Do food prices seem even higher than usual?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course, OP, where have you been? Everyone knows that food inflation is out of control. You're just realizing this?

I’m not just realizing this but am asking is it even higher than usual, like, this week?

Produce in particular…

Talk to the seven dollar box of strawberries in my fridge, LOL

ITS NOVEMBER.

Shrug. I got a $4 pint of blueberries last week. They were $7 at the same store on one shopping trip in the summer.

[Anonymous]

That’s why I chuckle with 8% inflation figures “economists” come up with.
8% inflation I personally will not feel it .

[Anonymous]

This was interesting - woman did a video of her grocery shopping at Walmart in 2019 -$10.00 for a week of food for one person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAYJLyYTsls

Updated it in 2022, entire cost went up 37%

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO30Ea0quUw

[Anonymous]

Yes. $35 for a kids meal and two nachos at Qdoba. Totally not worth it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was interesting - woman did a video of her grocery shopping at Walmart in 2019 -$10.00 for a week of food for one person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAYJLyYTsls

Updated it in 2022, entire cost went up 37%

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO30Ea0quUw

Embedding the video because its a clear look at how things changed. Meanwhile I brought this up in 2021 and many people said 'well eat more vegetables'. Well, guess what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My bill was definitely up this week. I shop at Giant almost exclusively and I’m not that budget conscious but there definitely were higher prices and fewer specials. I was wondering if the stores are capitalizing on people stocking up for Tgiving and thinking people will consider that less discretionary and but anyway. I don’t know,

Stores usually have SALES heading into Thanksgiving. Turkeys would be crazy low cost.

[Anonymous]

We have 3M net worth but are heading into retirement. I shop like we are poor (cause I grew up poor). If you keep track of sales + use meat in smaller portions, you can really cut costs way down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NYT just did an article that even though producer and wholesale costs have gone down, companies and restaurants are not lowering prices because consumers are willing to pay. Companies are incentivized by profit and as long as the market is willing to pay higher profits they are not giving up their profit margins. In many areas of food, there simply aren’t enough competitors to drive down consumer prices.

It’s sad but people will need to become unemployed and simply not have enough money to buy things for any of the companies or restaurants to lower prices. This is capitalism which isn’t a bad thing but without enough competitors it doesn’t work for the consumer.

Not this consumer. We've completely stopped going to sit-down restaurants and have also severely cut back on takeout/fast casual. They can go fool someone else.

+ 1. We used to go to sit-down restaurants as a family every couple of weeks. Now we rarely go, even though our income is higher. Even fast food can cost $50+ for a family meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NYT just did an article that even though producer and wholesale costs have gone down, companies and restaurants are not lowering prices because consumers are willing to pay. Companies are incentivized by profit and as long as the market is willing to pay higher profits they are not giving up their profit margins. In many areas of food, there simply aren’t enough competitors to drive down consumer prices.

It’s sad but people will need to become unemployed and simply not have enough money to buy things for any of the companies or restaurants to lower prices. This is capitalism which isn’t a bad thing but without enough competitors it doesn’t work for the consumer.

Not this consumer. We've completely stopped going to sit-down restaurants and have also severely cut back on takeout/fast casual. They can go fool someone else.

+ 1. We used to go to sit-down restaurants as a family every couple of weeks. Now we rarely go, even though our income is higher. Even fast food can cost $50+ for a family meal.

Thank you. Restaurants are quieter now but still good flow. No kids screaming or running up and down the aisles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NYT just did an article that even though producer and wholesale costs have gone down, companies and restaurants are not lowering prices because consumers are willing to pay. Companies are incentivized by profit and as long as the market is willing to pay higher profits they are not giving up their profit margins. In many areas of food, there simply aren’t enough competitors to drive down consumer prices.

It’s sad but people will need to become unemployed and simply not have enough money to buy things for any of the companies or restaurants to lower prices. This is capitalism which isn’t a bad thing but without enough competitors it doesn’t work for the consumer.

Not this consumer. We've completely stopped going to sit-down restaurants and have also severely cut back on takeout/fast casual. They can go fool someone else.

+ 1. We used to go to sit-down restaurants as a family every couple of weeks. Now we rarely go, even though our income is higher. Even fast food can cost $50+ for a family meal.

Thank you. Restaurants are quieter now but still good flow. No kids screaming or running up and down the aisles.

Hmm, all I ever hear from people in the restaurant business is that they are barely hanging on by a thread and people need to eat out more and tip more heavily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My bill was definitely up this week. I shop at Giant almost exclusively and I’m not that budget conscious but there definitely were higher prices and fewer specials. I was wondering if the stores are capitalizing on people stocking up for Tgiving and thinking people will consider that less discretionary and but anyway. I don’t know,

Stores usually have SALES heading into Thanksgiving. Turkeys would be crazy low cost.

I'm finding that a lot of the things that I expect to go on sale in the weeks before thanksgiving are not on sale. Usually I stock up on butter and baking goods now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Embedding the video because its a clear look at how things changed. Meanwhile I brought this up in 2021 and many people said 'well eat more vegetables'. Well, guess what?

We've all noticed rising food costs, but a 35% increase in basic groceries from 2019 to 2022 is huge, especially for those on a Food Stamps budget.

[Anonymous]

No I haven’t noticed

[Anonymous]

And it's all just corporate greed. Because of course it is:

"House Analysis Confirms Corporations Use 'Cover of Inflation to Raise Prices Excessively'"

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/11/04/house-analysis-confirms-corporations-use-cover-inflation-raise-prices-excessively

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two places seem to still have relatively low(er) prices that haven't risen by the same percentage as other stores -- Trader Joes, and the Indian/Asian grocery stores.

Agree - was at Trader Joe's yesterday and it was quite reasonable compared to almost anywhere else.