Have Your food prices gone way up lately?? (sale, items, old)

[Woof]

You couldn't even LOOK at a lobster in a small town on the West Coast (like here) for less than $15 per pound. If you want to buy it, think more like $20.

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

???

Jeeeez ..... ya know ... the reputation of beans? Which is very true for me, it forms an almost continual breeze for the next half a day or so. Other people don't even get a small "aftereffect".

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by texdav

My wife would love to come to your house to visit....

um, okay, if she is good looking then she is welcome to come visit.

[luzianne]

Not just lately - it's been the last three years or so.

[CaptainNJ]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

There is another one that seems popular in cities too, 'whole food' I think.

But from what I have heard they are both far more expensive than local fresh food.

i have a whole foods about 10-15 minutes down the road. but its a more expensive option. its all organic, it caters to a certain type of person. they opened up a trader joe's a few minutes further down the road, i hope to check it out soon. i have a ton of options by me so the competition keeps foods pretty cheap. a new grocery store opened not so long ago but only lasted about 6 months. i thought it was crazy for them to open because we have so many choices already, but i was happy to have another choice.

its tougher in places with less competition and in cities with smaller stores. the prices where i live are sooooo much cheaper than the city i work in.

[brava4]

The Whole Foods near me, quite a few, sells organic and non-organic. From produce, meats and everything in between.

[michgc]

I've noticed the steady increase in the cost of foods, too. One thing that comes to mind is orange juice. We drink a lot of it here. I used to be able to get it on sale consistently for $2.50; once in awhile $2.00. Now I cannot find it under $3.00. I've noticed other groceries have also gone up in price. Because of that, I tend to stock up more when I see a good deal on something.

I am in the DC area. I have two Trader Joe's that are each 5 miles away from me. Whole Foods is less than 1 mile as are Giant and Fresh Market. We also have Costco, Safeway, Wegman's, and WalMart nearby. The competition does help with the prices, but they seem to have gone up at all of the stores, at least on some items.

I find Whole Foods to be reasonably priced on many things. I think it gets a bad rap. I buy the following there on a regular basis:

gallon hormone-free milk: $2.99
8 ounces hormone-free cream cheese: $1.49
package of sliced bread - white or wheat with no junk (artificial anything) in it: $2.49
8 ounce container of feta Cheese (hormone-free): $2.49
organic tortillas - package of 6: $1.29
Fruit breakfast bars (all natural; real fruit) - package of 6 - $1.69
chocolate chips (nothing artificial) - $2.29 (can sometimes beat this with a coupon at other stores)
365 brand marinara sauce - $2.29 (can beat this other places, but not a bad price with no hfcs)
365 brand pasta - $1.29 (can beat this at other places, but not a bad "regular" price)
Frozen veggies - about $1.29 per bag (spinach, broccoli)
Bag of romaine lettuce - $1.99
I buy fresh fruit when it's on sale, although they're often higher than their competitors, but sometimes not.
I buy their ground beef in larger quantities when it's on sale (but I'm a vegetarian so don't buy this often - just for others)

Some things are expensive - mostly their prepared foods, organic fruits, meats, and specialty items. But sometimes they have specials or coupons that make for some good deals.

Trader Joe's has lower prices overall, but not on all items. Their milk is the same price. Their feta is more. Their chocolate chips, lettuce, fruit breakfast bars, and frozen veggies are the same. Their pasta may still be 99 cents. I think their marinara sauce is $1.99, but it may have gone up.

I tend to go to Whole Foods more often just because it's down the road from me, and I don't need to drive 5 miles to get there. With gas at about $4 per gallon, and my car getting about 20 miles to the gallon, it costs me $2 just to go to that store. I walk to Whole Foods. :-)

[Woof]

In expensive California cities like Santa Cruz, Trader Joes is actually the low-price leader (although again, that might have changed since imported foods are more expensive just now). I think it was around the lowest in Seattle also, maybe 6-7 years ago.

[gwynedd1]

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

If you can afford lobster, you probably don't need to post in the Frugal Forum....

Why do you think I can afford lobster? Besides, frugal means efficient, not poor.


Half my other food is not purchased anyway, especially this time of year. Now I suppose the guy driving from work to eat chicken might think he is doing alright. So am I eating cheap lobster walking home with a bag full of free cornelian cherries and black walnuts.

[gwynedd1]

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

That is frugal (and I'm jealous) - I was quoting the $10 or just under price....not so much.

Hi Flamingo13,

Don't think that will happen in the Midwest. My brother is doing his own clamming on the east coast. Jealousy is the word for it. I will have my revenge somehow.

[gwynedd1]

Now that I think about it, there is an invasive in the Great Lakes area from the Ohio River basin. Its called the Rusty crayfish. Anyone who scores some of this efficiently deserves the title master of frugality.

Wisconsin Aquatic Invasive Species