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03/15/08, 08:41 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: West Central Minnesota
Posts: 1,565
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Another grocery shocker
Like everyone else around here, we have noticed the price of groceries creeping upward for quite awhile. But we have not been seeing the dramatic increases that some posters report. Until yesterday.
I drove down to the Twin Cities and stopped at a Cub Food store, where I usually can find some good bargains to stock up on. WOW! I could not believe how much things have gone up. I have always been able to get Kraft shredded cheese on sale for $1.50/8 ounce bag. Yesterday it was on sale for $2/8 ounce bag. Same with butter- usually on sale for $1.50/pound, yesterday it was on sale for $2/pound. All canned tomato products were "on sale" for more $$ than I am used to seeing them for at the regular price. Cereal that we buy on sale for $2/box was "on sale" for $2.50/box. I didn't look at meat because I never buy it down there- too far to drive it home, so I don't know what those prices were like. And cooking oil- ouch! I didn't buy any olive oil, but I noticed that even the medium sized bottled which used to be $6-7 were on sale for $9.99. Hoping to get back to the Greek import food store for olive oil before they mark their prices up.
The good news was that canned fruit was on sale at close to the normal sale prices, so I bought about 6 cases of pears, peaches, pineapple, and mandarin oranges. And my best "find" was canned artichoke hearts- they rarely go on sale around here and are always around $3.49-3.69 a can. I reluctantly picked up one can, but later, on an end cap, I found another brand which was being discontinued by the store and was on sale for $1.99/can. I bought 2 cases  I should have bought all they had, lol.
I brought home all the store flyers to show hubby because I knew he would not believe the prices. I just wonder how people who are already on tight budgets are going to manage as prices keep rising.
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03/15/08, 09:08 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: West Central Minnesota
Posts: 1,565
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oh, and here is another observation. I happened to get to the grocery store right at 5pm rush hour, so I was in no big hurry to get back on the road. I spent more time than usual looking around the store, and it really struck me how many processed and convenience "food" items are on the shelves these days. We buy almost no convenience food items, so I guess I never paid much attention before, but yikes, don't people cook fresh food anymore?
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03/15/08, 09:12 AM
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Singletree Moderator
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Kansas
Posts: 12,929
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I blame the high cost of gas, and for my struggling neighbors I will donate mmore vegetables to the food pantry. Most don't take vegetables, but there is one near me that DOES!
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03/15/08, 09:16 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,081
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We can't touch cheese for less than $6/lb, butter $2.50/lb. I'd go hit your store, but the gas to get there would make the effort more expensive than shopping higher prices here. Unless we bought a cube van full.
Cheap, cheap, cheap.
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03/15/08, 09:28 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 677
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$2.00/lb is the best price we've had on butter here for over a year. Cheese, this week I was able to get 8-oz. pkgs 3/$5.00. That's the best price here lately.
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03/15/08, 09:33 AM
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 1,064
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I cook pretty much everything from scratch as it works out much cheaper.
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Changing lives one micro loan at a time.
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03/15/08, 09:57 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 491
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nebula5
$2.00/lb is the best price we've had on butter here for over a year. Cheese, this week I was able to get 8-oz. pkgs 3/$5.00. That's the best price here lately.
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Ouch! I guess I'm spoiled.
I buy 2 pound blocks of high quality local Tillamook Cheddar cheese for $3.99-4.99 on sale at Winco regularily. And 1 pound blocks of Dairy Gold unsalted sweet cream butter are $1.60 at Cash & Carry (restuarant supply store).
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03/15/08, 11:07 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ocala, FL
Posts: 3,540
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Brace yourselves, everyone! I know you are all painfully aware of how high gasoline is, but have you looked at the price of diesel fuel? My husband is a semi truck driver and just paid $4.24/gallon in Maryland. Yes, $4.24/gallon! It was $4.19 in PA.
FYI, an average semi truck gets 4 miles to the gallon with a load on. So, to bring a load of canned goods or pallets of cereal, etc to your store 600 miles away uses 150 gallons of diesel...at $4.19/gallon, that's $$628 dollars JUST FOR THE FUEL. Well, 600 miles is a day's work for him, so add onto that his day's wages, the trucking company's cut, insurance costs for the truck, etc, and you'll see how much $$$ it costs to move food about the country!
Back in the "day", the Farmers of America were in trouble, and Farm Aid was implemented by the govm't because the "Farmers Feed America"- true!! SO TRUE!! So now, why don't they implement "Fuel Aid"??? The Trucks are Feeding America, too!
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...'o shame on the mothers of mortals, who have not stopped to teach; of the sorrow that lies in dear, dumb eyes; the sorrow that has no speech... from -'Voice of the Voicless', Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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03/15/08, 02:06 PM
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member
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: SE Ohio
Posts: 23,495
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The stores are full of "fake" food. I have gotten away from buying almost all boxed type products, except dried pasta which I buy in whole wheat. Prices are up, we just get more and more creative!
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03/15/08, 02:09 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Austin-ish, Texas
Posts: 5,000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fretti
Ouch! I guess I'm spoiled.
I buy 2 pound blocks of high quality local Tillamook Cheddar cheese for $3.99-4.99 on sale at Winco regularily. And 1 pound blocks of Dairy Gold unsalted sweet cream butter are $1.60 at Cash & Carry (restuarant supply store).
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We LOVE Tillamook cheese! DH and I spent many years in Oregon and can't bring ourselves to eat any other kind of cheddar cheese. I'm lucky to buy a POUND on sale at that price. Normal price per pound was $4.99 here, and I think I saw it at $5.99 normal price last time I was at the grocery store. We always wait for it to go on sale and buy alot of blocks of it then. It keeps well in the fridge.
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"Perhaps I'll have them string a clothesline from the hearse I am in, with my underwear waving in the breeze, as we drive to the cemetary. People worry about the dumbest things!"
by Wendy
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03/15/08, 02:11 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Austin-ish, Texas
Posts: 5,000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Melissa
The stores are full of "fake" food. I have gotten away from buying almost all boxed type products, except dried pasta which I buy in whole wheat. Prices are up, we just get more and more creative!
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My DH announced after dinner last night that he would no longer be eating the whole wheat pasta. Said he doesn't like the taste and texture. Sigh...I will continue to buy it and try to sneak it in to things without him noticing, since it's high in fiber which he needs. Any advice for making the wheat taste less obvious??
__________________
"Perhaps I'll have them string a clothesline from the hearse I am in, with my underwear waving in the breeze, as we drive to the cemetary. People worry about the dumbest things!"
by Wendy
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03/15/08, 02:19 PM
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member
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: SE Ohio
Posts: 23,495
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Quote:
Originally Posted by farmergirl
My DH announced after dinner last night that he would no longer be eating the whole wheat pasta. Said he doesn't like the taste and texture. Sigh...I will continue to buy it and try to sneak it in to things without him noticing, since it's high in fiber which he needs. Any advice for making the wheat taste less obvious??
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Yea, extreme hunger!!!! 
You do get used to it eventually. And now some of the brands are using the white wheat flour and it is pretty good. Try some different brands until you see what they like. Around here I just buy the ones that are on sale.
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03/15/08, 07:21 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Central Oklahoma
Posts: 3,932
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jill.costello
Back in the "day", the Farmers of America were in trouble, and Farm Aid was implemented by the govm't because the "Farmers Feed America"- true!! SO TRUE!! So now, why don't they implement "Fuel Aid"??? The Trucks are Feeding America, too!
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I am not sure the farmers of "America" are the ones feeding most of us these days....
But wow - I knew semis used a lot of fuel, but I didn't know exactly how much. Wow.
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A wise man speaks because he has something to say; a fool because he has to say something. - Plato
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03/15/08, 07:27 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Florida
Posts: 804
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Noticed today banana's have gone from .49lb. to .69lb. in 2 weeks.
Scott
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"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever." -Thomas Jefferson
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03/15/08, 08:15 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: West Central Minnesota
Posts: 1,565
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jill.costello
and Farm Aid was implemented by the govm't because the "Farmers Feed America"- true!!
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actually, it was Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Cougar Mellencamp who started Farm Aid. I remember the whole thing very well because I worked on the first three Farm Aid concerts.
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03/15/08, 08:27 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Arid-zona
Posts: 261
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I am feeling the punch (NOT PINCH) of food shopping and have for months. I am on disability but don't get food stamps. So I buy a lot of my food at the food bank 35 $ for the meat lovers package which has enough meat in it to last two weeks if we stretch it and add in vegetarian meals.
Today I went to the food bank. 12 containers of milk (Pints?) 12 packages of biscuits that you can make into all sorts of things, four loaves of bread, four dozen eggs, two big containers of dinner rolls, package of tortillas, huge container of salad, four containers of grape tomatos, three heads of cabbage, four heads of celery, 5 pounds of oranges, two containers of fig newtons, two cake mixes, two muffin mixes, 1 pancake mix, a dozen donuts, 1 oreo cookies dippers, 1 pound of semi sweet chocolate, two containers of cookies, 1 cake, Package of koolaid singles, two six packs of diet coke, about 8 mangos, two honeydew melons... lots more, five boxes full, but you get the idea. No income needed to qualify, just have to sign that you 'need' it. Well I would qualify reguardless, but anyone these days needs it just about. I would say I get about 200-300 dollars worth of groceries for 30-35 dollars. (They were out of pantry boxes which cost 30, so I bought the meat lovers, the pantry box has rice, beans, two cans each of tuna, vegetables, soup, a jar of peanut butter, pasta and tomato sauce.)
I have gone to buying loss leaders at the store exclusively. When sliced cheese was on sale for 67 cents a package, I bought about 40 packages. The experation date isn't until August and by June I will have freed up some space in the freezer to freeze the rest of it. Same with the shredded cheese. I buy canned fruit when it goes on sale for under 1 dollar a can. Cereal went on sale for a dollar a box recently -- I bought enough for 3 months. I would have bought more, but I didn't have any money left.
I have seen my bagels (I eat one for breakfast usually) go from 2.59 a package of 6, to 3.79 for a package of 6. Won't be eating THOSE bagels anymore.
I bought two cases of Wolf Chili for less than 1$ a can at Amazon.com . Beanless. I can add the beans myself and have a quick meal on days I just don't have enough spoons to do any more. Shipping was free.
I also bought granola, beef jerky, honey, olive oil, muesli, granola bars (for Bobs, and snacks,...yes I know I could make it for less.... not enough spoons in the day to go around) all online. Saved 15% on already reduced prices.
When canned vegetables went on sale last July for 3/1 (It recently went on sale for that here again) I bought a years worth of vegetables at a time. Or what I estimated to be a years worth. Turns out it will be more like TWO years worth. LOL
I buy from the cannery. I have three months worth of cannery items at a time in the house (LDS) I get my bread from the food bank so I don't use the wheat, I just have it.
If my kids and I were stuck in our house for the next six months, the only things we would need is water, some fresh vegetables, and we would run out of eggs after about a month. I would run out of milk after three months. Towards the end we would be eating a lot of canned vegetables, and flat breads (because I have stocked NO wheat) and I would probably need more oil. I have only four containers of oil. I have enough cereal for about 4 months, then we would be down to homemade granola and oatmeal. We could do it though. I really need to get on the ball and stock enough for a year. However on my income, it is really hard to do with four people to feed.
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03/15/08, 08:42 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 6,350
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Quote:
Originally Posted by farmergirl
My DH announced after dinner last night that he would no longer be eating the whole wheat pasta. Said he doesn't like the taste and texture. Sigh...I will continue to buy it and try to sneak it in to things without him noticing, since it's high in fiber which he needs. Any advice for making the wheat taste less obvious??
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The Full Circle Organic brand is really good. I don't like ww pasta usually, but this stuff you can hardly tell.
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03/15/08, 10:35 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 504
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I don't think I know what "loss leaders" are. Never heard the term before.
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03/15/08, 10:45 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: NE Arkansas
Posts: 5,251
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott in Florida Panhandl
Noticed today banana's have gone from .49lb. to .69lb. in 2 weeks.
Scott
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They went up to .67 a pound here this week and then I noticed they weren't even the usual Chiquita brand but an off brand and they were solid green to boot. I didn't buy any this time around.
Loss leaders are items adverised on sale to get you into their store.
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03/15/08, 10:45 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 156
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Since 2 weeks ago:
cheese here went up $2 for the big bag, eggs $0.10,
Nilla Wafers up $0.06, Milk up $0.20
What will those of us struggling do? Go hungry. That is what we are doing in my house. $300 a month for groceries and it lasts only 2 weeks. We are talking bread, butter, cheese, juice, milk, eggs, flour, etc. I hardly buy processed food, just a few items for DS's lunch.
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Jessica, math/science teacher at a self-supporting Adventist boarding school, wife to A, mom to A-7/01 and J-5/10.
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