from China and Korea.

Corn in the plains states is going for around $5.75/bu.  A steer getting close to 1200 pounds will eat 40 to 50 pounds of feed (mostly corn) every day.  Everything meat animals eat has to be trucked to where they are being finished.  When they are fat, the animals must be trucked to the packing plant. The price of diesel fuel is a big player in crop and animal production.

Egg production also responds to corn and diesel prices.  Corn has been high all the past year and the price of eggs really didn't move up until August that I noticed.  Most egg producers contract their corn for feed months or a year in advance to lock in commodity price.  

Pork production is a different business.  Hogs have 8 to 10 piglets each litter.  Many small pigs die in the farrowing and fattening process.  Hogs also mostly eat corn and again all foodstuffs must be trucked to them.  Most hogs are trucked from a farrowing operation to a fattening barn and then to the packer.  Diesel fuel is again a large expense in production.

I find it interesting that the talking heads on TV cry about inflation, but often focus on the food industry instead of the oil and energy industry.  I think the increasing cost of fuel is the main cause of our inflation.  Wages are going up too, but in the livestock industry, raising wages even 50% would hardly be noticed on a balance sheet compared to the price of corn going up 30%

I have a plot in our small family farm that crops corn and soy beans. Prices are definitely up.

[andi9899]

I only eat beef a couple of times a year, so I'm not worried about it. I eat a ton of fish and birds. I hardly ever eat mayo or cereal so I'm not really worried about it.

[jerseygirl]

I often use sour cream either instead of or supplementing Mayo
I’ve also switched to store brands for a number of items
My mom and grandma would be horrified that I’m using store brand instead of Hellmans Mayo
I also go to an indoor Farmers market often and the price of fruit is more than double in the grocery stores
We eat more seafood than meat. Seems fish and shrimp are increased but not as much as beef. Maybe because NJ is closer to ocean than beef raising areas?

[NoNamePerson]

Jan 3, 2022 12:01:41 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

I often use sour cream either instead of or supplementing Mayo
I’ve also switched to store brands for a number of items
My mom and grandma would be horrified that I’m using store brand instead of Hellmans Mayo
I also go to an indoor Farmers market often and the price of fruit is more than double in the grocery stores
We eat more seafood than meat. Seems fish and shrimp are increased but not as much as beef. Maybe because NJ is closer to ocean than beef raising areas?

I understand their pain    I only use Hellmans but I buy it when Publix puts it on BOGO I paid $2.60 for 30 oz. jar last week. I'm not a meat/poultry/pork eater but do consume tons of seafood. Son keeps me in salmon, halibut and some yellow fish from Alaska. I have to pony up for Shrimp and catfish. I've noticed a little increase in some fresh produce but not as much as some around the country have written about. I do local produce stands when I can and we have lots of them here. I did notice that the whole baby bella mushrooms went from $2.08 to $1.98 for the small container - I didn't question it since I use lots of mushrooms but figured must be computer glitch

[TheOtherMe]

I don't eat meat so don't watch the prices.

My BIL is a hog producer.  He buys piglets and raises them in farrowing houses.  It must be doing okay as his grandson is going in with him on the next batch of pigs.

[nidena]

When it comes to groceries, I just roll with the increases.  Instead, I buy fewer magazines from the Impulse section at the checkout.  Or I cut my hair so that I'm using less shampoo.

I buy the ginormous container of Hellman's at Costco.  I also get the three-pack of Large Red Gold ketchup there.  The local Krogers sell only the smaller bottles which I find surprising but not really.  Hunts has more marketing $ to buy more shelf space.  Red Gold probably doesn't have nearly as much so they get one faceout of one size.

I think the eggs I get--18-counts--are just over $1 but I'd still buy them because I'm still going to eat them.

Having lived in Coastal states--California, Washington, and Delaware--it really helps put some perspective on "expensive" now that I live in the Midwest.

[susana1954]

Mayo is one of those items that the grocery stores often run as a loss leader to get you into the store.  I bought a 64-oz container of it at Costco about a month ago for $4.99.  I use a lot of mayo since I use it for cooking, homemade dressings and dips, etc.

I buy my meat (which is only ground beef) when it is on sale and freeze it.  If you buy the family packs, you get a better price.  I also only use half as much since I am using it for spaghetti, chili, casseroles, etc.

Eggs were really expensive the last time I bought them--$2.50 for a dozen of Publix brand.  But I only use them for baking except when my sister is here.  Even then, I am making 3 eggs instead of 4 to save money.

Little things like that really help.

[kadee79]

Susana...I buy whole sirloin tips when they are on sale & have them ground.  It comes out WAY cheaper than most store's prices on ground beef even when the store has a sale.  Also, since this if more lean (generally 3%-7% fat), you can use less in your recipes cause there isn't the same amount of shrinkage.  And I freeze it in zip bags, flattened out so that it thaws very quickly that way & also stacks better in the freezer.  I also know that the ground meat came from only 1 animal and that nothing else has been added back into it (think pink slime).

[daisylu]

I could not get to the article through the link, but it seems as if everything in the grocery store is going up. Our biggest grocery store had very low amounts of chicken available yesterday, and no BSCB. I usually buy the family pack and divide it before freezing.

Like @kadee76, I also buy other cuts of beef when they are on sale or marked down and use my Ninja food processor to "ground" it up.

[laterbloomer]

I'm noticing the increased prices. I am low carb so I can't fill in with pasta and breads. It's making me really vigilant about food waste. Thank God for cabbage and frozen veggies.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I noticed it real bad this time.  I buy hardly anything processed and tend to avoid brand names for all but a handful of items where it turns out it actually does matter.   I don't even feel like I bought anything this trip and it still came out to over $300.  I almost had a heart attack at the total.

Add in that a large amount of produce is rotten before it even leaves the store.  I had carrots rot less than 24 hours after I brought them home, but yet I am paying more.   I get why it's happening but that doesn't make it any less frustrating.  I've gone back to more frozen and canned.   I will hang off on fresh until the Farmer's Markets open back up in the summer.

Also planning on doing my own gardening.  With my brother's help last year I successfully grew really nice flower beds in my front yard.  I feel confident enough now to tackle some vegetables.  

I have been making a lot of soups and will probably stick with that through winter because it makes a lot of leftovers.  I usually cook meals that have leftovers anyhow but soup really stretches things out.

I may have to rethink going back to shopping at multiple stores to get the best deals.  I stopped doing it after having the kids because it's so labor/time intensive but no one store around here has a corner on lower prices.  Alidi is still good for basics but their produce is HORRIBLE.  There was mold building an advanced civilization in their green bean display. 

[daisylu]

I have heard that complaint about Aldi produce online a lot. We must have a good one because their produce is usually comparable to the farmers markets in this area. 

We do not have a ton of options for groceries around here, within 40 miles of home:

2 Walmarts
2 Targets
Several Giants
1 Aldi
1 Food Lion (my preferred store, but is 20 miles in the opposite direction of work)
3 international markets (which I love! But you definitely can not get everything there.)

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

We have a small grocery section in our Target but JFC, who do they think they are Whole Foods!?   I'm guessing produce doesn't move often at a Target because it's usually pretty bad.

Alidi was doing really good until all the shipping and transporting stuff happened now we're back to garbage. Every grocery store around here has sorry overpriced produce at the moment.  So far SuperSaver is the one where I don't have to throw out 99% of it as soon as I get it home, I can at least use some of it.

Frozen is still a good price and so are some canned items.  I'm not picky and don't consider them to be substandard.   It's not going to hurt us to be on a smaller variety of stuff for awhile till we see what happens with the markets in the summer.

[wvugurl26]

I cut back on Aldi produce over the summer. It was going bad faster than normal. I think it goes bad so fast due to how they store it. While it is cheaper than Safeway, broccoli, peppers, etc from there will last me for weeks in the fridge.

If I use it up within a week or so I'm usually good with the Aldi stuff. The milk price is through the roof at Aldi, $3.70/gallon. Fortunately there are cheaper options in town.

[geenamercile]

I have noticed it on meats, but not to much else here.  We have an Aldi and a Lidl.  I tend to go to the Lidl, it is like .15 miles closer.  But ours still have signs up saying local produce on things so I wonder if that has something to do with it?  I haven't noticed an issue with the fresh produce.  I can still get the family pack of chicken breast for 1.99 here, which keeps the oldest in chicken for the week.  Youngest eats a more of a variety of stuff.  I have had to cut back with her whims of I want this and this, and then eats it a few days, decides she doesn't like it and lets it sit until it goes bad.  Eggs prices always jump around here, we go between 3.00 for 60 to 6.00 for sixty depending on the time of the year, but that has been the trend for a few years now.  Beef has seem to gone up, although Lidl had the sale the other day on ground beef with there 1lb packages BOGO for 5.99.  I do like Lidl's 1/2 and 1/2 mix of spring mix/spinach which I eat a lot of with something on top.  I have thought of going in for 1/2 a cow or some of the farm shares around here, but just not sure the girls and I would eat it.  I kind of like picking out what veggies I want vs getting a surprise box for the week.  But I am looking forward to the farmer market opening up again too.  

[geenamercile]

Jan 4, 2022 10:34:10 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

I cut back on Aldi produce over the summer. It was going bad faster than normal. I think it goes bad so fast due to how they store it. While it is cheaper than Safeway, broccoli, peppers, etc from there will last me for weeks in the fridge.

If I use it up within a week or so I'm usually good with the Aldi stuff. The milk price is through the roof at Aldi, $3.70/gallon. Fortunately there are cheaper options in town.

A gallon of milk at the country store from local farmers that is way better then what is in the stores ends up being 5.00.  Of course you do have to pay the deposit on the glass bottles, but you get that back when you return them.