[Guest]

I saw this on TV, and looked online to find it.
........

Whole milk sold for an average price per gallon of $2.64 in January of this year. In July, that same gallon was going for $3.74. That’s a record increase. And, forecasters are predicting milk could hit a historic high of $5.00 a gallon in September.

Take a look at the rising average prices of some other staples:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20412584/

 

[pickapeppa]

The prices are insane at the store. Maybe we should start looking into building sustainable communities. Cutting down on the transportation of food around the country would go a long way toward conserving fuel. Not to mention it would provide jobs for the locals.

I know, I know . . . pipedreams. We'll have to have a massive die off from starvation and disease first (like the plague) before society can embrace a change that size.

 

[Guest]

Maybe we should start looking into building sustainable communities. Cutting down on the transportation of food around the country would go a long way toward conserving fuel. Not to mention it would provide jobs for the locals.

There is a growing trend for cities to provide empty lots for the purpose of growing food by interested residents. It's a small start.

 

[pickapeppa]

There is a growing trend for cities to provide empty lots for the purpose of growing food by interested residents. It's a small start.

It would be nice to see them bring back canning kitchens to go along with it.

 

[MicheleMomof4]

When I move, we are building a good size canning kitchen. Our intention is to share it.
God Bless,
Michele

 

[chickenista]

I know what you mean about the grocery store. I could feed us all for about $40 at the beginning of the year...now when I go to the store I am foul for several hours afterwards. I am a good natured person, not prone to glowering fits, but shopping now just ticks me off.
I go early 8:00 or so in the morning when all of the meat is on super sale. That helps. And if we don't need it just to survive, I don't buy it.
I too would love a sustainable community of growers, but it seems the world today is just not community oriented. Too much "what about me and my share" for people to be able to see the big picture. If enough of us hope....then maybe it can lead to action.

 

[Guest]

It would be nice to see them bring back canning kitchens to go along with it.

There are still canning kitchens in a few places, and some new ones are beginning to pop up. I would LOVE for one to open again around here. There was one here until a few decades ago.

http://www.saintpetersburgtimes.com/2003/03/28/news_pf/Citrus/Canning_kitchen_welco.shtml
http://www.justpeace.org/canning.htm
http://www.neverfailchurch.org/canningkitchenplan.htm
http://www.communitykitchens.ca/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=41
http://www.motherearthnews.com/DIY/1977-07-01/Home-Canning-Away-From-Home.aspx

Where my mother grew up in Arkansas, women of the community often got together to can large quantities of meat or produce. It was much faster to do it assembly-line style. They could can an entire beef in one day from slaughter to sealed jars.

 

[GrannyG]

I pay $5.09 a gallon here, we only have one store in town...went to $G the other day to get some milk, 2 half gallons were $2.89 each, so paid $5.98 for the gallon trying to hurry and not go to the regular store. Bread is almost $3 a loaf and cereal almost $5 a box..I usually try to buy at $G for lower cereal prices. I try to use coupons when I can, our store will not honor coupons off the computer, so there you go !

 

[Anita in NC]

Still only $2.99 per gallon at Whole Foods and Trader Joes.

I quit going to Harris Teeter because they are more expensive than the two stores listed above.

I now shop between:
Whole Foods
Trader Joes
Aldi's
Sam's Club
local farmers market

 

[pickapeppa]

Granny, we can get milk delivered here from Oberweis Dairy (no hormones or antibiotics) for less per gallon than you're getting it at the store. If we used cow's milk, I'd surely think about it. But we rarely buy it anymore, since ds is allergic and I'm lactose intolerant. Every now and then I'll pick up a half gallon for dh and dd. But they aren't big milk drinkers themselves, only having a glass every now and then.

We don't eat cereal anymore either. We like oatmeal and cornmeal mush, though.

My cousin raises beef the next state over. Lots cheaper than buying it in the stores.

I do like the local turkey farm's chicken, although they are pricier than storebought. But also, much larger birds and much better flavor. You can only buy them whole and frozen.

We have some folks down the road who sell fresh eggs. They're $2 a dozen. We raise much of our own produce and preserve it. We do have a shortage of fruit options on our place though. But we're working on a remedy to that situation.

How would a person go about getting zoning restrictions on small farm animals changed? It would be nice for suburban and city dwelling folks to be able to keep a few chickens around for eggs if they'd like. Maybe I'll start a new thread . . .

 

[FiddleKat]

I just saw in our local paper this morning a group called Women in the Outdoors, and they teach different things. Like firing a gun (for those who've never), hunting wild turkey and canning!!
I am going to check it out myself.

 

[calliemoonbeam]

The cheapest milk I found here on Friday was $4.45 a gallon for 2% - a 50-cent rise from the price I paid two weeks ago, which was a 47-cent rise from the two weeks before that! The first of April, a gallon of whole milk was $2.65 (whole milk costs more than 2% here, is it like that everywhere?)

I've been paying attention for the past five months. I only shop every two weeks, and every time I go to the store almost every item I buy has gone up at least 10 cents, some as much as 50 cents. That really adds up when it's on every item!

The only item that hasn't seen any price increase in the last five months is the generic WalMart brand split-top whole wheat bread for $1.24 a loaf. I won't buy bread anywhere else any more, can't stand the taste of most cheap ones, and the good ones are almost $4 a loaf! The WalMart brand tastes every bit as good as Home Pride, which is what I used to buy before I got poor, lol.

Of course, I try not to shop at WalMart any more than I just have to, but I do have to go there to get my $4 prescriptions, just can't afford not to. These prices are killing me, I just don't know how y'all with children do it!

calliemoonbeam

 

[calliemoonbeam]

I just saw in our local paper this morning a group called Women in the Outdoors, and they teach different things. Like firing a gun (for those who've never), hunting wild turkey and canning!!
I am going to check it out myself.

FiddleKat, I discovered them a couple of months ago myself, they had a bunch of stuff set up here for this month. They had gun classes, bow hunting, survival skills, kayaking, outdoor cooking, and uh I forget the rest, lol. I so want to do all of that, but my health just isn't up to it this year, but I'm definitely planning on doing it next year!

calliemoonbeam

 

[Wendy]

Try to shop only sales. I go in & buy loss leader items. When something in on sale I buy a lot of it so it will last until it is on sale again.

 

[GrannyG]

I figured it out.....found this on someone's thread who saw a dairy truck with this on it........

Get High.......drink milk.....our cows are on grass !

Now we know why milk is so expensive !

 

[Sharon in NY]

I noted that the price of powdered milk is way up as well. The reality is that almost all staples are rising.

My suggestions - cut way back on meat and milk. Switch to beans, whole grains, vegetables and garden produce or things you get at the farmer's market at the end of the day, when things are cheaper. Drink water not juice or milk.

We have a soymilk maker, which allows us to make our own tofu - at 40 cents a lb, cheaper than most meat.

The reality is that as long as we're using food in our gas tanks, the price of food will keep going up.

Sharon

 

[pickapeppa]

The reality is that as long as we're using food in our gas tanks, the price of food will keep going up.

Sharon

Sadly, it isn't bringing the price of gas down.

 

[calliemoonbeam]

Wendy, that's what I do. I refuse to pay full price for things when I know if I just wait they'll go on sale. I do loss leaders and sales only. I live alone, but I have a freezer and a small utility room that I use as a pantry so that when things are on sale I can stock up. My menus are based either on what's on sale or what I already have. If I'm hungry for pork chops and don't have any and they aren't on sale I just tell my tummy tough luck, lol. I've done that for years, drives my son crazy. He and his wife go to the store every two or three days and just buy whatever looks good, then they complain that they're spending $700-800 a month on food!

Sharon, those are good ideas too. I have cut way back on milk, I only buy one gallon every two weeks. I don't drink it, only use it for my oatmeal in the mornings and occasionally to cook with. I eat beans at least once a week, sometimes more, have been incorporating more whole grains into my diet (for a while my doctor had me on a low-carb diet so just getting back to this), and I love veggies, I can make a meal out of just them easily. I also make a lot of soup (as posted on another thread). I've been learning to eat a lot more healthy things, but so far just can't stomach tofu or TVP.

Granny G, too funny! I suddenly got this image of two cows in the field sounding like Cheech and Chong - "Dave's not here!"

As for the food/gas problem, I'm doing my part. I work at home :typomat: and only go out to shop and run errands once every two weeks and only travel maybe 50-60 miles round-trip for that, but once a month I have to go to the doctor, which adds on another 60 miles to total about 120. Oh yeah, about every three or four months I also go to Aldi's to stock up, but do that on my doctor's trip, as they are only three miles apart. Still, I think that's pretty good!

callie

 

[Wendy]

We raise most of our own meat. We buy half a beef at a time from my BIL. It ends up being less than $2.50 a pound & we get roasts, t-bones, ribeyes, sirloins, hamburger, etc. Can't get it that cheap in the store. I have 102 broilers outside right now to butcher later. I will sell enough of them so I will end up getting mine for free. We also have rabbits & I have 2 pigs going to the butcher soon. We'll sell one & that will basically give us ours for free. If I had to buy meat at the store I'd cry!

I know many of you don't like having the store cards, but I love my Kroger card. I get many discounts. I also got their Kroger Mastercard. By using that I earn points for each dollar spent. I earn even more points using it in their stores & even more points if it is their brand. When I get 1,000 points I get a $10 gift certificate to use in their store. I also get 15 cents a gallon off of gas when I spend $100 in their store. I do that pretty much each week. Besides that I frequently get coupons in the mail. Here are some examples:

Buy $12 in the produce section & save $3
Buy $10 in the meat department & save $2
Spend $120 in one trip & save $12
Spend $10 in health & beauty & save $3

Plus a lot of coupons for items I use. A lot of them on thier brand of items. Yes I know that they are basically keeping track of what I buy when I use my card, but I am also getting quite a few benefits from it.

Kroger also doubles coupons up to $1 here. I don't use a lot of them, but can save quite a bit at times if I watch sales & use coupons.

By doing that & growing a huge garden, I think I do pretty well. If you have any farmer's markets nearby, go at the end of the day & you can get stuff cheaper. If you can't do a garden, try to find someone local that does & offer to help them in exchange for produce. I would gladly exchange some chickens for help butchering them.

 

[Wendy]

Oh, I also have goats for milk & soon will have a cow. We have chickens for eggs. I know a lot of you can't keep animals, but if you can, it really helps.