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Home > Gripe #2-Groceries prices are NOT skyrocketing

Gripe #2-Groceries prices are NOT skyrocketing

May 3rd, 2008 at 03:37 pm

Here is a picture of the groceries I bought for $59.54 and this will easily feed my family of 4 for a week. Why? I cook, I'm creative with meals, I don't waste food. And there is ALWAYS something on special or marked down for fast sale.



What's in there?
-1 Big Flank Steak (to be used sliced thinly for BBQ steak sandwiches)
-1 Big Box frozen fish sticks (for kids meals, fish sandwiches, etc.)
-Package of turkey breakfast sausage
-fresh fruit: apples, bananas
-fresh vegetables: lettuce, carrots
-3 doz corn tortillas
-Cans and cans of hearty soup (8!)
-Cans and cans of Ravioli (4!)
-Cans and cans of fruit (3!)
-Boxes of pasta side dishes
-2 gallons of milk
-Bags and bags of frozen veges (3!)
-5 lb of whole wheat flour
-box of cereal
-Big bag of chips
-cream cheese
-Bag of cat food

and the 5 cups of yogurt aren't even showing.

So what's for lunch/dinner? with a few afterschool snacks thrown in:

BBQ steak sandwiches and french fries
Fish sticks and frozen corn and can fruit
Pasta side dish with tuna and salad
Ravioli and salad
Soup & salad
Smoothies (yogurt, banana)
Fish sandwiches with can fruit and salad
Quesidillas (I already have cheese) w/chips
Turkey sausage on pasta

and my cat gets to join in.

30 Responses to “Gripe #2-Groceries prices are NOT skyrocketing”

  1. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1209827919

    You do not notice on individual products that prices are going up? I sure do.

    For example, we buy canned milk to keep on hand for occasional use. Normally we buy it at Aldi's, the least expensive place around. Last time we bought it, it was $0.69, up from $0.63. That may not sound huge to you, but it is a 9.5% increase. And we are seeing similar increases on many foods.

  2. Lady T Says:
    1209838002

    I sure notice prices going up too, Joan. The one that immediately comes to mind is the Progresso soup I was taking to work as part of my lunch several times each week. At my neighborhood Wal-mart market, the southwestern style vegetable soup was $1.50/can for a long time, then all of a sudden the price went to $1.98/can. That's a whopping 32% increase! Needless to say, I'm not buying it nearly as often as I was!

  3. princessperky Says:
    1209840019

    Bread is up from 3ish for two loaves (whole wheat, no corn syrup) to over 4$ for two...Milk is also up in general.

    And yet I do see how following sales could keep the overall cost down...but I only approve (health wise) the one brand of bread..so I am a bit stuck.

    That and 2 gallons of milk wouldn't keep DH happy for a week much less the rest of us Smile. (I do limit, I am stingy compared to many, < 5 gallons a week for 5 people...)

    And where did you get all the lettuce for the salads? I seem to recall my husband saying that was going up in price, but I haven't checked lately (I go play with the kids, he pays and loads up the car)

  4. mom-sense Says:
    1209843567


    As far as milk - we are a gallon a day for a family of seven. I have found that Walmart and Aldis still have the cheapest milk and producearound.

  5. sagegirl Says:
    1209844274

    We go through about 2 gals of milk per week for 4 people--the kids eat cereal almost every morning but Hubby and I only use it in coffee. I have seen most things go up slightly and I am really scrutinizing to find ways to stay on budget. Joan--I have noticed too that canned soups have gone up at our stores--and I usually like to buy the low sodium kinds because I have to watch my sodium intake. But with the prices being higher, I have been skipping the soups all together some weeks.

  6. pretty cheap jewelry Says:
    1209849489

    OK - milk is up (sheesh we only use 2 gal/week)
    - eggs are up

    I do not buy full price store bread. It's either the day old store or the day old rack or my bread machine or full blown home made.

    Lettuce = $1 head this week (and last week)
    Spinach = we grow in the backyard

    The handwringing over high grocery prices is what's kinda bothering me. Coupons, shop the specials, make homemade and all the age old tips result in a modest increase, not the news media sensational garbage I'm hearing.

  7. luxlivingfrugalis Says:
    1209850286

    The one thing I see about this is that many of us have room in our budgets to adjust for these increases. But there are many household that are already on the brink and these jumps in the price of basic grocery goods will be pushing them over the edge.

  8. asmom Says:
    1209856390

    It's not media sensation: prices are up! Yes it will take more effort to combat the higher prices and with careful shopping, sales, coupons, etc you can manage the grocery bill but that doesn't mean that prices are not up and it is certainly not garbage. Milk is $4.00 a gallon here and bread is almost $3 bucks a loaf. That's a pretty big increase. I could buy bread at the day old store but I would have to drive way out of the way to get it and with the price of gas, that eliminates or decreases the savings. We couldn't have all had the foresight to grow our own food.

  9. cashqueen Says:
    1209860835

    Prices are up here, too. One of our issues is that DH is a food snob. I couldn't pay him to eat fishsticks or turkey sausage. Milk is definitely up around here. About $4/gallon ($3.50 on sale). I remember when I could get it on sale 2/$5. I'm glad that *you* are not feeling the crunch of higher food prices but some of us are. And yes I shop sales and coupons and try to stockpile when there's a great deal (less and less of these lately that I can find). Also try to remember that some areas of the country are higher in general. My best friend lives in Maine (and is VERY) frugal and I can't get over some of the prices of items up there.

  10. A Nonny Mouse Says:
    1209862029

    B.S. !!!

    I shop at Aldi and notice my bill for generally the same items is much more than it used to be.

    One major example : 12 months ago, Aldi sold a dozen large eggs for $.79. 3 weeks ago I paid $1.79. WTF?!!!? That is MORE than double. Call me crazy but that is the epitome of skyrocketing prices. @@

  11. sue Says:
    1209871106

    Well, the Aussie dollar is currently pretty equivalent to the US dollar at the moment. Range (from supercheap brandname aldis to average price)
    2L of milk $3- $4 (probably equivalent to 2 gallons)
    1 dozen eggs Eggs from brandname $3...average price $4.60.
    Bread: from $3 to $4
    I don't think I've seen 80cents for a dozen eggs in my lifetime. Even if our dollar were half the value: $1.60 for a dozen eggs would be truly amazing. Ours are going up to...they are making things in smaller sizes as well and a tin of baked beans had 30% beans in it What the?

    I want your prices : )

  12. Carolina Bound Says:
    1209906487

    Prices are up. Yes, we frugalites can manage well and make adjustments, but that doesn't change the fact that prices are up.

  13. snoopycool Says:
    1209945584

    For bread, believe it or not, I've started buying it at the Dollar tree for $1 a loaf, and this is the $3 a loaf whole wheat bread. Loving that find. It's cheaper than the day-old bread store.



  14. scottmcg Says:
    1209951439

    I got a lot on my mind from reading this, but I'll try and keep it short. First off, that would never feed myself and three other people. That’s just me; and I'm only 160 pds. I am also a very picky eater. I too notice the cost of living/food going up; but "it is what it is." Something that I have been doing since the beginning of time is I get whatever is on sale. I shop at Safeway and I am a card holder. If Tropicana is 2 for $6, I get it. If Minute Maid is 2 for $6, I get that. I think you see my point......whatever is on sale is what I go for. I clip coupons too. Also, another area where I save money is; I don't go for the really elaborate wheat bread. I just get the basic wheat and it is $1.88. Not sure how it stacks up nutritionally, but I try and take good care of myself with vitamins, etc. All and All I agree with you, prices are up. But that just means that you take your frugality and cutting corners up a notch.

  15. Thrifty Ray Says:
    1210009336

    I think you are a very frugal shopper. However, the hanwringing over rising prices is because prices are rising. Are there ways to combat the rising prices with careful planning & shopping...YES..but 6oes that mean prices aren't higher & rising?? absolutely not. Clearly with gas prices being so much higher, the cost of transporting goes up as well..which has to be passe6 on to us consumers.

  16. reflectionite Says:
    1210048565

    I live in Australia, so it probably doesn't really apply, although I have been told that Australia always follows america in most things anyway.
    I work in a bakery, and I am aware of the wholesale prices of the goods we purchase. and prices ARE going up. You may not shop for fresh bread, that is fine, but then that means that to you, prices may not be going up. but for the others who may not use coupons every day, and don't buy day old bread, prices are increasing ever so much. i have some increases to offer you, that my flatmate and I have noticed over the past few weeks:
    cocoa: $4.09 -> $4.29
    budget milk, 1litre: $1.37 -> $1.55
    budget skim milk, 1 litre: $1.57 -> $1.69
    home brand pasta, 500g: $0.59c -> $0.64c
    free range eggs,12: $5.29(normal) -> $5.70 (on special)
    fresh bread: $2.90 -> $3.20

    i don't know about fresh fruit and veges because i buy them at the market and I can haggle.

  17. Aleta Says:
    1210178535

    On CNN last week, an economist went to a store and bought 4 items that cost him $16. He said that he paid $12. for the same thing the year before. That's over 33% increase.

    Yes, I too can buy less expensive items to compensate for the higher prices right now but how long am I going to be able to keep up with that? It reminds me of those in debt who are robbing Peter to pay Paul. It's the same concept.

  18. miclason Says:
    1210210309

    I went through my blog and found that in FEB 06 I was whining about paying $1.50 for 15 eggs...now I'm lucky if I find 15 eggs for $1.70 (regular price is now $1.90). I used to buy the 400g bag of powdered milk at $2.44; now they've changed the packaging and they sell bags of 360g at $3.55!! (so: 40g less at $1.10 more!!!)... right now, I have 2 choices: pay $85- $110 for the same amount of groceries or, keep to the budget ($65-$85 and buy less stuff)

  19. ceejay74 Says:
    1210280575

    I do feel bad for people who are budgeted to the penny and can't afford more. But at the same time, for a little perspective, at some point we spent the least percentage of our income on groceries as a country, and I'm sure we're still near the bottom. We have some of the most affordable groceries in the word. Our gas is still about half the price of gas in the UK. Regular commutes in the U.S. can be insane, way longer than most people would ever consider in another country. We were able to do this because of subsidized gas. Urban sprawl is another symptom of unrealistically cheap fuel.

    This is the beginning, I think of a sea change. We need to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels, and that might mean not traveling as much, finding work closer to home, phasing out our gas-powered cars, and buying food that hasn't been transported very far. It feels unfair, but so is our environmental footprint to the rest of the world.

    Just my (only imperfectly informed) opinion.

  20. Bad credit loan Says:
    1210427543

    Egss, milk, bread, milk, powedered milk, other daily life grocery items... I mean why would you think prices are not high when they actually are on the rise and by the looks of it, I don't think this is going to stop. It'll only get worse, unless of course some miracle happens and our economy gets back on the track.

  21. cicy33 Says:
    1210700738

    Absolutely groceries are up. Milk is ridiculous. our cheapest milk here is over $3.00 per gallon even at Aldi's and walmart. Hamburger is a big one I notice. I remember paying $1.00 a pound a lot, true it was usually a sale but they happened a lot. Now, hardly ever. I pay $1.49 per pound when I buy the Kroger Chub. Consider that 33% increase above. Doesn't sound like much with these smaller prices but try it when it is a $400 payment, then it becomes much bigger deal. and not only are the prices going up but the sizes are coming down. which makes it even worse

  22. sillyoleme Says:
    1210738487

    Yep, groceries are definitely up, and for people like BF & I (and our two pets), it does make a difference. I just don't think you should judge too harshly if you aren't in the situation yourself.

    On another note - I work in an agriculturally-related retail store, and you should see the spikes we've seen in some of our products. In the last year, alot of lawn/crop fertilizer has increased 50%, and that stuff wasn't cheap to begin with. Feed for horses, poultry, and cattle keeps increasing as well, partly because of the increased demand for grain, and the rising transportation costs. Of course... this doesn't bode well for the future of beef and poultry prices. If it costs more to feed the cow, it's gonna cost more to buy it's meat & milk.

    In the words of one of my favorite customers: "Chicken feed ain't chicken feed anymore."

  23. Caoineag Says:
    1210802849

    I have managed to keep my grocery budget level and understand that prices rise. But that doesn't stop me from expressing shock when I realize my 3doz eggs (2 to 3 week supply of eggs) have risen $1.50 in price in less than 6 months and the price of flour has risen as well. Cooking from scratch means that when my base items rise in price, I am going to notice because I can't just substitute or use a coupon.

    Of course this just means I can probably switch to all organic soon. At this rate, my organic stuff is going to be cheaper. Milk is already on par with the commercial stuff and the organic prices have not been going up in my area.

  24. SicilyYoder Says:
    1210805826

    I have two teenagers and we spend about $150.00 a week, but that counts for my lunches too. I am just now starting coupons again, so costs hsould be slashed in half.

  25. disneysteve Says:
    1210868805

    I think there are really 2 different issues here.

    1. Have food prices gone up? Absolutely yes. There is really no debating that.

    2. Can you still do things to keep your food budget under control. Also, yes. You can pay better attention to sales, use coupons, buy in bulk, comparison shop with different stores, switch to cheaper brands, etc.

    Unfortunately, the cheaper options are also often less healthy options so you need to keep that in mind. You may be able to save money by buying canned and frozen and boxed convenience foods, but you may be sacrificing health for cost.

  26. disneysteve Says:
    1210886538

    I just got back from the store and thought of this thread. See those bananas in the photo? For the longest time, our store charged $.39/lb. About 2 months ago, they raised the price to $.49/lb. Today, it was raised again to $.59/lb. So in a matter of 2-3 months, the price went up 51%.

    I don't care how well you cook or how little food you waste, it is costing more to buy groceries today than it did a month or two months or 6 months ago.

  27. mom-from-missouri Says:
    1211072472

    Disney--I saw bananas Tuesay for $1.11 a pound!!!! I did NOT get them.

    Also, it also costs more to drive to the store and buy the groceries. I use Aldi's and coupons but even our newspapers have gone up in price (my coupon source) as several grocery stores around here no longer take internet coupons.

  28. miclason Says:
    1211080596

    oh, wow, here they sell them by the unit, and I can still find 12 X $1 (but, we are in the TROPICS!!!)

  29. monkeymama Says:
    1211153012

    PCJ - I can't help but feel that prices haven't gone up that much here either. Maybe it's a California thing. We aren't spending more on groceries. I don't *get* much of the hype either. Though it could also be a matter of perspective. Healthcare is $1k/month, housing and rents are insane. Big whoop on the groceries... Could be another California perspective.

    BUT mostly we haven't noticed a big price jump. IT seems like other areas of the country are having very different experiences. I haven't personally seen the price increases noted in the comments. We haven't been changing our grocery habits or anything. We also realize we have advantage buying in bulk as well. Prices are affecting single people and smaller families much more harshly than us.

  30. pretty cheap jewelry Says:
    1211154146

    The key word when I started this was 'SKYROCKET'.

    I have noticed eggs, milk and a few basic items with pretty sizable increases.

    Most everything else is in the 'somewhat bothersome several percent increase' category.

    Thanks for all the interest. let this one die!

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