Grocery Prices Are Out Of Control

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this whole thread is about nothing. OP should learn to shop better - look for sales, stock up on items when on sale, be more flexible with items you get.

My husband was surprised that I walk around with prices in my head and that I won't overpay for yogurt or jam or lettuce at a certain store when I know the price is better at another store. Prices are on average better at Lidl so he goes shopping there without fear of overcharging. I keep an eye out for specials at other places. My receipts at Safeway average 45-55% savings because I never buy full priced items there

Same. we don’t have any obscure speciality items that we buy so everything is common enough so that they are on sale at one of the chain grocery stores at any given time. I just base our meals around what’s on sale for the week. But realistically I have always done that-even though we have plenty of money and good jobs I hate waste and I hate spending money thoughtlessly. And I grew up in a house that was the same. I’m fine not buying stacey’s pita chips and only getting certain other snacks when on sale so that we can live an overall comfortable life and my kids can go to college debt free. If the worst thing they can say is they never got to have pita chips-that’s fine by me.

Thank your lucky stars you are healthy enough to not need a specialty diet or have a kid with severe allergies and have to buy specific foods for trialing, allergen exposure, or using specific brands that actually follow GMP and allergen labeling practices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know people who are concerned about grocery prices while slipping thousands into World Cup games.

So just because you spend money on other things than groceries you can’t discuss rising food prices?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this whole thread is about nothing. OP should learn to shop better - look for sales, stock up on items when on sale, be more flexible with items you get.

My husband was surprised that I walk around with prices in my head and that I won't overpay for yogurt or jam or lettuce at a certain store when I know the price is better at another store. Prices are on average better at Lidl so he goes shopping there without fear of overcharging. I keep an eye out for specials at other places. My receipts at Safeway average 45-55% savings because I never buy full priced items there

Same. we don’t have any obscure speciality items that we buy so everything is common enough so that they are on sale at one of the chain grocery stores at any given time. I just base our meals around what’s on sale for the week. But realistically I have always done that-even though we have plenty of money and good jobs I hate waste and I hate spending money thoughtlessly. And I grew up in a house that was the same. I’m fine not buying stacey’s pita chips and only getting certain other snacks when on sale so that we can live an overall comfortable life and my kids can go to college debt free. If the worst thing they can say is they never got to have pita chips-that’s fine by me.

Thank your lucky stars you are healthy enough to not need a specialty diet or have a kid with severe allergies and have to buy specific foods for trialing, allergen exposure, or using specific brands that actually follow GMP and allergen labeling practices.

specific allergy safe foods have always been expensive. And have actually gone up less as compared to everything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know people who are concerned about grocery prices while slipping thousands into World Cup games.

Right, because recurring, never-ending, essential goods like groceries are exactly the same as a one-time splurge on a sporting event.

I’m well aware they are not the same. But people who look at the $0.50-0.99 difference while slipping $10.000+ on game tickets to see everything on a screen is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grow your veggies and eat for $29-30 (includes seeds, soil, and containers) during 3 months. Try it.

I'm a bargain hunter, but the chipmunks eat mine. I'd have to build a lot of infrastructure to keep out the deer, rabbits and other critters.

I live in a mixed-income area in Chicago and nearly every house nearby has a vegetable garden out back. Hard to maintain a plot of land for fruit trees. Or dairy cows. Or even chickens (although some people have those -- and our neighborhood even has a store where you can take a chicken to be slaughtered). I've also struggled to grow my own wheat and can't fit a mill in my yard either.

People will do everything except acknowledge the real problems, including major wealth disparities, stagnating wages, inflation, and so on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grow your veggies and eat for $29-30 (includes seeds, soil, and containers) during 3 months. Try it.

I'm a bargain hunter, but the chipmunks eat mine. I'd have to build a lot of infrastructure to keep out the deer, rabbits and other critters.

I live in a mixed-income area in Chicago and nearly every house nearby has a vegetable garden out back. Hard to maintain a plot of land for fruit trees. Or dairy cows. Or even chickens (although some people have those -- and our neighborhood even has a store where you can take a chicken to be slaughtered). I've also struggled to grow my own wheat and can't fit a mill in my yard either.

People will do everything except acknowledge the real problems, including major wealth disparities, stagnating wages, inflation, and so on.

I mean people in my neighborhood have to build big mesh fences around their vegetables. I built a raised bed, got the recommended soil etc and got one $120 tomato after the critters had enjoyed my efforts. The only things they don't touch is basil and mint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this whole thread is about nothing. OP should learn to shop better - look for sales, stock up on items when on sale, be more flexible with items you get.

My husband was surprised that I walk around with prices in my head and that I won't overpay for yogurt or jam or lettuce at a certain store when I know the price is better at another store. Prices are on average better at Lidl so he goes shopping there without fear of overcharging. I keep an eye out for specials at other places. My receipts at Safeway average 45-55% savings because I never buy full priced items there

Same. we don’t have any obscure speciality items that we buy so everything is common enough so that they are on sale at one of the chain grocery stores at any given time. I just base our meals around what’s on sale for the week. But realistically I have always done that-even though we have plenty of money and good jobs I hate waste and I hate spending money thoughtlessly. And I grew up in a house that was the same. I’m fine not buying stacey’s pita chips and only getting certain other snacks when on sale so that we can live an overall comfortable life and my kids can go to college debt free. If the worst thing they can say is they never got to have pita chips-that’s fine by me.

Are we calling PITA CHIPS obscure speciality items now?!?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this whole thread is about nothing. OP should learn to shop better - look for sales, stock up on items when on sale, be more flexible with items you get.

My husband was surprised that I walk around with prices in my head and that I won't overpay for yogurt or jam or lettuce at a certain store when I know the price is better at another store. Prices are on average better at Lidl so he goes shopping there without fear of overcharging. I keep an eye out for specials at other places. My receipts at Safeway average 45-55% savings because I never buy full priced items there

Same. we don’t have any obscure speciality items that we buy so everything is common enough so that they are on sale at one of the chain grocery stores at any given time. I just base our meals around what’s on sale for the week. But realistically I have always done that-even though we have plenty of money and good jobs I hate waste and I hate spending money thoughtlessly. And I grew up in a house that was the same. I’m fine not buying stacey’s pita chips and only getting certain other snacks when on sale so that we can live an overall comfortable life and my kids can go to college debt free. If the worst thing they can say is they never got to have pita chips-that’s fine by me.

Thank your lucky stars you are healthy enough to not need a specialty diet or have a kid with severe allergies and have to buy specific foods for trialing, allergen exposure, or using specific brands that actually follow GMP and allergen labeling practices.

specific allergy safe foods have always been expensive. And have actually gone up less as compared to everything else.

DOESNT MATTER THAT ITS LESS! ITS ALL GONE UP. WHY ARE YOU ALL SO APOLOGETIC TO CORPORATIONS. SUCK DI6K HARDER.
FFS there are too many people who just want to be contrary. Its not cute.
Prices are inclusive of items that havent gone up 200%, just 10%. After being adjusted for inflation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know people who are concerned about grocery prices while slipping thousands into World Cup games.

So just because you spend money on other things than groceries you can’t discuss rising food prices?

This. Also I have plenty of money but it doesn’t mean I like the price increases. My Costco bill is outrageous. I do not understand how single mothers are feeding their kids. I don’t understand why lower income families haven’t started a revolution (probably because of the lack of PTO). Life is currently unsustainable for many Americans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grow your veggies and eat for $29-30 (includes seeds, soil, and containers) during 3 months. Try it.

I'm a bargain hunter, but the chipmunks eat mine. I'd have to build a lot of infrastructure to keep out the deer, rabbits and other critters.

I live in a mixed-income area in Chicago and nearly every house nearby has a vegetable garden out back. Hard to maintain a plot of land for fruit trees. Or dairy cows. Or even chickens (although some people have those -- and our neighborhood even has a store where you can take a chicken to be slaughtered). I've also struggled to grow my own wheat and can't fit a mill in my yard either.

People will do everything except acknowledge the real problems, including major wealth disparities, stagnating wages, inflation, and so on.

I mean people in my neighborhood have to build big mesh fences around their vegetables. I built a raised bed, got the recommended soil etc and got one $120 tomato after the critters had enjoyed my efforts. The only things they don't touch is basil and mint.

There are many strategies you can try to keep the critters away. These are just some:
1. Cover your plants with insect netting or bridal veil.
2. Surround your veggies with mint.

Grow lettuce in containers either on your balcony/ patio or yard.

[Anonymous]

Trump lied.

Who could have predicted that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pay $5.49 for a bag of the pita chips at Harris Teeeter. I just checked the app and that’s the current price. As a matter of fact, it shows they’re BOGO today so about $2.75. Did you buy the large 16oz bag instead of the typical size? Those are $9.99. I don’t buy things like this unless they’re on sale. Inflation is crazy so I now buy more generics and keep track of typical prices for foods I buy frequently. I have not found any one chain to have across the board cheaper prices. One store is cheaper on milk, another on eggs, another on produce. It’s a pain to chase the best prices.

I just checked my local Harris Teeter and the 16 oz Stacy's pita chips are 9.99. The $5.49 bags are somewhat small at 7 oz, about 3 servings, maybe 4 if you make them small -- not the size you would buy if you have a family. And it's cheaper per oz to buy the larger size.

Pita chips are so easy to make yourself!

[Anonymous]

Reading back through this thread I decided to comment again to the OP. I agree that grocery prices are ridiculous. I agree that they just keep going up and up. I blame this administration. We are having to really cut back in other ways. It’s depressing. But I don’t think people talking about ways to save and choosing not to buy the chips are saying there’s no inflation at all. They’re just sharing strategies they find helpful. I was at Harris Teeter yesterday and skipped a lot of items on my list because the prices are insane. I just won’t pay the inflated prices for anything. I’ll wait for a sale, buy generic or skip it. For me, chips aren’t such a necessity that I can’t do this. What really pains me is the price of produce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trump lied.

Who could have predicted that?

I know, right?

I'm just buying less food and no snacks at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you can shop at Walmart instead but I think the broader message is that many people who rarely closely did comparison pricing are now having to change their behavior. I never thought of Giant as high-end grocery shopping but prices there are now literally insane, particularly for snack prices. We also have teenagers in the house and things like chips, snack foods, drinks are really crazy with high prices and less volume in each container. We are lucky to be able to absorb the prices but I have many family members who have had to radically change their grocery shopping behavior.

According to the Consumer Reports, "And across the board, food prices rose 25.5 percent between December 2020 and December 2024" which means most of the inflation happened under the prior administration.

Anyway, it's an intriguing but flawed report. I shop at both Whole Foods and Wegmans and for the same basket, same brand, they are the same price, so not sure how one can be significantly higher than the other. Also agree with the pushback from Whole Foods that this survey isn't looking at quality.

Our coffee went from $10 to $21 and my tea bags are up $2 for 12 bags since the tariffs hit. It is recent price hikes not from 2020. This is worst than the 1970s.

Dude (or ma'am) I pay $10.99 a pound for coffee at MOMs. Has it gone up? Yeah, but it's nowhere near $21. It went up from $8.99. And coffee prices are always subject to harvesting conditons.

That PP did not specify that they were talking about a pound of coffee. We buy coffee at Costco and it literally went from 10 to 22 (now back down to 21) when the tarriffs hit. The issue is not harvesting conditions. It's tarriffs, which were a choice not a need.