What is your inflation “red line” at grocery stores?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is bizarre in so many ways but... I really haven't seen this kind of significant price increase anywhere in the last month? I live inside the Beltway and have shopped Lidl, Giant and Whole Foods in that time. Oh, and the Amish market, but that probably doesn't count. What am I missing?

The price increases are hit and miss. I was just out tonight with this thread in mind and got my vegetables, salads, yogurt, and luncheon meat for basically the same prices they have been. But there are items that have really crept up, like soda and canned soup already mentioned here. Things that are never really off-season are more noticeable because they don’t vary in a normal time.

I'm the PP you're responding to, and I guess I just haven't seen it? I forgot to mention that I also shopped at Snider's last week (independent grocery store).

I bought soda at Giant the other day and it was normally-priced IMO. I buy lots of packaged products, not just fresh/"whole" foods. And I always look at prices. Either I've just lucked out over many trips for all kinds of food, I just haven't noticed the few costlier items, or I'm not... buying some of the things listed here, like organic strawberries from WF (?) or free-range eggs? IDK. I'm sure it's not just a misperception/confirmation bias on the part of others, right? (genuine question-- there must be data?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is bizarre in so many ways but... I really haven't seen this kind of significant price increase anywhere in the last month? I live inside the Beltway and have shopped Lidl, Giant and Whole Foods in that time. Oh, and the Amish market, but that probably doesn't count. What am I missing?

The price increases are hit and miss. I was just out tonight with this thread in mind and got my vegetables, salads, yogurt, and luncheon meat for basically the same prices they have been. But there are items that have really crept up, like soda and canned soup already mentioned here. Things that are never really off-season are more noticeable because they don’t vary in a normal time.

I'm the PP you're responding to, and I guess I just haven't seen it? I forgot to mention that I also shopped at Snider's last week (independent grocery store).

I bought soda at Giant the other day and it was normally-priced IMO. I buy lots of packaged products, not just fresh/"whole" foods. And I always look at prices. Either I've just lucked out over many trips for all kinds of food, I just haven't noticed the few costlier items, or I'm not... buying some of the things listed here, like organic strawberries from WF (?) or free-range eggs? IDK. I'm sure it's not just a misperception/confirmation bias on the part of others, right? (genuine question-- there must be data?)

The data is clear: 8.5% inflation in the economy right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One dozen egg was ~$3.50 at Safeway. Used to be 1/2.

This is a pretty normal price for eggs? The Harris Teeter by me carries one brand that is $8 a dozen! Now that I won't do.

We get the super expensive eggs for animal welfare reasons. Our eggs actually haven't gone up in price - I guess inflation isn't yet affecting the bespoke, more humane farming industry (and hopefully won't).

Think about it this way: If you're now spending $4 for a dozen factory farmed eggs, why not spend just $4 more on the eggs produced by chickens who aren't tortured!

Basically because I don’t think it’s that different. I think the free range and the grass fed seem pretty marginal in terms of the overall experience. Unless they literally live in someone’s backyard, I think it’s marketing, and even then they have a pretty crappy life. I think the “humane” thing to do would be to not raise them. And also among animals, chickens are not my favorite.

So basically I don’t pay the extra $4 because I think it’s just $4 to absolve yourself emotionally but the actual differences are fairly meaningless.

Yes, the better thing would be to not eat eggs altogether. But if you are going to, it makes a huge difference for the animals if they are stuffed into battery cages so small they can barely move, in buildings with no light or ventilation for their entire lives, or if they are allowed outdoors where they have fresh air, fresh grass, and the space to express normal behavior for their species. Truly, factory farming of chickens is one of the cruelest possible things that we inflict on billions of sentient creatures.

"Cage free" isn't as good as it sounds (but is still better than the regular eggs) - "pasture raised" is leaps and bounds better than regular, factory farmed eggs. You can look for the certified humane label for even more assurances.

Again: yes, better not to eat eggs at all (or only to eat eggs produced by your neighbor who isn't culling out all the male chicks). But if you're going to, then look for the pasture raised eggs, if you have the financial means to do so.

[Anonymous]

Saw a hot rotisserie chicken for $10.99 (!!) yesterday. The cold ones were $7.99 so I went with that one instead. I feel like just a few weeks ago the hot rotisserie chix were $7.99, and I thought that was a big price jump from the $6.99 from a few weeks prior... sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One dozen egg was ~$3.50 at Safeway. Used to be 1/2.

This is a pretty normal price for eggs? The Harris Teeter by me carries one brand that is $8 a dozen! Now that I won't do.

We get the super expensive eggs for animal welfare reasons. Our eggs actually haven't gone up in price - I guess inflation isn't yet affecting the bespoke, more humane farming industry (and hopefully won't).

Think about it this way: If you're now spending $4 for a dozen factory farmed eggs, why not spend just $4 more on the eggs produced by chickens who aren't tortured!

Basically because I don’t think it’s that different. I think the free range and the grass fed seem pretty marginal in terms of the overall experience. Unless they literally live in someone’s backyard, I think it’s marketing, and even then they have a pretty crappy life. I think the “humane” thing to do would be to not raise them. And also among animals, chickens are not my favorite.

So basically I don’t pay the extra $4 because I think it’s just $4 to absolve yourself emotionally but the actual differences are fairly meaningless.

I don't buy $8 eggs because I'm on a budget. For most items, you can pay more and buy a healthier/tastier/more humanely raised/more environmentally produced item. I choose to shop at a less expensive grocery store that has few of those options. I could move things around and buy the expensive eggs, but then why am I not buying the organic shade-grown coffee and the local beef, etc-I can't afford all that and eggs don't stand out to me as a product I should pay more for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is bizarre in so many ways but... I really haven't seen this kind of significant price increase anywhere in the last month? I live inside the Beltway and have shopped Lidl, Giant and Whole Foods in that time. Oh, and the Amish market, but that probably doesn't count. What am I missing?

The price increases are hit and miss. I was just out tonight with this thread in mind and got my vegetables, salads, yogurt, and luncheon meat for basically the same prices they have been. But there are items that have really crept up, like soda and canned soup already mentioned here. Things that are never really off-season are more noticeable because they don’t vary in a normal time.

I'm the PP you're responding to, and I guess I just haven't seen it? I forgot to mention that I also shopped at Snider's last week (independent grocery store).

I bought soda at Giant the other day and it was normally-priced IMO. I buy lots of packaged products, not just fresh/"whole" foods. And I always look at prices. Either I've just lucked out over many trips for all kinds of food, I just haven't noticed the few costlier items, or I'm not... buying some of the things listed here, like organic strawberries from WF (?) or free-range eggs? IDK. I'm sure it's not just a misperception/confirmation bias on the part of others, right? (genuine question-- there must be data?)

Also don’t forget the insidious trick of keeping the published prices the same but decreasing the amount you receive.
The data is clear: 8.5% inflation in the economy right now.

[Anonymous]

I’m over a barrel- I buy organic local free range as much as possible because it’s good for the environment and good for my family— but when does the price hit “irresponsible “ ?

As well, all the cost saving plastic free bulk items are now in plastic! Ugh!

I don’t buy summer fruit out of season but I won’t buy factory meat or eggs or fish ( looking at you Atlantic salmon)in any season.

[Anonymous]

I was at walmart and saw Ezekiel bread for 8.99. No way. I don't know if the price was just due to Ezekiel bread being a weird product for Walmart or if the price has gone up everywhere.

[Anonymous]

We eat very heathy and luckily have a high income. No red lines, I buy whatever we want/need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$9.99 for a gallon of stony fields farms milk. I don’t pay that much attention but that seemed like a lot.

Yes, it’s outrageous.

TJ organic milk is $5.99 and has been for as long as I can recall

[Anonymous]

I feel like some of this is correction for incredibly cheap food we’ve had over the past couple of decades. Growing up in the 70s, we never had fresh juice, only had fruit that was in season and even then not unlimited, meat was cheap cuts like a pot roast as a Sunday treat. Steak would be like maybe father day for my dad and even then it was like a fatty strip, not filet.
A roasting chicken in 1930 was 20 cents a pound which translates to 3.44 per pound in 2022–checking giant online a Purdue roaster is still only $1.69 per pound. Jiffy PB in 1971 was 59 cents, which is 4.19 in today’s dollars. Safeway online has it for 3.29.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We don’t eat beef/chicken/pork either. Neighbors with dogs have been surprisingly helpful.

What does this mean?

[Anonymous]

OP here. After complaining about Progresso at Giant, I see that it is only $2.99 at HT. So, there is inflation, but Giant also sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One dozen egg was ~$3.50 at Safeway. Used to be 1/2.

This is a pretty normal price for eggs? The Harris Teeter by me carries one brand that is $8 a dozen! Now that I won't do.

We get the super expensive eggs for animal welfare reasons. Our eggs actually haven't gone up in price - I guess inflation isn't yet affecting the bespoke, more humane farming industry (and hopefully won't).

Think about it this way: If you're now spending $4 for a dozen factory farmed eggs, why not spend just $4 more on the eggs produced by chickens who aren't tortured!

Basically because I don’t think it’s that different. I think the free range and the grass fed seem pretty marginal in terms of the overall experience. Unless they literally live in someone’s backyard, I think it’s marketing, and even then they have a pretty crappy life. I think the “humane” thing to do would be to not raise them. And also among animals, chickens are not my favorite.

So basically I don’t pay the extra $4 because I think it’s just $4 to absolve yourself emotionally but the actual differences are fairly meaningless.

Yes, the better thing would be to not eat eggs altogether. But if you are going to, it makes a huge difference for the animals if they are stuffed into battery cages so small they can barely move, in buildings with no light or ventilation for their entire lives, or if they are allowed outdoors where they have fresh air, fresh grass, and the space to express normal behavior for their species. Truly, factory farming of chickens is one of the cruelest possible things that we inflict on billions of sentient creatures.

"Cage free" isn't as good as it sounds (but is still better than the regular eggs) - "pasture raised" is leaps and bounds better than regular, factory farmed eggs. You can look for the certified humane label for even more assurances.

Again: yes, better not to eat eggs at all (or only to eat eggs produced by your neighbor who isn't culling out all the male chicks). But if you're going to, then look for the pasture raised eggs, if you have the financial means to do so.

Thanks for the reminder There's a lot of fine print on the packaging that is misleading - dairy products, too.

[Anonymous]

I'm finding that prices are all over the place. I went to my local h-mart type store (Good Fortune) and hass avocados were $2.99 each! But, little mangos were $12 for a case of twelve (which is a pretty good price if you are the "who the hell east mangos poster). Trash eggs were $2.99, which is a lot considering that at this store they are often 99 cents or free with purchase over $20. I bought the eggs, did not buy the avocado or mangos (good price but I can't eat 12 mangos).