My trip to the grocery store yesterday-higher gas prices impacting food

[AllieB]

prices. Is anyone else starting to see the impact of higher fuel prices and energy costs on the price of food?

I'm the food shopper in my family, and I actually keep some receipts from year to year to monitor food prices. I tend to shop in both discount stores, farmers markets, and places like Whole Foods (I know, "Whole Paycheck") for meat and Trader Joe's for other things. We buy roughly the same things every week, and here's a brief synopsis of my findings:

-Organic Chicken: price has increased 60 cents per lb since last July
-Nuts: almonds and pecans have increased about 90 cents-$1.10 per pound since last July
-Vegetables: depending on the type, I'm seeing between a 50 cent to $1.00 per pound increase over last summer. Sometimes these prices are seasonal, but things like organic greens seem to be available year round.
-Paper goods: I used to buy the 8-pack of paper towels at 2 for $10, and now a good sale price is 2/$11
-Splurges: Pellegino water at Costco used to be $9.99 per case (12 bottles), and now it's $12.99 per case a year later. Maybe this is more to do with the weak dollar abroad.

We may have to cut back our purchases, which is difficult. I'm interested in the experiences of other DUers.

[meegbear]

1. Organic Chicken? Pellegino water?

Maybe you should cut back on where you shop.

[AllieB]

11. Notice I said Costco for Pellegrino Water

We only eat organic/free-range meat. I have Lymne disease, so I try to eat as clean as possible.

[catabryna]

17. We are all entitled to a splurge

when we work hard for our money. My splurge? Good coffee and imported beers.

And, I don't consider organic chicken to be a splurge if one can afford it. It's a healthier way to go in terms of what we put in our bodies and the lessened environmental impact of organic farming practices.

[AllieB]

25. Exactly, catabryna

I try to buy organic when possible, and frequent our local farmers markets here, though our growing season in short compared to the South and California. I don't trust commercially-raised meat at all.

[meegbear]

31. I'd love to eat organic food myself sunshine ...

but reality kicks in. I smoke cigars, but I don't expect sympathy from poeple if I say I can't buy a $300 box of cigars and have to settle for an $85 one.

[catabryna]

32. Trust me...

I know where you are coming from; there are many things that I had to forgoe at different times in my life based on whatever "reality" was presented at the time. At the moment, my reality is better in one way (financially) and worse in others (I lost my husband to cancer and have a 5 year old boy to raise on my own).

Your post seems to be implying that the OP is whining. I don't think that is the case; it is someone trying to spell out how the present economic situation has affected his/her purchasing ability. The types of items purchased aren't really the issue. In any event, it certainly didn't appear that he/she was asking for you to sympathise.

[AllieB]

33. I'm sorry about your husband

:hug:

And yes, I wasn't looking for sympathy, just stating how much less purchasing power I have now.

[SpiralHawk]

38. If you consider the hormones and chemicals you get with "regular" chicken

Then it is a hell of a lot cheaper in the long run to each clean chicken, and clean food in general.

The industrialized food product set out massively before the American public causes weak, toxic bodies that are VULNERABLE to all kinds of nasty, cronic shit.

Eat clean food. For me that's a bottom line.

[GoneOffShore]

44. Organic is better value

If you have kept up with some of the latest research you will find that there are around 30% fewer nutrients in factory farm raised vegetables than there are in organics. Big agri business is growing more and giving you less.

Also check out the study mentioned in the NYT (sorry no link) about the correlation between nutrition and violent behaviour.

[MadMaddie]

2. Yea...I have noticed the price increases on the West Coast....

Head of lettuce $1.49.....it's crazy...

[BiggJawn]

3. Yes.

1/2n'1/2 used to be $1.88, now $2.44. Cheese is more expensive. Frozen entres are up about 15 cents.

Overall, in the last 2 years I have seen the weekly grocery bill climb from about $40 to almost $75 or even MORE.

In the meantime, Mitch Daniel and Steve Buyer are pissing down my neck and telling me it's a warm tropical rain...

[AllieB]

12. I noticed 1/2 and 1/2 went from $1.49 to $1.79 for the organic stuff

in one week for a PINT!

[INdemo]

18. Its not just the price

On many items the price may not have gone up but the quantities have decreased..Example coffee,now 11 to 13 0z ,used to be 16oz..Larger size used to be 4to5lb now 32 to 34 0z..but same price...As for snacks ..potato chips..9to11oz was 13 to 16 oz for same price (usually a so called sale for 2 to $2,50 per bag.(the list goes on and on).Market beef goes down and meat counter price goes up...Here is what happened in the meat industry..There are several corporate farms now that raise hogs,cattle and chickens..These farms are gaining more and more control of the market while ignoring EPA standards but that's a whole new subject..If anyone remembers back in 2000 market price for hogs and cattle were so low farmers couldn't even sell them..Hundreds of farmers were forced out of business and then WHAM!! Corporations took over..

[kentuck]

4. Higher gas prices affect almost everything...

My power bill last month was $250 dollars - the highest ever.

[grasswire]

5. it does get to be a problem...

...because bargain hunting for loss leaders consumes fuel at your end, too. The whole dilemma of sustainability and local providers vs. corporate food is complicated by transportation costs and subsidies, too. Maybe there will have to be more local providers who have delivery routes or dropoff points.

People criticize me for going to Trader Joe's, as it really only pretends social responsibility. But I gotta have that fig Greek yogurt!

[AllieB]

14. I love their Greek Yogurt too!

I love the Fage brand too. Both TJs and Fage yogurt have much less sugar than other brands.

[Ilsa]

6. Yeah, dry goods are up, and things that take up alot of space,

like toilet paper, even though lightweight, are much higher since such a little product takes up so much space on a truck. Food is up also where I live. Almost everything. This was our real concern about rising gas prices. Our gas bill may double, but it will really stink if our grocery bill goes up just 25%.

[Cassandra]

7. Lactaid milk is up

perhaps 20-30 cents per quart. Strawberries are up (but they are always up, aren't they?).

[napi21]

8. EVERYTHING yuo buy has increased to pay for the higher

delivery costs! It's not only groceries, although that's the ones we all see the most because we buy those every week. My husband is a meat cutter in a large SE grocery chain, and THEIR COSTS have gone up significantly, and most of it is due to increased fuel prices. You'll notice, the heavier the item, the greater the price increase!

The trucking industry is in a world of hurt becasue of fuel, and EVERYTHING you buy must travel by truck on at least part of it's journey to the store!

[shanti]

9. that is EXACTLY how it's going to affect us the most

at the dinner table. it's not going to be pretty! however, being in california, there are lots of small farmer's markets which, in a few months, should negate SOME of this.

[4morewars]

10. I've been watching it for a while.

I think the experts call it 'creep'
Every week the prices 'creep' up another penny or two.
Thats about fifty cents to a dollar a year, pretty much like your examples.
The increase seems to be higher with the heavier items, (paper, water) again, due to the high price of diesel fuel.
My brother drives a tractor trailer, and he hates hauling these two items.

[FlaGranny]

13. I haven't kept as good a record as you, but

yes, I've certainly noticed. I rarely buy ice cream, only if I'm expecting the grandkids, but I noticed the other day that Breyers' was $4.99 a half gallon. Wasn't it around $3.29 a year ago or two ago? Everything is rising at a fairly rapid rate. I'd love to use coupons but the coupons are for stuff I won't buy - mostly junk. There is a large outdoor farmer's market about 5 miles from here, and much cheaper than the supermarket, but I wouldn't save anything going there because of the cost of gas. Yesterday, the price for regular around here was $2.96 with the other two grades well above $3.00. It cost me $30 a couple of weeks ago to put 3/4 of a tank of gas into my Cavalier. Lucky I don't have to drive much. The saddest part for me is that after being retired for some time now, I'm looking for work because it's getting harder and harder to make ends meet.

[dweller]

23. Breyer's 1/2 gal ?

it's now 1.75 qt. here.

1/2 gals were only available in vanilla up to a few months ago, now it's 1.75 qt too.

i only buy it for a splurge when it's buy1/get 1 free.

dp

[FlaGranny]

34. You are right, of course, I'm still

using "old time" weights and measures. :-)

The good thing is, just got me a part time job today with my old employer to help us get by. I guess we'll just have to keep working until we're ready for the nusing home. Sigh!

[Gormy Cuss]

15. Yes, especially fresh food.

I shop mostly at Whole Paycheck and Trader Joe's too and the price increases at the latter are striking -- some old favorite items have disappeared too which suggests they're having trouble negotiating deals.
At all supermarkets I've noticed an across the board price creep for most prepackaged items -- was $1.99, now it's $2.19, was 2/$3.00 now it's 3/$5.00. Paper goods and detergents are even higher.
Fresh fruits and veggies are going to stay high for a while because many of the California winter crops will have reduced yields thanks to the very wet weather in the north. Bananas are going to be expensive until summer because of adverse weather conditions in the Central American growing areas.
I'm very glad that we can grow some of our own food but it's already looking like our stone fruit trees won't have much yield thanks to the rain.

[AllieB]

16. Crap food like Ramen and white bread are still relatively cheap

and they wonder why the poor are obese. Eating clean costs a lot of money!

[Gormy Cuss]

19. Cheap food has plenty of hidden costs.

Not the least of which is flavor and a lack of certain vitamins. I pay more for groceries because I can and it's important to me to sustain organic and local farming. I know that some people can't make that choice.

[BiggJawn]

36. Yes, isn't that funny?

Back in the Ronaldus Rex days, when I was making $3 an hour ($6.50 in today's money) we ate a lot of Ramen, Beans and Bacon, Wonder Bread from the day-old shop (and lots of twinkies and ding-dongs)
Not much fruit, and Produce was a rarity. Canned veggies, mostly, and the cheap brands at that. Ever open a can of green beans and find it 1/2 full of stems?

Grease is Cheap. Complex Carbs and Protein cost.
I think I spend a lot now, but I wouldn't be doing my diabetes and obesity any favours eating crap again just because it's cheap and filling.

[Le Taz Hot]

39. I have to disagree there

If you make it from scratch, it's a LOT cheaper. I make my own rhy bread, for example, at less than 50 cents a loaf wherein at the store it would cost close to $4.00 for a SMALL loaf. Buying bulk carrots are a fraction of the cost of buying one of those baby, already peeled carrot packages. There are some things that are a little more expensive, fresh asparagus for example, but for the most part, if it comes in a package, it's going to cost you a lot more ounce-for-ounce.

[global1]

20. What's All The Griping About - You Got A $300 Tax Rebate When....

* took over. It was your money. He gave it back to you. Now use it. (sarcasm)

[AllieB]

22. What tax break?

I used it my $300 federal tax break to pay my state taxes. Yes, we're all rolling in dough since Bush took over. :sarcasm:

[JNelson6563]

21. None of you know what you're talkin' about!

On CNBC they tell me all that time how wages are up, inflation is nothing to worry about and, in general, that things are going just great here in the greatest nation the world ever has or will see!

And they never lie on TeeVee!


;-)

[global1]

43. Food & Gas Are Not Included In Their Definition of Inflation....nt

[porphyrian]

24. This is as good as it is bad.

Finally, republicans who have been isolated from the reality of our economic crisis will be forced to see it for what it is. Nothing dispells the illusion like a good kick in the wallet.

[AllieB]

26. Except the wealthiest 5% probably don't even do their own shopping

the household 'staff' performs those kind of duties. They probably don't live any different than before. The rest of us are suffering.

[porphyrian]

28. True, but if we get republican support down to only 5%...

...the margin will be too great to easily steal another election.

[0007]

27. I think everyone is in the same boat.

And they wonder why American can't save.

More millionaires are being made every day. The Carlyle Group and Halliburton can't count all their money, its coming in so fast and furious.

[AllieB]

29. And the more restrictive bankruptcy laws are killing the working person

most people go bankrupt due to health care costs and not credit cards.

[0007]

30. I believe now things will continue to down hill......hope I'm wrong

:hi:

[Tracer]

35. Giant price LEAP on cat litter.

Used to be $2.79 for a 20 lb. bag. Last Saturday, the same bag was $3.85.

I take a list to the grocery and buy pretty much strictly from the list -- and keep a sharp eye out for sale items.

Even so, my average bill has gone up by $20 per week ($80-$100 for 2 people).

My only "splurge" is on Haagen Dazs ice cream. There is no better ice cream that that.

[newportdadde]

37. Sizes are decreasing also.

Bottle of generic brand head and shoulders dropped 3 oz in size. Not sure if the price also went up. They actually redesigned the bottle, made it taller. At first I thought it held more then checked out the fluid oz.

This is pretty interesting what you have done I think I may do that also now that I do almost all of the grocery shopping.

[AllieB]

40. It's frightening when you follow prices from year to year

eggs and dairy products have almost doubled in price in four years.

[spinbaby]

41. It's stagflation, folks

We had it in the 70s and we've got it back today. It means your wages stagnate while your costs inflate. We're definitely feeling pinched.

[AllieB]

42. I haven't had a raise since 2002

yet all my costs are through the roof. Somthings gotta give here! :-(

[mountainvue]

45. I noticed the price increase for

Pellegrino at Costco too. In fact, I've noticed the prices on a lot of things creeping up at Costco.