[mango23]

Originally Posted by BCreass

At the Whole Foods in Salem, MA (a huge Whole Foods, at that) , I purchased half a gallon of milk for 99c. Personally, I love Whole Foods, but they're generally way too expensive (certainly down here) to shop at on a regular basis. It's a pity, because perhaps Whole Foods could be the chain to give Publix a run for its money, if Whole Foods decided to be a little less "upmarket" and sell more affordable produce.

I am not sure it is in the cards for W/F. They have law suits pending and although their stock it is up it is shaky. They were only a few months ago at a low of $7.00 down from a high of $29.00. It is currently at about $18.00. They are in no position to be challenging anybody. It will be all they can do to survive into the future. Planed stores have been canceled. I think they are trying to get their current situation in order if they can. I personally see a Circuit City future for them. An over night collapse. Then I could be wrong but they were pretty worried in January with stock down 75%.

[ferretlady4719]

2

Originally Posted by beachmouse

We actually paid more for groceries in rural Tennessee than we do here. Sales tax on groceries there, and if you want to talk about lack of competition, you should see the way Super Walmart massively jerks up prices when they're the only game in your small town.

It's the same in at least some parts of Alabama Groceries may be higher in FL than in northern states, but they're lower than they are here. For example, milk went to just over $6 a gallon here during the time period when milk prices shot up so high. Thank goodness it finally came back down a bit - but it's still $4.25-4.65 a gallon here (compared to $2.89 or so in S FL at Publix). I couldn't believe it, when we first got here & I saw how high food prices were. I honestly don't know how families w/ kids around here put decent meals on their table.

Add 9 1/2% sales tax on that too. So, while FL prices might seem high to someone from up north, they're not as bad as some other places.... We have a few different stores in town - we're in a small city, not out in the boonies - so there's not a complete lack of competition, just none of the decent stores here....

[Doctor Octagon]

Originally Posted by **NoodLes**

Couldn't have said it better myself. I can honestly say that I have worked with some of the most unskilled, uneducated, degenerate people here in Orlando and I am counting down the days when I can finally get out of this cr4phole. I am not lying when I have worked with people (spanish) who DO NOT know the alphabet and barely know English and the ones who know English have to make up for the sub par performance of my degenerate, breathing flesh and bone creature, only God knows how they got hired here. This place will drain you, not only from the low pay but the idiocy of the worst coworkers on the planet. It truly is a shame and I know that it will never change. Only God himself can save Orlando, because as the influx of these type of people make there way to Central Florida it can only get worse.

Noodles, I live in Orlando too, and I think just the every day stuff one has to deal with is ridicuous too. Especially the driving. Just when you think you'd seen it all, something stupid happens. And they seem to just keep on moving to Orlando while others continue to move out. Sometimes just going to Publix 5 miles from my house can be draining. From the people that just leave their carts in the parking lot too lazy to put them up, to the people that park in the fire lane in front of the store with reggeton music blasting, to the people that are jabbering on a cell phone and will come to a complete stop in the middle of a lane so they can finish their conversation (YES, I HAVE SEEN IT), to the crabby retirees that want their expired coupons to save them money and then say things like "In NY, they'd accept my expired coupon, I'm a regular!" By the time u got to the store, you have already witnessed a few people run the red light, people not letting you switch a lane or two, people not using turn signals (and everything else I mentioned above) and you are completely SPENT.

And this doesnt even begin to explain how bad the drivers are, and rude the people can be on the roads.

[**NoodLes**]

Originally Posted by Doctor Octagon

Noodles, I live in Orlando too, and I think just the every day stuff one has to deal with is ridicuous too. Especially the driving. Just when you think you'd seen it all, something stupid happens. And they seem to just keep on moving to Orlando while others continue to move out. Sometimes just going to Publix 5 miles from my house can be draining. From the people that just leave their carts in the parking lot too lazy to put them up, to the people that park in the fire lane in front of the store with reggeton music blasting, to the people that are jabbering on a cell phone and will come to a complete stop in the middle of a lane so they can finish their conversation (YES, I HAVE SEEN IT), to the crabby retirees that want their expired coupons to save them money and then say things like "In NY, they'd accept my expired coupon, I'm a regular!" By the time u got to the store, you have already witnessed a few people run the red light, people not letting you switch a lane or two, people not using turn signals (and everything else I mentioned above) and you are completely SPENT.

And this doesnt even begin to explain how bad the drivers are, and rude the people can be on the roads.

It's pretty amazing how I come from Dallas, a city triple the size of Orlando and suburbs, and I didn't witness a fraction of the stupid drivers there. I am in transportation here and believe me I see everything and it is simply mindboggling. The majority of the bad drivers are spanish, just stating what I see. BTW suped-up Honda Civics with rice burner mufflers are getting old and stop pretending you're in the Fast and Furious cuz nobody cares.

[rachaelb]

What do you guys think abut Crist allowing Citizens to increase the insurance prices? I moved away from FL, miss the beach terribly, and am thinking seriously of moving back to FL or another beach area. I just heard that the bill passed (?) to allow a 10% increase each year on insurance. How are every day joe's like me making it there w/the taxes and insurance?

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by rachaelb

What do you guys think abut Crist allowing Citizens to increase the insurance prices? I moved away from FL, miss the beach terribly, and am thinking seriously of moving back to FL or another beach area. I just heard that the bill passed (?) to allow a 10% increase each year on insurance. How are every day joe's like me making it there w/the taxes and insurance?

Don't insure with Citizens if you can help it!

My mother pays $800/year for HOI, which she just got reduced after State Farm or whoever she had tried to stick her with $2600/year in HOI!!! BIG difference! Because her house has gone down in "value" the past couple of years, her taxes have not increased. Suffice it to say, she's doing better now than she was two years ago.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Don't insure with Citizens if you can help it!

My mother pays $800/year for HOI, which she just got reduced after State Farm or whoever she had tried to stick her with $2600/year in HOI!!! BIG difference! Because her house has gone down in "value" the past couple of years, her taxes have not increased. Suffice it to say, she's doing better now than she was two years ago.

If you live in certain zip codes in an older home, Citizen's will be your only choice. We are stuck with Citizen's, plus we have to have an expensive flood policy, but outside of this our cost of living is really low. Cheap mortgage, low taxes, extremely low utility bills, great shopping choices etc. So it all more than compensates. People who live in new homes and not near the water will have much lower insurance.

[stars99]

Noodles, if you don't mind my asking--was this in a corporate office or a retail job?

Originally Posted by **NoodLes**

Couldn't have said it better myself. I can honestly say that I have worked with some of the most unskilled, uneducated, degenerate people here in Orlando and I am counting down the days when I can finally get out of this cr4phole. I am not lying when I have worked with people (spanish) who DO NOT know the alphabet and barely know English and the ones who know English have to make up for the sub par performance of my degenerate, breathing flesh and bone creature, only God knows how they got hired here. This place will drain you, not only from the low pay but the idiocy of the worst coworkers on the planet. It truly is a shame and I know that it will never change. Only God himself can save Orlando, because as the influx of these type of people make there way to Central Florida it can only get worse.

[stars99]

Citizen's is sort of like if you get a DUI and get stuck in some state run high risk auto insurance pool because no one else will touch you. Only use Citizen's if you have no other options.

Originally Posted by gypsychic

If you live in certain zip codes in an older home, Citizen's will be your only choice. We are stuck with Citizen's, plus we have to have an expensive flood policy, but outside of this our cost of living is really low. Cheap mortgage, low taxes, extremely low utility bills, great shopping choices etc. So it all more than compensates. People who live in new homes and not near the water will have much lower insurance.

[Fnix]

I saw 3 car salesman in a dealer car on OBT and they were emergency braking at 40 mph in heavy traffic and they would do it right in front of people trying to get them to hit them. I pulled up to them at a redlight and pulled my digi cam out and took a pic of them and they got pissed at that and got behind me and started honking.