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I read an article today about the most expensive states and they put the price of milk on each one. I was astonished at how cheap a gallon of milk is elsewhere. We pay right at $5.00 a gallon here give or take .50 cent. I wonder now if all our food is higher even though housing is cheaper.
I wonder now if all our food is higher even though housing is cheaper.
It's easy to check this for yourself. The US Government Consumer Price Index surveys key consumer prices like food costs, rent, utilities, etc. every month, and publishes them on the internet. Then Cost of Living calculators plug these values into their algorithms to allow you to easily compare the various key costs that make up what we perceive as the Cost of Living.
As far as food is concerned, although milk is an easy cost to check, it's not really representative, because there are huge differences in the way milk is priced in various states, varying laws about discounting milk, etc. You really have to look at the entire market basket to get an accurate picture.
At the moment, measured against the average for the whole country (100), New Orleans is slightly below the average overall cost of living for the country (93) while food is nearly average (97).
Compare that with Miami or Chicago, where food costs are indexed at 108, San Francisco 114, Anchorage 136, McAllen, Texas 78, Honolulu, 156.
I just bought a box of oatmeal and it was $2.99!! Oatmeal used to be dirt cheap. So how far do you think prices will go before things stabilize?
All I know is I picked up the sale ad today for our favorite independent grocery store today and I thought, damn, there isn't one thing on sale this week that I consider a good deal.
It is a general perception that pork has a greater deal of fat than other red meats. And that was completely true ... thirty years ago.
Most pork cuts are generally low fat with the proper trimming. With the lower fat content, you MUST proper season the meat and you must NOT overcook it. And so many people do.
trichinosis?
My quandary is why our farmers market charges $5.00 for 5 pieces of asparagus.
Not if you bought it at an American supermarket. US inspections have all but eliminated the problem. The small handful of cases each year are all traced to wild game or meat smuggled in from other countries.
That's why the USDA was able to lower the recommended safe temperature for cooking pork from 160 before to 145 today, so pork can be served now while still pink and juicy.
I read an article today about the most expensive states and they put the price of milk on each one. I was astonished at how cheap a gallon of milk is elsewhere. We pay right at $5.00 a gallon here give or take .50 cent. I wonder now if all our food is higher even though housing is cheaper.
The article I was referring to is probably still on Yahoo homepage. It compared the cost of houses, milk, utilities, and dr. visits. The utilities, milk and Dr. visits were all lower than the ones in my area. That is why I brought up the milk. It was directly quoted as price comparison. I guess that the prices vary greatly throughout the state that must be why we pay more than what the people in north Louisiana pay. Idk
86 cent for a loaf of bread? Dang! We pay $3.00 for bread.
A canister of oatmeal is about $3. here as well, unless your referring to the box of instant stuff with the flavoring in it then that is usually $2 for a pack of 12.
Our food tax varies here as well, in my area we pay 8.25% but in Orleans parish it is higher.
We only have Walmart and Winn Dixie type stores here. I quoted the Walmart prices for food.
I have to go to Orleans Parish to shop unfortunately since we have no grocery stores that carry organic, preservative free, antibiotic free foods in my area. So the actual price I pay for food is much higher than the above mentioned.
wow, that is cheap: we pay over that for 1/2 gallon unless it is on sale. oh and the latest: I know it isn't asparagus season, but still: advertised, on sale, this week: $3.99 lb, that is on sale mind you!!!!
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