Food prices are up

[Dakota731]

Your point? Walmart came in and did the damage, then the other stores moved in. That isn't them doing the damage. Its not a double standard if they aren't pulling the trigger.

So you still didn't answer my question: don't Target and Costco and for that matter Lowe's take business away from Ma & Pa grocery or hardware stores? Of course they do, yet you never hear them vilified on the news for being big evil box stores and have people protest their openings. Sam Walton started as a Ma & Pa store, but once he got successful then he become a monster in the eyes of the media. Isn't that the idea behind capitalism and the American way?

Heck, I like and shop in all those stores (except we don't have a Costco). There are great employees and poor employees just as there are good and poor management in individual stores. But years ago, Walmart became painted as an evil empire and since then it's been cool to bash them even though all the other large retail giants aren't much different.

 

[pat fan]

Isn't there a bash Walmart thread so this can be JUST about groceries?? Please, with sugar on top???

 

[manning]

Isn't there a bash Walmart thread so this can be JUST about groceries?? Please, with sugar on top???

I was just at Costco. Ground beef went up to $3.49 a lb from $3.19, a 9.4% increase. If I remember correctly it was $3.00 the beginning of the year. That would make the year to date increase of 16.3%

 

[MillauFr]

But years ago, Walmart became painted as an evil empire and since then it's been cool to bash them even though all the other large retail giants aren't much different.

That is because Walmart management has used incredibly poor judgment when responding to unionizing in their stores. Their response to unionizing of meatpackers at their Jacksonville, TX store? Fire all of the meatpackers at that store. Their response to unionizing at the Jonquiere, Quebec store? Close the entire store. They now acknowledge their misdeeds and realize their poor public perception is self inflicted. Their actions are illegal and they are paying the price by their poor public perception.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

That is because Walmart management has used incredibly poor judgment when responding to unionizing in their stores. Their response to unionizing of meatpackers at their Jacksonville, TX store? Fire all of the meatpackers at that store. Their response to unionizing at the Jonquiere, Quebec store? Close the entire store. They now acknowledge their misdeeds and realize their poor public perception is self inflicted. Their actions are illegal and they are paying the price by their poor public perception.

I've resisted commenting on the WM stuff thus far, but I will say this. 1) not every member of the public is pro-union - far from it in many cases. People often have very personal reasons for not supporting unionized environments. and 2) last time I checked, every WM I drive by is packed...they are hardly "paying the price".

If I have a beef with WM, it certainly isn't with their ability to keep unions out of their stores. It's with the fact that their employees are the single biggest pool of foodstamp recipients in the US, making me feel that the taxpayers suppliment WM wages in a way...corporate welfare. http://www.slate.com/articles/busin...amps_their_wages_aren_t_enough_to_get_by.html

 

[pat fan]

Ugh, DH and I stopped on our way home last night to grab stuff for a quick late dinner.
Olivia's clam shell of organic greens $3.49 (on sale)
a pre-cooked turkey breast $4.48 (with Gold coin, $8.99 reg.)
two bottles of water $.69 each (.89 reg)
qt of 1/2 & 1/2 $3.39
Slim Jim (I know, but I love them!) .99

$13.69 total.

Not too bad, I figured I could get turkey to top the salad with and then enough to make turkey salad for a couple of our lunches. WRONG! Took off meat for our salads (and in no way loaded them!) and there wasn't enough left for even one sandwich! The breast looked like it filled the container, but in reality there was a large bone, a bunch of piled up skin and the neck still on, so the actual breast meat was about like a regular chicken breast!

 

[tvguy]

two bottles of water $.69 each (.89 reg)

The overpriced liquor store down the street from my work only charges 50 cents........for a bottle of water that Smart and Final is selling for 10 cents a bottle if you buy a case.

 

[Planogirl]

Why do the Wal-Mart haters keep trying to hijack this thread?

Anyway... I've wanting some good fruit such as peaches or plums and they are all outrageously expensive too. It's disappointing.

 

[PattnFmly]

This week I paid $2.99 for one cantaloupe. Granted it was yummy, but that's only one "serving" for my boys and I. Cut & split 3 ways there's none left! I am trying hard to get more fruits and veggies into our diet, but it's killing the budget! We got blueberries, grapes, banana's and cantaloupe this week and it's all decimated since they are on vacation. Guess I should be glad they ate the fruit instead of the Bugles I also bought... those are still in the pantry!

 

[pat fan]

The overpriced liquor store down the street from my work only charges 50 cents

In general I am opposed to buying water. We have a well that tastes great and many many water bottles. BUT it was hot, we had been out all day and we just needed it. Kills me to pay cash for what I get for free at home

 

[Dakota731]

Anyone try the new protein Cheerios yet? My local Walmart has them on sale for $2.98 (they are $4.98 at my grocery store!) and I have a $1 coupon so I may give them a try. I think the price of cereal has gotten crazy the past few years, and I've tried generic but my kids seem to be able to deal the difference! And we are getting less and less coupons in my Sunday paper.

 

[pat fan]

No, but I noticed a cereal display at Big Y today, specifically Raisin Bran that was $1.88 and I swear the box was like 10" tall! Only slightly bigger than the little individual boxes you get all shrink wrapped together! Holy cats, am I glad we don't eat cereal on a regular basis!

 

[kmb584]

Anyone try the new protein Cheerios yet? My local Walmart has them on sale for $2.98 (they are $4.98 at my grocery store!) and I have a $1 coupon so I may give them a try. I think the price of cereal has gotten crazy the past few years, and I've tried generic but my kids seem to be able to deal the difference! And we are getting less and less coupons in my Sunday paper.

I love them! I bought a box when they were on sale at my grocery store and they've been my go-to Cheerios ever since.

 

[eliza61]

Why do the Wal-Mart haters keep trying to hijack this thread?

Anyway... I've wanting some good fruit such as peaches or plums and they are all outrageously expensive too. It's disappointing.

Huh huh. blame Manning for that Plano. He was busy patting himself on the back for starting a walmart thread. Can't blame that on us. lol

Plums are 1.99 here. not sure if that's outrageously expensive as I'm the only one who likes them so I usually only have to buy two or three, which is about a pound

I've got guest coming over for a barbeque this weekend. want to talk about some thing outrageously priced. We always do a crab fest. the price of crabs is mindboggling.

They actually had a size for $79 bucks a dozen!!!!

I'll keep you posted on the price of hamburgers.

 

[Colleen27]

Anyone try the new protein Cheerios yet? My local Walmart has them on sale for $2.98 (they are $4.98 at my grocery store!) and I have a $1 coupon so I may give them a try. I think the price of cereal has gotten crazy the past few years, and I've tried generic but my kids seem to be able to deal the difference! And we are getting less and less coupons in my Sunday paper.

I discovered, quite by accident, that my kids like the local store brand (Spartan) better than the name brand in a lot of varieties. The store brand doesn't seem to be quite as sweet on the sweetened "kid" cereals. It means never getting coupons but at $2/box, less if I can catch a sale, cereal is still a pretty cheap thing to keep on hand for the kids.

 

[Colleen27]

So you still didn't answer my question: don't Target and Costco and for that matter Lowe's take business away from Ma & Pa grocery or hardware stores? Of course they do, yet you never hear them vilified on the news for being big evil box stores and have people protest their openings.

I haven't heard of the same negotiation process with other stores as there has been with Walmart. Our community "lost" a possible new Walmart store because we wouldn't agree to huge property tax breaks and demanded WM maintain private security (the proposed store was to be 24/7, we're such a small town that we only have one patrol car on duty overnight). The community that "won" gave 10 years' property tax abatement and made no security demands, but has seen significant strain on their police resources and recently passed a millage to increase staffing... so Walmart is contributing nothing to the local tax base while costing residents in law-enforcement dollars. It didn't go that way with other stores that have opened in the area. Meijer and Costco and Tractor Supply and Taco Bell didn't attempt to engage local communities in bidding wars over a new store. They bought property, built a store, and opened for business. Only Walmart shopped around possible locations looking for the best no-tax, no-obligation deal.

 

[mom2my3kids]

just dropped 300.00 at sams club, aldis and Kroger today for two weeks worth of groceries..By the time we filled up our tanks we were out 400.00 off the top of my husbands check..crazy how much things cost..

 

[Dakota731]

We are late to Walmart where we live in the north. Large supermarket chains (Safeway, A & P and Acme) put the ma & pa shops at of business at least ten years before we ever had Walmart. So other than the traffic, we were happy to get a Walmart here in the boonies a few years ago!

 

[Monykalyn]

just dropped 300.00 at sams club, aldis and Kroger today for two weeks worth of groceries..By the time we filled up our tanks we were out 400.00 off the top of my husbands check..crazy how much things cost..

uh yeah and you have a couple teen sons. My DS(8) can eat his weight daily (and he is a skinny kid) My grocery bill goes up when DS goes through a growth spurt so I can only imagine what it is going to be like when he is a teen;
I utilize Sams too for bulk (cereal, organic spinach, ours now has organic chicken!) and try to get rest from Farmer market (usually cheapest produce when in season!!) or HyVee in town. HyVee costs a few cents more on some items but gas savings can be worth it.

When we lived in AR a few coworkers and I would get together about every 2-3 months and pool money, buy bulk, then spend a weekend assembling/cooking entrees to freeze. our entrees would then come out to a few cents per serving-our idea was so popular that we had people who offered to pay more to have us do the work (we were still cheaper than Dream Dinners or those other assemble yourself places) and they could get in on the food. By the time I moved away I was getting good 6-8 good entrees for $1-2 each (not per serving but each) that served 6+. the downside is we sacrificed a weeknight shopping and an entire weekend of 10 hour days cooking& assembling.

Also-find a local farmer and get 1-2 people to go in with you to buy beef by the side. Far cheaper per pound than store prices (con: you have to have money upfront and have place to store it). Did this last year and still have enough beef for the next year (paid around $4/lb if I remember right-might hav eb een a little less) and we have steak upside of this is you get better quality meat, can choose your cuts, %fat in ground and support a local farmer! (what better way to undermine the dreaded Walmart than supporting local farmers?) Or look into splitting a CSA with another family.

Food prices will only go up. It is now becoming a matter of national defense-when processed minimally nutritious food is cheaper than actual FOOD it leads to obesity/malnutrition and more healthcare costs. Not gonna hijack this thread but remember this when you vote. Vote with your fork 3xday and it WILL make a difference eventually. There are ways to beat the high price of food but it takes alot more work nowadays

 

[Jake&IzzyLand]

When we lived in AR a few coworkers and I would get together about every 2-3 months and pool money, buy bulk, then spend a weekend assembling/cooking entrees to freeze. our entrees would then come out to a few cents per serving-our idea was so popular that we had people who offered to pay more to have us do the work (we were still cheaper than Dream Dinners or those other assemble yourself places) and they could get in on the food. By the time I moved away I was getting good 6-8 good entrees for $1-2 each (not per serving but each) that served 6+. the downside is we sacrificed a weeknight shopping and an entire weekend of 10 hour days

That sounds like a great idea! Any advice on how to get started? Any recipes that worked well?