http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3345096Oh my.
madaboutharry Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 07:07 AM
Original message
Food Prices at my local supermarket
Yesterday, it really hit me as soon as I walked in and turned the corner into the produce department. A package of red, yellow and orange peppers (one of each) was $6.99. A box of green grapes was $5.99. It was a general trend throughoout the store and people were just looking at the prices and walking away. There was no way in hell that I was paying 6 bucks for grapes.
The mooberry primitive really needs to check prices charged by her local marijuana outlets.
Grocery prices have increased 3x the past 28 years.
Marijuana prices have increased 16x the past 28 years, despite a substantial increase in the quantity, and less risks involved with selling it.
What's this beef about food prices?
katmondoo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 07:18 AM
Response to Original message
1. I bought one tomato for $1.50
I didn't realize how much I had paid until I got home and looked at the receipt.
izzie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 07:19 AM
Response to Original message
2. It is a job to shop. I eat so I will not have to take those silly pills.
The right bread and all that. Bread just sends me over the edge. I am not even a meat eater. I do love fish and that is very high. I am down to chicken once a week and 2 times with fish. I will say I do not understand how any one can feed them self on food stamps at $1 a meal. I am not on food stamps but I have read about what they get. I do not envy them at all.
ayeshahaqqiqa Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 07:34 AM
Response to Original message
3. I strongly suggest you plant a garden even if you live in an apartment, you can do it, using a grow light and a planter box. You can raise a pepper plant, a tomato plant, and sew some lettuce. You'll find that eating the fresh stuff fills you up more than what you buy at the supermarket. Also consider making sprouts--another thing you can do even if you don't have access to soil.
Vinca Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 08:04 AM
Response to Reply #3
7. We spent all weekend putting in our "Victory Garden."
Actually, finishing it up. I started lettuce and spinach in pots and put them out a couple of weeks ago and last night we had the first salad of the season. Today will be the second. I made my very first batch of homemade yogurt overnight and I'm really excited about that. We spend about $12 a week on plain yogurt and this should save about $9 a week. Everything helps.
Vinca Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 12:40 PM
Response to Reply #20
23. Here's an idea to keep pests away. I stumbled across it by accident a couple of years ago while trying to discourage the neighborhood deer from dining in my garden and on my hostas. I mixed up a stinky batch of repellant and sprayed it on the plants, repeating after it rains. It has kept the deer away and, as a side benefit, seems to have confused the bugs. Apparently they can't smell their favorite plants and everything from flea beetles to squash bugs have disappeared from my garden. I don't know if it would work for hornworms or not since I've never been bothered by them, but it's worth a try.
The magic potion goes into a large milk jug and contains a couple of eggs, a splash of milk or other dairy you might have around, some hot sauce, about a T. of vegetable oil and another T. of dishwashing liquid, all mixed together with water. Let it sit outside for a few days and get gross and stinky and spray on the plants. I avoid spraying any flowers I have in the vegetable garden because I still want to attract bees.
Oh, I dunno.
The primitives make things harder than they have to be.
franksolich uses nothing on his garden to scare away pests; Abbie, Snow, Junior, Apricot, Floyd, Gordon, Harold, George, Ellie, Leo, and now Gustav, take care of it. No pests.
SecularMotion (258 posts) Tue May-27-08 08:03 AM
Response to Original message
6. They can't hide the increase when produce is priced by the pound
Shoppers should also watch the packaging of products. The Colombo yogurt I used to buy has decreased in size from 8 ounces to 6 ounces while the price remained the same at 99 cents. I switched to Dannon at 69 cents for 6 ounces.
Debau2005 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 08:06 AM
Response to Original message
8. My husband is a huge milk drinker
Yesterday, he walked back to the cart empty handed from the milk case. He said a gallon was $4.12 and he knew that since he was laid off, we had to watch what we were buying. I didn't believe him, and had to go see. $4.12!!! My soy milk is half that much.
Also, we were walking down the frozen food aisle, a woman was telling her husband that the Mrs Pauls Tilapi was $6.00. He said put it back, the fresh salmon in the meat department was cheaper then that.
We planted tomato plants last night. I am going to clean out some of the other plants that I don't really care for and add some other things such as peppers and cucumbers.
But if the dairy farmers were getting for milk what was paid in 1916, adjusted for inflation the past 92 years, that milk would be circa $22 a gallon. I think the debauched primitive should think about that.
For the record, franksolich goes through two gallons of milk every three days, and so the price of milk concerns franksolich, but it's not all about franksolich. Dairy farmers deserve to make money too.
kevinbgoode (1000+ posts) Wed May-28-08 12:20 AM
Response to Reply #8
37. You can sometimes get decent milk deals if you check ads online before doing your supermarket shopping. And one secret I've discovered is that sometimes the pricey convenience stores (where you might buy gas) have milk at a lower price. Get him in the habit, when he's stopping for gas, to always check the little milk section at those places. You never expect them to be cheaper than supermarkets, but I've been quite surprised before in my area.
I used to like drinking a lot of milk myself and have cut way back. . .I don't even use creamer for the coffee any longer - that's where some of the milk goes.
Dairy really has gone up terribly. . .along with frozen things. Simple frozen vegetables I used to buy regularly have gone up almost 33%. It's a juggling game to see what I eat in a week - and to try to make it even halfway nutricious.
One thing I've also discovered is that the small little meat markets (you know, the ones which are often more expensive than the supermarkets) run better sales on selected items. I just purchased a pound of smoked turkey breast (cut to order) for $4.99 and that gives me sandwiches for a few days. If you like fish, see if your market carries frozen Aquastar fillets. . .these are individually packaged (about four ounces of fish, and they have salmon, I think tilapia, flounder and cod). You can fry, bake, or microwave them one at a time. . .$1.25 each a my supermarket. Granted, four ounces isn't a huge amount of fish, but if you double up on the vegetables, you get the protein and the flavor and have a good meal.
I'm not a fan of WalMart, but I'm still a graduate student and have to cut expenses everywhere. I'm learning to drop by WalMart and check the discount prices in the meat area - last week I purchased 2.25lbs of very lean ground beef (4% fat) for $5.50. The date for freezing or consuming was three days away, so I used it to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce for three days of meals.
I wish I was more talented at making a garden. . .maybe when I'm out in another place..with a balcony or deck, I'll put a few tomato plants in. .
Lorien Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 11:29 AM
Response to Reply #11
19. Yeah, we get California oranges in our grocery all the time and this is FLORIDA!
LeftyMom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 11:26 PM
Response to Reply #19
34. Meanwhile out here we can't get local orange juice to save our lives.
Well, not local exactly, I'm in NorCal so the oranges grow well south of here, but still a heckuvalot closer than Florida.
Eventually I gave up and bought a juicer. It costs a bit more (but tastes a million times better) to buy the oranges and juice them, but we put orange* trees in my Dad's yard last year, so I should have some freebies soon, and in a few years I'll probably be hoping never to see another orange.
*and lots of other stuff- we went a bit nuts at the nursery
stevietheman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 11:07 AM
Response to Original message
17. A good reason for overweight Americans to go on a diet, isn't it?
I am amazed that more people aren't realizing this: Eat less, and save!
Fat chance of many primitives ever doing that.
And then the primitives squibble-squabble, wiggle-waggling their armpits at each other:
soothsayer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 01:38 PM
Response to Reply #17
29. Yeah, but fattening food is cheaper than healthy food.
stevietheman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 11:02 PM
Response to Reply #29
31. that's actually untrue. There are many smart inexpensive choices.
soothsayer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 11:41 PM
Response to Reply #31
35. No, it's not untrue. Fast food dollar menus are not healthy things.
I'm not saying you can't eat well on the cheap. I'm just saying it's easier not to.
stevietheman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Wed May-28-08 12:01 AM
Response to Reply #35
36. You're thinking in terms of restaurants; I'm thinking in terms of groceries...
Here's a few cheap, healthy ideas...
1) Oatmeal -- still reasonable
2) Yogurt -- often on sale, reasonable price for what you get (one little yogurt container can be half a lunch for under 60 cents)
3) Bone-in meats in bulk -- if you're not against some extra preparation
4) Fruits/vegetables at farmer's markets
5) Beans (debatable on "healthy" for some, but I think they are much healthier than choices a lot of people make)
Also, cook a lot more at home, and match coupons to specials at the grocery stores.
femrap Donating Member (1000+ posts) Wed May-28-08 12:54 AM
Response to Reply #36
38. Imagine you're a single mother of 3 kids who is working a full time job and maybe another part time job. It is so difficult to find the time to shop AND do lots of cooking. I know it can be done...get the kids involved if they are old enough and learn about nutrition, but the way our culture is set up...no one gives this woman the education on nutrition, the recipes, etc. Peanut butter feeds a lot of mouths. Fatty, processed meats (bologna, hot dogs) are cheaper. It's a rough situation.
Peanut butter costs $2 a jar...3 apples can cost $2. One can of fruit is over a $1. A mother will buy food that is filling such as bread, pasta, day-old cakes, etc. Beans are cheap and highly nutrious...and filling!!!
Best idea I can come up with is casseroles with some vegies in them...filling yet have some nutrition. Or stews. Popcorn is a good snack.
I truly worry about our families who are on the 'edge.' The price of food and gas is crazy...and it's not going to go down.
Skittles Donating Member (1000+ posts) Wed May-28-08 02:21 AM
Response to Reply #36
40. LOL
one yogurt container can be a half a lunch? IN YOUR DREAMS, certainly not mine!!!
JulieRB Donating Member (1000+ posts) Wed May-28-08 04:15 AM
Response to Reply #17
41. I'm always amazed at how many people will do whatever they must to take yet another shot at the fat
By the way, stevietheman, you might want to take your sig line into consideration.
The fat still vote, and your candidate will need those votes, won't he?
KSinTX Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 12:47 PM
Response to Original message
25. I have to go grocery shopping today and I'm scared
I need a hug. Since I sorta stocked up a while ago and haven't been there in a couple of weeks now so I suspect I'm in for quite the shock, based on the comments here. Maybe I'll just low crawl through the produce section and ignore the prices.
noonwitch (1000+ posts) Tue May-27-08 02:31 PM
Response to Original message
30. Green peppers are always cheaper than red or yellow ones.
Grapes are always expensive, except in the late summer.
Bannanas and apples are still pretty affordable, as are onions and anything grown locally.
In Detroit, you can go to the Eastern Market and buy produce cheap, right from the farmers who bring it there on Tuesdays and Saturdays. A lot of cities have food co-ops, but the organic produce from the health food store is the most expensive.
atjrpsych (21 posts) Tue May-27-08 11:14 PM
Response to Original message
33. thank god someone is my household loves gardening!
Prices in the grocery store are crazy! We love lots and fruits and veggies, so thank god my husband has a green thumb and motivation to actually keep it up. If we relied on my gardening talents we would paying for our produce.
Skittles Donating Member (1000+ posts) Wed May-28-08 02:18 AM
Response to Original message
39. I find myself walking away even if I can afford it, too
my favorite coffee went from 6.50 to 9.50. You know what - I'll find a different "favorite" kind of coffee. I've been hitting the 5 buck coffee rack at Marshall's. I won't pay a price if I think it's too high and there's other options.
That's the whole bonfire; not a word about the excess windfall profits of the marijuana industry, alas.
