Grocery Store-What are you paying for food? (1 Viewer)

[Keerock]

Yep. The real question is whether your time is worth the money you're saving. I'll make two stops but anything more seems excessive and a huge time suck.

It's a bit of sport for them, I am guessing.

This. Certainly more so for my wife.

 

[MAC_32]

We routinely go to 4-5 different places for our groceries based on price and quality. Enormous PiTA, but we despise overpaying. I wish I could convince my wife to forego some of the "name" brands she insists on, but I pick my battles

The gas you’re using driving to 4-5 different places to grocery shop probably offsets the savings on the groceries.

We start at the furthest store away then slowly work our way home, vice versa, or stop on the way home from whatever we're doing that day (work, youth sports, etc.). All of our stores are within 2 mi of home anyway. I will make a special trip to get a bogo pork butt roast, but not to save a buck on avocados.

 

[massraider]

Yep. The real question is whether your time is worth the money you're saving. I'll make two stops but anything more seems excessive and a huge time suck.

It's a bit of sport for them, I am guessing.

This. Certainly more so for my wife.

More people should make a game out of saving money. CC points is mine.

Seeking out gas savings is another.

This stuff adds up to real money

 

[the moops]

More people should make a game out of saving money. CC points is mine.

Seeking out gas savings is another.

This stuff adds up to real money

Trader Joes and Aldi are the way to go, IMO.

And we have one electric car that we drive 90% of the time, so we are only filling up our van with gas like once a month. If gas is 4 dollars or 3 dollars it really doesn't matter

 

[FairWarning]

Yep. The real question is whether your time is worth the money you're saving. I'll make two stops but anything more seems excessive and a huge time suck.

It's a bit of sport for them, I am guessing.

This. Certainly more so for my wife.

More people should make a game out of saving money. CC points is mine.

Seeking out gas savings is another.

This stuff adds up to real money

The Gas Buddy app makes the fuel savings easy. I live by myself, so I don’t really play much of the grocery savings game anymore. I do save more time and have less waste now.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Post 1st Tuesday of November since this was such a big topic on everyone's minds at the polls and I get it
Bumping this thread before I start a 2nd one but this time I want to also discuss where you can easily save some money

I started going to Fresh Mkt which typically for all their processed foods are expensive, they really are not any better than going to a Publix with one BIG exception
MEATS MEATS MEATS...publix meats are terrible and I try to avoid them

Fresh Mkt on Tuesday runs ground beef/chuck for $3.99 lb, it was $2.99/lb prior to the pandemic
Lots more, chicken breast, boneless and skinless and they must weigh 3/4 lb a piece, those are $3.99 lb.
Chicken Cutlets which I prefer and all they do is cut the breast in half but it's a lot easier to cook them in my wok $4.99 lb and again they must weigh 3/4 lb each, massive. I can cook 1 and cut it in half, almost enough for my wife and I to split

Most of the meats I just mentioned are around $7-$8 a lb normally which actually is better than you might find at say WF but I still use the sales to buy most of my meats there

-Hold on I'm not done, then they run the ground chicken breast for $4.99 lb and i use that for ground chicken tacos, chicken chili, lots of things I can make and it stays good in the fridge at least 3 days or you can freeze it but I usually don't. They also run sales on other items on other days in their meat department like some of the best burgers already pressed and ready, 2/$5 and they must be 8 oz a piece, Mrs and I will have that once in a while when we have those red meat cravings.

They run steaks a lot cheaper on the weekends/Fri Nights sometimes, this is the best place I have found for meat that is good quality at reasonable prices
Overall this store will leave a hole in your wallet if you don't stick to the meat department but I assure you it's worth the effort on Tuesdays to get in there

 

[Major]

Yep. The real question is whether your time is worth the money you're saving. I'll make two stops but anything more seems excessive and a huge time suck.

It's a bit of sport for them, I am guessing.

This. Certainly more so for my wife.

More people should make a game out of saving money. CC points is mine.

Seeking out gas savings is another.

This stuff adds up to real money

I recently started grocery delivery and love it. $30/yr for "free delivery" with tipping included at Kroger (in store pricing, digital coupons, etc). I avoid the gas spend and 1-2 hours I could be billing a client. If there's something wrong or an item isn't up to par, instantly refunded online without dealing with customer service or any further questions. I think the only way I go back to in store shopping is for last minute needs or if I'm retired with a lot of free time on my hands.

 

[ChiefD]

Food costs are a major killer for this middle class family. Just flat out brutal.

 

[Gatorade]

Post 1st Tuesday of November since this was such a big topic on everyone's minds at the polls and I get it
Bumping this thread before I start a 2nd one but this time I want to also discuss where you can easily save some money

I started going to Fresh Mkt which typically for all their processed foods are expensive, they really are not any better than going to a Publix with one BIG exception
MEATS MEATS MEATS...publix meats are terrible and I try to avoid them

Fresh Mkt on Tuesday runs ground beef/chuck for $3.99 lb, it was $2.99/lb prior to the pandemic
Lots more, chicken breast, boneless and skinless and they must weigh 3/4 lb a piece, those are $3.99 lb.
Chicken Cutlets which I prefer and all they do is cut the breast in half but it's a lot easier to cook them in my wok $4.99 lb and again they must weigh 3/4 lb each, massive. I can cook 1 and cut it in half, almost enough for my wife and I to split

Most of the meats I just mentioned are around $7-$8 a lb normally which actually is better than you might find at say WF but I still use the sales to buy most of my meats there

-Hold on I'm not done, then they run the ground chicken breast for $4.99 lb and i use that for ground chicken tacos, chicken chili, lots of things I can make and it stays good in the fridge at least 3 days or you can freeze it but I usually don't. They also run sales on other items on other days in their meat department like some of the best burgers already pressed and ready, 2/$5 and they must be 8 oz a piece, Mrs and I will have that once in a while when we have those red meat cravings.

They run steaks a lot cheaper on the weekends/Fri Nights sometimes, this is the best place I have found for meat that is good quality at reasonable prices
Overall this store will leave a hole in your wallet if you don't stick to the meat department but I assure you it's worth the effort on Tuesdays to get in there

I got a rotisserie chicken at Fresh Market today for dinner. Usually $8.99, but on Thursdays only $6.00. I'm retired and have plenty of time to shop the deals everywhere.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I heard a commentator say butter was $3 and I was like yeah per stick!
His lady friend next to him had to finally speak up and blurt out $7 and that's about what 4 sticks of regular butter are running right now
Some houses don't use butter but we use it quite a lot in my house.

-I try and grab butter when they run sales and not be too brand conscious, butter surprisingly has a pretty long shelf life in the fridge so BoGo deals come in handy

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

I remember when I could buy a Sunday paper and get loads of FOOD coupons.

 

[Eephus]

You gotta eat

 

[coopersdad]

I remember when I could buy a Sunday paper and get loads of FOOD coupons.

I always got the paper, as I liked something physical to hold while I read the paper (on the deck, in the toilet, etc), but then I had to change my justification that "the coupons" pay for my paper, or at least the excess cost of it. Needless to say, I don't get a paper any more.

I've got a paper from when both my boys were born in 1996 and 2003. Sport section in 1996 was 20 pages, in 2003 it was 14, when I cancelled it was usually 6 and most of that was ads. Pissed me off when they took out all the box scores, baseball especially.

So get off my lawn.

 

[Mitchie]

One way to save money would be to stock up on non perishable goods before prices start to go up which could happen soon.

 

[the moops]

I heard a commentator say butter was $3 and I was like yeah per stick!
His lady friend next to him had to finally speak up and blurt out $7 and that's about what 4 sticks of regular butter are running right now
Some houses don't use butter but we use it quite a lot in my house.

I have 6 grocery stores within 3 miles of my house. Just checked butter prices at 4 of them.
4 bucks at Trader Joes. 4.26 at Walmart. 4.29 at Target, 4.50 at Cub.

 

[Mitchie]

I heard a commentator say butter was $3 and I was like yeah per stick!
His lady friend next to him had to finally speak up and blurt out $7 and that's about what 4 sticks of regular butter are running right now
Some houses don't use butter but we use it quite a lot in my house.

I have 6 grocery stores within 3 miles of my house. Just checked butter prices at 4 of them.
4 bucks at Trader Joes. 4.26 at Walmart. 4.29 at Target, 4.50 at Cub.

sure if you want regular butter but nobody eats that crap, most people eat organic hand churned butter shipped in from France.

 

[Max Power]

Food inflation is moving in the wrong direction and shrinkflation is real. I don't know what the solution is, but I don't think the claims of corporate price gouging are the driving factor.

 

[ChiefD]

I heard a commentator say butter was $3 and I was like yeah per stick!
His lady friend next to him had to finally speak up and blurt out $7 and that's about what 4 sticks of regular butter are running right now
Some houses don't use butter but we use it quite a lot in my house.

I have 6 grocery stores within 3 miles of my house. Just checked butter prices at 4 of them.
4 bucks at Trader Joes. 4.26 at Walmart. 4.29 at Target, 4.50 at Cub.

sure if you want regular butter but nobody eats that crap, most people eat organic hand churned butter shipped in from France.

Laugh emoji

 

[tommyGunZ]

For more than two years now, higher prices have been pinching consumers’ wallets and testing their patience — but there’s at least one part of their monthly budget that has more breathing room these days: For the average U.S. worker, it now takes fewer hours of work to afford a week’s worth of groceries than it did five years ago, in August 2019.

Nominal grocery prices are higher, but the reality is groceries are cheaper in real terms than 5 years ago.

Understandable that lots of Americans are fooled by nominal price hikes, but we're FBGs and know better.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

Food inflation is moving in the wrong direction and shrinkflation is real. I don't know what the solution is, but I don't think the claims of corporate price gouging are the driving factor.

I've never been a fan of the "price gouging" or "corporate greed" arguments. If wages or transportation costs or whatever goes up then those prices will be passed on to the consumer.

 

[skillz]

I bought some orange juice at the grocery store this past weekend. Tropicana OJ is down to a 46 oz container; very noticeable down from 52 oz. Same price though. I remember when it used to be 64 oz.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I heard a commentator say butter was $3 and I was like yeah per stick!
His lady friend next to him had to finally speak up and blurt out $7 and that's about what 4 sticks of regular butter are running right now
Some houses don't use butter but we use it quite a lot in my house.

I have 6 grocery stores within 3 miles of my house. Just checked butter prices at 4 of them.
4 bucks at Trader Joes. 4.26 at Walmart. 4.29 at Target, 4.50 at Cub.

Og Butter is North of $7
I also will grab the 2-stick packs when they are running a sale, most of those are more in the range of prices you are saying
I think a 4-pack of "Publix" brand butter might be $4.99 but as others are saying, not really an option for me unless I was making cookies perhaps
I use butter on toast at least 3-4x a week and I am a little picky about the taste, same for the popcorn we make on the stove top using my Wok and a little coconut oil

 

[TLEF316]

As a single guy with a good job, I generally dont really pay much attention to what groceries cost. (I recognize I'm in a privileged position from that perspective). If I want a steak....I'm buying a steak. If I decide I need a dozen eggs, the fact that they're 15% more expensive than they were a year ago (just making up numbers) isn't going to register. I generally eat what I want, but I'm not going out of my way to buy organic produce or specially raised meat that might jack the cost up.

I know that a family of 4 living paycheck to paycheck will likely have a VERY different experience.

Maybe I'm WAY off here, but this just seems like an easy sound bite way for politicians to manipulate the masses. If you voted for 1 side or the other because they claimed they're gonna lower the cost of milk and bacon, I think you're going to be very disappointed.

I also think most people complaining about this have PLENTY of other places they could cut back (But choose not to) if they're really struggling to put dinner on the table....but that's a whole other discussion.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

For more than two years now, higher prices have been pinching consumers’ wallets and testing their patience — but there’s at least one part of their monthly budget that has more breathing room these days: For the average U.S. worker, it now takes fewer hours of work to afford a week’s worth of groceries than it did five years ago, in August 2019.

Nominal grocery prices are higher, but the reality is groceries are cheaper in real terms than 5 years ago.

Understandable that lots of Americans are fooled by nominal price hikes, but we're FBGs and know better.

Do tell
-But mind you Gas/Fuel is UP, my $2.79 quart of Og Half/Half prior to the pandemic is now a "pint" and sells for $4, I pay 50% more and get 50% less, it wasn't like this in 2019

I would sure like to hear how this is all in peoples minds, inabilities to process the prices at their grocery stores, all just an optical illusion

-Let me share something so we're on the same page, I was using the cost of my dozen eggs I buy as a barometer, I like my morning eggs and weekend brunch and I go thru a lot of eggs
A few years back i started buying the blue shell eggs with the brightest orange yolks you have ever seen, I never knew what real eggs tasted like
And they cost about $8 per dozen prior to pandemic. I watched the little pink cartons of cheap white eggs go up and up and up and up, we all know the folks who buy those eggs
I can remember a 6-pack of eggs was like 99 cents for the longest time but regular eggs are now close to $5-$6 per dozen and my premium eggs only went from $8 to a whopping $9 now
Mrs and I don't eat out very much these days, we definitely have 86'd going out for Brunch because my eggs are better than most breakfast meals we find around town and they charge $10-$15 for a plate of white eggs w/pale yellow yolks, some greasy meat and some deep fried potatoes so we just eat at home

I'm sharing this because I think the grocery prices have been especially rough for folks that can least afford it
How do you not see or feel the prices at the grocery store?

Alright, do tell

 

[Mitchie]

I bought some orange juice at the grocery store this past weekend. Tropicana OJ is down to a 46 oz container; very noticeable down from 52 oz. Same price though. I remember when it used to be 64 oz.

that pisses me off much more than just raising the price

 

[Mitchie]

For more than two years now, higher prices have been pinching consumers’ wallets and testing their patience — but there’s at least one part of their monthly budget that has more breathing room these days: For the average U.S. worker, it now takes fewer hours of work to afford a week’s worth of groceries than it did five years ago, in August 2019.

Nominal grocery prices are higher, but the reality is groceries are cheaper in real terms than 5 years ago.

Understandable that lots of Americans are fooled by nominal price hikes, but we're FBGs and know better.

Do tell
-But mind you Gas/Fuel is UP, my $2.79 quart of Og Half/Half prior to the pandemic is now a "pint" and sells for $4, I pay 50% more and get 50% less, it wasn't like this in 2019

I would sure like to hear how this is all in peoples minds, inabilities to process the prices at their grocery stores, all just an optical illusion

-Let me share something so we're on the same page, I was using the cost of my dozen eggs I buy as a barometer, I like my morning eggs and weekend brunch and I go thru a lot of eggs
A few years back i started buying the blue shell eggs with the brightest orange yolks you have ever seen, I never knew what real eggs tasted like
And they cost about $8 per dozen prior to pandemic. I watched the little pink cartons of cheap white eggs go up and up and up and up, we all know the folks who buy those eggs
I can remember a 6-pack of eggs was like 99 cents for the longest time but regular eggs are now close to $5-$6 per dozen and my premium eggs only went from $8 to a whopping $9 now
Mrs and I don't eat out very much these days, we definitely have 86'd going out for Brunch because my eggs are better than most breakfast meals we find around town and they charge $10-$15 for a plate of white eggs w/pale yellow yolks, some greasy meat and some deep fried potatoes so we just eat at home

I'm sharing this because I think the grocery prices have been especially rough for folks that can least afford it
How do you not see or feel the prices at the grocery store?

Alright, do tell

A dozen regular eggs for $2.16 at Walmart

Not sure exactly what you mean by premium but there's several cage free and organic options in the $4-5 range

Eggs in Dairy & Eggs - Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

 

[the moops]

-But mind you Gas/Fuel is UP, my $2.79 quart of Og Half/Half prior to the pandemic is now a "pint" and sells for $4, I pay 50% more and get 50% less, it wasn't like this in 2019I

can remember a 6-pack of eggs was like 99 cents for the longest time but regular eggs are now close to $5-$6 per dozen and my premium eggs only went from $8 to a whopping $9 now

Are you shopping at some fancy coop or something? I know MN is not FL, but can't imagine prices are as different as you seem to think

Quart of half and half at Target is 2.89. If you want the organic it is 4.99 a quart.
Regular eggs are 2.99. Organic cage free are 4.99

 

[-OZ-]

Paid $1800 for half a cow, butchered into cuts we selected. That will last us 6-9 months. We usually buy half a pig a couple times a year at roughly $5/lb. No bacon.

Otherwise we pay about $200 / week.

So let’s say $14k annually at the grocery store. Which is more than our mortgage. 7 people, we eat well and son #3 is an aspiring baker / chef.

 

[Instinctive]

Paid $1800 for half a cow, butchered into cuts we selected. That will last us 6-9 months. We usually buy half a pig a couple times a year at roughly $5/lb. No bacon.

Otherwise we pay about $200 / week.

So let’s say $14k annually at the grocery store. Which is more than our mortgage. 7 people, we eat well and son #3 is an aspiring baker / chef.

I love the buy a side of beef plan. I just need a freakin deep freezer!

 

[the moops]

Paid $1800 for half a cow, butchered into cuts we selected. That will last us 6-9 months. We usually buy half a pig a couple times a year at roughly $5/lb. No bacon.

Otherwise we pay about $200 / week.

So let’s say $14k annually at the grocery store. Which is more than our mortgage. 7 people, we eat well and son #3 is an aspiring baker / chef.

That is some sweet small mortgage you got

 

[Ministry of Pain]

-But mind you Gas/Fuel is UP, my $2.79 quart of Og Half/Half prior to the pandemic is now a "pint" and sells for $4, I pay 50% more and get 50% less, it wasn't like this in 2019I

can remember a 6-pack of eggs was like 99 cents for the longest time but regular eggs are now close to $5-$6 per dozen and my premium eggs only went from $8 to a whopping $9 now

Are you shopping at some fancy coop or something? I know MN is not FL, but can't imagine prices are as different as you seem to think

Quart of half and half at Target is 2.89. If you want the organic it is 4.99 a quart.
Regular eggs are 2.99. Organic cage free are 4.99

Look for the blue eggs, the Glengarry eggs
Best and brightest orange yolks you ever tasted
.75 an egg, $1.50 for a 2 egg special at the MoP Cafe in the morning

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

Where does one buy half a cow?

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

I shop mainly at Kroger. Save 1.00 on gas with 1000 points and I use the digital coupons to save a little. Sprouts has them too but not many coupons I use. Safeway and I'm sure many others have apps as well.

 

[Cowboysfan8]

One way to save money would be to stock up on non perishable goods before prices start to go up which could happen soon.

Maybe a year or 2 ago

 

[Mitchie]

One way to save money would be to stock up on non perishable goods before prices start to go up which could happen soon.

Maybe a year or 2 ago

not exactly, food inflation up 2.3% over last year. if certain things are implemented economists predicting prices to rise (keeping it vague to stay away from politics but you can google if interested)

 

[pollardsvision]

For more than two years now, higher prices have been pinching consumers’ wallets and testing their patience — but there’s at least one part of their monthly budget that has more breathing room these days: For the average U.S. worker, it now takes fewer hours of work to afford a week’s worth of groceries than it did five years ago, in August 2019.

Nominal grocery prices are higher, but the reality is groceries are cheaper in real terms than 5 years ago.

Understandable that lots of Americans are fooled by nominal price hikes, but we're FBGs and know better.

Do tell
-But mind you Gas/Fuel is UP, my $2.79 quart of Og Half/Half prior to the pandemic is now a "pint" and sells for $4, I pay 50% more and get 50% less, it wasn't like this in 2019

I would sure like to hear how this is all in peoples minds, inabilities to process the prices at their grocery stores, all just an optical illusion

-Let me share something so we're on the same page, I was using the cost of my dozen eggs I buy as a barometer, I like my morning eggs and weekend brunch and I go thru a lot of eggs
A few years back i started buying the blue shell eggs with the brightest orange yolks you have ever seen, I never knew what real eggs tasted like
And they cost about $8 per dozen prior to pandemic. I watched the little pink cartons of cheap white eggs go up and up and up and up, we all know the folks who buy those eggs
I can remember a 6-pack of eggs was like 99 cents for the longest time but regular eggs are now close to $5-$6 per dozen and my premium eggs only went from $8 to a whopping $9 now
Mrs and I don't eat out very much these days, we definitely have 86'd going out for Brunch because my eggs are better than most breakfast meals we find around town and they charge $10-$15 for a plate of white eggs w/pale yellow yolks, some greasy meat and some deep fried potatoes so we just eat at home

I'm sharing this because I think the grocery prices have been especially rough for folks that can least afford it
How do you not see or feel the prices at the grocery store?

Alright, do tell

A dozen regular eggs for $2.16 at Walmart

Not sure exactly what you mean by premium but there's several cage free and organic options in the $4-5 range

Eggs in Dairy & Eggs - Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

Food costs have obviously gone up over the last few years, but I've noticed that it's not as bad for foods that actually go bad.

Boxed/processed crap that can be sat on for months, and you will be gouged. If buying cereal and soda, just bend over. 2 companies own the market, and they don't mind if it sits in a warehouse.

But if it goes bad, and there are enough farmers and companies competing, the prices aren't too bad. Some big increases, for sure, but not the absolute highway robbery of the middle aisle stuff.

I haven't seen anybody complain about the price of bananas in a while.

 

[SFBayDuck]

For more than two years now, higher prices have been pinching consumers’ wallets and testing their patience — but there’s at least one part of their monthly budget that has more breathing room these days: For the average U.S. worker, it now takes fewer hours of work to afford a week’s worth of groceries than it did five years ago, in August 2019.

Nominal grocery prices are higher, but the reality is groceries are cheaper in real terms than 5 years ago.

Understandable that lots of Americans are fooled by nominal price hikes, but we're FBGs and know better.

Do tell
-But mind you Gas/Fuel is UP, my $2.79 quart of Og Half/Half prior to the pandemic is now a "pint" and sells for $4, I pay 50% more and get 50% less, it wasn't like this in 2019

I would sure like to hear how this is all in peoples minds, inabilities to process the prices at their grocery stores, all just an optical illusion

-Let me share something so we're on the same page, I was using the cost of my dozen eggs I buy as a barometer, I like my morning eggs and weekend brunch and I go thru a lot of eggs
A few years back i started buying the blue shell eggs with the brightest orange yolks you have ever seen, I never knew what real eggs tasted like
And they cost about $8 per dozen prior to pandemic. I watched the little pink cartons of cheap white eggs go up and up and up and up, we all know the folks who buy those eggs
I can remember a 6-pack of eggs was like 99 cents for the longest time but regular eggs are now close to $5-$6 per dozen and my premium eggs only went from $8 to a whopping $9 now
Mrs and I don't eat out very much these days, we definitely have 86'd going out for Brunch because my eggs are better than most breakfast meals we find around town and they charge $10-$15 for a plate of white eggs w/pale yellow yolks, some greasy meat and some deep fried potatoes so we just eat at home

I'm sharing this because I think the grocery prices have been especially rough for folks that can least afford it
How do you not see or feel the prices at the grocery store?

Alright, do tell

It's not an optical illusion, the typical American is paying more for most things......nominally. The economy grows, prices tend to go up. But so do wages, and over the last couple of decades they have done so at an even higher rate.

Median REAL wages are higher than they've ever been (other than the covid spike). They've been trending up since the mid 90s. That means the typical American has more buying power than they did in the 90s!

The price of gas goes up and down. But it's currently at the same price as it was in 2007, is as low as it's been at anytime since early 2021, and almost $2 below where it was in the middle of 2022.

Look at the blue line here, the percentage of disposable income spent on food at home (since this is the grocery store thread). It's still near all time lows, at 5.3% last year. Look what our parent's had to deal with!

 

[Dezbelief]

Where does one buy half a cow?

Butcher shop

 

[Ministry of Pain]

For more than two years now, higher prices have been pinching consumers’ wallets and testing their patience — but there’s at least one part of their monthly budget that has more breathing room these days: For the average U.S. worker, it now takes fewer hours of work to afford a week’s worth of groceries than it did five years ago, in August 2019.

Nominal grocery prices are higher, but the reality is groceries are cheaper in real terms than 5 years ago.

Understandable that lots of Americans are fooled by nominal price hikes, but we're FBGs and know better.

Do tell
-But mind you Gas/Fuel is UP, my $2.79 quart of Og Half/Half prior to the pandemic is now a "pint" and sells for $4, I pay 50% more and get 50% less, it wasn't like this in 2019

I would sure like to hear how this is all in peoples minds, inabilities to process the prices at their grocery stores, all just an optical illusion

-Let me share something so we're on the same page, I was using the cost of my dozen eggs I buy as a barometer, I like my morning eggs and weekend brunch and I go thru a lot of eggs
A few years back i started buying the blue shell eggs with the brightest orange yolks you have ever seen, I never knew what real eggs tasted like
And they cost about $8 per dozen prior to pandemic. I watched the little pink cartons of cheap white eggs go up and up and up and up, we all know the folks who buy those eggs
I can remember a 6-pack of eggs was like 99 cents for the longest time but regular eggs are now close to $5-$6 per dozen and my premium eggs only went from $8 to a whopping $9 now
Mrs and I don't eat out very much these days, we definitely have 86'd going out for Brunch because my eggs are better than most breakfast meals we find around town and they charge $10-$15 for a plate of white eggs w/pale yellow yolks, some greasy meat and some deep fried potatoes so we just eat at home

I'm sharing this because I think the grocery prices have been especially rough for folks that can least afford it
How do you not see or feel the prices at the grocery store?

Alright, do tell

A dozen regular eggs for $2.16 at Walmart

Not sure exactly what you mean by premium but there's several cage free and organic options in the $4-5 range

Eggs in Dairy & Eggs - Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

Food costs have obviously gone up over the last few years, but I've noticed that it's not as bad for foods that actually goes bad.

Boxed/processed crap that can be sat on for months, and you will be gouged. If buying cereal and soda, just bend over. 2 companies own the market, and they don't mind if it sits in a warehouse.

But if it goes bad, and there are enough farmers and companies competing, the prices aren't too bad. Some big increases, for sure, but not the absolute highway robbery of the middle aisle stuff.

I haven't seen anybody complain about the price of bananas in a while.

Og Bananas were .89 per lb, they're now $1.19 lb, pretty big jump in terms of percentage
But yeah I see your point about spoil/not spoil
I see those cereals on sale all the time, yes the food that can be stored in the cabinets for a few months can be very expensive

Og Honeycrisp Apples are one of my favorite but they are running about $4/lb and some of these apples are over half a pound and we're talking $2 an apple?

 

[Major]

Paid $1800 for half a cow, butchered into cuts we selected. That will last us 6-9 months. We usually buy half a pig a couple times a year at roughly $5/lb. No bacon.

Otherwise we pay about $200 / week.

So let’s say $14k annually at the grocery store. Which is more than our mortgage. 7 people, we eat well and son #3 is an aspiring baker / chef.

I'm not much of a beef guy. How much for half a buffalo?

 

[DA RAIDERS]

4# of butter at Costco is 6-7 dollars.

 

[SFBayDuck]

How much for one rib?

 

[Ministry of Pain]

For more than two years now, higher prices have been pinching consumers’ wallets and testing their patience — but there’s at least one part of their monthly budget that has more breathing room these days: For the average U.S. worker, it now takes fewer hours of work to afford a week’s worth of groceries than it did five years ago, in August 2019.

Nominal grocery prices are higher, but the reality is groceries are cheaper in real terms than 5 years ago.

Understandable that lots of Americans are fooled by nominal price hikes, but we're FBGs and know better.

Do tell
-But mind you Gas/Fuel is UP, my $2.79 quart of Og Half/Half prior to the pandemic is now a "pint" and sells for $4, I pay 50% more and get 50% less, it wasn't like this in 2019

I would sure like to hear how this is all in peoples minds, inabilities to process the prices at their grocery stores, all just an optical illusion

-Let me share something so we're on the same page, I was using the cost of my dozen eggs I buy as a barometer, I like my morning eggs and weekend brunch and I go thru a lot of eggs
A few years back i started buying the blue shell eggs with the brightest orange yolks you have ever seen, I never knew what real eggs tasted like
And they cost about $8 per dozen prior to pandemic. I watched the little pink cartons of cheap white eggs go up and up and up and up, we all know the folks who buy those eggs
I can remember a 6-pack of eggs was like 99 cents for the longest time but regular eggs are now close to $5-$6 per dozen and my premium eggs only went from $8 to a whopping $9 now
Mrs and I don't eat out very much these days, we definitely have 86'd going out for Brunch because my eggs are better than most breakfast meals we find around town and they charge $10-$15 for a plate of white eggs w/pale yellow yolks, some greasy meat and some deep fried potatoes so we just eat at home

I'm sharing this because I think the grocery prices have been especially rough for folks that can least afford it
How do you not see or feel the prices at the grocery store?

Alright, do tell

It's not an optical illusion, the typical American is paying more for most things......nominally. The economy grows, prices tend to go up. But so do wages, and over the last couple of decades they have done so at an even higher rate.

Median REAL wages are higher than they've ever been (other than the covid spike). They've been trending up since the mid 90s. That means the typical American has more buying power than they did in the 90s!

The price of gas goes up and down. But it's currently at the same price as it was in 2007, is as low as it's been at anytime since early 2021, and almost $2 below where it was in the middle of 2022.

Look at the blue line here, the percentage of disposable income spent on food at home (since this is the grocery store thread). It's still near all time lows, at 5.3% last year. Look what our parent's had to deal with!

72 Million Americans don't seem to look at things like that if you believe what they told people this past Tuesday, i'm just trying to find out what things cost
Talking Heads - "But if you go to Page 9 on this report written over at this place and compare 2024 to 2007"...I don't need to do that.
Gas was cheaper between 2016-2020, that's not a crazy statement, it's just the truth
I really appreciate what you're saying, please don't get upset with me but if we're going to move forward I think we have to acknowledge that some people are really hurting at grocery stores
And it comes down to what everyone eats and their lifestyle

Mrs and I work out of the house 4 days a week, I drive a vehicle that sucks up 93 at the pump, I think I paid around $4 a gallon the other day and I don't fill up the tank as often as others
Do you really think i sweat what gas prices are running? I'm sure California is paying more than i am in Florida right now.
That said, my 25 year old son who has to drive in to work 4 days a week vs being home 4 days a week, he complains about it all the time, his interest rate on his home is around 7% where as I have a 2.9% interest rate. Many of us on these boards live a blessed life and I'll leave it at that. I told my wife just today how lucky we are that things have mostly worked out financially as we set out when we were more around my son's age.

I hope you're not angry or mad that people are trying to find out why so many seem to be struggling. I think just telling people that everything is OK and compare it to the 90s, 25 year olds and that age group cannot relate to the 90s. I get what your saying but a mortgage is over double what it was 5 years ago, people can't keep up and something has to give.

I'm kind of shocked home prices didn't roll back more, especially in the places like Florida where real estate was steady for a long time and then just exploded
Not everyone got to cash in on that. Not everyone has a 401k and those that do have access thru their work many don't invest into them much to my dismay

If you go back to where I was bumping this thread, i was trying to point out what I think are some real deals at a grocery store I like to frequent, thought I'd share where I was getting some good food iMO and the prices are typically fair and they run a lot of sales...helping my fellow FBG

Thanks for the post SF

 

[Van Dyman]

For more than two years now, higher prices have been pinching consumers’ wallets and testing their patience — but there’s at least one part of their monthly budget that has more breathing room these days: For the average U.S. worker, it now takes fewer hours of work to afford a week’s worth of groceries than it did five years ago, in August 2019.

Nominal grocery prices are higher, but the reality is groceries are cheaper in real terms than 5 years ago.

Understandable that lots of Americans are fooled by nominal price hikes, but we're FBGs and know better.

Do tell
-But mind you Gas/Fuel is UP, my $2.79 quart of Og Half/Half prior to the pandemic is now a "pint" and sells for $4, I pay 50% more and get 50% less, it wasn't like this in 2019

I would sure like to hear how this is all in peoples minds, inabilities to process the prices at their grocery stores, all just an optical illusion

-Let me share something so we're on the same page, I was using the cost of my dozen eggs I buy as a barometer, I like my morning eggs and weekend brunch and I go thru a lot of eggs
A few years back i started buying the blue shell eggs with the brightest orange yolks you have ever seen, I never knew what real eggs tasted like
And they cost about $8 per dozen prior to pandemic. I watched the little pink cartons of cheap white eggs go up and up and up and up, we all know the folks who buy those eggs
I can remember a 6-pack of eggs was like 99 cents for the longest time but regular eggs are now close to $5-$6 per dozen and my premium eggs only went from $8 to a whopping $9 now
Mrs and I don't eat out very much these days, we definitely have 86'd going out for Brunch because my eggs are better than most breakfast meals we find around town and they charge $10-$15 for a plate of white eggs w/pale yellow yolks, some greasy meat and some deep fried potatoes so we just eat at home

I'm sharing this because I think the grocery prices have been especially rough for folks that can least afford it
How do you not see or feel the prices at the grocery store?

Alright, do tell

A dozen regular eggs for $2.16 at Walmart

Not sure exactly what you mean by premium but there's several cage free and organic options in the $4-5 range

Eggs in Dairy & Eggs - Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

Food costs have obviously gone up over the last few years, but I've noticed that it's not as bad for foods that actually go bad.

Boxed/processed crap that can be sat on for months, and you will be gouged. If buying cereal and soda, just bend over. 2 companies own the market, and they don't mind if it sits in a warehouse.

But if it goes bad, and there are enough farmers and companies competing, the prices aren't too bad. Some big increases, for sure, but not the absolute highway robbery of the middle aisle stuff.

I haven't seen anybody complain about the price of bananas in a while.

There have been tons of articles written about banana prices. Seems like there was even some discussion here in the FFA. Definitely a different situation than most foods.

 

[Mitchie]

For more than two years now, higher prices have been pinching consumers’ wallets and testing their patience — but there’s at least one part of their monthly budget that has more breathing room these days: For the average U.S. worker, it now takes fewer hours of work to afford a week’s worth of groceries than it did five years ago, in August 2019.

Nominal grocery prices are higher, but the reality is groceries are cheaper in real terms than 5 years ago.

Understandable that lots of Americans are fooled by nominal price hikes, but we're FBGs and know better.

Do tell
-But mind you Gas/Fuel is UP, my $2.79 quart of Og Half/Half prior to the pandemic is now a "pint" and sells for $4, I pay 50% more and get 50% less, it wasn't like this in 2019

I would sure like to hear how this is all in peoples minds, inabilities to process the prices at their grocery stores, all just an optical illusion

-Let me share something so we're on the same page, I was using the cost of my dozen eggs I buy as a barometer, I like my morning eggs and weekend brunch and I go thru a lot of eggs
A few years back i started buying the blue shell eggs with the brightest orange yolks you have ever seen, I never knew what real eggs tasted like
And they cost about $8 per dozen prior to pandemic. I watched the little pink cartons of cheap white eggs go up and up and up and up, we all know the folks who buy those eggs
I can remember a 6-pack of eggs was like 99 cents for the longest time but regular eggs are now close to $5-$6 per dozen and my premium eggs only went from $8 to a whopping $9 now
Mrs and I don't eat out very much these days, we definitely have 86'd going out for Brunch because my eggs are better than most breakfast meals we find around town and they charge $10-$15 for a plate of white eggs w/pale yellow yolks, some greasy meat and some deep fried potatoes so we just eat at home

I'm sharing this because I think the grocery prices have been especially rough for folks that can least afford it
How do you not see or feel the prices at the grocery store?

Alright, do tell

It's not an optical illusion, the typical American is paying more for most things......nominally. The economy grows, prices tend to go up. But so do wages, and over the last couple of decades they have done so at an even higher rate.

Median REAL wages are higher than they've ever been (other than the covid spike). They've been trending up since the mid 90s. That means the typical American has more buying power than they did in the 90s!

The price of gas goes up and down. But it's currently at the same price as it was in 2007, is as low as it's been at anytime since early 2021, and almost $2 below where it was in the middle of 2022.

Look at the blue line here, the percentage of disposable income spent on food at home (since this is the grocery store thread). It's still near all time lows, at 5.3% last year. Look what our parent's had to deal with!

72 Million Americans don't seem to look at things like that if you believe what they told people this past Tuesday, i'm just trying to find out what things cost
Talking Heads - "But if you go to Page 9 on this report written over at this place and compare 2024 to 2007"...I don't need to do that.
Gas was cheaper between 2016-2020, that's not a crazy statement, it's just the truth
I really appreciate what you're saying, please don't get upset with me but if we're going to move forward I think we have to acknowledge that some people are really hurting at grocery stores
And it comes down to what everyone eats and their lifestyle

Mrs and I work out of the house 4 days a week, I drive a vehicle that sucks up 93 at the pump, I think I paid around $4 a gallon the other day and I don't fill up the tank as often as others
Do you really think i sweat what gas prices are running? I'm sure California is paying more than i am in Florida right now.
That said, my 25 year old son who has to drive in to work 4 days a week vs being home 4 days a week, he complains about it all the time, his interest rate on his home is around 7% where as I have a 2.9% interest rate. Many of us on these boards live a blessed life and I'll leave it at that. I told my wife just today how lucky we are that things have mostly worked out financially as we set out when we were more around my son's age.

I hope you're not angry or mad that people are trying to find out why so many seem to be struggling. I think just telling people that everything is OK and compare it to the 90s, 25 year olds and that age group cannot relate to the 90s. I get what your saying but a mortgage is over double what it was 5 years ago, people can't keep up and something has to give.

I'm kind of shocked home prices didn't roll back more, especially in the places like Florida where real estate was steady for a long time and then just exploded
Not everyone got to cash in on that. Not everyone has a 401k and those that do have access thru their work many don't invest into them much to my dismay

If you go back to where I was bumping this thread, i was trying to point out what I think are some real deals at a grocery store I like to frequent, thought I'd share where I was getting some good food iMO and the prices are typically fair and they run a lot of sales...helping my fellow FBG

Thanks for the post SF

The inflation adjusted price of gas is the lowest it's been since 1976 (which is how far this chart goes back)

Gas price inflation, 1935→2024

This calculator uses the official Consumer Price Index for Gas from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Gas costing $3.34 in 1935 would cost $76.84 in 2024.

www.in2013dollars.com

 

[-OZ-]

Paid $1800 for half a cow, butchered into cuts we selected. That will last us 6-9 months. We usually buy half a pig a couple times a year at roughly $5/lb. No bacon.

Otherwise we pay about $200 / week.

So let’s say $14k annually at the grocery store. Which is more than our mortgage. 7 people, we eat well and son #3 is an aspiring baker / chef.

I'm not much of a beef guy. How much for half a buffalo?

Not sure he sells a half Buffalo but he does carry Buffalo, venison, goat, etc. Much more than the cow.

 

[Major]

Paid $1800 for half a cow, butchered into cuts we selected. That will last us 6-9 months. We usually buy half a pig a couple times a year at roughly $5/lb. No bacon.

Otherwise we pay about $200 / week.

So let’s say $14k annually at the grocery store. Which is more than our mortgage. 7 people, we eat well and son #3 is an aspiring baker / chef.

I'm not much of a beef guy. How much for half a buffalo?

Not sure he sells a half Buffalo but he does carry Buffalo, venison, goat, etc. Much more than the cow.

I wish it wasn't so expensive but it tastes great and almost as lean as chicken. I honestly can't tell the difference between a buffalo burger/steak and the cow variety.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Food costs are a major killer for this middle class family. Just flat out brutal.

We have a budget of $500 a week. Family of four. It’s insane.

 

[-OZ-]

Where does one buy half a cow?

Butcher shop

We have two go-to people who own their own animals / farm. They sell and get the butcher to do his thing, then sell to the consumer.

 

[SFBayDuck]

72 Million Americans don't seem to look at things like that if you believe what they told people this past Tuesday,

Outside of the covid spike unemployment has remained persistently low (4%ish) going back through a couple of administrations now, GDP is ripping, equities at all time highs for the 60%+ of Americans who own them, the 66% who are homeowners see they are worth more than ever, all while wages across the board continue to outpace inflation. The economy, by almost any objective measure, has been good.

But inflation is the only thing about the economy that resonates with so many people, and you are correct in your assessment here. Economy-wide, high unemployment is much worse. But most people would prefer 7% unemployment and 3% inflation over the reverse any day. Nevermind that 7% unemployment likely means we'd be in a recession.

For most people sentiment around the economy is all about two things: how it is impacting you and yours, and political affiliation and who's in power (which has become a nonpartisan reality, but we'll leave that one out of it here). Ask the person who's had 30 interviews and has been out of work for 6 months if they care about unemployment being 4%. If the percentage of your income that you have to spend on groceries has gone up (and that's the way you should look at it, not if an egg costs $.25 more), then you don't care if inflation is currently running at 2.4%. Add on the impact of what it takes to get eyeballs and clicks - it's got to be all negativity and anger - and The Vibecession has been very real for many people the past couple of years, with inflation at the heart of it.