The Cost of Food - Page 2

[fek&fuzz]

Originally Posted by barose

For some reason, I haven’t noticed. Is it a regional or specific to certain ways of eating and shopping?

I haven't either.

My farm eggs are still either 3 or 4 dollars a dozen depending on the farm. My beef is grassfed so grain prices don't make that go up, the hamburger is still $5/pound.

Maybe I'm just oblivious to everything but I'm not feeling a huge increase. I also think that food prices in america have been artificially low for so long due to farm subsidies, and now they are evening out.

[barose]

Originally Posted by fek&fuzz

I haven't either.

My farm eggs are still either 3 or 4 dollars a dozen depending on the farm. My beef is grassfed so grain prices don't make that go up, the hamburger is still $5/pound.

Maybe I'm just oblivious to everything but I'm not feeling a huge increase. I also think that food prices in america have been artificially low for so long due to farm subsidies, and now they are evening out.

Exactly.

The same vendors at the farmers market are still selling their pastured eggs, chicken, grass-fed beef, nuts, locally made fermented foods, Blue Bottle Coffee and seasonal, local produce at the same prices. Even the canned coconut milk, sea veggies, wine (European and California) and other packaged foods we buy are the same prices.

I don’t eat (any) grains, soy, milk, factory meat or non-local produce so that may have something to do with it. Maybe if you live in an area where they dont have "local" produce and other foods, I can see an increase.

[veganf]

I thought it was just because I'm pregnant and buying a few "convenience" items...but I've been spending our entire $200 weekly grocery budget on groceries...in the past I'd spend $120-$160 and save the rest for stuff I wanted. Sigh.

[KJoslyn78]

i have noticed this... without any change to spending - i now spend $50 a week more now then i did about 6 weeks ago.

What odd - is for us - the difference between organic and non-organic stuff that we do get has gotten smaller so it almost makes sense to get the organic stuff when i can (which i do).

We'll be moving soon (step-MIL sold house we all live in), so we'll be having more veg meals soon (since i'm mostly veg, but i've been doing some meat for step-MIL and DH), so i hope that helps

ETA - what will ALSO help is that i should be able to walk to the store now, rather then relay on DH to drive me (i don't drive)... so that will cut out having DH "help" with shopping, KWIM?

[Laggie]

Wow. Food is so much cheaper in the States. I pay $4.99 for organic eggs or sometimes $4.69 if I get the smaller ones. $2.79 for a litre of organic milk (3.78 litres per gallon I believe) and butter is $3.99 a pound, not organic.

I'm not sure if prices have gone up, I haven't been paying attention. Those are the 'normal' prices.

[Purple Sage]

I've been blaming the increase on our change in location...maybe that isn't it. A year ago, we lived in Texas, and things were a lot cheaper there than there are here in New York. We're used to getting cheap avocados, jalapenos, limes, cumin, cilantro, black beans, good tortillas - you know, the makings of all things Tex-Mex - for really cheap, and that just isn't what we're finding here. I can't wait to get back to Texas to see how much these foods cost after a year of being away.

[Doodlebugsmom]

Originally Posted by barose

Exactly.

The same vendors at the farmers market are still selling their pastured eggs, chicken, grass-fed beef, nuts, locally made fermented foods, Blue Bottle Coffee and seasonal, local produce at the same prices. Even the canned coconut milk, sea veggies, wine (European and California) and other packaged foods we buy are the same prices.

I don’t eat (any) grains, soy, milk, factory meat or non-local produce so that may have something to do with it. Maybe if you live in an area where they dont have "local" produce and other foods, I can see an increase.

Yeah. The prices at the Farmer's Market (it just started last weekend, and there are only early spring greens available at this point), and the prices haven't gone up there. My CSA is the same price this year too. We can only get local produce about 5 months out of the year here, though.

[tracyhos]

I've noticed too, that the price between organic and non-organic isn't as huge as it used to be. On some things anyways. On my last trip to the store, (I think it was Sunday), regular bananas were 69 cents/pound; organic were 79 cents/pound.

I have noticed that the prices on flour are going up around here. I think I'm going to start ordering in bulk from Bob's Red Mill, instead of buying it at the store. It's a much better deal.

[JessasMilkMama]

Ive noticed it too. Before I could find a lot of things on sale for 99c, but I havent been able to find much lately. Not even 99c bread, its all at least $1.39 or so. Its small markups like that. I need to go to Costco, because their 4 pack of butter is really cheap compared to buying it box by box at the store.

[weliveintheforest]

I haven't noticed much difference in food prices, but I do notice our prices are quite a bit higher to begin with (in Canada). If you buy organic milk in the grocery store it's 5-7 dollars for a half gallon, and organic butter is about 8 or 9 dollars a pound. I buy all my dairy direct from a farmer so it's cheaper than at a store, but still more than most american prices.
I hear beans and rice and things will all be more expensive in my area soon, and I wish I wasn't moving so I could stock up.

[spughy]

Originally Posted by barose

For some reason, I haven’t noticed. Is it a regional or specific to certain ways of eating and shopping?

: I haven't noticed either, but I am not always the most alert of shoppers. I mean, for prices. I can spot hydrogenated oil a mile away, but there's been a couple times I was looking at a receipt after coming home and thinking "I paid WHAT for that???" But I'm pretty sure our grocery bills haven't gone up any. I buy mostly local farm-stand-style though.

I DID notice razor blades were hellishly expensive this morning, but I'm pretty sure it's unrelated.

[starshine1001]

We're feeling the effects for sure. Had to switch to conventional dairy instead of organic. Not happy about that. We're also buying more in bulk, and at local flea markets/discount groceries, not wasting a thing, etc. I've started baking the family's bread again, and we're using our Berky for water instead of buying it (we had gotten into the habit of bottled water, not good anyway, so I'm kinda glad we've been forced out of it.). DS is getting used to walking everywhere with me, and the babe is so used to being in the sling with me walking everywhere that sometimes that's the only time he'll sleep! Thank goodness we were already CD'ing! Oh, we've also cut out most meats...I used to be veggie anyway, so now DH is getting close! I guess good things CAN come out of a bad situation!

[majazama]

Originally Posted by Blu Razzberri

I just can't believe it! I mean, I was even AT the No Frills grocery store where things are usually cheap. This is such bad timing for things to be so costly. Not that there's ever a 'good timing'; but more that this is the worst timing for me. I'm already skipping a lot of necessary stuff to help my pregnancy be at it's best. I just keep trying to remind myself that at least I have something, and that's better than nothing.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

May I ask what area of canada you live in? I'm in B.C. and haven't noticed much change in prices at all.

[rabrog]

We bought Bob's Red Mill flour last week because the King Arthur had gone up over a dollar in price. We also got a different pie filling because it was half the cost of the one we wanted. The oatmeal DD eats has gone up 70 cents a box so we'll be weaning her off of that.

Jenn

[mata]

Originally Posted by VikingKvinna

I've noticed coffee is through the roof. The cheap kind is now as expensive as the name brands were, if not more so, and the name brands are insanely pricey. I'm not talking Starbucks; I'm talking Folgers.

Luckily I am OK with drinking cheap coffee : as long as it's brewed and waiting for me at 6am!

I wish my dh were ok with cheap coffee-a bag of beans went from $8.99 to $11.99 in three weeks here.

[JustVanessa]

Originally Posted by majazama

May I ask what area of canada you live in? I'm in B.C. and haven't noticed much change in prices at all.

I am in BC too and noticed the other day at Extra Foods that flour and bread have gone up. Cheese is about the same but milk has gone up quite a bit in the last year. $5 a gallon for non organic milk.

[Kidzaplenty]

I have noticed it inching up over the last weeks. And it is hitting us hard, too.

I buy only in bulk, the best values (prices per oz), and only what is necessary with MAYBE a small splurge on nonessintials, and even that is not helping.

Our food budge has gone down a touch this year (only about ten percent, but still), but our needs have stayed the same. So what I would get for $800 last year now would cost me $1,200 to $1,500. And we just can't afford that. So we cut back.

But we are about to the point where we can cut back no farther. Then, well, I guess I will have to figure something else out.

[pinksprklybarefoot]

We have a *strict* budget of $350/month for groceries, and lately, I've been having trouble making it work. I've had to funnel money from other areas to food.

We don't eat all that expensively, either. We are eating vegan now, and have been close for a couple of months. I have been buying organic milk for my dsd, but I've phased out other dairy products. We eat a lot of veggies, legumes, and grains. Produce seems to have really gone up in price.

DF remarked the other day that if we were eating meat, we couldn't afford to eat meat.

I can't even really clip coupons because we buy so little processed food. I find myself going to three different stores to keep costs down - Whole Foods for vegan dairy substitutes/tofu/othr things that are cheaper there because of the quantities they purchase, Trader Joe's for what little convenience food we buy, plus some bread items, local grocery store for everything else )mostly produce). We are sharing a CSA with another family this summer - I hope that helps.

It is nice to hear that others are experiencing the same phenomenon. I was afraid that I was just losing my bargain-hunting touch.

[aprons_and_acorns]

Originally Posted by barose

For some reason, I haven’t noticed. Is it a regional or specific to certain ways of eating and shopping?

What I've noticed the biggest increase in price is in rice, beans, and flour. These items are still affordable to us, but the price has gone up a lot. The price of rice was actually our front page news story today.

Dairy and eggs are up a lot, too, for the conventional items. The price gap between organic and non-organic is very small right now, for us anyway. We are buying more organics than ever because of this.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by barose

For some reason, I haven’t noticed. Is it a regional or specific to certain ways of eating and shopping?

I'm not noticing it either.

I think in part it is regional... considering how expensive this area is to begin with. But in part it also has to do with the fact that we both buy local and don't eat grain products. Add all of that together and we're not liable to see much of a rise in prices... for a while anyway.