How much has food increased in your area.

[deputydog530]

I have noticed a 20% to 30% increase in the Oregon/Idaho area in food cost alone. Anything that was $10.00 is now $12.00 to $13.00. Of course the store says its fuel prices to get the food trucked there. I know our activity (travel) is cut in half. Whats it like for food cost where your at?

[okjac80]

I shop at the commissary on base and even those prices have risen a lot. I'd say about a 15% to 20% hike. Ramen noodles have seen a comeback at this house! LOL

I can feed my brood for 35cents (I have to cook 2 packs). Can't beat that. We have been having Ramen noodles for lunch about twice a week. I am trying to cut back on the amount I spend on lunch and breakfast so we can still eat a "good" dinner. KWIM?

[JerryNumbers]

No doubt, the price increase of fuel has effected everything we buy. i fear some people just did not realize how much these soaring fuel prices would and could affect us in so many ways.

But to me, the bottom line is the oil people are getting rich off of this at our expense.

[BlessedChristianlady8]

Last night we went to Walmart and I wanted Beef cubes for beef stew next week. There were 7 dollars 9 dollars and 11 dollars in different sizes. I was like that is expensive. So my husband and I are going to Save a lot this afternoon to get that.

[deputydog530]

Yep, we are making a lot of changes to. Praise God for the wild game he has put in our freezer. I have gotten my Elk the last 8 years running, at time got two in one year (leaglely :lol ) last year my wife and two boys also got one so we had 4 Elk. We spread it around the Church members and make sure the Pastor has a full freezer. We would be without meat most of the time if it wasnt for the Elk and Deer.

I agree Jerry someone somewhere is filling thier pockets with lots of money. Sadly if they are not saved this will be their reward.

Im so glad the Lord will provide no mater what. It just might be Top romen and im thankful for it. (Just like the college days )

[okjac80]

Im so glad the Lord will provide no mater what. It just might be Top romen and im thankful for it. (Just like the college days )

that is what I was telling my husband! LOL I haven't eaten so much Ramen noodles since I was in college!

I do at least TRY to make in healthier. Today I threw a handful of frozen veggies in it!! I figured it only added about 5 cents to the whole meal,so it was still cheap! LOL

[deputydog530]

A can of vegtable beef soup is good in them to. I bet we could all get together and make out a cook book for 1001 ways to prepare Tom Romen noodles. My youngest lives on them, loves them and is the skinny one in the family. Told my wife that to lose weight all we have to do is let our 14 year old cook. :duh

[Bakershalfdozen]

I have done The Grocery Game since last September. It provides you with a list each week of the grocery stores in your area and teaches you how to match Sunday newspaper coupons with upcoming sales. They have a database of sales trends and the sales are in a 12 week cycle. You don't use your coupon until it shows up on the list. When it does, it will be the rock bottom price for that item in that cycle.

It changes your perspective from shopping with a list of just what is needed for the week to shopping for the purpose of stockpiling items that are steeply discounted and often free.

I'm thankful to live in an area that has two stores that double coupons. Every few weeks one of those stores will triple coupons for 3 days. This past Thursday through today is a tripling event. Here is what I was able to get. The shelf price for all of these items was $125.25. I paid $31.81. That is a 75% savings and that is not the best I have ever done.




10 boxes of cereal
4 Rice mixes
2 Bisquick
1 Bathroom cleaner
2 Lysol wipes
1 Toothpaste
3 Toothbrushes
1 Seasoning
1 Shortening
2 Spam (who's gonna eat that?!?) :gross:
2 Tic Tacs
4 Tomato paste
1 Deodorant
1 Dial handsoap
1 Liners
1 Shout
2 Windex
2 Bodywash
1 Breakfast loaf
2 Ice cream toppings
1 Lunchmeat
1 24 count bottled water
1 12 pack Dr. Pepper
1 Hefty dinner plates



I realize that this was a special occasion but I routinely get good deals and freebies using coupons. If I see a good deal coming up and know I have a coupon for it, I will order more coupons for that item from eBay or a clipping service. A few months ago, I was able to get 80 (yes, I said 80) jars of spaghetti sauce for free + the gas to drive to the store a couple of times and the cost of the coupons which was only a couple of dollars. Basically, I got 80 jars for what it would have cost me to buy 1 or 2 jars! I don't have to buy spaghetti sauce for a lonnng time. :thumb And that is just one example.

The cost of the grocery game list per store is $1.25 a week for your first store and $.63 a week each for all of your other stores. They charge you only every 8 weeks.

This is not a sales pitch but if you do sign up, please tell them I referred you because for every 3 referrals, a member gets a month free. :Bleh If you need my email addy, let me know.

[okjac80]

I don't use the Grocery Game, however I know people who do. I just blindly shop at the commissary. It is cheaper on average and they don't tax, just a 5% surcharge. Anyway, I do the stockpiling thing! LOL For about a year, we didn't have to buy any can veggies and I still think I have some V05 shampoo downstairs that I bought about 2 years ago! Hey, it was 10 cents a bottle...what could I do? LOL

We are just polishing off the last of our refried beans that I got at 35cents a can! LOL

[John81]

Depending upon the items, I'd guess prices are up between about 15% to 25%. I've also noticed on a few items that the prices have remained the same but the product is now smaller. In other words, paying the same price but for less food. :sad

Much of our eating has resorted back to the way we ate in the poorer days. Ramen noodles, bologna, vienna sausage, rice, cheap microwave meals and that sort of thing.

[Danny Carlton]

We don't have the storage space (nor the budget) for stocking up. Our grocery bill had gotten up to $250 a week, when we hit a dry spell of freelance clients, and we've spent around or under $100 a week for the past three weeks. But my wife is worried because she likes lots of raw fruits and vegetables for the kids and that's one of the most expensive things, antherefore one of the things we've cut out for now.

[tired]

The stores around here and I am sure all over have hit products with the shrink ray and raised the smaller quantity products prices.

[John81]

This reminds me of the 70s, when candy bars were still normally full sized, and suddenly they all shrunk real small but maintained the same price or became more expensive! As a child, that was tramatic :tum One of my first lessons in economics!

[pneu-engine]

My wife and I do a lot of our food shopping at local farmers' roadside stands and discount grocery outlets.

E.G.

***Eggs::: There are at least 4 places to get eggs from free range chickens. The eggs are humongous, and sometimes the lid will not even close. 1 Dozen is $1.25, up from 90 cents last season.

***Raw milk::: Farm fresh and $2.50 per gallon.

***Fresh fruits and veggies for all manner of garden produce::: There are oooooooooodles of road-side stands, some large and some small.

***We shop local outlet stores, as well. E.G. Pepperidge Farm bakery for bread, cookies and Campbell's soups. My wife will buy a whole flat (24 count) of Cream of Chicken soup for 59 cents per can; up from 39 cents each last season.

***Beef cubes::: we buy London Broil or other lean cuts and cut it up into cubes. It's a lot cheaper this way.

For those of you that can do it, may I recommend you set up your own little chicken house and pen. You'll find that chicken feed is cheaper than eggs. You can even sell your excess. Not only that but if there are roosters in your lot you'll get more chickens. :clap: