[In this thread I am going document changes in prices for basic food items over time.]

- large Russet baking potatoes sold in Hy-Vee in Kirksville, Mo., have gone from 2 for a dollar within the past year, to .88c apiece, to .99 apiece in August 2008.

8/08

Aldi:

- whole chickens up to .79c / lb. Were .49 to .59 for years.
- cans of vegetables have gone from 4/$100 to .45c apiece (corn, green beans)

Given food prices, a deep freezer is one of the best investments a person can make. Catch stuff on sale or loss leaders and stock up. This past week when I was out grocery shopping, I noticed they had stacks of steaks marked down to half price because the dates were about to expire in two days. Apparently they had over bought. They looked fine, though they weren't as cherry red as the full price steaks - a little browner. I bought close to $100 worth of boneless ribeyes - only $4 / pound. Unpacked them when I got home and made sure they smelled ok. Put them in freezer bags and put them away.

GREL

Given food prices, a deep freezer is one of the best investments a person can make.

I do the deep freeze thing myself but here are a few of my concerns, if power becomes rationed or scarce or expensive then the freezer will be an investment lost. The price of keeping the food could negate the money saved on the food.

I did find some good deals on soup the other day. Campbell’s home-style select was on sale for $1.00 a can and they are usually $2.00 a can or on sale 2 for $3.00. If prepared with some additions such as veggies (dehydrated if desired), rice or various other things these can be a good survival food.

Here is another thing for an example of how prices have raised. I was cleaning out my truck and found a receipt for livestock feed from August of last year. The price was 8.50 for 100 pounds. The exact same feed last week was $17.86 for one hundred pounds at the same place. For the past year it has consistently raised in price 10-15 cents per week.

[In this thread I am going document changes in prices for basic food items over time.]

- large Russet baking potatoes sold in Hy-Vee in Kirksville, Mo., have gone from 2 for a dollar within the past year, to .88c apiece, to .99 apiece in August 2008.


I just bought a 5lb bag of Russets for $2.49

Here's where I shop and the specials of the week:

http://supportmarketbasket.org/specials.aspx

I just bought a 5lb bag of Russets for $2.49

Here's where I shop and the specials of the week:

http://supportmarketbasket.org/specials.aspx

Interesting.

I want to make it clear, I'm not buying these $1 potatoes. I'm just fascinated by their prices changes, always upward so far. They are holding firm at 99c last time I was in. I would buy potatoes at Aldi, which has the cheapest prices in this town.

Interesting.

I want to make it clear, I'm not buying these $1 potatoes. I'm just fascinated by their prices changes, always upward so far. They are holding firm at 99c last time I was in. I would buy potatoes at Aldi, which has the cheapest prices in this town.

Do you like potatoes?

Yes, one of my favorite foods, any which way. Most of the diet books are against them. Don't eat a heck of a lot of them these days, but they're one of the great foods.

Used to grow potatoes at my grandmother's; they had an earthiness, a smell absolutely particular to that patch of land, very much like I've seen them say it is with wine.

Yes, one of my favorite foods, any which way. Most of the diet books are against them. Don't eat a heck of a lot of them these days, but they're one of the great foods.

Used to grow potatoes at my grandmother's; they had an earthiness, a smell absolutely particular to that patch of land, very much like I've seen them say it is with wine.

The potatoes in most grocery stores are too small, I like the huge ones, you get more for your money with those. I can see how they would have a different taste depending on the land they are grown on, peanuts are also like that.

Interesting.

I want to make it clear, I'm not buying these $1 potatoes. I'm just fascinated by their prices changes, always upward so far. They are holding firm at 99c last time I was in. I would buy potatoes at Aldi, which has the cheapest prices in this town.

This probably doesn't relate much to potatoes but it sure is going to affect your food bill.

California produces a whole shitload of agriculture. More than any other state and more variety. In fact California leads the nation in ag exports. There are kikes in NY right now, in December, eating fresh Broccoli that was grown and picked in Southern California's Imperial Vally only days before.

A lot of food in grown in Northern California and a lot is grown in Southern California. The problem is most of the water is in the north and has to be transported south via complex water conveyance systems. The water in the north in drying up. The north won't ship anymore water south for farms, ranches, orchards etc when their supplies dip to a certain level. And that's been the case for a number of years now. No water, no crops, no food, price rises.

What's adding to the problem is the shortage of water is making the price skyrocket. Los Angeles-area cities are begging for water and coaxing northern farmers to let their fields go to dust. Northern California farmers can make more money selling their water supplies to thirsty cities and farms to the south than by growing crops.

Less crops in the south being planted and less in the north being planted....way less. Less food, higher prices.

...The problem is most of the water is in the north and has to be transported south via complex water conveyance systems. The water in the north in drying up...I thought they were going to tap Mexico for water. What happened with that plan?

The potatoes in most grocery stores are too small, I like the huge ones, you get more for your money with those. I can see how they would have a different taste depending on the land they are grown on, peanuts are also like that.

I have some hard photos, non-digital, of some of the potatoes I grew - they were big as softballs.

The produce I've seen in stores the last couple years has seemed puny. The potatoes are shrimpy, and some of the other stuff seems small and inferior condition.

Big new: the price of big Russet baking potatoes at Hy-Vee in Kirksville, Missouri, has dropped from 99c apiece to 59c. (12/19/08)

Yes, one of my favorite foods, any which way.
I like raw potatoes diced and smothered with sea salt, olive oil, and honey. I recently bought a 10 lb bag on sale for $2.

...The produce I've seen in stores the last couple years has seemed puny. The potatoes are shrimpy, and some of the other stuff seems small and inferior condition.That's probably the result of corporate farms gobbling up the traditional farmer. They dump their catch over a screen and keep the big ones to sell to chain restaurants for cutting into fries

That's probably the result of corporate farms gobbling up the traditional farmer. They dump their catch over a screen and keep the big ones to sell to chain restaurants for cutting into fries

http://www.gearforliberty.com/image/g4l_thumb_freemktcap.gifhttp://www.gearforliberty.com/image/g4l_thumb_endtfed.gif

2011 march (kirksville, missouri - where people make the difference, and air is free)

chicken: .69/lb for whole chickens (hy-vee)

- they were about double this the last 2-3 weeks. they were 6.50 (highest price i've seen in 10 years) for a whole chicken, now half that, about 3.50.

potatoes: 10-lb bag of russet potatoes for $4.49; 5-lb bag for $2.49

cheese: 24-oz block of cheddar for $5.99

- this price has held pretty firm at hy-vee for years, for some reason

hamburger: 3-lb tube of 80/20 for $9.89 (hy-vee, would be dollars cheaper at aldi)

I just bought (2) 5lb bags of russet potatoes at Pigley Wigley for $5.00 I was also able to buy local eggs for $1.19 dozen, they are extra large.

I just bought (2) 5lb bags of russet potatoes at Pigley Wigley for $5.00 I was also able to buy local eggs for $1.19 dozen, they are extra large.

Watch, your going to get about a dozen replies along the lines of "WTF is a Piggly Wiggly".

http://www.pwadc.com/rpms/images/Pigfacec.gif

It's a Southern thang.

That pig character might make a good avatar for somebody..

I just bought (2) 5lb bags of russet potatoes at Pigley Wigley for $5.00 I was also able to buy local eggs for $1.19 dozen, they are extra large.

yeah, i need to regularize this. eggs will be part of the list we're tracking.

the prices i posted are deceptive: most items are up considerably. meat is sky-high. i guess they had a rush of chickens come in explaining the nearly 50% drop, but other than that, meat is very expensive. vegetables are not cheap at all at Hy-Vee. they did have a bag of onions for 1.50, but that was a sale price. normally you can pay about a dollar for a large onion. the price of the fruit they have is off-the-charts ridiculous to my way of thinking. processed food, basically anything in a bag or container, is considerably more expensive, almost week by week.

the prices i posted are deceptive: most items are up considerably. meat is sky-high. i guess they had a rush of chickens come in explaining the nearly 50% drop, but other than that, meat is very expensive. vegetables are not cheap at all at Hy-Vee. they did have a bag of onions for 1.50, but that was a sale price. normally you can pay about a dollar for a large onion. the price of the fruit they have is off-the-charts ridiculous to my way of thinking. processed food, basically anything in a bag or container, is considerably more expensive, almost week by week.

As far as meat goes, I was at a livestock auction on Tuesday, the gentleman sitting next to me sold his calves for twice what he thought he would get for them. Prices are soaring.

Lowest price per loaf of bread I could find at the local supermarket was .78 for the store brand.

Lowest price per loaf of bread I could find at the local supermarket was .78 for the store brand.

That's way cheaper than I've been able to find.

Watch, your going to get about a dozen replies along the lines of "WTF is a Piggly Wiggly".

http://www.pwadc.com/rpms/images/Pigfacec.gif

It's a Southern thang.

That pig character might make a good avatar for somebody..

lol I've always thought it was a very strange name. I little trivia about Piggly Wiggly.

The first store was opened in Memphis,TN and they were the first chain store to introduce the "check-out" line.

Was just out walking in the hood. A grandma was having a mini-garage sale and on a table were some tomatoes she was trying to sell. She had some price, but I offered her $1 for three medium-large tomatoes. She wouldn't take it. I think they weighed like 1.5 pounds, and she was trying to sell them $2/lb. Her deal was 3lb for $5. Three pounds of tomatoes is like 6-7 tomatoes max. For $5.

This must mean something. In my memory of living here, 12 years, people usually GIVE AWAY bags of tomatoes. Now they're like freakin' gold.

It means people are hurting and it's only going to get worse.

It means people are hurting and it's only going to get worse.

I suppose so. But I mean we're talking some tomatoes. It's pretty sad when you cant jew someone down to a dollar for three tomatoes, for christ's sake. She's in a place where basically no one is coming by. Which must mean she has some other option for selling the tomatoes, since she had about 20 of them. Just makes me wonder. Because times are tough, even simple transactions of a farmer's market or garage sale have become grim and businesslike. This woman literally weighed these three tomatoes on her scale. The funny thing was, they're all the same freakin' size. Christ, I was offering more than a quarter apiece. She basically wanted $1 apiece, if they weighed 1.5 pounds.

I suppose so. But I mean we're talking some tomatoes. It's pretty sad when you cant jew someone down to a dollar for three tomatoes, for christ's sake. She's in a place where basically no one is coming by. Which must mean she has some other option for selling the tomatoes, since she had about 20 of them. Just makes me wonder. Because times are tough, even simple transactions of a farmer's market or garage sale have become grim and businesslike. This woman literally weighed these three tomatoes on her scale. The funny thing was, they're all the same freakin' size. Christ, I was offering more than a quarter apiece. She basically wanted $1 apiece, if they weighed 1.5 pounds.

People are scared and trying to make a buck anywhere they can. It's the same way around here. You should see some of the items for sale in the TN Trader. Two years ago they would have been giving these things away.

It's a good thing you have potatoes and tomatoes at all. How generous it was of their original cultivators.

Navel Oranges

February 2011 - $.52 a piece.
May 2011 - $.66 a piece.
July 2011 - $.78 a piece.

I suppose so. But I mean we're talking some tomatoes. It's pretty sad when you cant jew someone down to a dollar for three tomatoes, for christ's sake.

Cut grams a break, man!

33 cents each? You sir, are a piker. :D

If you like tomatoes, you should seek out a "Cherokee Purple". Best tasting tomato I've ever had, and I've had a lot of tomatoes.

That's way cheaper than I've been able to find.

Yeah, bread is always pretty cheap around here.

I think it's because there are quite a few supermarkets within a few miles, and they know everyone looks at the price of bread, eggs, milk, etc.

Food costs are one of those things that we all should learn how to minimize.

Over the course of a lifetime, keeping food costs to a minimum equates to an incredible amount of cash.

Speaking of bread, it's a good idea to look for Salvation Army and church food pantry locations that are near you or on your way home from work even if you aren't low-income. Bread is so cheap to make and has to be changed out frequently. What happens is these places often have tons of it that they can't get rid of. Even though you have to have low income to get food boxes at these places, and can only visit x times per month or year, they often let anyone take bread anytime they like. At the bigger handout spots this can include everything "bakery": rolls, buns, donuts, cakes etc.

Not worth going far out of your way, but if you find one on your normal route you might as well get free loaves that would otherwise end up in the trash.

Yeah, bread is always pretty cheap around here.

I think it's because there are quite a few supermarkets within a few miles, and they know everyone looks at the price of bread, eggs, milk, etc.

Food costs are one of those things that we all should learn how to minimize.

Over the course of a lifetime, keeping food costs to a minimum equates to an incredible amount of cash.


I've been working on minimizing mine. Our garden has certainly helped, the chest freezer is already 3/4 full with vegetables and I've canned so much there is no more room in my cabinets. I buy sugar, flour, coffee and rice in bulk. This fall we plan on putting a few deer in the freezer as well. Perhaps a pig as well.

The chickens should start laying eggs soon, the hens that don't produce are going in the stew pot. :D Along with any rooster that gets nasty...

I've been working on minimizing mine. Our garden has certainly helped, the chest freezer is already 3/4 full with vegetables and I've canned so much there is no more room in my cabinets. I buy sugar, flour, coffee and rice in bulk. This fall we plan on putting a few deer in the freezer as well. Perhaps a pig as well.

The chickens should start laying eggs soon, the hens that don't produce are going in the stew pot. :D Along with any rooster that gets nasty...

Don't you know how to fry a damn chicken?