Is it just me, or are grocery prices getting a LOT higher?

[LisaM]

I bought just some basic groceries the other day and it was $96. And the other day, I realized they had double-charged me for some rice and it was $8.29! For rice? I remember when it cost about a quarter.

Bread, more than $3 a loaf. And green peppers the other day were something like $1.50 each.

[rucky]

1. Not just you. I'm thinking of becoming Amish. n/t

[MissMillie]

2. yes, more expensive

not just from the days when rice cost a quarter, but even over last year. Transportation costs make everything more expensive.

[Horse with no Name]

110. Funny thing though

When the gas prices went down, the grocery and durable goods didn't go down. They stayed the same.
Seems to me they have already adjusted for the current prices LAST time gas went up. Oh well. Nobody here to tell them they can't gouge us, so gouge us they will.

[Ikonoklast]

153. When gasoline prices declined, DIESEL stayed high

Above $2.80 to $3.00 a gallon.

Food moves on diesel conveyances, whether by barge, train, or truck. Retail gasoline prices have nothing to do with shipping.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Name one item that has gone down in price. And airfares took a big jump

yesterday evening, as I was actually trying to book at trip!

[Bake]

56. Personal computers. They're cheaper than they used to be.

That's one thing. And that's about the ONLY thing I can think of at this point ...

Bake

[raccoon]

143. Other electronic stuff, such as flash drives.

Plasma and LCD tvs (I guess) are too.

[Midlodemocrat]

4. It's not just you. The prices are ridiculous.

I paid $4.89 for a bottle of pancake syrup on Thursday. 24 ounces. Ridiculous.

[kestrel91316]

27. I make my own pancake syrup for pennies.

Sugar, water, vanilla, maple flavoring. I can't afford the real thing, and this is close enough. PM me if you want the actual recipe, it's at home.

[MichiganVote]

50. I'd like the recipe kestrel

[kestrel91316]

51. I'll try to post it here tomorrow for everybody.

[MichiganVote]

79. Thanks!

[kestrel91316]

117. See reply #115 downthread....

[OwnedByFerrets]

72. Kestrel, why......

do you hate Aunt Jemima:rofl:

[kestrel91316]

119. Aunt Jemima makes SUCKY syrup - it feels like pure Karo and very unnaturel!

[CoffeeCat]

73. I make my own too...

...and I've also started making my own pancake mix, which I store in the fridge.

Everything is outrageously expensive.

I am a couponer, and I know other DUers are as well. I think we should start a thread,
teaching people how to do this.

Today, at Target I got the following for a grand total of $7.24:

--8 Oscar Mayer Lunchables (turkey, ham, pizza)
--10 1 liter bottles of sugar-free, cherry-flavored water.
--2 pkgs of Pampers Pull-Ups
--2 pkgs of Pampers wipes
--10 jars of Gerber baby food
--1 lb of seedless grapes
--15 sticks of string cheese.
--5 pkgs Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs
--2 pkgs hot dog buns

I do this all by cutting coupons and using Target's online coupons. You can do this
too, TODAY--if you have access to a printer (to print off the Target coupons) and a Super Target
near you.

I'll start a post about this so others can benefit during these high-cost times. I'm sure
other couponers will have awesome input as well.

[pitohui]

78. but sparkles i can't eat most of this stuff

it's difficult as hell when someone in the family is on a special diet but what kind of health would anybody have eating hot dogs, grapes, pampers pull-ups (insert david vitter joke here) and cherry flavored fake water?

we have to real eat food like fish and chicken which has become just exorbitant, and milk is going to be $5 a gallon before we know it

[CoffeeCat]

98. I understand what you're saying...

Many of the things that I got today aren't in the health-food category. However,
I have small children, and I do have Lunchables (the small ones, with the turkey),
and they have hot dogs once a week.

The water and the grapes were healthy...and a great deal! 50 cents for a lb of seedless.

The grocery items I bought today, are not all my family eats. You mentioned chicken.
Last week, I got 3 lb bags of boneless, skinless chicken breast for $3. I combined
a Target chicken coupon with a manufacturer coupon, and got a great deal.

You mentioned milk. Last month, our local grocery store ran a weekly special. Buy 6 General
Mills cereals (and you could get Cheerios and some of the other low-sugar, high-fib cereals)
and you get a coupon for a FREE gallon of milk. The cereal was on sale for $2. I combined
store + manufacturer coupons and got the cereal for $1 a box. Plus, I got free milk. I
ended up getting coupons for 15 gallons of FREE milk, plus we're all stocked up on cereal
for a loooong time.

I get many healthy foods...frozen veggies, cheese, fruit, meat, turkey, chicken, tuna
and loads of other stuff. Many coupons are for packaged food, but many are not.
Furthermore, there are more companies issuing coupons for organic varieties of their
foods.

Plus, couponing allows me to get shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes,
body lotion, mouthwash, razors, shaving cream, make-up, air freshener, household cleaners
and polishers---for FREE. This leaves more money to purchase fresh fruits, veggies,
whole grains.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

123. I can't eat lots of salt and preserved meat.

I have high blood pressure. No way I would eat string cheese either -- way too salty.

[bighart]

183. looks like you buy an awful lot

of convenience foods that cost more per serving. Just think how much more you could save.

[CoffeeCat]

184. What I mentioned in my grocery list...

...was what I was getting for FREE or nearly free at Target.

I also have been getting peaches and plums free--and seedless, green
grapes for 60 cents a lb.

Yep--the Lunchables and string cheese are "convenience foods" as you said.
However, the cheese was free and the Lunchables (which I never, ever buy)
were only 25 cents. After I stop getting them for 25 cents this week, I'll
never buy them again.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

120. I'll tell ya what my Mom used.

Karo and maple flavoring.

Real simple, tastes good.

[caledesi]

162. kes - me too! DUers, just google for homemade recipes for

whatever you want. I make my own A-1 sauce, tons of it and cheap! You start realizing just how much these companies are making.

[SmokingJacket]

174. We tapped our three city maple trees.

Drill a hole, hang a bucket, wait, boil. Voila: incredible maple syrup.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

47. with the price of gas and the falling dollar all of us will have to tighten our belts

HeeHee...I just bought the same stuff and I'm taking it back to exchange for Aunt Jemima lite.. :rofl: shop-N-save's a little cheaper at $4.28 :rofl: I'm kinda afraid to buy a generic brands for fear of china poisoning us :yoiks:

[speakclearly]

157. The prices will go even higher because of global warming....

Not necessarily because we might have less arable land or that farms will produce less, but because of so much agriculture that is now being diverted to grow products that can be converted into bio-fuels. That is why milk and many other peroducts are going up in price.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/19/news/economy/commodity_prices/index.htm
Even the UN has noted that because of rising prices, due to the increasing price of corn in response to diversions of corn to be used for production of ethonol, they may not be able to feed as many people in need of assistance.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/7345310a-32fb-11dc-a9e8-0000779fd2ac.html

So as we move to reduce the production of greenhouse gases, and turn to the use of "renewable energy", we can expect food prices to climb even faster and to new heights. But in the end, it will all be worth it! We will be cooler and healthier (less overeating and better air to breathe).

[debbierlus]

5. No, they are WAY up with some things having doubled over the past few months

It is CRAZY. Inflation. It is HERE.

[Subdivisions]

25. Oh, but-but, the "core inflation rate" remains steady as indicators

indicate the economy is firing on all cylinders and there's nothing to see hear so you should go shopping.

[youngdem]

6. Food is going batshit.

Bush ended many federal supports and price controls on basic goods.

Then, add the gas price insanity, which affects ALL levels of food production from fertilizer to tractor fuel to harvesters to transport trucks to processing to packaging to packaging to reshipping to retailing, ALL steps listed have HUGE price increases due to the cost of energy.

This is an intentional policy. Bush is seeking to destroy the middle class and eviscerate the lower.

Working.

[napi21]

7. Something is WRONG with the rice price, unless you bought a

10# bag! The other things you mentioned HAVE been increasing pretty dramatically. Part of the reason is fuel prices and their effect on the trucking industry. ANYTHING you buy travels at least part of it's journey tothe store via truck! The bad weather EVERYWHERE has severely affected produce! You didn't mention fresh meat, but that also has been hit hard because of the draught in the midwest!

[LisaM]

16. It was Jasmati rice in a plastic container

I knew it would be a little more, but was quite shocked by $8.29.

I don't eat a ton of meat, so I notice it more with produce and dairy.

[rucky]

24. GMO. n/t

[HCE SuiGeneris]

43. Huh? Jasmati? I must have missed when they combined

Jasmine and Basmati rice. Is this a new strain?

[MLFerrell]

173. Three words:

Long grain white.

[LisaM]

8. Why is this not an issue?

Why would Bush end price controls and why would nobody pay attention?

I should also stress, I buy very few packaged foods, so my bills should not be that high.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. Food is kept out of the inflation calculations

I believe.

[bicentennial_baby]

15. You are correct

Food and Fuel. Too volatile.

[robinlynne]

68. of course. Americans don't need food or fuel. They shouldn't count......

[Jim__]

The CPI actually includes food and beverages.

But they also include a measure without food and fuel prices because of their volatility. An example from May:


Category 2006 2007 3-mos. ended ended
Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May '07 May '07
All Items .0 .4 .2 .4 .6 .4 .7 7.0 2.7
Food and beverages -.1 -.1 .7 .8 .3 .4 .3 4.2 3.9
Housing .4 .4 .2 .4 .2 .2 .2 2.5 3.3
Apparel -.1 .2 .3 .5 -1.0 -.3 -.3 -6.6 -.8
Transportation -.8 1.7 -.8 .1 2.8 1.2 2.8 30.6 1.3
Medical care .2 .2 .8 .5 .1 .4 .3 3.3 4.0
Recreation .1 -.3 .1 .0 .0 .1 .2 .9 .4
Education and
communication -.2 .2 -.1 .3 .5 .3 .6 5.3 2.7
Other goods and
services .1 .6 .8 .2 .2 .3 .3 3.0 3.9
Special Indexes
Energy -.2 4.2 -1.5 .9 5.9 2.4 5.4 71.0 4.7
Food -.1 .0 .7 .8 .3 .4 .3 4.2 3.9
All Items less
food and energy .1 .1 .3 .2 .1 .2 .1 1.6 2.2

more

But, under Alan Greenspan, the way inflation is measured changed dramatically. The measure of inflation is based on the concept of the cost of a basket of goods. That basket used to remain fairly constant so you had a pretty good idea of how the value of money was changing. Greenspan changed it so that as costs rose, items in the basket were replaced with cheaper, "substitute" items. For instance, if the basket contains steak, and the price of steak rises, you merely replace steak with hamburger.

Amazingly, since we implemented this method of measuring inflation, inflation has been kept under control. :smoke:

[skids]

105. And not to mention...

...the logical way to remove volatility from a variable is to use a running average for that variable, not remove it entirely.

But even doing that would not even come close to correcting the extraordinarily rendered logic of the economic big lie.

Actual inflation: in the 8% area. How many of you got 8% raises last year? How many of you made 8% on money in the bank? Are you enjoying having your pay cut and your money stolen? (Odd thing that, if it weren't for the very real probability of default, those who got home loans at the right time would be making out like bandits, though actually that's table scraps compared to the ones really stealing it.)

http://www.shadowstats.com

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. Yes, they are

I'm going to the Farmer's Market and the Menonite stores for much of my stuff.

[kestrel91316]

34. Anybody who has access to Amish or Mennonite stores is LUCKY!

They know how to make do without "boughten" stuff.

[NNN0LHI]

10. I don't have a clue how people with growing kids are making it n/t

[RebelOne]

29. I wonder about that when I shop. I bought food this weekend

and it was $96 for only me and two dogs. How do families with children do it?

[Katherine Brengle]

70. We spend a LOT of money :(

I buy groceries for myself, my husband, our 3 y/o and a cat.

I like to have fresh veggies in the house so I usually hit the market 2-3 times per week.

A major shopping trip (restocking the pantry and basics) is around $100 (about twice a month).

The 2-3 weekly trips usually range between $20-50 depending on what I buy (and I do try to keep costs down). More if I actually buy meat, which I often do not bc of the cost.

That's not counting stuff like toiletries etc.

There's a discount market nearby where I shop sometimes, but the quality is quite low...

:(

[guitar man]

32. we're not

Gas prices have taken everything I was putting into savings before and food prices are taking the rest. We have scaled WAY back on everything we can, sold off some "toys" and still are bumping into the red at the end of every month :(

[MissB]

64. I cook lots from scratch.

I mostly shop the outer aisles, and hit the bulk food section in a big way.

I make 12 pita pockets for about two cents each. Two loaves of focaccia bread works out to be about 25 cents. I don't buy spaghetti sauce - I make it from scratch. If I run out of frozen tomatoes from the garden, then I buy canned tomatoes.

Oh, and I clearly have a garden. :)

Costco is my friend too. Most of my family drinks soymilk, so I buy the shelf stable kind there by the case (it's even organic). It hasn't gone up in price in at least two years, maybe even three.

We do eat meat, but generally only chicken and a bit of pork. I buy locally grown chicken on sale and put a bunch of it in my deep freeze. I also have a small flock of hens in the yard for eggs (they produce more than we eat, so I give a bunch away to the neighbors).

So far, so good. My kids aren't in their teen years yet. I'm sure it'll be a bigger challenge to keep the food budget down, but at their ages (8 and 9) they're doing pretty good. Their most favorite snack right now is a bowl of oatmeal. I have no idea why (given that it is summer time) but they love to make it themselves in the microwave. I'm talking bulk quick oats. Dirt cheap.

My refrigerator often looks strangely empty. We keep the drawers stocked with produce, but there just isn't much in the way of processed stuff in there - with the exception of the basic condiments and a box of soymilk and a carton of eggs.

[NNN0LHI]

102. One of my most favorite snacks when I was a kid was a bowl of oatmeal

Actually it still is.

Don

[Manifestor_of_Light]

122. Oatmeal is great if you doctor it with good stuff.

First, cook it in MILK, NOT in water.

Secondly, after cooking it, add a bit of salt, vanilla flavoring, brown sugar, and butter.

Stir all that together to melt the butter BEFORE you put the milk on top.

Excellent!!!

[Katherine Brengle]

144. Same here - steel cut oats by the lb at Whole Foods - $0.89/lb!

Add a packet of stevia and some cinnamon, ginger and cloves... YUM.

Pretty much the only really cheap thing I've bought lately.

[walldude]

121. Costco... it's the only good option

Buy in bulk at the best blue retail in the country.

I have also noticed the dramatic increase in food prices. I also noticed that the things that are really bad for you have not gone up. Coke is cheaper than water. Little Debbies are cheaper than fruit, and so on... it sucks.

[yella_dawg]

12. Energy

both in the field, and for transportation, not to mention cooling for storage of fresh foods, is by far the dominant factor in food costs.

It's gonna get a lot worse before it gets better.

[zonmoy]

19. assuming it is going to get better an assumption that I don't share with you.

[yella_dawg]

31. Once the energy cost overwhelms the infrastructure

and the grocery shelves go empty, the ditch weeds and pigeon eggs anyone scrounges won't cost much at all.

[lastknowngood]

13. CSA Community Sustained Agriculture look em up there most places

you buy local and help the local small farmer keep a family tradition going. It's the best of what is out there.

[LisaM]

20. I did that for several years

The problem was too much weird food. We had a market basket that we shared, and we never got normal things like tomatoes and lettuce and onions and carrots. TONS of things like purple potatoes, and every single week the dreaded "bag of greens" that no one ever wanted. Stuff that's fine for once in a while, but is a real challenge after a long day of work and don't feel like doing artisan cooking.

[rucky]

28. That's my favorite part of it.

20 pounds of tomatoes in july is not my favorite part of it.

[bdamomma]

14. makes you wnat to grow your own vegetables.

[JacquesMolay]

65. I do...

... but compost ain't cheap either. Gonna build me a worm bed this winter.

[MissB]

67. Make your own. :)

You can take vegetable scraps and lawn clippings and leaves and dump them into a composter (build your own, or buy something like an Earth Machine). Our local government agency sells them for $35, which is pretty reasonable for what you get. However, a bit of chicken wire wrapped in a circle will work - it'll just create compost at a slower rate.

My old neighbor used to take anyone's lawn clippings or leaves for his compost pile. People would just leave piles of them in his driveway. He always had the greatest garden.

[zonmoy]

17. I suspect this is merely the beginning of the end of technological civilization

the prices will continue to go up as fuel gets more scarce until the whole system collapses on itself.

[Subdivisions]

33. I'm afraid you are right. But I hope you aren't. n/t

[baby_mouse]

160. I've started growing things. Parsley and rocket.

Next year I'll have a go at carrots and potatoes.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. No it is not you

inflation for basic food stuffs is at double digits

Not that any official count will tell you this... they don't cover it in the inflation rates any longer... but if you want to buy a luxury boat, you are in luck only in the 4 percent anual rate

[OHdem10]

21. Slowly going over last 5years--Now unbelievable

Basics affected--not just more luxurious items.

[RebelOne]

22. The higher cost of food makes me glad that I am a vegetarian. n/t

[onehandle]

23. Fake War=High Gas Prices=High Food Prices

That's what the Wal-Marters voted for. Right?

[CoffeeCat]

154. ...and Walmart is suffering because of this...

Many of Walmart's customers are lower-income--and they don't have as much
disposable income, due to higher gas prices.

If I'm not mistaken, Walmart's previous quarterly earnings were in the toilet.

I noticed that Walmart developed an ad campaign, targeted at those who have
been hit by high gas prices. I saw a full-page ad in USA Today which touted
dirt-cheap prices on many staples. The ad headline was something about
enjoying these low prices while gas prices are so high.

I rarely shop Walmart. However, I have gone in there lately, because they
really have slashed prices. We have a clearance section, that is usually
pretty small, with very few items. Recently, there are many items, with
new items added daily. They're not moving product and they're having
to clearance many things.

I find this all fascinating. Sad, but fascinating.

Gas and food prices have to be affecting so many people. However, the problem
is very hidden. Where are all of the people who are affected by this? It's
a bad American secret.

[snappyturtle]

170. It's a terrible American secret. I know four young people, 28-35

years old who are all losing their places.....some rent some own....by losing I mean everything else has gone up so much and their pay hikes, hardly any if at all, just aren't making it. And now they're all in the same boat. Work long hours just to keep afloat....barely. My heart just breaks for them. They're good kids with normal aspirations and their lives center around how to save,save,save....to the point they're all moving into one house and sharing expenses. It's probably good they're doing this now because I think things will get worse. They have a good attitude and are determined to make it work...I hope it goes well for them.

[slj0101]

26. I'm trying my darndest to shop for locally-grown groceries.

I figure that will take the edge off the prices a bit.

I went to a local farmer's market a couple weeks ago, absolutely certain I went over my $100 budget. My total bill was $58. I'm convinced that it was because it was mostly local stuff that wasn't hauled halfway across the country, or globe for that matter.

[Xipe Totec]

30. You, and 299,999,999 other Americans. nt

[H2O Man]

35. Yes.

Far more expensive.

[ck4829]

36. Transportation costs are going up

Food is shipped in on trucks which require lots of gas.

And we all know how expensive gas and oil are these days.

[kevinmc]

37. Everything Has Shot Up ....n/t

[gollygee]

38. I've noticed that too

my only real expenses are food and gas. Both of which are way up.

[Mr. Ected]

39. $3.89 For A Gallon of Great Value Milk at Wal-Mart

Local dairies are charging as much as $6 per gallon for their milk.

Not a peep from the local news crews, either.

[girl gone mad]

166. I have a growing son, so

I only buy milk in cartons, which are only sold by the 1/2 gallon these days. As a result, I've been paying more than $6 for a while now. It's pretty outrageous.

[Deja Q]

178. The only thing I'd heard re: milk is due to "increased demand from China and India".

I forgot the source, apart from it being MSM. Unsurprising, that's where I read 99% of stories.

[HeeBGBz]

190. It was $4.60 a gallon in Walmart today.

Not exact on the number, but it was almost $5. Is there a cow shortage?

[Captain Hilts]

40. Milk has been increasing for years. Breakfast cereal prices are a crime. nt

[lovuian]

41. No your right its expensive

Americans are going to get quite squeezed
on food and on gas prices and on health insurance and car prices and energy bills

they are hitting Americans right in the toughest spots

essentials

[whistle]

42. It's you, uoy are eating way too much!

[pitohui]

80. yeah eating too much, that's why hubby has lost 40#s!

i know you are teasing but it's hard sometimes, it really is, it is such a struggle these days

[whistle]

135. It was sarcasm based on the Chertoff response...super market

...prices have virtually doubled from 18 months ago. Locally a gallon of milk was $2.59 in Dec 2005, yesterday I paid $4.29 a gallon. All grocery staples seem to have jumped substantially from when I made out my food budget back in January. Yet the BushCo folks swear that inflation is just 4.3%. That would be true if you are buying a big screen plasma TV, home theater system, a luxury SUV and junk food for the family to consume. But those of us who are on a budget and try to eat healthy, our inflation rate is running at 15% to 25% and we know that has been driven by the accelerating fuel costs.

[bluedog]

44. food prices are rising faster than inflation

Ethanol use sends food prices up, up, up
The tab for the increasing use of ethanol blends is creating a ripple effect felt in the grocery checkout line.







For the first time since 2004, food prices are rising faster than inflation. And they are forecast to stay up the rest of this year at the fastest pace since 1990. "The difference this year is higher prices for pretty much all foods," said Ephraim Leibtag, who compiles price forecasts for the USDA Economic Research Service.


Many food prices are increasing faster than the rate of inflation

After years of minimal inflation, food prices are rising faster than the Consumer Price Index. So far, CPI inflation is up 2.8 percent in 2007, but food prices rose a whopping 4.9 percent in May. Here are some food price changes through May, compared with a year ago.

Beef - up 5.8 percent

Pork - up 3.9 percent

Poultry - up 5.7 percent

Fish and seafood - up 6.1 percent

Eggs - up 29.6 percent

Milk - up 7.5 percent

Cheese - up 0.8 percent

Ice cream - up 1.4 percent

Butter - up 0.3 percent

All fresh fruit - up 9 percent

Apples - up 13.8 percent

Orange juice - up 25 percent

Tomatoes - up 5.4 percent

Bananas - down 1.7 percent

All fresh vegetables - up 6.4 percent

Potatoes - up 5.3 percent

Lettuce - down 7 percent

Wheat bread - up 6 percent

Cereal - up 4.2 percent

Carbonated drinks - up 4.8 percent

Coffee - up 5.4 percent

Non-carbonated non- frozen drinks - up 3.4 percent

Beer - up 3.8 percent

Wine - (no change)

Sugars - up 2.4 percent



Compensating for higher fuel costs

Higher energy costs prompted 41 percent of grocery shoppers to change their buying behavior in May. Here's how:

Cook more and eat out less - 69 percent

Buy fewer luxury items - 65 percent

Eat more leftovers at other meals - 62 percent

Buy more store brands - 56 percent

Eat meals at less expensive places - 45 percent

Buy fewer foods - 40 percent

Shift from fresh foods to canned, boxed or frozen - 30 percent

Change grocery store - 17 percent



Source: Food Marketing Institute



http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/15/Business/Ethanol_use_sends_foo.shtml

[entanglement]

58. Ethanol and gasoline, in a nutshell

[DemReadingDU]

75. great link!

[catmandu57]

45. Not only are prices rising

but proportions are shrinking. For most things the price may be the same, but, if you look the size of the product is smaller. We buy a portion of our groceries locally, we pay more, but the money stays in the community for the most part, anyway I'll buy our local supplies at the first of the month my wife in the middle, usually I was only spending 30-40 dollars, for the past three months for the same stuff I've spent 50+.
A week or so ago my wife bought what she thought was a half gallon of ice cream, when she fot home though, the package looked different so I looked at the size 1.75 quart for the old price of a half.
We're cutting back on everything but basics now.

[NNN0LHI]

53. Size of the outside packaging even stays the same with nothing but air inside

Its sickening.

Don

[Manifestor_of_Light]

126. Like the 4 # bag of sugar and the 12 oz. "pound" of meat.

[Thothmes]

138. Sizes

Unfortunately, this has been a process that has been ongoing for probably the last 12-14 years

[raccoon]

146. Now sugar is in 4-lb. bags rather than 5-lb. at my local grocery store. nt

[kestrel91316]

46. Some great resources for saving on the grocery budget:

More-With-Less Cookbook, has lots of economical recipes and tips, and a recipe for homemade soap:
http://www.amazon.com/More-Less-Cookbook-Janzen-Longacre/dp/083619103X

Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living is my food bible, and I live in the CITY. Everything you ever wanted to know about food production and processing at home:
http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Country-Living-Fashioned-Recipe/dp/0912365951 Because of Carla's book, I have had the courage to make my own very lovely red wine vinegar from Two-Buck Chuck cabernet!

Square foot gardening is perfect for the city dweller with just a little room to grow, or like me a bigger yard:
http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

Frugal village forums, for commisserating with othr folks living on a tight budget:
http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/

[AwakeAtLast]

165. Thanks for the links!

We are going to start a square foot garden next year. We missed out this year because we moved. This link will help us get started.

The frugal village site is also bookmarked for later.

Thanks so much! :hi:

[kestrel91316]

167. Don't wait til next year. Start a fall garden right now!

[AwakeAtLast]

168. I would, but because of the move I am going to wait

Too many things need done inside the house and school will start before you know it! That's O.K., this will give me more time to plan.

[WolverineDG]

175. Thanks for the links! n/t

[goclark]

48. In 2001 I spent $100 a week

for groceries.

Now I spend about $250 a week for items that do not include steaks etc.

This is Los Angeles

[Sonicmedusa]

49. When we can no longer house of feed ourselves and families

Halliburton plans debtor prisons for us all!

[peacetalksforall]

52. Transportation costs - buy from farmer's when you can.

[BluePatriot]

54. Look on the bright side...

...at least this will fix the obesity epidemic :sarcasm:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

124. The hell it will!!

Don't you know, all these people on DU who are skinny and have a fast metabolism would starve us fat people, and then wonder why we didn't lose any weight, because according to them, we all sit around and gorge ourselves with bon-bons all day watching soap operas, and have no willpower!!! If we'd only diet and exercise, the weight would just FALL off!!!

Why nobody has a messed up metabolism or any other disease or takes drugs that make it impossible to lose weight. It's all our fault and they get off on telling us that and feeling superior.

[BluePatriot]

163. *nods*

Off topic -- I'm part of the Thyroid club. Right now my levels are swinging between hypo and hyper while the docs scratch their heads. Early Hashimoto's...Having experienced rapid weight loss that defies the laws of physics really made me reconsider the human metabolism...now gradually sinking to hypo...I can feel it every day...getting cold, sluggish, lots of naps...sigh, and I miss having normal hair...

I don't have much of an issue with weight yet, the mental changes have always been the worst for me, which probably got me diag'd early due to sheer persistence, and, well, acting up so badly that I was frantically shuttled from office to office (nearly dumped at a hospital and committed for hyperthyroid. Really.)

I don't know what will happen when I get hypo but I did try to change my diet up a lot over the past year in expectation of ballooning up rapidly and uncontrollably during a hypo phase....And it's been pretty expensive...high fiber, high protein, loads 'o supplements. I hesitate to buy any new clothes because I'm not sure how much wear I'll get out of them due to my wonky body. It's freaky having all this happen, and, worse, no one believing you, or thinking you just need a better attitude, that you are a hypochondriac, or, lazy, or worse, misdiagnosing you as bipolar...."Just diet and exercise" advice irks me too, on a personal level, but, I know that advice probably does apply to a decent majority of folks, and I try to keep that in mind. YMMV of course. At least thanks to the Internet and DU, I finally figured out what was going on. I don't know how I will manage this for a lifetime, though, I am 23.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

188. I've had Hashimoto's since I was eleven years old.

If you're hypo, you'll have to take the extract the rest of your life.

I had a stupid doctor take me off of thyroid once, and after five years off of it, I was within a month of a coma and death, when I finally got put back on it. I literally had to use all my willpower to get out of bed at that point.

I was diagnosed at age eleven.
That was back in the 1960s and i've been on Armour Thyroid ever since. I've argued with some highly regarded endocrinologists that only go by the numbers, not by how the patient feels.

They also refuse to prescribe the natural stuff, Armour, b/c the drug companies tell them it's "old fashioned" or "inefficient". Actually it has both T3 and T4 and is more bioactive.
It's also cheap.

I was of normal weight until about 25 and I gradually started piling it on around the middle.

My grandma yelled at me constantly for being a picky eater when I was a kid. Then mom got on me for being fat, later. Just can't win.

Thyroid disease is one of the most unseen diseases in the country. And it's not just middle aged women -- lots of pubescent girls get it too, like I did, and like my mom did. And it does cause a lot of brain fog. I've had teachers and parents tell me I wa lazy and stupid. I took an IQ test when I was five that was 3 standard deviations above normal, which means I was smarter than 999 out of a thousand people. And it went up since then.

I wonder what critical teachers tell kids who are really stupid and lazy, not smart and sick??

Good luck!!!!

A good website for info:

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

www.thyroid-info.com

[DarkTirade]

131. To add to the sarcasm of that remark...

cheap foods are usually the ones that are the most unhealthy, so eating less cheap food would be just as fattening as eating more expensive stuff. :\

[Katherine Brengle]

145. Exactly - healthy food is prohibitively expensive. It sucks.

When we're short on cash, we end up eating total garbage.

[Nutmegger]

55. Yes!

I'm glad you brought this up. Fine Amurikan economy eh? :eyes:

[taught_me_patience]

57. Inflation is the cruelest of all taxes

but according to the Ben "helicopter drops" bernanke, it is completely contained. Nothing to see here.. move along...

:sarcasm:

[bleedingheart]

59. you are not the only one...

[necso]

60. Largely, I buy food on sale and

from outlet stores.

In the past few years, many of the sale items I regularly buy (and that I watch to be offered at remembered sale-prices) have roughly doubled in price (house-brand cheese on sale for $4 instead of $2; various types of beef at $1.99 (or more) instead of $1.09 or $.99).

And the outlet stores are becoming more and more like supermarkets, with fewer and fewer items that are actually at the sort of prices that represent liquidation of overproduction/overstock items.

For years I held to maximum prices on items that I would buy (for example, $.50 a pound for fruit, although I used to get it at 3 or 4 pounds for a dollar fairly regularly in peak season). But I have had to raise these maximum prices by 60-100% in order to be able to purchase many items on anything resembling a regular basis

On top of which, both the (packaged) quantity and quality of many products has been declining. And this isn't only for prepared products; pork has gone downhill; I haven't seen an a ripe peach or nectarine in years -- at least at a price I could afford; and prepared products that I used to enjoy (or at least be able to eat) now are basically inedible. (I have been reduced to picking the "meat" out of frozen lasagna, for example, because it'd choke a buzzard.) Even previously high-quality major and speciality brands have gone downhill. I suspect buy-outs in the latter case; and I am confident that the bean-counters who run things are squeezing everywhere they can -- it's what they do*.

...

But raising interest rates would just increase people's misery, without doing anything substantial to reduce this sort of inflation. It's a matter of the currency being devalued -- quite deliberately, imo.

*: I saw a quote here within the last day or so (from some big-shot) to the effect that "Consumers take what we give them." -- So much for the "free"-market; it's just so much bs.

[necso]

90. A few more examples:

I used to be able to buy frozen pizzas (and other frozen entrees) at a $1.00 a pound regularly at the outlet store (and not infrequently for less).

Now, $1.50 a pound is a good price (for either), and I will pay $2.00+ a pound sometimes just to have this comfort food. As for frozen entrees generally, if I were to wait for a $1 a pound, I would wait forever -- except for frozen burritos on sale. (And again, the quality/quantity is generally down -- roadkill for sausage; and I have heard that the standard for calling something pepperoni has been loosened, so I stick to cheese.)

Even the discount pizza place has gone from $5.00 (for an extra large) to $7.00 -- with a lot less cheese. (It never was very good.)

A few more items from the outlet store.

Canned tomatoes: large can $.69 --> $.99 (when you can find them there);
Spaghetti sauce: jar $1.00 --> $1.50;
Pasta: 3, 4 pounds for a dollar --> 2 for a dollar;
Rice: 3, 4 pounds for a dollar --> last I paid 8.29 for 20 pounds (cheaper on sale at the grocery store);
Olive oil: $5.00 liter --> $8.00 (cheaper on sale at Henry's);
Black olives: $.50 --> $.69, $.79;
Canned fruit: $.50 --> $.69, $.79;

And some of the stuff from the outlet store I strongly suspect to be unlabeled seconds; I haven't seen a "seconds" label in years.

[Help me help Earth]

61. It's all inflation.

Bush sold us out to his corporate masters a long time ago.

[tyedyeto]

62. I work in a restaurant at a non-profit organization

The chef keeps telling the 'powers that be' that prices are increasing so fast that he may have to increase prices in the middle of our 'slow' period as food costs keep going higher and higher.

They just don't get it and want him to maintain retail prices while our costs keep going up, up, up.

Prices are going up in all areas of food production, not just at the grocery stores.

[stevedeshazer]

63. Transportation - higher fuel costs - $$ to ExxonMobil BP ChevronTexaco Shell Cheney Halliburton Inc.

Record profits.

Check out the stock market. Record high today.

[AlCzervik]

66. it's inflation but no one in washington dare calls it that. I live in a state full of

dairy cows and i pay $3.79 for a gallon milk.

[ProfessorGAC]

147. Not True

There are actually good economists and econometric analysts in D.C. that compute and publish total inflation numbers. Problem is, nobody in power releases these numbers and the media is too lazy to dig them up.
The Professor

[RB TexLa]

69. Just bought a frozen pizza and a two liter diet soda, less than $3.00

about the same it's always been.

[Katherine Brengle]

71. Not really food I'd want to feed my family on though --

it's not a feasible way to eat every day (and maintain health).

Not to mention that's only one meal. Multiply by 3 and then by the number of people in the family... 3 people x $3.00 x 3meals x 7 days = $189 per week. Not looking so pretty.

[RB TexLa]

74. I don't have to worry about the multiplying, I don't raise children

[Katherine Brengle]

83. That's fine, it just doesn't translate to most people's realities is all. nt

[RB TexLa]

92. nevermind

[Katherine Brengle]

100. Okies... anywho I wasn't trying to be snarky.

So sorry if it sounded that way.

[pitohui]

81. again, rgbolen, my husband can't eat that

the diet soda won't sustain life -- has no calories, check the label and you'll see -- and why buy this when we can get water out of the tap for the same approximately zero calories

the frozen pizza sends his readings thru the roof, he simply can't eat these "cheap" foods any more -- the pizzas, the pastas, the rice dishes that are the backbone of being able to save money on food

[starroute]

89. Then you've got to go with plenty of beans and lentils

Those and brightly colored fruits and veggies, brown rice and buckwheat, plus plenty of onions, garlic, and ginger, are the basis of a very healthy and inexpensive diet.

Buy in bulk or at salvage groceries and farmers' markets where you can, throw in the a little meat when you've got it, and you can go a long way without ruining your health.

We don't eat that way 100% by any means, but we're certainly doing it more and more times a week.

[pitohui]

95. i see you don't know what diabetes or metabolic syndrome is

unfortunately no, he is limited in how much rice and beans he can eat without triggering a bad reading

we ate that crap for 20 years thinking we were doing the right thing, i don't need to hear any more lies about it

get back to me in 20 years when one of you has developed type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome from eating very little meat and nothing but complex carbs and let me know how it feels, but i already know, it feels TERRIBLE to have wasted all that time and energy thinking i was helping his health and i was destroying it

[Manifestor_of_Light]

130. Thank you for mentioning metabolic symdrome.

I don't know what us fat around the middle people are supposed to eat, exactly.

[pitohui]

158. it's extremely tough!

i'm constantly shocked and dismayed by what spikes hubby's readings, it is most discouraging

he can eat a little bit of beans with meat or chicken or fish, but a side dish amount, it can no longer be an entire meal

rice, and esp. brown rice, really spikes the meter, as does fruit, hell, i grow fruit! it just breaks my heart

[starroute]

176. My husband has type 2 diabetes

I've radically changed how I cook and now his doctor says, "I have 100 diabetes patients and none of them have numbers like yours." So I figure I've got to be doing something right.

[RB TexLa]

91. again?

[pitohui]

96. oh it's the way posts are threaded here

it's hard to know how to label a post that is saying something i've said elsewhere in the thread

"again" wasn't aimed so much at you but as at people who might have already read a similar comment upthread, why read it again?

poor quality food can be found cheaply, there are still $1 value meals, it's just that as we get older or learn more about our bodies we find that many of us can't safely eat the poor quality foods

clearly if you can, you're way ahead of the game and i envy you!

okay enough rambling on, i'm going to put my feet up and read a book and stop worrying about the bills for awhile :-)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

128. Yep, very unhealthy. Artificial ingredients.

I refuse to drink soda.

I am allergic to tomatoes, I can't eat frozen dinners or meals due to the high salt content and I hate salt anyway with my hypertension.

All that filling carb is NOT healthy and is fattening.

[Lorien]

107. Exactly where did you buy it?

seriously. I want to know. There's absolutely no place in the state of Florida where anyone can get a frozen pizza and 2 liter soda for so little. $3 a slice, or maybe a $1.89 soda on sale, sure-but not both.

[RB TexLa]

108. Albertson's

[Lorien]

111. Albertson's in which city?

$7 frozen pizza at ours, $2.49 for 2 liters of soda. Albertson's is the most overpriced grocery chain in Orlando (well, except for Whole Foods).

[RB TexLa]

112. On Arapaho in Dallas

[Manifestor_of_Light]

127. I'm allergic to tomatoes and refuse to drink diet soda at all. Sorry.

Not healthy.

[progressoid]

76. ITS GONNA GET WORSE TOO!

Corn gets more expensive because we need it to fuel our cars. Unfortunately, corn also feeds cows, chickens, dogs, oh, and people. So beef and milk and corn chips etc will go up as the demand "alternative fuels" goes up.

Of course fertilizer requires huge amounts of natural gas to produce. And farming in general requires lots of fuel and ENORMOUS amounts of water as well.

[pitohui]

77. grocery prices are a lot higher

ever since katrina i just stand and cry in the aisles at the grocery store

i expected gouging right after the storm but the prices have never gone down again, it is just heart breaking to try to plan a healthy meal that we can afford

[BeHereNow]

82. We were warned years ago by the Trilateral Commission about this.

They basically told us how it was going to be back in the 1980's
when Paul Volker, then treasurer of the Trilateral Commission,
made this statement to his fellow global
corporate elite friends at a TC gathering.
In short he announced this:

In order for the New World Order to succeed (which means, in TC lingo,
the smallest percent of the world's population
controlling the majority of wealth) the standard of
living of the average American must decrease...

Too bad no one was paying attention.
And I hate to tell ya, but it's going to get worse.


BHN

[Codeine]

84. It's because grocers are getting our asses kicked.

We're paying more for delivery of grocery loads as a result of high gas prices.

Manufacturers charge many distributors more to compensate for the huge discounts places like Wal*Mart demand; the distributors pass that onto the grocers, and we have to pass that on to you.

The cost of cooling freezers, refrigerators, and sales floors is steadily rising as electric rates go up.

Some items (dairy, most noticeably) are always more expensive during the hot months.

--

It's also important to remember that grocery is an enormously difficult business to succeed in -- actual profits run into the area of about 1%. Even when you see large spikes in prices like this your grocer isn't making a killing.

[havocmom]

85. Takes fuel to make groceries appear on store shelves

Fuel to run the equipment to raise the food, fuel to truck it.

Learn to grow as much as you can. Shop local farmers' markets if there are any in your area. Things are not gonna improve.

[truth2power]

86. It's even higher than you think, because

they're skimping on the package quantities. This has been going on for a long time.

What used to be a half gallon of ice cream is now 1.75 quarts in every brand I've seen. Yogurt used to be in 8 oz. containers. Now it's 6 oz. And of course we all know a pound of coffee hasn't been more than, I think, 13 oz. for years. And did you notice they're able to put items in a container that looks to be almost the same size as before? This seems to be true across the board. Really pisses me off. :(

[Clark2008]

87. Yes, I've noticed the prices going up, but I still don't pay what

some of you are quoting!!

Do any of you ever try store brands? Most of them are as good (and in some cases, like around here where we have tons of dairy farms, milk and cheese are better) as name-brand. And, get this, my store's brand of dog food was NOT made by Menu Foods and did not get recalled. The store was very diligent about pulling the shelves of the tainted food and posting an entire list. Extremely helpful.

The only thing I buy that's a name brand is Philly Cream Cheese Lite and Diet Dr. Pepper, only because there's nothing comparable in the store brands (there's a fat-free cream cheese, but I like the mid-fat because it tastes better).

Today I bought: iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, bok choy, mushrooms, celery, spaghetti squash, bread, turkey bacon, a kid's mac n' cheese bucket, sour cream and onion chips, coffee, frozen veggies (two family-sized bags), two packages of chicken breast (fileted), two packages of salmon, a pound of ground beef, bagels, soy sauce, olives, dog food, diapers, 1/2 gallon of milk, cheese sticks, block cheese, toilet paper, paper towels, saran wrap and mouthwash for $110.

I used to get all that for under $100, so, while it's gone up about $15 as a whole, I still never paid nearly $5 for syrup and I rarely pay over $3 for a full gallon of milk.

Of course, I have to pay taxes on food since my state doesn't have an income tax - and that's included in that $110 price. Without taxes, I'd say all that food cost about $95.

[pitohui]

93. i've been eating store brans for 30 years

the prices are still thru the roof, once you've cut everything there is to cut back, there is nothing left any more

if you are not paying more than $3 a gallon for milk, well, you don't go shopping in any grocery store i've ever heard of around here is all i can say

we are talking about GREAT VALUE milk, you do understand that this is the walmart store brand don't you???????

cheese sticks that are not real cheese, block cheese that are not real cheese may still be cheap, but GENUINE cheese that is not fake trans fat goo but is actual cheese is WAY thru the roof because of the collapse of the dollar versus the euro so that a pound of a good european cheese can be pushing $17 a pound and the american made REAL cheeses are not far behind because why not? they can get away w. it

yes, the fake trans fat artificial stuff is still "affordable" i guess if your health hasn't already been affected by these poor foods -- margarine (a trans fat) is still cheap -- unfortunately safe healthy fats like olive oil and real butter or the "smart" butters are sky high and thru the roof

you are eating such things as mac and cheese "buckets" that are terrible for many people's health, fake foods that are literally killing them

iceberg lettuce is fiber and water at a VERY high price, we haven't been able to afford that for years, diet doctor pepper is flavored water with no calories and no food value at a high price, again, way out of our budget

i don't think the diet you suggest is healthy or reasonable for many of us

"let them eat diet doctor pepper?"

[Wednesdays]

103. Aye, and has anyone here tried to buy fresh fish lately?

At least here in the middle of the country. And I don't mean the kind that's 3/4 bread or fillers...I mean 100% fish. Aside from tuna and perhaps catfish or cod, fresh fish (which is supposed to be among the healthiest thing you can eat) seems reserved only for the rich.

[kestrel91316]

113. I paid $8 for two average-sized wildcaught sockeye steaks this past weekend.

The stuff runs about $18 a pound......I won't eat farmed salmon anymore, and so I haven't had salmon in months.......

[dsc]

185. I just paid $2.15 for a half gallon at SaveALot

and that would be $4.30 a gallon.

[zabet]

88. Before long...

all most will be able to afford is the Ramen Noodles and Oodles of Noodles.
:grr:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

94. Those green peppers should have been in season too.

Usually this is when they're their cheapest. I asked the GM at my local store awhile back about some price hikes and he said it was due to shipping cost.

[HughMoran]

97. Fuel prices are pushing up prices for sure

...this issue was raised during a debate about the farm bill on NPR.

[roamer65]

99. Here's the REAL DATA.

http://www.shadowstats.com/cgi-bin/sgs/data

The M3 money supply is growing well over 13 percent/year now. The blue line in the inflation graph is using the older, pre-1980 methodology. It doesn't exclude or substitute.

Inflation is over 10 percent now. Look at the prices on everything and it feels right. Every war we've been in has sparked nasty inflation. Only one to try to control it was FDR and the inflation during WW2 was not as severe.

[Patchuli]

101. Thankfully,

my smart spouse planted green peppers, green onion and tomatoes but YES prices are ridiculous! It is a reflection of the higher gas prices to truck food. Gouging gouges us everywhere!

[MrMickeysMom]

104. Here's how they make you feel better about grocery prices in the burgh...

We have something at the local (one of few Pittsburgh food chains) grocery store. For every 50 bucks you spend on groceries, you get 10 cents off a gallon of gasoline.Of course, you need to go to an affilated convenient store / gas station. Since I drive the bigger gas hog I save up the grocery bill to get between $1.80 and even 2.00 dollars offer per gallon when I fill up every 4 to 5 wks. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I pay MUCH high prices for just about everything.

But hey... :bounce: I get fuel perks!

:eyes:

[Katherine Brengle]

148. They do that here as well.

But it does help with the gas prices - 10 cents off per gallon on a whole tank (plus an additional 5 cents to customers with those store cards) and it's considerably cheaper than anywhere else around here.

[MrMickeysMom]

156. But, do you see it the cost shifting of your grocery bill? I do! n/t

[Katherine Brengle]

159. Depends on what you buy I guess. Groceries are expensive

at any decent store around here, healthy ones anyway.

I can't bring myself to buy food at WalMart so the regular supermarket is pretty much it.

[here_is_to_hope]

106. Its true, my budget

is not going to make it this month.

[Lorien]

109. Those prices jive with what I pay here in Central Florida

six pack of bagels-$3.49. Green peppers are about $1.65 each. Grocery brand of bread is $2.89 a loaf (multigrain). Small bag of organic spinach (can't stomach the conventional stuff) $3.29-4.50, depending on where you shop. Even those little snack packs of Dole fruit were well over $3 for four cups. I live in a tourist town in Florida, and I know that prices are lower in my home town of Columbus, Ohio-but it still seems insane.

[phusion]

114. Time to become freegan?

http://freegan.info/

[kestrel91316]

115. I promised some people my syrup recipe:

Maple Syrup

1 3/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. water
Combine in saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and cook 1 minute or so to melt down crystals on the sides of the pan. Cool slightly.
Add: 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. maple flavoring
I store this in the fridge. It's BETTER than the latest bottle of Aunt Jemima crap I accidentally bought, lol. I got the recipe from More-With-Less, Doris Janzen Longacre's excellent Mennonite cookbook.

I make my own brown sugar, BTW. 1 c. white sugar plus two tablespoons molasses, stir and mix thoroughly with a fork. Store in airtight container.

[Contrary1]

118. Do you think I could substitute Splenda? n/t

[kestrel91316]

125. Maybe a portion of the sugar could be replaced by Splenda, but NOT

all of it by any means. Sugar makes the syrup thick and syrupy. It would be watery without it - ICK.

You might hunt around for a reduced-calorie syrup recipe - maybe one with cornstarch as a thickener??

I don't cook with fake foods like Splenda - I use a little in my coffee and tea is all.......

[Manifestor_of_Light]

129. Splenda has chlorine in it. Not good for you.

They take regular sugar and replace some of the atoms with chlorine. Chlorine is BAD STUFF.

[Odin2005]

140. Right, and table salt (sodium CHLORIDE) is downright toxic...

:sarcasm:

[DarkTirade]

132. Copied, pasted and saved.

I finally got around to buying a waffle iron that was on sale a few months back, this aughtta help. :) That reminds me... next time I'm at my parents' house, I gotta steal the pancake recipe from one of my mom's cookbooks. It's one of those early 1900s cookbooks where most of the recipes are horribly fattening, but the one for pancakes is fine and damn tasty too. :)

[Contrary1]

116. Indiana- First time I have ever paid over $3.00 for a gallon of milk

Thankfully, it is just the hubby and me, and we can afford it; but we still go through close to 3 gallons a week.

When the prices are too high, I just fix smaller meals. We can afford to lose the weight too. :)

But, for those people who are struggling to pay their bills, I don't see how they can do it for long. And then, there are those who cannot even pay the bills, no matter how much they struggle.

Here in Indianapolis, some folks have seen their property taxes go up over 300% this year. When I called the township assessor the other day, he told me that he had just finished talking to someone whose taxes had gone up $16,000. Yep, $16,000. a year.

[leftofthedial]

133. W-A-Y more expensive

Historically, only cheap food keeps an oppressed populace from armed revolt.

[Fire Walk With Me]

134. There are some on DU who grow things for themselves. It's a good idea.

[Pooka Fey]

136. It's not you. Short answer: It's corn-based ethanol/bio-fuels.

Long answer: It's Peak Oil.

Rising food prices:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-foodprice1407jul14,0,7778150.story


Peak Oil reading resource (relatively unscary):

http://www.energybulletin.net/

[Craftsman]

137. They are, and the government is lying about the rate of inflation.

[Vinca]

139. My grocery bill has skyrocketed and I've noticed price increases

as high as 10% in one week on items I regularly buy. Fortunately, the veggie garden is starting to kick in and that helps quite a bit.

[Odin2005]

141. Stagflation is upon us.

:scared:

[raccoon]

150. Corporate media will never admit it. nt

[raccoon]

142. It's not just you. Grocery prices are going up by leaps and bounds. nt

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

149. Not you. A large part of it is the higher oil prices. I am always shocked at checkout these days. nt

[JacquesMolay]

151. Peak Oil - better start double-digging beds in the yard ...

... food's going to get more expensive as oil increases get priced in.

[dweller]

152. noticed at the grocery yesterday

i had to stop in for yogurt and soda, my daughter is staying over. We picked blueberries, then went for the yogurt for her breakfast today.
The last times or so i've been i've noticed the clerks standing around w/ hands in pockets, nothing to do. No one in the store, and it's one of the larger chain stores in the area. They have more staff than customers, and it's not that i've gone at off times, i go whenever time i have available.
So i believe the higher prices are starting to have an effect on the suppliers also.

dp

[GliderGuider]

155. Every calorie of food contains 7 to 10 calories of fossil fuel energy.

Oil is trading over $74.00 a barrel, up from $20.00 at the start of 2002...

The price of oil is on its way up because demand has exceeded supply. This situation is not going to change - we're pumping the stuff about as hard as we can and demand is still going up. Expect food prices to follow along obediently.

Isn't Peak Oil fun?

[4_TN_TITANS]

161. It will get serious folks....

This year's growing season has been wretched in many parts of the country. Start stocking up on canned foods now while it's still affordable. Five months from now food will be scarce and expensive until after next year's growing season, and it could be just as bad or worse.
Call me an alarmist, but we're heading into a grasshopper/ant parable/senario

[noonwitch]

164. Higher gas prices lead to higher grocery prices, esp. produce

Shipping things by truck costs money, these days.

[Occulus]

169. I'm experimenting with a very small bit of gardening this year

I intend to use this year as a "this is what you shouldn't do, now learn why" year, as next year I'll be buying several troughs (I'm in an apartment) and lining my deck with them.

I want parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and basil for herbs; peppers, tomatoes, onions, and corn, leaf lettuce, peas or beans of some sort, and- maybe- squash, pumpkins, or potatoes.

In troughs. On an apartment deck.

Hey, but it's a long deck. I just can't afford produce anymore, and I can't afford to throw out what I can't or don't use. This way, I can sell or give away the extra, and all it costs me is some time and care.

And the rewards are definitely worth it- I just love fresh garden vegetables!

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

171. It's ridiculous that produce costs more per pound than meat

All the prices jumped after Katrina but in the last 12 months I would say everything has gone up much more steeply.

The price of fresh produce is what galls me. It was only a few years ago that few items other than asparagus cost over a dollar a pound. Broccoli was always 39 cents a pound on sale. Now the sale price of green beans is $2.00 a pound. Asparagus, forget it, I can't afford it anymore.

I check the price of canned or frozen produce vs fresh to help me keep eating healthy without going into bankruptcy. But even there the prices have rocketed. Two years ago a can of store brand diced tomatoes was 75 cents. Last year it was 93 cents. Today it's $1.43. Why?

Here's how I save on groceries:

1. I check my supermarket's circular online before every shopping trip.

2. I plan meals around what's on sale and I make a list that I stick to.

3. I stock up for two weeks at a time and try not to go to the store in between unless I run out of something (cuts down on impulse buying).

If I didn't put this extra work into shopping I could easily wind up spending $200 more per month for food.

[MLFerrell]

172. $8.29 for RICE? $3+ for BREAD?

What the hell kind of fancy rice and bread are YOU buying? Unless it's a 50 pound sack of rice, or some specialty product, I can't see it costing any more than about a dollar a pound (and that's pushing it).

Same with the bread. I can get a 20 oz loaf of bread for a dollar and a quarter, buck and a half tops.

This isn't the first time that I've seen posts of this nature. Methinks that you aren't buying the "basic" variety of these staple foods, and if you are, you need to stop shopping at this place.

[antigop]

177. Star-Telegram: Rising food prices are squeezing families

http://www.star-telegram.com/389/story/171385.html
>>
Cereal is $4 a box.

An orange for your lunchbox can run $1.00 or more.

Food prices are rising faster than they have in years, and there's no relief in sight. Economists had expected a 4 percent increase for all of 2007 -- and that was reached in May.

In the Metroplex, food and beverage prices rose 3.9 percent in May compared with the same month last year, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even so, local consumer prices are still well below those found in other major metropolitan areas including New York, Boston, Miami and Los Angeles.

No one is predicting that the rising prices will make you hit the panic button. But they're unwelcome when you add the higher grocery bill to everything else that costs more: gas, utilities and medical care.
>.

[Deja Q]

179. Where do you live?

I've seen some items go up in price. Many (from staples to confectionary items) still remain the same.

The biggie is milk.

Keep an eye open for the price of diesel. Food prices are tied into that.

[Yukari Yakumo]

180. Also...

There was a flash freeze in California last winter that devastated California's crops.

http://www.agecon.ucdavis.edu/outreach/update_articles/v10n4_2.pdf

[rocktivity]

181. Nope. For years, I've averaged $30 a week for my groceries

Over the past month and a half, I've been averaging well over $40 a week or the same items.

:scared:
rocknation

[NotGivingUp]

182. They're much higher. I've gotten to the point where I feel like

I should buy more of a product because it's only going to cost more next time I come back.

[DrDan]

186. milk is now over 4 bucks a gallon

a 30% increase in a few short weeks

[InvisibleTouch]

187. What kills me the most is organic milk.

I refuse to buy the hormone-poisoned conventional milk, but I'm paying over $3 for a half-gallon of organic milk. I'm pretty much saving it for coffee and cereal now, until business picks up again in the Fall. I'm at the point of feeding my pets high-quality food and eating the cheap crap myself, until things turn around. So am always interested in cost-saving ideas, coupons, etc.

One good source for reasonably-priced food, even fresh veggies, is Aldi.

[HeeBGBz]

189. What's up with milk almost $5 a gallon?

I about choked. I had to buy a half instead.