Why does the food cost so much in this state? (sales tax, living in)

[Mattie]

Yeah, another transplant from the Northeast here, and I don't see any major difference in food prices. We spent 3 years in South FL between NJ and GA, and food here is definitely cheaper than FL. I think competition helps. We had 5 Publix stores in our FL town, nothing else. In NJ, there were so many supermarkets to chose from the prices were kept low. Here in GA we can go to Kroger, Publix, Ingles or Aldi. I don't overpay for anything.

[Georgia]

Wow! Food is high in Georgia?????

I have Publix, Kroger, Ingles, etc., and I can say all are much cheaper than anything I ever paid in 10 years living in NJ. Let's not even talk about wine if you want to buy that!

My next stop was Chicago for 3 years. Outside of corn and pork, you had to just about take a 2nd mortgage

Restaurants? Easy to say about 1/3rd the cost of NJ or Chicago.

I will keep my expensive stores here, Thanks.

[atlantagreg30127]

Well, there is an alternative, and you won't have to pay a DIME for groceries...


dumpster diving - YouTube

[Stars&StripesForever]

Food has gone up considerably over the past few years, but particularly within the last year. Perhaps this change is what you're seeing reflected?

[earthlyfather]

Exactly what I was thinking. I keep and manage a fairly precise family budget, do all of the shopping and most of the cooking. Our food inflation is about 15-20% this year. So, for the gentleman who was comparing Alaska 2010 food costs, particularly if in the first part of 2010, with current Georgia 2011; it is not apples and apples.

Originally Posted by Stars&StripesForever

Food has gone up considerably over the past few years, but particularly within the last year. Perhaps this change is what you're seeing reflected?

[Hypnosis]

Welcome to the Associated Supermarkets Website (http://associatedsupermarkets.com/sales.html - broken link)

[ellie]

Originally Posted by Hypnosis

I'm from Long Island, New York, the prices for the food is cheaper than in your state. There aren't any real supermarkets here, Walmart is not a real supermarket and the ones that do exist, the prices are still high.

Do you live in Georgia now or are you just shopping sales online? If you've moved to a neighborhood with a higher rate of crime you probably have fewer options for good grocery stores and will pay a higher price to offset shoplifting.

[Hypnosis]

I moved from Long Island to this state years ago just came back from NY and noticed the prices were still around the same when I was still living there, cheaper than Publix, Ingles, and all of those supermarkets.

[ellie]

Originally Posted by Hypnosis

I moved from Long Island to this state years ago just came back from NY and noticed the prices were still around the same when I was still living there, cheaper than Publix, Ingles, and all of those supermarkets.

Oh well.

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by Brian_M

Heh, yet more experience... My wife contracts in Alaska (we're there 4~6 months a year on average) and loves Hawaii for vacation. Right now, in GA, we are spending the EXACT SAME as we did for 5 months in Juno in 2010. Juno, where Everything must come in via airplane or boat (no roads in/out). Hawaii seems to be just a touch cheaper, but that might be because we buy way more local fish, fruits and veggies. Hard to tell since we're only there for 2~3 weeks at a time.

I don't know where the heck you people are shopping that think it's Not expensive in GA, or maybe prices are cheaper in the Atlanta metro area. But they are very much at the top of heap down here an hour south of the airport. I don't remember groceries being expensive 2000~2004 when my wife and I were living in Tucker (except when we found the Dekalb Farmer Market, but quality costs), but it's not the reality now.

But, what are you going to do? It's like complaining about fuel prices.

Well you must not forget that prices are way up every where in the last 10 years because of fuel prices.
You may have lived in another area that at the time prices overall were not as high as they are today.Living in 1999 NYC is much different than living in 2011 Georgia.