I have noticed here and there that prices are going up slowly, usually not so bad. I live in a small town where they use any excuse to raise the prices, but I try not to shop here. Well I went to Walmart last weekend to do a every few weeks stock up and OMG I got half of what I usually get for the same price. I got one cart full of house cleaners, food, and some simple things. It cost me $291! I usually spend that, but get 2 carts full. It is not like a I bought meat either. I buy my meat else where. I was floored! I don't buy really expensive brands either. I am just so amazed at how much stuff has gone up here. Just thought I would share that the price increase has really hit here now.
Unfortunately small stores don't have the buying power of Wal-Mart which results in high food costs. If a store has their store brand items the affiliation tells the stores what to charge. Each week their supplier supplies them with price changes. It may not seem like it but the prices on items also go down not just up. My ds is in charge of price changes at his work. Food is going up all over. I am amazed at how little $200.00 will buy anymore.
Oh, our little store raises prices higher and higher no matter what. The generic here which is like IGA or something is the same price as the reg. name brand. I just cannot believe it.
The people that used to own our store were always quiet if they bought something new because she said if anyone found out the citizens would boycott them. Yes, it happened! I never stopped shopping there if they had any signs of prospering. I owned a business and it is very difficult and expensive and if anyone buys something new they have payments on it like the rest of us. I do know that our local stores prices are dictated by their distributor and they don't erroneously raise prices themselves.
A few weeks ago I picked up some necessities to include eggs which were $1.30 a dz. This was on a Monday and something came up and we ended up back in town later that week. I figured I might as well pick up another dozen to be on the safe side and they had jumped to $1.70 for the same eggs! With money being so tight, I hadn't really done any big shopping and was shocked at how much even basic foods had gone up.
I have noticed prices going up every where. At Wal-Mart my Blue Bonnet just went up .10 and at Wegman's bread has gone up .20 and the cereal we use is about .20 too. My weekly shopping (with out meat, we do that 1x a month at Sam's) used to be about $60-75 including paper products now it is roughly $80-100. With gas going up I do not know what types of things we will have to cut back on since dh's salary sure is not going up like that.
The dollar has fallen in value significantly! That means the dollar buys less (ie: food cost more) and your pay check means less (ie: Like a pay cut). Toss that in with real or imagined food shortages and you have a recipe for really high prices on goods. So please do not blame the stores or the gas stations themselves. I don't really think that many of them are gouging anyone. The dollar has really fallen. Did you know that you can basically trade TWO Dollars for ONE British Pound? That's a 2-1 ratio! And some places are accepting other forms of payment! February 28, 2008 ยท Shopkeepers in New York City have started accepting the currency of the European Union, as the American dollar remains weak and tourists jet in for bargains. And of course, if the value of our dollar is weaker, then it takes more of them to buy anything..... A big reason oil and gas prices are hitting record highs is that the dollar is hitting record lows. Also, your SAVINGS has lost value, even if the actualy numbers have gone up... because the dollars you have saved, or earned in interest... have fallen in value... Everytime the "fed" lowers interest rates... your dollar falls..... I have no answers on how to fix it, but this is why the food bill is going up.
Check this out. (Yes I have some time on my hands, the kids are doing singapore math... haha) Go to the flickr web page. (If you have a yahoo mail account, you have a free flickr account, because it was bought by yahoo and is now the default yahoo photos site...) Anyway.... Go there and type in "Food Riot", then choose to filter the photos by "Most Receint". WOW! Photos from all over the world of food riots! Even Mexico! http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=food+riot&s=rec
I was reading that US vacations are very popular to those who live in Europe because now their money goes twice as far because of the exchange rate.
I found it! This is the CNN report that scared the bejeebus out-a me! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ95FF8moI8
I am so tired of my grocery bill going up up up and up some more. I guess if I didn't give a hoot what my family ate or about quality in general I could go back to spending the amount I once thought was a huge amount. lol. This economy scares me.
Just remember ladies you are paying for the raising cost of gas the truckers pay. It's over 4.00 a gallon for them.
You're eggs are only $1.30/dozen?! Last week when I bought eggs I paid $4.79 for 18. The price for a dozen was $3.79. :shock: Prices have gone up so much that now when I shop I've started cutting out some of the things we normally buy, trying to keep my groceries within the budget. Diesel is $4.50 here.
I am huge supporter of buying local. We buy local meat, eggs, cheese, grow our own veggies. We're very lucky to have a wide variety of "tailgate" markets in a small town. My husband can't stand it when I shop at Wal-Mart. At first, it seemed alot more expensive, but now I think it works out about even since we haven't been to a doctor for illness for over 3 years, and we don't let ANYTHING go to waste...Day 4 of leftovers? Too bad. If you're truly hungry, you'll eat it until it's gone. You know the Europeans are loving coming here right now. I was going to tag along and extend a trip with my husband on a business trip "across the pond", but can't afford it... The exchange rate a month ago was $2.20 for each British pound. Then, remember stuff over there is more expensive anyway. A "cheap" hotel room works out to well over $200 a night. So, he's going alone.
I have been encouraging others to do gardens if they can like square foot gardening or at least pot gardens. Also to maybe join a Veggie coop with other homeschoolers I am part of two over here where I live. This is what happened during the Great Depression where we had food we just couldnt afford it! I dont see food shortages over here in the USA but I do see the prices going up really high that we give up certain luxury item foods just to be able to buy the basics. Most the newer generation today dont even know how to cook they just eat out all the time. Most FHA classes are non existing in teaching in schools now. I am glad we live on a farm to have room to grow our own stuff or barter for things. We will be having goat milk soon which I make cheese out of, pecans, lamb meat, chicken meat, turkey meat, eggs, honey our products of our farm. I just wish I could find someone to barter lamb for beef. This year we are doing a major canning for our veggies like green beans. I have never canned before but hubby has so I expect to be really busy soon. Sam
