Is meat just as expensive everywhere else? (Bend, Corvallis: sale, 2015)

[Mini-apple-less]

The Albertson's near my house sells insanely expensive meat. I'm talking like $9 for a pound of hamburger meat!

Is it the same way everywhere, or is meat unusually spendy in Oregon? I almost never even eat meat unless it's in a burger or a taco, because I can't really afford to.

[PNW-type-gal]

To get to $9 a pound for ground meat, it is probably organic grass-fed.

Here is the US average, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:


I do not believe the price are adjusted for inflation on that graph, but the buying power of $2.50 in 2005 should be about $3.15 in 2015 dollars, so it has risen faster than inflation.

From February, a news item that is blaming the rise in price on droughts in Texas and the Midwest:
Rise in beef prices expected to continue

(the article says chicken prices are coming down, but the recent mass kills over bird flu at big egg and poultry producers will negate that).

[Heidi60]

The Albertson's in San Jose is expensive and their quality is well...

If I feel the need for meat I get a $5 roasted chicken at Costco which will last me nearly a week. If I were to want to eat beef, I would start by checking the Costco prices first. The various meat I see at Trader Joe's is pretty high also.

For about $10 I can get a good Indian buffet at India's Kitchen which less than what I can make it for at home.

[Elk Wallow]

Maybe you should try the Frugality board under Econnomics.

[Larry Caldwell]

If your only shopping alternative is Albertsons, you are screwed. 93% lean at Sherm's Thunderbird hovers around $4.75. Whole chickens are 99 cents a pound, last week boneless pork loin was $1.29. Boneless beef round roast was $4.88. You can find comparable prices at Costco.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

If your only shopping alternative is Albertsons, you are screwed. 93% lean at Sherm's Thunderbird hovers around $4.75. Whole chickens are 99 cents a pound, last week boneless pork loin was $1.29. Boneless beef round roast was $4.88. You can find comparable prices at Costco.

Pretty sure he could go to Market of Choice, Whole Paychecks or New Seasons and find regular ground beef for less than $9 a pound. $9 a pound for regular ground beef is "there isn't another grocery store for 30 miles" territory.

[dirt _farmer]

Originally Posted by Mini-apple-less

The Albertson's near my house sells insanely expensive meat. I'm talking like $9 for a pound of hamburger meat!

Is it the same way everywhere, or is meat unusually spendy in Oregon? I almost never even eat meat unless it's in a burger or a taco, because I can't really afford to.

Albertson's is always much more expensive than Safeway, IMO. I rarely shopped there when I lived in Bend.

Read this recent grocery store comparison by the Oregonian:

We compared prices at 7 different grocery stores and the results surprised us (interactive graphic) | OregonLive.com

[Hawk J]

In Grants Pass, they are building a Winco across the road from Walmart. Fred Meyer is next door.....

Those 4.99 roast chickens are pretty tasty.....

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by Mini-apple-less

......Is it the same way everywhere, or is meat unusually spendy in Oregon? ..........

I don't buy meat any place else outside of Central Oregon so I don't have a clue what meat costs elsewhere. More than likely it is just as expensive. You can check the livestock markets in different parts of the country to see if there is much variation in live price, or go online and look at Safeway ads in different areas of the country.

I'm currently paying about $3.85 a pound for choice Angus ground beef but that's because I buy the meat in 40 pound chunks and grind it at home.

The only super market price for meat that I've noticed lately was $17 a pound for ribeye steaks at Costco last week. I didn't look at burger prices.

Burger at Food4Less was $3.80 (I think). Their burger is really hit and miss. Sometimes it is excellent and sometimes it is not quite as good.

[BruceM]

The Albertsons here in Corvallis closed about 3 years ago.
We never shopped there so I can't comment on their prices.
We usually go to Fred Meyer with occasional trips to Winco for their great bulk bin selection.
I gave up our Costco membership. Factoring in the drive to Albany and the $55 annual membership fee it just wasn't worth it to us.
Last week I purchased 90% lean ground beef at Safeway for $3.99/lb.
I figure that is not too bad what with the drought and all.
Last year I was able to get it on sale for $2.99
When we moved here in 08 I purchased bulk grass fed ground beef from Northwest Natural for $3/lb but their prices have gone up since then and I found I could not tell the difference between the grass fed beef and what I purchased in the stores.