Food prices way DOWN?

[Cygnet]

Wow.

I'm used to holiday loss leaders, but our local chain grocery store -- Frys, same thing as a Krogers -- had everything on sale. It was as if they'd rolled prices back several years.

It looked like the whole store was on sale! Including stuff not holiday related, like Powerade and cereal.

Am suspecting this is a combination of lower fuel prices and bad economy ... hopefully the lower prices and sales will stick around for awhile after Thanksgiving.

(What I haven't seen yet is fresh turkey on sale. Lots of frozen birds on sale, but no fresh. I didn't grow meat turkeys this year and I'd like to pick up a couple of fresh turkeys cheap so I can cut them up into pieces before freezing. There's just two of us -- me and my boyfriend -- so cooking a whole turkey is kindof a waste.)

[ladycat]

I've seen some good sales here, too.

[where I want to]

I think that a butcher can cut up a frozen turkey into quaters- at least many years ago they would.

[MorrisonCorner]

Really? That's worth asking about.

I remember last year frozen birds went to .25 a pound. I think the lowest I'm going to see them this year is .47.. and the store had a limit of 3 I think.

[Callieslamb]

The only thing I have noticed is chocolate chips - they are back to $1.50 a bag on sale here. Turkeys are $1.19 lb. My DGS is here this week, so I bought some cheerios - cereals are really high! But there is still hope we will catch up with the rest of you. DDIL bought gas for $1.71 on her way here.

[mtc]

Still not finding unpumped turkeys here. And I'm getting annoyed. (Okay, I take that back. There were some organic turkeys for $2.99 a pound which actually is a fair price) but the regular Butterball or similar minimally processed type turkeys haven't made it to my part of East Tennessee. I'm going to have to try closer to Knoxville and see if there are any up there just to keep my husband off my neck. (I didn't raise turkeys this year either.)

[Cygnet]

The Butterballs here are full of chemicals this year. Check your labels.

[Beeman]

Gas is the only thing cheap around here. They did remodel one of the grocery stores in town. They decided to go high end and high price, it's not a good idea. To keep people interested WM puts a couple of items on sale but not much. Never have seen many loss leaders in our stores and they don't have or promote coupon use.

[prairiedog]

I haven't noticed anything cheaper this year. In fact most things are a lot higher than they were last year at this time.

[shellycoley]

I stopped at Hell-Mart yesterday and found Land o Lakes butter $2.00 lb usually $3.98
and Philly Cream cheese $1.18 reg $2.25.
We're having cheese cake for Christmas, that way they won't notice there's no turkey.

Shelly

[Trixters_muse]

The grocery stores here are running really good sales, especially on traditional holiday foods and baking needs.

I found powdered sugar and brown sugar in 2 pound bags for $1! Canned milk (Pet brand) 78 cents a can and lots of BOGO free cereals, especially rice krispies (for treats) and Chex cereals (snack mix). Sweet red grapes were only 98 cents a pound but apples are still $6-$7 for 3 pounds around here

Turkeys are 79 cents a pound for the store brand and 99 cents for Butterball and the BB seem full of chemicals while the store brand has sodium and water added only.

Eggs are outrageous at over $2 a dz. for medium, but I have found a local source for only $1.50 a dozen, big fresh brown ones!

[Seagrape]

A week ago when I went into town to Wal Mart to shop, I noticed the Roll Back tabs all over the store. Some of the price reductions were significant. Apples were down to $1 a lb.--almost half from what they were a few months ago. A few other things in produce were also way down, too, but not bananas.

I was thinking the same thing--lower fuel costs and recession are the reasons for the price reductions. Hope these lower prices will continue.

[Dodgegal79]

That and a lot of manufactuors may have a backup of supply being people are cutting back. I hope the prices will drop here, gas is cheap but food isn't yet.

[mtfarmchick]

My grocery store finally has turkeys on sale for 89 cents/lb. The ad came in Saturday's mail but I wasn't home to look at it until last night. I usually leave the grocery ad for last but I was so excited to see if they had turkeys on sale I looked at it first! I remember last year turkeys were on sale for around 79 cents/lb but there were hardly any to be found. I wa glad I bought 3. This year I will buy at least 4. As far as what brad I buy, I have found that the store brand is usually better than Butterball. Way juicier too.

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by Trixters_muse

I found powdered sugar and brown sugar in 2 pound bags for $1! Canned milk (Pet brand) 78 cents a can and lots of BOGO free cereals, especially rice krispies (for treats) and Chex cereals (snack mix).

Yes, and there are excellent coupons for all those too, all over the place! Combine the coupons with the sales and you'll save LOTS. I especially love combining coupons with BOGO's.

[copperpennykids]

Interesting....

I buy our bulk food through a co-op and they put out a sales catalog every 2 months. They had long grain brown rice (Eco-farmed) listed for $18.80 for 25 lbs (Ah, I can remember paying $12.00 18 months ago!)

I called to order yesterday and they quote me $28.30!!! So some prices are not coming down at all.... Of course if this is simple Supply and Demand, then they must be having a heck of demand- perhaps folks stocking up?

Seems to be no rhyme or reason to the prices. The grocery stores seem to be dropping their prices in some areas, while Costco never comes down. Guess Fred Meyer will see more of my food dollars for the next few weeks for sure.

[suitcase_sally]

Originally Posted by where I want to

I think that a butcher can cut up a frozen turkey into quaters- at least many years ago they would.

A "butcher"? What's that????

At my local Meijer's store they will slice an item for you (pork loin, ham, ect.) but you have to leave it for them and pick it up the next day. Something about cross-contamination or some such.

[Cygnet]

I actually adore Frys. Among other things, they have a good quality meat department with a real butcher who can make custom cuts.

I never thought about them cutting up a frozen turkey. I'll have to ask if they can.

(Though I still prefer to do it myself from fresh birds so I get exactly the cuts I want -- I generally bone most of the meat and make stock and/or soup with the carcasses.)

Fresh turkeys are $1.99 a pound here. Frozen are $.47 a pound.

[MariaAZ]

Cygnet, would you be referring to the "buy 10 items get $5 off" offer that our Fry's are advertising? We stocked up last week (evaporated milk $.50/can, can't pass it up) and then noticed they extended the sale this week too.

[Cygnet]

Maria -- yeah, but it seemed like everything else in the store (at least in Maricopa) was on sale too, aside from the loss leader sale for holiday supplies.