Food Prices

[MrQuackers]

I am enjoying oatmeal with lots of fruit and bonus fiber bits and nuts most every morning.

 

[4WD]

We've cut back on luxury items. Otherwise, our meal plan hasn't changed much. We're fortunate have a local butcher shop that's been largely unaffected. I can still get skinless, boneless chicken breasts for $2.29/lb and 80/20 ground chuck for 5 lbs for $20.

The inflation is hitting in other ways than just increased prices. A couple local restaurants haven't increased their prices but have cut portions instead. At a local chicken place, the strip basket now comes with 3 strips instead of 4. At another place, their sirloin steak dinner now has an 8 oz sirloin instead of a 12 oz. A lot of that is going on. I've wondered if/how that gets figured into inflation figures. Do they account for that or do they just see the price hasn't changed and claim 0% inflation there.

I can’t understand our “all you can eat“ places - they keep jacking prices but I watch guys eat what’s 3 meals to me …
(and I’m a big man) …
Wish they’d just allow one pass down the serving line and hold prices …

 

[Lubener]

I strictly buy only what is on sale and use digital coupons on top of that. I feel some economic pinch but not near as much as the uneducated consumer.

 

[skyactiv]

Grow a garden and learn to can food.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Grow a garden and learn to can food.

I wish I had space and time - but its not any cheaper if you factor your time as worth anything. Better - absolutely.

 

[Shel_B]

I wish I had space and time - but its not any cheaper if you factor your time as worth anything. Better - absolutely.

Sweetie had very little space on her small plot of land but was able to
grow herbs and various leafy vegetables in a box made by her SIL. She/we
spent but a few minutes a day tending the garden. Mostly just
watering.

We also grew her beloved cherry tomatoes in a large wooden tub placed
in a sunny corner of her yard, and one year I got her a Meyer lemon tree that
was also grown in a tub. Sweetie loved those lemons. In addition, we grew
some very tasty, although small, potatoes.

 

[64bawagon]

I was frugal before frugal was necessary or cool. My parents both grew up in very limited resource households (poor)
The less I spend on necessities the more I can spend on fun things

 

[Hermann]

I was frugal before frugal was necessary or cool. My parents both grew up in very limited resource households (poor)
The less I spend on necessities the more I can spend on fun things

Is Cheap Chic again?

 

[AZjeff]

Just the 2 of us and it shocks me every week what we spend on groceries and sundries and we don't eat extravagently. Can't imagine feeding a growing family. We haven't lowered our level of food quality but are more aware of sales. We never eat out by choice and can't imagine paying $75 for one meal in a restaraunt like in the fixed price thread.

 

[Hyundai Respecter]

It’s embarrassing to admit but we have been using the local food pantry. It’s helped out quite a bit, but over the past couple months selection isn’t as good because there’s so many people using it. But every so often we’ll still get some good stuff like meats and cheeses (mainly ground beef but sometimes steak tips, and bags of shredded cheddar or mozzarella and sliced cheese).

I usually shop at Walmart and buy the great value brand which really isn’t that bad. Pasta and sauce with some ground beef mixed in can feed us for a couple of days, so we’re making more stuff like that and buying less frozen dinners.

 

[Lubener]

It’s embarrassing to admit but we have been using the local food pantry. It’s helped out quite a bit, but over the past couple months selection isn’t as good because there’s so many people using it. But every so often we’ll still get some good stuff like meats and cheeses (mainly ground beef but sometimes steak tips, and bags of shredded cheddar or mozzarella and sliced cheese).

I usually shop at Walmart and buy the great value brand which really isn’t that bad. Pasta and sauce with some ground beef mixed in can feed us for a couple of days, so we’re making more stuff like that and buying less frozen dinners.

Nothing to be embarrassed about. That's what the food pantries are there for.

 

[SeaJay]

I'm a fan of Aldi, dollar goes farther there. There are some things they don't have, so I fill the gaps at another grocery store.

We shop at our local Aldi, early and often. Likewise fill the gaps at another grocery store.

 

[SC Maintenance]

It’s embarrassing to admit but we have been using the local food pantry.

Food pantry is for helping people who are mostly trying to help themselves, so nothing embarrassing about that. In the future when your much better off you can give back and help someone else down the line.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Sweetie had very little space on her small plot of land but was able to
grow herbs and various leafy vegetables in a box made by her SIL. She/we
spent but a few minutes a day tending the garden. Mostly just
watering.

We also grew her beloved cherry tomatoes in a large wooden tub placed
in a sunny corner of her yard, and one year I got her a Meyer lemon tree that
was also grown in a tub. Sweetie loved those lemons. In addition, we grew
some very tasty, although small, potatoes.

We have two large lemon trees in giant pots. Had them for years - the kids wanted to grow fruit a decade ago. They bloom with pretty small white flowers in the spring and in the fall we get likely 15 to 20 lemons, twice the size of the ones you buy, so maybe 30 or 40 bucks worth. We water them, fertilize them, turn them. They get moved into the garage for a couple months when it freezes. We fertilize every year, and I forget how much the pots and dirt cost.

There awesome, my wife squeezes them into fresh lemonade and you have never had anything like it. So we love them.

But it would still be cheaper to buy lemons at Walmart, if that was your goal. For is its not.

 

[GON]

We have two large lemon trees in giant pots. Had them for years - the kids wanted to grow fruit a decade ago. They bloom with pretty small white flowers in the spring and in the fall we get likely 15 to 20 lemons, twice the size of the ones you buy, so maybe 30 or 40 bucks worth. We water them, fertilize them, turn them. They get moved into the garage for a couple months when it freezes. We fertilize every year, and I forget how much the pots and dirt cost.

There awesome, my wife squeezes them into fresh lemonade and you have never had anything like it. So we love them.

But it would still be cheaper to buy lemons at Walmart, if that was your goal. For is its not.

When I live in Florida in the early 1980s, I had two lemon trees in the back- produced huge green colored lemons. So many lemons, we just made lemon ice cubes out of the juice, rather than throw away the excess lemons.

Glory days, they're going to pass you by....

 

[Dave Hess]

When I live in Florida in the early 1980s, I had two lemon trees in the back- produced huge green colored lemons. So many lemons, we just made lemon ice cubes out of the juice, rather than throw away the excess lemons.

Glory days, they're going to pass you by....

Where in Florida did you live ?

 

[GON]

I lived in Sunrise, FL in the early 1980s. 17 years old, lived on my own. Had what was called a villa, 1 bedroom, 1 bath. Had a canal in the back, great largemouth bass fishing 24x7. I think those villas sold for about 15k-20k at that time.

 

[Speedbird001]

[Typical Small City] Virginia; Forget about dine-in or take-out... 11.5% sales tax added on to already inflated prices.

 

[Shel_B]

I lived in Sunrise, FL in the early 1980s. 17 years old, lived on my own. Had what was called a villa, 1 bedroom, 1 bath. Had a canal in the back, great largemouth bass fishing 24x7. I think those villas sold for about 15k-20k at that time.

Ha! My mom moved to Sunrise in the early 80s or so. My then-soon-to-be-wife and I drove across the country and paid her a visit. It had to be around 1981,2,3 ...

 

[CR94]

We shop at our local Aldi, early and often. Likewise fill the gaps at another grocery store.

So do I, but they keep adding new "gaps." For example they've discontinued frozen orange juice concentrate, and whole gallons of skim milk.
Most things I buy at Aldi are up at least 50% in the past couple of years, but still below prices at Walmart and other stores.