Random gripe--cost of groceries

[Gempress]

When hubby and I were first married 5 years ago, our weekly big grocery shopping trip cost about $70. We make a few other small purchases during the week for random things like a loaf of bread, case of water, etc., but the big shopping visit stayed the same.

Now, that shopping trip is up to $100 a week. WTH?? We're certainly not eating any more. We're not eating fancier meals, either---if anything, we're eating cheaper cuts of meat and such than we did before.

And I remember seeing things like "Special! Country style beef ribs, 99 cents per pound." Now I see ads that say, "Special! Country style beef ribs, $2.49 per pound."

Anybody else notice that groceries are getting more expensive?

 

[FoxyWench]

yes, to feed our family of 5 its costing a small fortune, were getting to the point now where were going to have to budget better and do a big monthly shop at costco or bjs and buy in bulk to save any kind of real money.

its insane...

everything is getting more expensive, rents going up, gas goes up, electric goes up, taxes in my town have gone up...the only things getting cheaper are interest rates and the price of houses thanks to the slump...

 

[Debi]

my hubby has been griping about this for ages. he gets soooo annoyed when the news harps on gasoline prices, yet NEVER touches on food increases. we harp on oil prices...food...nada. WELL...we HAVE also noticed a massive increase, and it's just the two of us. we don't eat junk food, sweets...ever. our grocery bill is at least a hundred a week for the basics. they want to talk recession.......talk facts. talk about the cost to feed a family. but they don't. it's frustrating to say the least. I can say that I'm old enough to remember when we shopped for a week.....................and it costs us $25.00. and we ate GOOD. then we had 2 kids...spent maybe $75.00 a week, but it was alot of extras back then. UGH!!!

 

[skittledoo]

I've noticed too... everything is just shooting up in price. I barely eat anything yet I still feel like I fish out so much money just in groceries. I'm a big bargain shopper too. I'll stick with store brand for most things just to save a little.

 

[sparks19]

Yeah the cost of groceries is insane.

We spend about $120 a week.

And because low income families now can't afford groceries you know what the solution will be? increase minimum wage... which will then result in prices going up again. and the circle will continue.

 

[Zoom]

Yeah, I used to be able to afford quite a bit just spending $80 a month...not so much anymore. Bread alone is about $2 a loaf, eggs are the same for a dozen...meat? Forget it.

 

[Gempress]

I'm a big bargain shopper too. I'll stick with store brand for most things just to save a little.

So am I. I'm all about bargain shopping and store brands. But even so, prices are getting ridiculous.

I remember in high school, my family spent $300 a month on groceries for a family of four. And we ate well---nothing name brand, but the occassional ribeye steak dinner or such. Now, I can't imagine even feeding just Hubby and me for that much a month.

Yeah Sparks, I feel horrible for those with low income. And they wonder why there's a childhood obesity epidemic. It's hard to eat healthy when the only thing that's affordable anymore is macaroni and cheese and peanut butter.

 

[Miakoda]

Yep. The price of beef and milk has gone up a lot recently due to the increase in corn prices as corn is used in the feed of those cattle. So tell how the ethanol pushers "Thank you."

 

[Puckstop31]

Yep. The price of beef and milk has gone up a lot recently due to the increase in corn prices as corn is used in the feed of those cattle. So tell how the ethanol pushers "Thank you."

Yup... So I don't want to hear the global warming crowd whine about higher food prices. They are going up so we can "save" the planet.

Does it seem insane to anyone that we are BURNING our food supply?

 

[Gempress]

Yep. The price of beef and milk has gone up a lot recently due to the increase in corn prices as corn is used in the feed of those cattle.

Yeah. And the price of gas has gone up too, which makes everything else more expensive. Lovely.

 

[Renee750il]

Yep. The price of beef and milk has gone up a lot recently due to the increase in corn prices as corn is used in the feed of those cattle. So tell how the ethanol pushers "Thank you."

That's the tip of the iceberg.

Fertilizer - a byproduct of the petroleum industry - has gone through the roof.

And yet, hydrogen fuel cells are super efficient, non-polluting and CHEAP . . . Ethanol is a snare and a delusion, but hey, it keeps the corporate fuel producers fat.

 

[Debi]

and we import sooooo much this time of year. guess it costs big bucks to transport it all over the country. which brings us back to the gas prices, which I just heard on tonight's news it is going up ...again. oh goodie!!! I'm giving up food. well.....til tomorrow anyway..LOL some things I could live without forever...like fruit that cost a couple dollars for 1. or green/red/yellow peppers that somebody out there decided were golden. etc. etc. that's why we eat turkey and chicken. one 20lb. turkey gives us 4 dinners that we really love, then a rich soup. geez....beef (which is tooooo fatty for me anyway) is a zillion dollars a pound. I can't wait til garden season again.....then canning & freezing.

 

[bubbatd]

You can imagine the changes I've seen over the years !!! I figured out when we were first married it was $5. a bag of groceries .....now it's $20 a bag . I don't know how families do it with cereal prices alone ....milk and bread ! Our weekly weekend dinner was always a special cut long bone sirloin steak 1 1/2 to 2 " for the five of us ( Tom cooked on grill all year ) ........When it went to $3.50 for the whole steak , I about died !!!! Not only couldn't I find it today .....it would cost an arm and a leg !

 

[ChiliBeans]

Ugh, the prices of groceries make me sick. And the thing is, the healthier you try to eat, the more expensive the food gets. My hubby and I try so hard to get on a better diet, but when you spend over 100 bucks in one trip to the grocery store, the desire kinda goes away...

 

[Gempress]

Ugh, the prices of groceries make me sick. And the thing is, the healthier you try to eat, the more expensive the food gets. My hubby and I try so hard to get on a better diet, but when you spend over 100 bucks in one trip to the grocery store, the desire kinda goes away...

Agreed. It's sad when fresh veggies cost as much as beef. We eat a lot of frozen veggies now.

 

[zoe08]

That is why we have a big economy problem. ALL prices are going up...gas....groceries...etc....And wages are NOT! My dad makes the same money he did probably 10 years ago. When he got a raise his health insurance went up so instead of bringing home more, its actually less.

I live in a house exactly like my sisters except reversed and it was all basics no upgrades (like she has) and I am paying over 200 more a month in rent than she has to pay in a house payment! But when we were looking at buying a house we couldn't find anything decent for under $1000/month.

 

[bubbatd]

Agree !!! The price of living sure has gone higher than my increased Social Security !!! My house payment is only $410 , but add to that my health /prescription coverage , gas/electricity , car insurance etc etc and I've over spent my less than $1000 a month .

 

[jammer]

Groceries have gone up. We spend over $400.00 bucks to feed a family of three and we don't buy name brand.

 

[noludoru]

Yep. My mom and I bitch CONSTANTLY about food prices. It especially sucks where I live b/c the only truly convenient grocery store near us that has decent food is as expensive (sometimes more so) than going to Wegmans. We probably shouldn't even be buying fruits and veggies b/c they cost so much.. haha.. and forget berries. They cost more than steak does.

The sad thing is, both farmers markets I have checked out - neither of which are organic - cost MORE than the store, and have equally crappy produce. I'm checking them out again this summer/spring, but when I went early last fall I was less than impressed.

 

[blue]

And yet, hydrogen fuel cells are super efficient, non-polluting and CHEAP . . . Ethanol is a snare and a delusion, but hey, it keeps the corporate fuel producers fat.

And a good cheap source of hydrogen is?