Food Prices at my local supermarket

[madaboutharry]

Yesterday, it really hit me as soon as I walked in and turned the corner into the produce department. A package of red, yellow and orange peppers (one of each) was $6.99. A box of green grapes was $5.99. It was a general trend throughoout the store and people were just looking at the prices and walking away. There was no way in hell that I was paying 6 bucks for grapes.

[katmondoo]

1. I bought one tomato for $1.50

I didn't realize how much I had paid until I got home and looked at the receipt.

[Subdivisions]

45. I love tomatoes so much that despite the fact that I live

in an upstairs apartment, I'm growing my own! On my terrace! Check it out!









That's Kitty in the last pic. She's tempremental when her napping is disturbed.

[izzie]

2. It is a job to shop. I eat so I will not have to take those silly pills.

The right bread and all that. Bread just sends me over the edge. I am not even a meat eater. I do love fish and that is very high. I am down to chicken once a week and 2 times with fish. I will say I do not understand how any one can feed them self on food stamps at $1 a meal. I am not on food stamps but I have read about what they get. I do not envy them at all.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. I strongly suggest you plant a garden

even if you live in an apartment, you can do it, using a grow light and a planter box. You can raise a pepper plant, a tomato plant, and sew some lettuce. You'll find that eating the fresh stuff fills you up more than what you buy at the supermarket. Also consider making sprouts--another thing you can do even if you don't have access to soil.

[madaboutharry]

4. There is one problem:

I am also known as The Grim Reaper of all plant life.

:(

[Goblinmonger]

16. We must be long-lost siblings. n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

22. I have a sort of black thumb, too

but I've found that lettuce is pretty easy to grow, as are sprouts.

[Vinca]

7. We spent all weekend putting in our "Victory Garden."

Actually, finishing it up. I started lettuce and spinach in pots and put them out a couple of weeks ago and last night we had the first salad of the season. Today will be the second. I made my very first batch of homemade yogurt overnight and I'm really excited about that. We spend about $12 a week on plain yogurt and this should save about $9 a week. Everything helps.

[Debau2005]

9. Container gardening

I have never been successful at container vegetables. How big are your pots, and do you do anything special to them? I have limited space, I am in a townhouse, and the little planting area I have now has tomato plants in it.

[Vinca]

12. I live in a rural area and my garden is about an acre in size.

There was a good article in a recent Organic Gardening magazine about container gardening. I think if you buy potting soil that already has the nutrients in it, you can't go wrong. Just dump it into a good size pot and plunk a tomato plant in it. As long as you give it plenty of light and plenty of water it will take care of itself. Peppers, on the other hand, do better with less food and should go into plain potting soil. I learned to garden using the "Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Gardening" and it's still my standby reference book. They just about give it away on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Readers-Digest-Illustrated-Guide-to-Gardening_W0QQitemZ330239372989QQihZ014QQcategoryZ378QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[shanti]

20. takes more than

light and water to grow 'maters. gotta watch out for those pesky hornworms too or you'll have nothing left to eat!

[Vinca]

23. Here's an idea to keep pests away. I stumbled across

it by accident a couple of years ago while trying to discourage the neighborhood deer from dining in my garden and on my hostas. I mixed up a stinky batch of repellant and sprayed it on the plants, repeating after it rains. It has kept the deer away and, as a side benefit, seems to have confused the bugs. Apparently they can't smell their favorite plants and everything from flea beetles to squash bugs have disappeared from my garden. I don't know if it would work for hornworms or not since I've never been bothered by them, but it's worth a try. The magic potion goes into a large milk jug and contains a couple of eggs, a splash of milk or other dairy you might have around, some hot sauce, about a T. of vegetable oil and another T. of dishwashing liquid, all mixed together with water. Let it sit outside for a few days and get gross and stinky and spray on the plants. I avoid spraying any flowers I have in the vegetable garden because I still want to attract bees.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

32. I've heard that spraying tobacco juice keeps the bugs away

I don't know how effective that is, but if it works it's more natural than chemical sprays.

[Lorien]

18. Try this:

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

Another DUer gave me this link and says that you can't go wrong with this method.

[shanti]

21. thanks for posting this, lorien!

i think i will try it as i have a small backyard.

[Contrary1]

26. I've ordered one of these:

http://www.harrietcarter.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/_/Topsy-Turvy-Tomato-Planter/productID/C008005B-9B9A-46AA-9303-99E7B98A59CC/


It hasn't arrived yet, but there is a similar product that holds 20+ strawberry plants. I've got it out in the back yard, and the berries are starting to come in. All the neighbors are watching to see how it goes, before they buy their own. I am going to order the one that is made for peppers, and other small veggies for next year.

[soothsayer]

27. I'm a fan of the Earthbox

http://www.earthbox.com/

Been very successful with them. No weeds, and the reservoir of water makes it so easy (only need to water every few days).

[Bluenorthwest]

15. Food not lawns...

Lettuce can make a great hanging basket, it looks great and fills the salad bowl all season...

[libnnc]

24. lettuce hanging basket...

never thought about that :think:

[redwitch]

57. I have 2 pretty urns on my front porch, one is all flowers, the other

has rosemary and Swiss chard and violas. Very pretty and edible too. :-)
I have some containers in the yard (very small yard) with parsley, basil, cilantro and mesclun greens. My bother Amerikat is a block or two from me and he has a great garden started with lots of veggies he will share.

[fasttense]

5. The other day I picked up some avocados.

I didn't look at the price. When I got out of the grocery store, I realized I had paid $4 a piece for them. I took them back.

[SecularMotion]

6. They can't hide the increase when produce is priced by the pound

Shoppers should also watch the packaging of products. The Colombo yogurt I used to buy has decreased in size from 8 ounces to 6 ounces while the price remained the same at 99 cents. I switched to Dannon at 69 cents for 6 ounces.

[Debau2005]

8. My husband is a huge milk drinker

Yesterday, he walked back to the cart empty handed from the milk case. He said a gallon was $4.12 and he knew that since he was laid off, we had to watch what we were buying. I didn't believe him, and had to go see. $4.12!!! My soy milk is half that much.

Also, we were walking down the frozen food aisle, a woman was telling her husband that the Mrs Pauls Tilapi was $6.00. He said put it back, the fresh salmon in the meat department was cheaper then that.

We planted tomato plants last night. I am going to clean out some of the other plants that I don't really care for and add some other things such as peppers and cucumbers.

[soothsayer]

28. I believe they developed miniature cows that produce a gallon of milk a day.

They bred them small for farmers in Mexico (or was it India?) who keep them on their roofs. Not sure where you get 'em, but I'd love one! Of course you'll need a miniature bull to get the milk going.

[kevinbgoode]

37. You can sometimes get decent milk deals if you check ads

online before doing your supermarket shopping. And one secret I've discovered is that sometimes the pricey convenience stores (where you might buy gas) have milk at a lower price. Get him in the habit, when he's stopping for gas, to always check the little milk section at those places. You never expect them to be cheaper than supermarkets, but I've been quite surprised before in my area.

I used to like drinking a lot of milk myself and have cut way back. . .I don't even use creamer for the coffee any longer - that's where some of the milk goes.

Dairy really has gone up terribly. . .along with frozen things. Simple frozen vegetables I used to buy regularly have gone up almost 33%. It's a juggling game to see what I eat in a week - and to try to make it even halfway nutricious.

One thing I've also discovered is that the small little meat markets (you know, the ones which are often more expensive than the supermarkets) run better sales on selected items. I just purchased a pound of smoked turkey breast (cut to order) for $4.99 and that gives me sandwiches for a few days. If you like fish, see if your market carries frozen Aquastar fillets. . .these are individually packaged (about four ounces of fish, and they have salmon, I think tilapia, flounder and cod). You can fry, bake, or microwave them one at a time. . .$1.25 each a my supermarket. Granted, four ounces isn't a huge amount of fish, but if you double up on the vegetables, you get the protein and the flavor and have a good meal.

I'm not a fan of WalMart, but I'm still a graduate student and have to cut expenses everywhere. I'm learning to drop by WalMart and check the discount prices in the meat area - last week I purchased 2.25lbs of very lean ground beef (4% fat) for $5.50. The date for freezing or consuming was three days away, so I used it to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce for three days of meals.

I wish I was more talented at making a garden. . .maybe when I'm out in another place..with a balcony or deck, I'll put a few tomato plants in. .

[SpiralHawk]

10. Yes, do plant. This is just the beginning...

Both national and international trends are making it clear that the whole food scene is about to get very difficult -- and everyone will be facing agonizing choices about food, especially by the time 2009 rolls around.

Grow food -- or directly support those who can grow it.

[trof]

11. Take a look at where they came from.

Transportation cost is a big part of the problem.
My rant about 2000 mile spuds sank like a stone.

[a kennedy]

13. Yeah, I was thinking that too, the price of trucking food from Mexico

must have a huge impact on the price.....eat local. :patriot:

[SpiralHawk]

14. Well, you could always make Stone Soup...

[Lorien]

19. Yeah, we get California oranges in our grocery all the time

and this is FLORIDA! :crazy:

[LeftyMom]

34. Meanwhile out here we can't get local orange juice to save our lives.

Well, not local exactly, I'm in NorCal so the oranges grow well south of here, but still a heckuvalot closer than Florida.

Eventually I gave up and bought a juicer. It costs a bit more (but tastes a million times better) to buy the oranges and juice them, but we put orange* trees in my Dad's yard last year, so I should have some freebies soon, and in a few years I'll probably be hoping never to see another orange.

*and lots of other stuff- we went a bit nuts at the nursery

[stevietheman]

17. A good reason for overweight Americans to go on a diet, isn't it?

I am amazed that more people aren't realizing this: Eat less, and save!

[soothsayer]

29. Yeah, but fattening food is cheaper than healthy food.

[stevietheman]

31. that's actually untrue. There are many smart inexpensive choices. n/t

n/t

[soothsayer]

35. No, it's not untrue. Fast food dollar menus are not healthy things.

I'm not saying you can't eat well on the cheap. I'm just saying it's easier not to.

[stevietheman]

36. You're thinking in terms of restaurants; I'm thinking in terms of groceries...

Here's a few cheap, healthy ideas...

1) Oatmeal -- still reasonable
2) Yogurt -- often on sale, reasonable price for what you get (one little yogurt container can be half a lunch for under 60 cents)
3) Bone-in meats in bulk -- if you're not against some extra preparation
4) Fruits/vegetables at farmer's markets
5) Beans (debatable on "healthy" for some, but I think they are much healthier than choices a lot of people make)

Also, cook a lot more at home, and match coupons to specials at the grocery stores.

[femrap]

38. Imagine you're a single mother of 3 kids who

is working a full time job and maybe another part time job. It is so difficult to find the time to shop AND do lots of cooking. I know it can be done...get the kids involved if they are old enough and learn about nutrition, but the way our culture is set up...no one gives this woman the education on nutrition, the recipes, etc. Peanut butter feeds a lot of mouths. Fatty, processed meats (bologna, hot dogs) are cheaper. It's a rough situation.

Peanut butter costs $2 a jar...3 apples can cost $2. One can of fruit is over a $1. A mother will buy food that is filling such as bread, pasta, day-old cakes, etc. Beans are cheap and highly nutrious...and filling!!!

Best idea I can come up with is casseroles with some vegies in them...filling yet have some nutrition. Or stews. Popcorn is a good snack.

I truly worry about our families who are on the 'edge.' The price of food and gas is crazy...and it's not going to go down.

[stevietheman]

42. It is incumbent upon every individual to educate themselves on these matters...

as well as to learn better ways of managing their time. The time required to get on a good track with these things is mostly spent upfront, then it becomes a routine.

[femrap]

46. Then I suggest you get down

to your local poor section of town and start educating...2 classes/day....day class and night class.

Take your recipes and grocery list...and budgeting information too.

[stevietheman]

49. How much will I be paid?

Seriously, though, all kinds of helpful information about these things can be found in libraries, the Internet, and simply by asking friends and family.

[femrap]

52. "How much will you be paid...."

what the fuck are you...a republican? Yes, these mothers of 3 working 2 jobs have computers at home and can get on the internet any time they want. Not too many libraries in the ghetto either.

You're young and not too sharp. No wonder our nation is heading south.

"How much will I be paid?" You dumb ass.

:dunce:

[stevietheman]

53. I'm 41, and you didn't read my full post. Very sad response from you. n/t

n/t

[femrap]

54. There wasn't much to read....

"library, internet, friends, family.....go there, I'm not willing to help unless I'm paid."

What did I miss? You don't perform volunteer work...you only perform for $.

[stevietheman]

55. Grow up. n/t

n/t

[femrap]

59. aaaah, stevie is pissed. boo hoo.

Keep those blinders on...go join the republicans....they don't volunteer either.

Ignored.

[femrap]

60. aaaah....stevie is pissed. Boo hoo

Keep those blinders on...go join the republicans....they don't volunteer either.

Ignored.

[Skittles]

40. LOL

one yogurt container can be a half a lunch? IN YOUR DREAMS, certainly not mine!!!

[stevietheman]

43. For Americans who believe in proper portions, my position is correct.

Too many Americans have let themselves slip into thinking they have to consume huge portions and large calories, as if they're "owed" that or something. No, your body doesn't need most of that. One yogurt container is easily half a lunch -- I don't necessarily mean half the calories, but perhaps half the volume.

[Missy Vixen]

41. I'm always amazed at how many people will do whatever they must to take yet another shot at the fat

By the way, stevietheman, you might want to take your sig line into consideration.

The fat still vote, and your candidate will need those votes, won't he?

Julie

[stevietheman]

44. Your response is unfortunate as my reply was serious

If you want to deny that a large portion of the American people are overweight, that's fine, but I replied out of concern for the health of my fellow Americans.

Eating less *will* save money!!!

And bringing politics into that, no matter who you support, is crazy.

[Missy Vixen]

47. BS

>but I replied out of concern for the health of my fellow Americans<

Sure you did.
I have encountered very few in the past seven years on this website who were actually concerned about "health", and I'm fairly confident in my assertion that you're not one of them. It's all about bullying.

This is a political website. If you don't think your opinions reflect on your candidate -- and I've seen multiple examples of those kind of attitudes coming out of those supporting your candidate -- you're deluded. BTW, I'll vote Democratic, as I have been since 1978.

Julie

[stevietheman]

48. No, you're wrong, and you're being really mean when I totally mean well.

Perhaps you need to sit back for a while and ponder how cynical you're behaving with that last post.

I was offering helpful advice, and you slam it, and inject politics into it.

Shame on you.

On edit: Vote for who you like in the Fall, and let that decision rest on your conscience. If my truth telling makes you want to vote for McCain, then be my guest.

[LanternWaste]

58. Or (and I find this more likely)...

Or (and I find this more likely), you should sit back and ponder the tone and tenor of your posts in this thread...

[KSinTX]

25. I have to go grocery shopping today and I'm scared

I need a :hug: Since I sorta stocked up a while ago and haven't been there in a couple of weeks now so I suspect I'm in for quite the shock, based on the comments here. Maybe I'll just low crawl through the produce section and ignore the prices.

[noonwitch]

30. Green peppers are always cheaper than red or yellow ones.

Grapes are always expensive, except in the late summer.

Bannanas and apples are still pretty affordable, as are onions and anything grown locally.

In Detroit, you can go to the Eastern Market and buy produce cheap, right from the farmers who bring it there on Tuesdays and Saturdays. A lot of cities have food co-ops, but the organic produce from the health food store is the most expensive.

[aikoaiko]

51. I learned something interesting, Green peppers are just unripened red, orange, etc peppers.

I doubted my wife when she told me, but its true.

[atjrpsych]

33. thank god someone is my household loves gardening!

Prices in the grocery store are crazy! We love lots and fruits and veggies, so thank god my husband has a green thumb and motivation to actually keep it up. If we relied on my gardening talents we would paying for our produce.

[Skittles]

39. I find myself walking away even if I can afford it, too

my favorite coffee went from 6.50 to 9.50. You know what - I'll find a different "favorite" kind of coffee. I've been hitting the 5 buck coffee rack at Marshall's. I won't pay a price if I think it's too high and there's other options.

[aikoaiko]

50. Yes, but 2 Double Bacon Cheeseburgers are still $4 at Checkers.

mmmmmmmmmm. I gotta eat.

[Irishonly]

56. We planted a little garden

We have a small yard so the garden isn't big but it will keep my family supplied with tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables for the summer. I hated helping my mom can and freeze when I was a kid but now I am thankful I know how.

Every time I go to the store I hear people talking about the high prices. I felt badly for an elderly gentleman who told me he was reduced to eating frozen dinners when they were on sale. I am on a fixed income and it's tough. I didn't know what to do so I bought one of the ready made salads and gave it to him and then felt like a fool because I didn't think about salad dressing. Grapes were $2.99 a pound and I didn't buy them. I think people in CA may have it easier. We have a peach, plum and lemon tree. I have frozen, given to the neighbors and taken the excess to our food bank when they give groceries. We don't have to buy some fruits because of all of the trees. We can also go to Farmer's Markets but I know that fresh fruits and vegetables are nothing to take for granted now.