ugh -- I'm tired of surprises at the grocery store

[grasswire]

Prices seem to have gone wayyyyyyyyyy up in just the last week.

A standard loaf of bread is now $4.39 across the brands. Sara Lee, OroWheat, Pepperidge Farm, etc. $4.39. Yes, there are cheaper loaves, but I'm just commenting on this one particular type of product.

Everything I looked at has gone up.

[ohiosmith]

1. DAMN! I buy bread at $1.00 a loaf.

[siligut]

2. Today I noticed cheese has really risen in price

I stocked up weeks ago due to Japan. It freezes fine, but becomes crumbly, so it works best for cooking. It does seem prices have risen in general though.

[yankeepants]

7. I noticed that butter has gone up almost .50 /lbs

What's happened to dairy?

[siligut]

9. Radiation will concentrate in cow's milk

Maybe the cost has gone up, because supply will be limited?

[GoCubsGo]

54. I don't think radiation is the issue.

Last year, we had a glut of milk. That's why we saw such great deals on cheese. I'm betting that Bossie and Elsie, and a large chunk of their herd became steaks and hamburgers as a result. So, yeah, the supply is probably more limited now because many dairy farmers likely thinned their herds. I do, however, think that they may be using radiation to drive up the price of dairy even more. The contamination does not appear to be widespread at this point, so I don't buy the excuse that radiation contamination is driving this. High oil prices are driving up transportation costs, which is why everything has gone up somewhat, but I'm betting that is just yet another excuse to jack up prices more than necessary.

[siligut]

55. Now that makes sense

I stocked up due to radiation concerns, and apparently my paranoia was just well timed. I agree with your analysis.

[grasswire]

15. cheese is not up where I live

Safeway has 2 pound brick Tillamook on sale for $5 each, cheddar, jack, pepper jack, colby.

Kroger has Bandon medium cheddar 2 pound brick $4.99 regular price.

Butter is up, tho.

[GoCubsGo]

51. Here, either.

Our Kroger has their cheeses for $1.78 for the 8 oz. packages. I have been seeing sales on Cabot cheeses, as well.

The local Publix chain has the Kraft cheese 3/$5. I had a couple of Publix coupons for $1.50 off 2-8 oz. cheeses, so I stocked up. Hard cheeses, especially when shredded, freeze quite well. Yeah, I know Kraft cheeses aren't great quality, but when you're broke, they're better than nothing.

Been seeing occasional "sales" on butter. I don't use much of it, but when I do, I freeze what I don't use right away.

[Throd]

3. Or when a naked mime leaps out from behind an endcap wielding a pick-axe

[Gormy Cuss]

11. Cleanup in Aisle 6 n/t

[RebelOne]

4. I buy the Kroger store brand here in North Georgia at $1 a loaf.

In fact, I have never seen the other brands, such as Sara Lee, Pepperidge Farm any higher than $3 a loaf. What state are you in where the prices are so high.

[grasswire]

16. Pacific Northwest

Those brands I'm talking about had sale prices on the loaves for $3 a loaf or $2.50 a loaf forever. Not this month.

I don't like the Kroger store bread. It has a "gooey" factor to it that I just can't take. It's either the baking method or wheat gluten or something. I like the flavor, but it's just gooey.

[woo me with science]

5. I am angry that the quality of meat is going down.

No, we're not vegetarians.

At one local chain, they cut their roasts purposely with a thick bunch of gristle going through the middle. I complained to the butcher about it, and he told me they have orders from corporate to cut it that way, and that I should write a letter of complaint. I did, but they don't care.

At another, they cut them with a layer of gristle across the bottom.

At another, the roasts have a chemical smell in the fat. I don't know what they are doing to it.

It used to be that when you bought a ROAST, it was cut as a roast, and it was all good, edible roast meat. Now the prices have skyrocketed, and they charge you these exorbitant dollars per pound for gristle.

I am so sick of being cheated. I just posted here recently about how the quality of yogurt has gone down. Now you get a sugary soup with artificial sweetener in it. If you want actual yogurt, you have to pay well over a dollar per tiny container of Greek yogurt.

After I went to the grocery store, I went downtown to run an errand and discovered that they have replaced all the parking meters. Now there is a machine mid-block in which everyone who is parking on the block deposits their quarters to get a ticket, which they then must display on the dashboard. That way, nobody can use the time left on someone else's meter. If you plan to do an errand and are not sure how long it will take you, you will likely pay for more time than you need. Then, after you drive away with your ticket, someone else will pay for the exact same time that you already paid for. It's a brilliant, nasty way for the city to make extra money by charging double or triple for time parked.

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. To your last point - and that machine is probably only leased, so the manufacturer gets a cut, too.

It's not just the city making money on more parking fees, but the city was probably given some dog and pony show about "Rent these machines, and you'll make double or triple what you've been making!" except that with the cut that the machine owner demands, the city probably is earning less than it used, even if the actual dollars paid for parking have probably doubled.

Just like those goddamn cameras at intersections that photograph red light runners - the companies that make them take 50% of all ticket revenue.

Bullshit.

[woo me with science]

12. I would love to see the numbers,

because I bet you are exactly right.

I swear I see a new way, every single day, that we are being nickeled and dimed to death. It would make a good blog.

[grasswire]

18. I agree that supermarket meat is horrible, compared to what it used to be.

For one thing, supermarket beef used to be USDA choice, which was tender meat with lots of flavor. Now, supermarket beef is most usually USDA select grade, which is going to be tough no matter what a cook does to it.

Supermarkets will claim that consumers want lean beef and thus the switch. I believe that consumers just don't know the difference anymore and accept the crappy stuff.

You are lucky if you can find some USDA choice beef. Albertson's has it sometimes.

I walk through the store and can't find much to make a meal of. The fish is horrible. The pork is full of solutions. The beef is select. The lamb is from halfway 'round the world and sky high. Ya can't eat chicken all the time.

[DebJ]

47. I just paid $8 for a whole 'frying' chicken, about $2 a lb bone in.

Last time that I bought one, it was about $1.29 a lb. Time to start watching for sales (at what, $1.80) and stock the freezer. Sigh.

[grasswire]

49. wow

Safeway has local good quality whole fryers for 79 cents/pound this week, and Kroger has the same local brand for 89. Not organic, mind you, but local. I find frozen whole chickens a pain to deal with, so would rather cut them up prior to freezing if I were going to stock up.

[JanMichael]

30. Make your own yogurt

it's easy and cheaper than the store bought stuff. Seriously...takes like 10 minutes.

As far as meat goes...well, I don't know what to tell you on that, other than look for a local farmer. We haven't eaten it in years, but if we did, we would be buying locally produced cuts.

[Chan790]

50. Parking in my trendy urban enclave is now $2/hour.

Parking at the new "smart" meters is $.50 for 15 minutes and you're still capped at 2 hours. 24/7/365. The joke is that our parking fees and tickets are buying the chair of the city council a new SUV monthly to match his (rather garish) wardrobe.

It's absurd enough that people living in the neighborhood (Adams Morgan is one of the youngest and noveau-riche in DC; I'd guess that less than 25% of the population drives, we're very bike and public transit oriented) are leasing out their assigned parking spots for enough to pay their rent or condo fees.

The guy who runs the parking garage mid-block is making a killing offering $5 all-day "in-after-9:30AM, out-before-4:50PM" even from people that know that the all-day rate jumps to $8-$10+ if they're not out on-time.

[tigereye]

8. it's the cost of fuel, I think...

Not good. I am glad our CSA boxes are starting soon- local farm-raised produce, mostly organic, helps the farmers stay afloat and no exorbitant mark-ups.

[Kali]

10. bingo

cost of oil goes up, so does EVERYTHING

[tigereye]

40. I have a gift for staring the obvious!

:D :hi:

[auntAgonist]

13. whole wheat bread at ALDI'S last week was .25 cents.

I was wishing I had a freezer!

I usually buy aunt Millies 12 grain but it's gotten terribly costly at the grocery. Not too bad at the outlet if I can get there at the right time.

[RebelOne]

29. Aldi has great prices, but all of the brands

are ones I have ever heard of before.

[auntAgonist]

34. I haven't found anything at Aldi's that I really disliked

except for one time when I bought beans with pork (canned) they were really soupy and lacked any real flavour. Can't remember the brand name but I would know it if I saw it.

otherwise I'm pleased with my purchases.

[WinkyDink]

38. 1. not to worry; "off-brands" come from the same factories as name-brands; 2. ALDI's is German; and

3. it's non-union.

Point 3 notwithstanding, I have recently gone back on my 20-year-long pledge not to shop there, and have begun, to save money.

And the German chocolate bars are great! :-)

[wickerwoman]

14. Yowzers.

You might try making bread if you haven't before. Mark Bittman has an awesome no-knead recipe online. You just mix stuff, let it sit the fridge all night, pull in out the next day, shape it and whack it in the oven. Some of the best bread I've ever tasted, cheap and not that much of a hassle.

[grasswire]

20. have you visited our cooking/baking forum?

You will find a whole cadre of us bakers there.

[wickerwoman]

21. I haven't, but I will now!

Thanks!

[XemaSab]

17. Dog food is like 25 bucks a bag

:o

[grasswire]

39. yeah, and that's mostly corn meal and road kill

Meat by-products etc. Someone must be hoarding the by-products and driving prices up.

[dixiegrrrrl]

42. What brand and what size bag?

We stopped buying dry dog food during the China poisoning our pets thing, I "cook" for our beast now, but do use canned food occasionally to mix up in his dinners.
Had no idea it was that high.

[XemaSab]

45. What do you put in your cooked food

and what's the strategy?

I was cooking food for a while, but it was hella spendy and time consuming. :D

[grasswire]

46. our border collie eats what we cook

cooked chicken scraps and other meat scraps, vegetables and leftover grains. He doesn't like eggs, but he luvs cheese. Does NOT LIKE corn, but loves an occasional tidbit of salami. He's fed well, and if I am short on stuff he gets some kibble with broth poured over it. He's healthy and happy.

[XemaSab]

48. Part of the problem

is that we have an English Shepherd who does NOT LIKE dry food, a cattle dog mix who might be allergic to beef and corn, and a spaniel mix who only recently went back to regular food after an unfortunate episode involving bloody vomit.

In summary, we have three picky eaters who weigh a total of 215 lbs, and feeding them is EXPENSIVE. :o

[GoneOffShore]

19. Tried baking your own bread?

5 lbs King Arthur Flour - $5
Yeast - $.99
Sugar - $.10
Salt - $.10
Water -
Fat - $.25
Your time - 1 1/2 hours not counting rise time
Gas or electric heat

Yield 6 - 7 loaves of bread - freezable

Plus the house smells great and you end up with a far better product.

[IMATB]

22. Tomorrow is our grocery shopping day.

I am not looking forward to it. My eyes bug out everytime I see the items ring up. I am making my list right now, trying my best to get the most for my money and it's hard.

I remember when I enjoyed grocery shopping. Now I feel sick when I leave the store. I get no joy from it anymore. My pantry looks less full every week no matter what I buy.

I agree about meat choices. The quality has gone down. I mostly stick to whole chickens and pork loins. Everything else looks fatty.

[Odin2005]

23. The price of food, especially produce, is REALLY pissing me off.

[Inchworm]

24. I'm feeling it big time

The last 4-5 months have been the worst that I remember.

:tinfoilhat:

[LiberalEsto]

25. And if the price stays the same, the size is smaller

The incredible shrinking bag of cat food.

[MiddleFingerMom]

26. I'm on a REALLY tight (so tight it's sometimes non-existent) budget...

.
.
.
...and I get store-brand bread at 0.89 cents a loaf (up to 0.99 this week), but it's
soft, tasteless highly processed bread. The whole-grain breads that I like are up in
the $3-4 range.
.
Bread like that is simply a vehicle for sandwich fixin's (though I prefer it for
braunschweiger and yellow mustard -- yum (one of the few "innards" that I'll eat).
.
.
.

[Monique1]

27. Thank goodness

There is a bakery outlet within 3 minutes walking distance from me. I get a senior discount and if I spend an x amount of dollars I get something free from the rack plus I can obtain another free item if they have a certain product name. There is also a butcher shop not far from my living place called Midwestern Meats in Mesa As - they have great meats and corn fed meats. They also have buncle packages they will deliver for free. The best meats ever. They delivered an $84.00 bundle to me that is feeding the two of us for over a month. In the bundle was rib eyes - enough for three meals and the steaks were so tender you could cut with the side of a fork.

I am buying less and less from Costco because they are getting too expensive and don't have the items that I really like anymore.

[Monique1]

28. another thing

I keep a supply of variety of beans and spices in my make shift pantry for when I run out of money. Any left over meats that I cook, I freeze to use with the beans. Actually, I love refried beans in a tortilla. I csn make a meal out of that - top with veggies, such as onions, lettuce, tomatoes or other veggies is a healthy meal. I have made pinto bean soup - this is great.

[MiddleFingerMom]

31. Beans & rice are MAJOR staples in my diet -- I only started using dry beans because...

.
.
.
...of the HIGH sodium levels in canned beans -- but now prefer dried both
for their lack of sodium and their cost. My doctor (incredible), when she
found out I was struggling financially, actually gave me some tips on how
to make my budget stretch (my last PCP was a nurse-practitioner who could
NOT see past her bare-bones directives to me -- I'm not sure she could even
SPELL "holistic"). Beans & rice were high on her list.
.
I saw her a coupla weeks ago and she mentioned that a "low-budget" diet
obviously agreed with me -- my weight was down and my kidney-function
test values were SO good that she's thinking of discontinuing my diabetes
medication.
.
.
WOO-HOO!!!
.
.
.
I don't get as many veggies as I'd like (I do get some), but all-in-all,
sometimes bein' broke ain't bad for your health.
.
.
.

[grasswire]

32. may I ask how the carbs in beans and rice...

...fit into a diabetic's diet? They don't drive your sugars up? I would suffer if I ate a cup of rice.

[siligut]

35. I hope/think he is eating brown rice

http://www.lowglycemicdiet.com/ricegi.html

The lower on the Glycemic Index, the better, here is a list of rice and their values:

Barley, pearled 25
Converted, White 38
Long grain, White 44
Buckwheat 54
Brown 55
Basmati 58
Couscous 65
Cornmeal 68
Aborio 69
Short grain, White 72
Instant, White 87
Wild rice 87
Glutinous (Sticky) 98

[grasswire]

37. a cup of brown rice has 45 carbs

I could never eat that in a meal. I try to keep meals under 20 carbs total. I'll feel like hell otherwise.

[siligut]

41. Insulin responds differently to the carbs in brown rice

Like with chick peas, but maybe not quite as good. That MFM's A1C was "normal" . . . below 7 for a type II diabetic, around 4.5-6 for those without, indicates that this is working for him. Yahoo, MFM! Type IIs make insulin, they just can't use it so well.

[grasswire]

44. I agree, good for MFM.

It wouldn't work for me, though. Carbs are my enemy and I know it.

[MiddleFingerMom]

36. That's what I figured (I don't do daily testing),

.
.
.
I was worried that my financial constraints were going to harm my
health in the long run, but they worked for me.
.
My long-term diabetes test (a-1-c?) was exactly on the "normal" line.
.
.
.

[GoCubsGo]

52. Me, too.

I tend to not buy bread, or I get the Flat-Outs wraps and "sandwich thins" when they're on sale, and freeze them. But, I'm starting a temp job in May that will have me out in the field all day, so I'll be packing sandwiches. Been stocking up via sales/coupons.

I started doing the dried beans thing, too. My local Kroger has been having GREAT deals on them. I live alone, so I'll just cook up a bag and freeze what I don't use. I have gotten to a point where I tend to prefer beans over meat anyway. However, I am not ashamed to to buy marked-down meats and produce. Our local Bi-Lo chain is great for that, especially when there are Springer Mountain Farms chicken coupons around. And, I'm also not too proud to buy the day-old bread from Kroger, which also has good mark-downs on dairy products and hummus--including the organic versions.

If all y'all haven't checked them out yet, there are a couple of real good coupon sites: CouponMom.com, and SouthernSavers.com. The latter is regional, but those outside the South should check it out, too. She has lots of heads-ups on other freebies/deals, such as samples, or video rentals from Redbox and Blockbuster.

[AngryOldDem]

33. $2.99 for a gallon of milk; $6 for a pack of pork chops. n/t

[Manifestor_of_Light]

43. I make bread in my Cuisinart.

Real yeast bread. My Cuisinart is big enough to hold six cups of flour which is enough for a big loaf.

Some people use bread machines. I have never used one since I have a Cuisinart with a very heavy duty motor. Made in the Eighties in Japan.

[GoCubsGo]

53. $5.99 for a quart and a half of ice cream!!!! WTF???

Ice cream is my favorite drug. I guess it's time to cure my addiction.