The grocery store.....Inflation is here!

reply to post by Skorpiogurl


You made a good point there. LOL

I got a stacked and overflowing full cart last week for 132 $.

That's about what I have been paying for the same random amount for the last 5years or so.

It's been overpriced for a long time.
Also, I am a really picky buyer and will try to save pennies at every turn, unless I am forced to pay more to avoid specific additives. In that case I will pay more $ to get safer foods.

Originally posted by ShadowAngel85
reply to post by MeesterB

 

Agreed and it's something i never understood. It's also something you always see in those stupid 'reality documentaries': Families with a big load of kids and a bigger loads of animals and than they complain they don't have enough money.

Instead of complaining on a message board, get rid of the animals and your problems are solved. Simple, easy, everybody should understand it.

And/or don't take on more pets than you can handle.
There again, you can save money. They don't need all the expensive vet visits for shots and stuff. I can buy vaccinations at the feed store for next to nothing. I spend more on heartworm meds in the summer than on their food, etc. put together.

oh, and don't be afraid of the bargain bin in the meat department.
buy it cheap, freeze the heck out of it.
Around here they load them up on thursday, often with expiration dates over the weekend. Still fresh, good meat, etc., don't be afraid to be picky.
By noonish on Friday it's an empty bin usually because they throw it out if it doesn't sell.
You'll notice on the weekend there is no bargain bin in the meat/seafood department...

Originally posted by irsuccubus
I was just talking to my mom about this as the food bill for my household of 6 + 1 small dog and cat can run anywhere from 700-1000 monthly and that includes cat and dog food and any incidental walks to the local bodega. This is also including clipping coupons, using our market club cards and shopping at Wally World for items like cereal and olive oil. I mentioned ice cream and she remarked about how it wasn't even a half gallon anymore and yet the price had risen. Now a little more than 11/2 quarts of ice cream costs more than a gallon of gas.

edit on 7-12-2011 by irsuccubus because: (no reason given)

You spend between $700-&1000 a month for 6 people plus two pets? Wow, you are doing pretty good then with your budgeting especially if you reside within a major city. There's three of us and our grocery bill a month is $400 on a slightly tight budget at a neighborhood supermarket. Funny thing is a couple of weeks ago my husband and I had a long chat with the salesman of a popular southern brand of ice cream called Blue Bell. We noticed about six months ago a pint cost $1.07 now it's $1.49 . The salesman explained milk products are going to be the first indicators of inflation and producers are going to cut corners to save so as to continue making a profit which could mean as you posted "11/2 quarts for the cost of a gallon". He says his employer don't anticipate any further hikes in cost but personally I don't think that's written in stone with the economy constantly changing.

reply to post by brilab45


Thats not too bad. I Spent about £320 a month on food and thats just for me and I'm not a big lad either!

reply to post by brilab45


I have only read your opening post...
I know what you're saying,a gallon of bleach is not gallon sized
anymore.Anyone else notice how tiny the reecey cups are getting?
We won't even get started on the snack cakes.I just bake my own
and make my own peanut butter fudge.
Coffee,even the cheaper store brands are costing a lot.Cat food
for my babies has gone up over $2.00 a box and I have three cats.
Two of my cats are picky eaters and the boy kitty will eat anything.
You know times are getting bad when food items are on your christmas
list from your kids.

reply to post by clintdelicious


Wow! You and I definitely need better money management skills. I'm sure I could do better if I got off my lazy backside and clipped coupons and such. I'm not sure how crazy the pricing of things are in your country.

Best regards.

Originally posted by mamabeth
reply to post by brilab45

 

You know times are getting bad when food items are on your christmas
list from your kids.

OMG, are you trying to make me cry. Let's hope some good comes your way. I'm certain many people are feeling the same way. Very sad.

reply to post by Chai_An


We are able to make it work because we dont do all our shopping at one place. Meats at a local butcher, fruits and veggies from a local produce mart, name brand stuff we want cheap from Walmart and all the rest from the local save-a-lot. Shopping for the month is sometimes a two or three day endeavor just because of all the running around. But these days you gotta do what you gotta do. My dog and cat do not eat much, but my teenage boy on the other hand....woooooo! That kid lives from meal to meal due to growth spurts and an active lifestyle.


And for all those who think that a diet of Ramen noodles is the way to go....take a good look at that nutrition label and the ASTRONOMICAL amount of salt that is in them. At full strength those things are bad news. I do buy them though. A case is still under 3 bucks. I chuck the flavor packet and season them myself, leaving out most of the salt. They are also a great meal base. toss in a handful of diced chicken or some sliced ham and veggies and you have a great soup.

Recently I have contemplated getting a rice cooker and serving a scoop with lunch or dinner every night just to make sure everyone gets nice and full.

reply to post by irsuccubus


A rice cooker would be a great idea.You can stretch your
meals using rice,pastas and even grits.Rice and grits are
still pretty cheap and you can use them at any meal.

Blessed be all,
I'll add my 2 cent's worth from a country that has the €.
For 2 adults, 1 child and 1 cat = One month's worth of FOOD ( budget brands, non-processed, non-additive and non- sugar ) = € 350,-
This is from 4 stores, on sales and budget brands ( shopping is a 3 day round trip for me as I have to go to a different town to buy from 1 store ).
Yep, prices are sky rocketing. I am paying €3,96 for a pound of coffee beans ( and that is the cheapest brand around! )
I try to garden as much as possible, but it is not easy when people come over the wall in the middle of the night and vandalize the garden! And steal all produce from the plants.

Namasté

reply to post by Areyoupeopleinsane


I'd rather not live than to live on

Broccoli
Chicken
Oatmeal
Sweet Potatoes
Egg Whites
Natural unsweetened peanut butter

Anyone else?

reply to post by KhaliWitch


you could do what they do in the philippines--epoxy broken glass and tacs to the top of fence wall. Can you get a dog of some kind to protect the garden at night?

Things are getting crazy.

reply to post by WickettheRabbit


that's funny...we tried the Dr. Esselstyn diet for a week and that was that..I mean I love lots of veggies but complete vegan - oil/fats -nuts..sucks. Occasionally, I have a craving for junk..I guess i'm addicted or something because once I start thinking about lay's tater chips and ranch dip I cannot stop until I get my fix

This seems to be a very american problem...

I mean in the UK i eat my meat my other half is a vegetarian,

We very very rarely eat processed foods,

sometimes some pre made pasta sauces and fresh (but still store bought) pasta when were being lazy,

i have a son who eats meat too, and three pet birds! (who only eat seed and fresh vegetables every night)

175 GBP and we can litterally live like kings with me eating a really picky low carb diet and everything at the moment, 200 GBP if we are being real lazy and thats includign needless expenses like Carbonated juices, chocolate deserts etc. (and cleaning products/bathroom supplys)

And i can drink wine rum and beer!

So as i said this seems to be an american problem more than a western problem, i find it very strange

reply to post by brilab45


I'm not saying you should sign up for this (I haven't tryed it myself), but it is an alternative to loosing mannuts clipping coupons

Go to www.shortcuts.com. At this site you can read a bit about how the program works. Click on "Partners" to see the list of stores that are currently enrolled in the coupon deal.

You'll have to enter your information as prompted:

the last thing you do is enter the member number that is on each card. Your cards are then supposed to be updated with a discount for the coupons you will use.

Originally posted by irsuccubus
reply to post by Chai_An

 

We are able to make it work because we dont do all our shopping at one place. Meats at a local butcher, fruits and veggies from a local produce mart, name brand stuff we want cheap from Walmart and all the rest from the local save-a-lot. Shopping for the month is sometimes a two or three day endeavor just because of all the running around. But these days you gotta do what you gotta do. My dog and cat do not eat much, but my teenage boy on the other hand....woooooo! That kid lives from meal to meal due to growth spurts and an active lifestyle.

And for all those who think that a diet of Ramen noodles is the way to go....take a good look at that nutrition label and the ASTRONOMICAL amount of salt that is in them. At full strength those things are bad news. I do buy them though. A case is still under 3 bucks. I chuck the flavor packet and season them myself, leaving out most of the salt. They are also a great meal base. toss in a handful of diced chicken or some sliced ham and veggies and you have a great soup.

Recently I have contemplated getting a rice cooker and serving a scoop with lunch or dinner every night just to make sure everyone gets nice and full.

My mother she does the same thing with the Ramens, she adds all kinds of stuff in it creating a tasty meal for herself. Well it sounds like you run a tight ship. I get a kick out of hearing about how others save money on groceries because I'm always trying to fine tune my own grocery shopping bill. I've spent months trying to prepare myself for a time in which the economy will be unidentifiable. So far I've incorporated coupons as a "friend of mine", buying bulk meat packages and discounted meat from the market to freeze. Sometimes I go to an outlet across the street from the supermarket for dented can goods. Now I'm getting into the swing of growing my own veggies, every little bit helps.

Some folks have really hit the nail on the head. Add fillers to your meal. It makes great sense for those that have traditional families.

I'm mid forties and can not afford to eat carbs in excess. Fruits and veggies are really skyrocketing.

Has anyone ever seen a coupon for a fruit or vegetable? The kind that sits in open air? It kinda seems like the manufacturing world wants to dominate us with processed foods.

It absolutely does not make sense that a bunch of asparagus costs more than a box of sugar loaded cereal.

We are so backwards. Imagine how much vegetables are thrown away by our supermarkets. Fact is nothing processed is never thrown away. Why? Because they last forever.

reply to post by FORMe2p00p0n


Thank you for the info. Your avatar is scary. Clowns scare me.