Wow, food prices are high!

[Gregg]

artisan bread in 5 minutes a day

DW is our baker (I'm a stove top guy). She loves this book and the system it teaches. The rest of us love the results.

[artist]

I am being hit hard by the food prices myself. I can't believe the increase that I've been seeing. What I used to purchase for $40 is now costing me $70. Nothing processed. Very frustrating.

[Rogar]

Natural Grocers is my new mainstay for really fresh organic produce at a decent price - some local.

Natural Grocers is my favorite, too. For such small stores they usually have almost everything I would want. And yes, I think their produce is about the freshest in my area. They often have some pretty darned good sales going, too!

I won't wine too much as it's kind of a dead horse, but the bare basics of family need have gone up much more than the government figures on inflation. Health care, food, and energy are all up a lot it seems to me. It's the things made overseas by cheap labor that distort the inflation figures. This includes clothes, which we all need (unless the bill of fare is kilts and no underwear). But also a lot of frivolous non-necessities.

I'd have to look it up for the details, but some politicians are proposing and an even more conservative estimate of inflation to help reduce cost increases with social security.

[Wildflower]

Actually, Wildflower, baking is still probably one of the cheapest hobbies. Even if it triples in price, flour is cheap compared to almost anything else. A typical loaf of bread uses 1# of flour and will cost under $1.

I was talking about baking Holiday goodies. Of course, it's not the flour that is expensive, it's all the other ingredients that go into what I bake....

[Tiam]

[QUOTE=artist;109283]I am being hit hard by the food prices myself. I can't believe the increase that I've been seeing. What I used to purchase for $40 is now costing me $70. Nothing processed. Very frustrating.[/QUOTE


that's what I'm seeing. It's really a huge hit. I don't know what will happen if the pubs hit foodstamps hard.

[Maxamillion]

My food stamps have already been cut in half over the last two years, even though my expenses and income haven't changed much. By the end of the month, I'm usually down to beans, rice, potatoes, and hot dogs. FWIW, I get $45 a month.

[Tiam]

Today I went to the wharehouse style grocer but a poor head of romaine lettuce was 3 dollars. a half head of cabbage was .75 cents. a pint of honey was 6.00 dollars. Yikes! I spent 45 dollars and feel I got the raw end of the deal, only getting some extra shelf supplies like salad dressing/mayo/vanilla. Some cream and sour cream. a loaf of bread that cost 4 dollars! And I decided I'd like some coffee and that cost 6.00 dollars also! I was amazed at the cost. I need to sit down and do a serious menu planning with what foods I have around: Beans/rice/ broccoli, caulifower, potatoes, cabbage, peas, artichoke hearts and spinach and lots cheese. I really need to look at what I have as all I have and not go and spend another dime this week! Crazy!

I can make some minestrone to be sure and I like to have that on hand. I'll make bean dip with black beans that are in the crockpot, and black bean tacos. how about some twice baked potatoes. still thinking of what to make with the artichokes and spinach.

[gimmethesimplelife]

We have changed the way we shop over the past few years - buying bulk grains, flour, beans, etc and as much fresh produce as I can afford. To me, meat and seafood have gone up the most; we have cut way back on that anyway. I stopped buying boxed cereal a long time ago but noticed it is way up there along with all the other heavily processed foods. I don't know why anyone can justify buying it anymore at $5 and $6 a box. We switched to whole oat groats which are very cheap. I end up going to several different places each week in my neighborhood in search of better prices and I stopped shopping at places like Whole Foods. Natural Grocers is my new mainstay for really fresh organic produce at a decent price - some local. I also shop at the ethnic groceries nearby which seem to have better prices and more interesting choices.

I shop the ethnic groceries, too. Here in Phoenix that would be the Hispanic supermarkets, and I think I may be getting spoiled, as I am getting three pounds of tomatoes for a dollar and five avocados for .99 quite often, along with cheap beans and rice. There is always to date something at very deep discount and this has sure helped me with food prices. I won't even think of shopping somewhere like Safeway as the price difference is like night and day. Rob

[Tammy]

Rob ... Do you go Hispanic chains, or mom and pops? Can you recommend some in the downtown area?

[pinkytoe]

We have several ethnic chain groceries here too and their produce and meat are quite a bit cheaper. I am finding I have to go to several different kinds of stores including farmer's markets to fill the pantry at a somewhat reasonable price. I keep a binder of monthly expenses and the grocery line item has gone up about 20% over the past two years. And my 2% raise last year just got canceled out by the payroll tax adjustment!!