Author Topic: Are your cost of groceries going up?  (Read 5217 times)

bonovox_co

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Are your cost of groceries going up?
« on: October 12, 2018, 06:18:26 PM »
Mine certainly are (Denver metro area) for the same things we've always bought.  Curious if others are noticing this as well.

Papa bear

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2018, 06:32:46 PM »
I have seen grocery price reductions in Ohio for my main items.


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OtherJen

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2018, 06:44:53 PM »
I haven’t seen increases. In fact, with mindful spending, we’re on track for our lowest monthly grocery bill in years. I’m just outside of Detroit.

Zikoris

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2018, 06:53:43 PM »
No. We've been consistently spending $230-$240/month for about seven years up here in Vancouver. I would imagine we've probably gradually gotten better at grocery shopping over the years, though it's hard to pinpoint exactly what's due to our efforts and what's due to prices just not increasing.

kanga1622

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2018, 03:39:00 PM »
Our costs are definitely increasing. We are working around food sensitivities and two young boys with increasing appetites. I just gave in and increased the budget for the first time in 5 years. Still shopping deals and hoping I don’t need all the increase, but it gives me more freedom to stock up when we see cheap chicken or roasts. We also go through a lot of frozen fruits making smoothies and that isn’t exactly cheap.

wenchsenior

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2018, 05:34:05 PM »
Definitely have been rising the past few years...our bill is going up even though I've started shopping sales and comparing prices for the first time in my entire life.  Although we've cut costs in a few areas, I assumed that we were somehow making different-from-before choices in other areas that was swamping out our savings.  But talking to my mother, who lives here on a fixed income and hasn't made any changes to how she eats in the past 4 years, she confirmed that cost of groceries has gone up a lot.

I'm now thinking of working out cheaper substitute meals for some of our old standbys.

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2018, 06:01:18 PM »
No increase the past 5 years.

Cranky

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #7 on: October 13, 2018, 06:58:30 PM »
I don’t see staples going up - some things are higher, some are lower. I mostly shop at Aldi.

I admit that I’m more willing to buy “fancier” food than I used to be, and that shows, but that’s on me!

The price of meat has certainly gone down this year.

the_fixer

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2018, 07:29:19 PM »
Yes, have cut out beef except the rare occasion, switched to ground turkey but the price is almost the same as beef now so switching a couple of meals a week to chicken thighs.

We try to eat fish but that has gone up as well but still have it every few weeks.

Slowly but surely being forced to become a vegetarian LOL

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rdaneel0

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2018, 07:40:32 PM »
I've noticed an increase in meat and dairy in the last few years, fewer sales and higher prices per pound.

Money Badger

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #10 on: October 14, 2018, 06:49:59 AM »
I've noticed groceries are going up in the chains that are trying to compete with the Whole Foods (aka, Whole Paycheck) trendy store experience.   Kroger/Safeway especially.   Publix a bit less so... at least this is what I see in our area.    But the other stores like Walmart are resisting the crazy remodeling and more efficient in their distribution chain so food costs are far better there and not increasing nearly as much (with the trade off on some produce quality due to their "mega distribution" center model and cheaper sourcing).   I tried Aldi where the private label stuff is really inexpensive, but their prices on branded items are very similar to Walmart.

The best thing of all is get rid of a kid (so to speak ;).   We just sent our last kid to college.   We cut our groceries down to 1/3rd of where they were previously (by cutting out all the "trendy" stuff our youngest daughter liked which dramatically cut our food bill).   I did the math and it's almost $150 per month cheaper to pay for her mealplan her Freshman year than buy groceries for her!

mountain mustache

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #11 on: October 14, 2018, 07:06:31 AM »
prices have definitely gone up here (western rockies of CO) and in the cities I shop in sometimes (Colorado Springs, Denver). My bill hasn't gone up, but I am having to be more careful than ever, and just live without some things that used to be staples. I feel like I have way less food to work with on a weekly basis, while still keeping my budget under $300/month

the_fixer

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #12 on: October 14, 2018, 08:50:47 AM »
King Soopers (Kroger), walmart and whole foods pretty much dominant Colorado.

We have a few Safeway and Sprouts no Aldi, Publix or piggy wiggly stores.

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FamilyGuy

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #13 on: October 14, 2018, 09:27:19 AM »
I don’t see any significant changes in NC at least for last 3 years. Yeah sometimes prices for some of them goes up but it comes back to normal eventually.

OtherJen

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #14 on: October 14, 2018, 09:33:20 AM »
Upon reflection, although my costs haven’t gone up, I’ve started shopping at other stores. I used to do most food shopping at Meijer (regional big box chain), but their prices have definitely gone up across the board in the last couple of years. I’ve kept my costs down by switching to Aldi, Costco, Kroger (their store brands and Plus Card deals are often very reasonable), and a local produce market.

Gremlin

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #15 on: October 14, 2018, 06:44:25 PM »
Unit costs don't seem to be going up. 

However, I have a teenage boy who has hit his growth spurt.  He's very physically active and eats.  And eats.  And eats.  And eats.  He eats healthily and a lot of staples in his diet, but he is now eating more than me and Mrs Gremlin combined.  Our grocery bill has been smashed as a result.

chemistk

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #16 on: October 15, 2018, 05:56:40 AM »
Apart from the stuff that sees seasonal fluctuations (dairy, eggs, etc.), I've technically seen mostly flat prices (Central PA). We have had a few high-end grocers move into our area in the past 6 months (Aldi and Wegmans), and I've noticed that nearly all the local stores are either closing or trying to offer more premium options to deter people from going to the fancy new stores.

I said technically above, because there are some things I was buying regularly that most of the local stores no longer stock as store brands (to make room for more premium, fancy brands). I've just stopped getting those items as a result rather than eating the additional cost of the higher priced name-brand alternatives.

Channel-Z

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #17 on: October 15, 2018, 07:09:46 AM »
The only major price increase I noticed this year was canned soup (50 cents up!), presumably due to aluminum tariff. Ground beef prices were lower and chicken prices were higher. My bill as a single guy is still $25-$35/week.

OtherJen

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #18 on: October 15, 2018, 07:19:23 AM »
Apart from the stuff that sees seasonal fluctuations (dairy, eggs, etc.), I've technically seen mostly flat prices (Central PA). We have had a few high-end grocers move into our area in the past 6 months (Aldi and Wegmans), and I've noticed that nearly all the local stores are either closing or trying to offer more premium options to deter people from going to the fancy new stores.

I said technically above, because there are some things I was buying regularly that most of the local stores no longer stock as store brands (to make room for more premium, fancy brands). I've just stopped getting those items as a result rather than eating the additional cost of the higher priced name-brand alternatives.

Aldi is a discount grocer. You may be able to find some of those items in their store-brand line.

Sugaree

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #19 on: October 15, 2018, 07:26:16 AM »
No, but package size is going down for a lot of things. 

bacchi

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #20 on: October 15, 2018, 09:28:29 AM »
No, but package size is going down for a lot of things.

Yeah, prices remain the same but package size is going down.

Simply Lemonade used to be 64 ounces. It's now 59 (Maybe smaller. I haven't bought any in a while.) That's a 9% increase.

EricEng

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #21 on: October 15, 2018, 10:21:45 AM »
We just moved from Virginia to Denver area.  Your grocery prices in Denver are much higher, even when comparing like to like (Kroger to King Supper, Target to Target).  I'd say 20-30% more.  Can't tell you if it is something new, but it is very obvious to new comers.

mm1970

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #22 on: October 15, 2018, 10:35:51 AM »
Yes, cost per lb of most things are going up a bit.

But most of my increase in grocery costs are coming from growing boys.

JSMustachian

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #23 on: October 15, 2018, 01:08:43 PM »
At my grocery store in Houston I am seeing price decreases on several items we normally buy.

Rosy

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #24 on: October 15, 2018, 01:11:22 PM »
Yes - prices overall are going up and packages are shrinking.

GuitarStv

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #25 on: October 15, 2018, 01:54:03 PM »
Yes - pretty significant changes over the past ten years.

Jesstache

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #26 on: October 15, 2018, 02:35:27 PM »
It's hard for me to tell exactly because we moved to the bay area 3 months ago from Oregon and the prices here are definitely higher for most food but did they go up the same amount back in Oregon around the time we moved and I just don't know it?  I doubt it, but I'll be there for Thanksgiving and will have to see!  This is Safeway to Safeway.  There are more grocery options here though and I have been checking other stores out when I"m in that part of town and scanning the weekly fliers.  It's difficult to resist shopping at Safeway though as it's only 2 blocks away and I walk there.  Other stores require driving to, so not sure it's worth it.

DS

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #27 on: October 15, 2018, 02:39:27 PM »
Used'a be able'ta get a sodie pop for a nickel on the corner.

swampwiz

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #28 on: October 15, 2018, 06:24:44 PM »
I wonder what term of comparison you are intending - the last few months or last few years.

My staple is USDA Choice New York Strip steak at Wal-Mart.  It's been about $11/#, although sometimes a little cheaper (and with the meat not being as nicely marbled).  I've been abroad for the last few months so I would know about any difference.

seattlecyclone

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #29 on: October 15, 2018, 06:40:07 PM »
On the scale of a few months or a couple of years? No, I haven't really noticed any increases. Inflation slowly marches on. When looking at five or ten years ago, yes things are a bit more expensive.

Kyle Schuant

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #30 on: October 15, 2018, 06:43:42 PM »
In Australia, beef and processed dairy are up quite a bit (250g block of butter from $1.50 to $2.80 over 12 months or so), and that's mostly demand from China, but also a drought in NSW dropping production. Milk's still cheap, as are basic grain foods like weetbix, oats, pasta and rice. Fruit and vegies are all over the place as always because of seasonal and weather variation, but you can almost always get 2-3 seasonal fruits for $2/kg, and 3-6 vegies for not more than $4/kg. Our spending history is, not adjusted for inflation,

2006 $67pw - just a couple, and first year we started seriously keeping track of spending.
2007 $57pw - a couple, less meat
2008 $75pw
2009 $77pw
2010 $87pw
2011 $81pw - our son came along halfway through this year, but of course the first six months he was just breastfed, so his food costs were indirect in feeding his mother
2012 $76pw
2013 $95pw - by now the lad was eating a significant amount
2014 $100pw
2015 $95pw - at the end of the previous year I'd moved into being a stay at home dad, and running a business from home, so more home-cooked meals dropped things a bit despite increasing kid appetite
2016 $97pw - at the start of this year, our second child came along
2017 $128pw - and our second child eats a lot, too
2018 (so far) $136pw - most of this year's increase is in beef and dairy, but it's also being less careful about some of the bigger purchases, for example once a week or two there'll be a purchase of some item we normally only get every month or two, like a big tin of coffee, or cooking oil or something, and basically you have to spend at least $10 on it but can easily spend $20, $30 or more; we're tending to spend more. We don't go out much so nice food is our de-stress from work and kids.

For reference, in 2006 the minimum wage in Australia was $13.47ph, now it's $18.93. So minimum wage is up 40%, and our household food spending up 100%; but we have two kids added to the household, too. Other incomes have risen proportionately, and ours in 2018 is about triple what it was in 2006.

DreamFIRE

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #31 on: October 15, 2018, 08:17:20 PM »


Yes, and it seems much faster than inflation.  I've made cutbacks to try to make up for some of the increases.

AlwaysBeenASaver

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #32 on: October 15, 2018, 08:30:17 PM »
Our grocery spending hasn't gone up in many years. I've noticed shelf prices on items going up, then the stores having their little games for discounts (coupons, Just4U, rewards programs), but as long as I play their games my overall spending has been stable.

Gone_Hiking

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #33 on: October 15, 2018, 08:40:10 PM »
No, but package size is going down for a lot of things.

Same experience here.  Some examples:
  • A few years ago, a cup of yogurt was 8 ounces.  Then it shrank to 6.  And now, the greek yogurt cups shrank to 5.3 ounces, 34% less
  • Pepsi 6 packs - the bottles shrank from 20 oz to 17 oz, 15% less
  • FritoLay2Go snack packs - from 20 packs per  bag to 18 packs, 10% less
  • Ice cream - started at half a gallon, then 1.75 quart, now it's 1.5 quart, 25% less


Cranky

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #34 on: October 16, 2018, 04:31:35 AM »
Okay, I see a trend here - stuff like Pepsi and Fritos are pricier, and I’d guess that the price of junk food is more sensitive to inflation. Most of the cost of those are labor and transportation, not the actual ingredients.


chemistk

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #35 on: October 16, 2018, 05:44:33 AM »
Apart from the stuff that sees seasonal fluctuations (dairy, eggs, etc.), I've technically seen mostly flat prices (Central PA). We have had a few high-end grocers move into our area in the past 6 months (Aldi and Wegmans), and I've noticed that nearly all the local stores are either closing or trying to offer more premium options to deter people from going to the fancy new stores.

I said technically above, because there are some things I was buying regularly that most of the local stores no longer stock as store brands (to make room for more premium, fancy brands). I've just stopped getting those items as a result rather than eating the additional cost of the higher priced name-brand alternatives.

Aldi is a discount grocer. You may be able to find some of those items in their store-brand line.

Our local Aldi is small and....dirty. The interesting twist is that Target's Market Pantry brand (locally) matches or beats Aldi for most non-produce staples. Target is also walking distance from our house.

Don't get me wrong, I like Aldi, my MIL shops there almost exclusively. Unfortunately ours is in a strip mall near an auto parts store and hasn't been refreshed in a long time. I'm hoping the fancy new grocers make it worth the extra 15 to 20 minutes to get to Aldi.

Kyle Schuant

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #36 on: October 16, 2018, 07:18:29 PM »
Okay, I see a trend here - stuff like Pepsi and Fritos are pricier, and I’d guess that the price of junk food is more sensitive to inflation. Most of the cost of those are labor and transportation, not the actual ingredients.
Correct. The good thing is that those are luxuries, and it certainly won't compromise our health to stop consuming them, quite the opposite usually.

Sugaree

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #37 on: October 17, 2018, 07:50:24 AM »

Our local Aldi is small and....dirty. The interesting twist is that Target's Market Pantry brand (locally) matches or beats Aldi for most non-produce staples. Target is also walking distance from our house.

Don't get me wrong, I like Aldi, my MIL shops there almost exclusively. Unfortunately ours is in a strip mall near an auto parts store and hasn't been refreshed in a long time. I'm hoping the fancy new grocers make it worth the extra 15 to 20 minutes to get to Aldi.

I live in foodie hell where the only things near my house/work is Walmart, a local chain, and a couple of cost plus 10% places (side note:  why do people hate on the cost plus model?).  I have to admit that I've become quite fond of the Walmart grocery pickup.  My local store doesn't do it, but the store between my office and my house does and I can swing by on my way home from work and just have it loaded up.  I've noticed though that it's somewhat cheaper to go to order from the Walmart that's 10-15 miles out of my way because they compete with Aldi and Publix.  My last order would have been $10 cheaper for going to the other one.  I'm just not sure $10 is worth it.  Now, for orders that are $20+ less I'd probably make the trip.  What I really need to do is figure out how to export all my receipts from Walmart so that I get an idea of what we buy the most of and whether or not it would be worth it to stock up on those at other places if they are cheaper.  Like, I know that 8 oz cans of tomato sauce are $.05 cheaper at IGA than at Walmart.  But we might only use two or three of those a month.  Unless I can identify other things that are cheaper, it may not be worth going. 

MishMash

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #38 on: October 17, 2018, 09:45:25 AM »
Yes, have cut out beef except the rare occasion, switched to ground turkey but the price is almost the same as beef now so switching a couple of meals a week to chicken thighs.

We try to eat fish but that has gone up as well but still have it every few weeks.

Slowly but surely being forced to become a vegetarian LOL

Boulder CO area

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See and this is why I think this forum needs a food swap thread.  DH and I fish all the time.  I dislike eating it, but would totally trade it to someone that had elk meat or chickens etc.

letsdoit

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Re: Are your cost of groceries going up?
« Reply #39 on: October 17, 2018, 02:59:12 PM »
we tried other places ,  the safeways and giants here suck
Tjoes is far away. 
we shop at ... WFoods.   buy mostly produce.  appx $600 per month
the aldis here are not up to my standards