I Hate Shopping - PRICES AUGGGG

[TCJatko]

Things that we "HAVE" to buy such as food & fuel are not counted in the inflation numbers.
Fuel is just about double what it was 4 years ago.
Electricity ( I don't think it counts either) is up around 25% in a lot of areas.
Health care in Calif is up 146% in the last 4 years. That does not count either.

Unfortunately, this inflation hits the under-employed or marginally-employed the hardest. These people spend the bulk of their wages on just those items: food and fuel (and rent, of course). Don't worry about those health care premiums, though. When Obamacare kicks in, they're going to go down by $2500 per family.

 

[mjarrels]

On the positive side, I was told about 20 years ago that I would be paying in excess of $10 to $20 dollars for a loaf of bread by this time. Last I checked a loaf of no-name bread was $1.29. High end specialty breads are high but I don't need them to make a bologna sandwich.

mark

 

[jinman]

Processed foods have gone up a lot, but real food is still pretty cheap. 20 lbs. of long grain white rice for $10. 20 lbs of pinto beans for $15. 10 lbs. of russet potatoes for $2.49. . .
. . .Meanwhile, stay clear of processed foods. Get a bread machine and make your own bread. Bake your own pot pies, which are cheap and easy to make. We do something similar in a calzone style, just wrapping meat and vegetables in pie crust and baking it, then freezing it. If you're short on time, you can pull something out of the freezer, nuke it and have dinner in 10 minuts. My wife and I go nuts in the kitchen once a month, and split the food into daily portions and freeze it that way. We also home can a lot of fruit, like applesauce and tomato sauce. That's mostly because the commercial stuff tastes like crap. Our applesauce is Gravenstein, and our tomato sauce is from good old high acid heritage tomatoes. You can't buy flavor like that at any price.
. . .

Larry, there is no doubt that any processed food is going up and I agree with you 99%. I love canned beans and there is a tremendous variety all for less than $1 per can. I bought small California navel oranges 40-to-the-box at Walmart for $5. Dried beans and with small amounts of meat are delicious when prepared at home, but they have to be prepared and put into containers for later quick nuking. I am currently eating so many garden-only meals that are delicious and nutritious without any meat at all. They are very filling and satisfying meals. My wife just brought home $0.15 per ear sweet corn that cooks directly in the microwave at 4 minutes per ear. Buttered, seasoned, and consumed with a smile on my face.

I think there is a tremendous rise in price of processed foods, but canned and dried beans continually are a great tasting meal that's good for you. Actually, I think lettuce is a great value if you don't buy the fancy mixes and organic brands. The kinds of food I really like to eat are a bargain. If I get a hankering for processed food, I just stop in for a $4 lunch deal at Subway.

 

[Mousefield]

Same thing in Canada, higher prices and less product.
Used to buy Raisin Brain on sale for $6.00 for a 1.4K size box.
Now the price is $7.00 on sale and the box size shrank to 1.24K.
Regular gas is $1.39 a litre or $5.26 for a US gallon.

 

[Combustix]

Processed foods have gone up a lot, but real food is still pretty cheap. 20 lbs. of long grain white rice for $10. 20 lbs of pinto beans for $15. 10 lbs. of russet potatoes for $2.49. Fresh vegetables have to be air freighted in unless you live in California or Florida, but frozen vegetables are cheap. They clean out the old crop in the spring, and I paid $0.89 a pound for a couple grocery bags full last month. Last night we had creamed (local) new potatoes and peas. 6 servings for about $2.50.

Beef prices are way up thanks to the drought last year, and the beef cattle herd is still shrinking, so now would be the time to put a calf on pasture. It will be at least a couple years before prices turn around. My last trip to the market I spotted two beautiful 16 oz. boneless ribeyes in the meat case for $8.50 apiece. I was tempted, but still have a freezer full of beef from the drought, when I bought the same cuts for $3.50. Supply and demand. As farmers say, the cure for high prices is high prices. One year without drought or floods and things will turn around.

Meanwhile, stay clear of processed foods. Get a bread machine and make your own bread. Bake your own pot pies, which are cheap and easy to make. We do something similar in a calzone style, just wrapping meat and vegetables in pie crust and baking it, then freezing it. If you're short on time, you can pull something out of the freezer, nuke it and have dinner in 10 minuts. My wife and I go nuts in the kitchen once a month, and split the food into daily portions and freeze it that way. We also home can a lot of fruit, like applesauce and tomato sauce. That's mostly because the commercial stuff tastes like crap. Our applesauce is Gravenstein, and our tomato sauce is from good old high acid heritage tomatoes. You can't buy flavor like that at any price.

Most of the reason you think food is expensive is because you are buying stuff you don't have to buy. Learn to cook.

Right on. We buy grass raised beef from local farmer and Their price went down this year. We grow a lot of what we eat and can for the long haul and if it's processed it can stay in the store for those that like to pay more for what u can make for cheaper

 

[Locoweed]

Here is a link to a site that give you the economic info the way the Gov't used to figure it. If you are interested, read this first. Series Master Introduction

The data is here. Inflation, Money Supply, GDP, Unemployment and the Dollar - Alternate Data Series

 

[smstonypoint]

Dumb question but does Uncle Sam consider food or fuel when looking at inflation numbers? My feeble memory says that I have read an article somewhere that showed what items where considered or used for inflation calculations and I don't believe food and fuel where on that list.

The reported core inflation numbers exclude food and energy, headline inflation numbers include those products.

Steve

 

[powerpace]

Lots of things have gone up in price, but consumers still expect computers to be cheaper and cheaper and much more powerful and store more.

You can't eat a computer. People still buy them. Vegetable seeds are cheap but people don't want to put the effort into planting them even when they have space.

 

[crash325]

Quote Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell View Post.

Most of the reason you think food is expensive is because you are buying stuff you don't have to buy. Learn to cook.

Pretty harsh & judgmental, don't you think.
Not everyone has a wife to help out or time to spend a whole day in the kitchen. - I live alone.
Not everyone has a freezer. I had one, when I figured out the cost to run it I gave it away.
How long would it take a single person to use 20 pounds of beans or rice.
About every 2 months or so I want a banana or cocoanut cream pie. By the time everything needed to make one is acquired, in my case it would cost more to make it then to buy one.
I'm not up to it anymore but a short week for me when working was 60 hours.
By choice, there are many things more important to me than spending a lot of time cooking & cleaning up afterward.
Buying a steer or side of beef is not at all practical for most people
Eventually food even dried or in a freezer goes bad.
What about coffee & beer (Your right I don't have to have either.) & Milk about $3 a gallon.

But since you have everything figured out for folks, what is your solution to high price of fuel & electric.

TCJ Unfortunately, this inflation hits the under-employed or marginally-employed the hardest. These people spend the bulk of their wages on just those items: food and fuel (and rent, of course). Don't worry about those health care premiums, though. When Obamacare kicks in, they're going to go down by $2500 per family.
Did you really mean that?? It is a sad Joke on the US people.
If you are employed Obama care is already costing you about "$2,500 a year. In addition your taxes have gone up.

 

[jerrybob]

Same thing in Canada, higher prices and less product.
Used to buy Raisin Brain on sale for $6.00 for a 1.4K size box.
Now the price is $7.00 on sale and the box size shrank to 1.24K.
Regular gas is $1.39 a litre or $5.26 for a US gallon.

When you buy a bag of potatoe chips....you're buying a half of bag of air.....open the bag and poof....you got a handful of chips......