Off Grocery Detail
Two years ago we, a family of four, were able to eat for $100 a week. I thought that was a lot. At some point I realized groceries had become so expensive we raised the budget to $150 so we could stop feeling guilty for exceeding the budget every single week. Except now we’ve noticed we’ve been exceeding even that.
As I’ve been shopping lately I’ve noticed a few tricky trends.
Juice boxes went up 50 cents but they stuck a Sale sign behind them to make me believe I was getting a deal. The garbage bags I drive across town to buy are now thinner. The food is coming in smaller packaging for the same price.
I find myself walking through the store questioning my memory. Did the diapers really go up $5 in one month or am I imagining things?
Grocery prices are just blatantly and unapologetically higher - a lot higher.
We ran a budgeting analysis and here’s what’s really happened - I’ve been continuing to buy our usual basic food and we’re up to. . . I’m too embarrassed to tell you.
My husband has decided it’s best if he takes over the grocery shopping for a while.
It’s not me - really.
He’s sticking to the budget, but the results are depressing. It’s like we’re back to being right above the poverty-line - which we struggled and worked to escape.
It’s disappointing to realize, when he comes back from the store, that we’re back to the really crappy generic chips instead of the baked ones I was buying. That we may find a use for Ramen Noodles again. That the kids are going to drink more sugarless flavored drink because milk is too pricey. Welcome back to creative cooking a casserole with whatever’s left in the fridge on Thursdays. We’ve been here before, so at least it’s not shockingly new ground.
I know I’m not the only one suffering from sticker shock at the grocery store. I heard on the news we’re experiencing the worst food inflation in decades. Lingering war = price of gas = price of groceries. Right? The Times of India has a story from April 6 by Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar,
“The problem is that world prices have skyrocketed. And we live in an era of internet-savvy farmers who know exactly what food prices are in Chicago and London, and adjust their own actions accordingly.” Farmer greed?
“The problem is being compounded by global panic. Two successive droughts in Australia, plus the diversion of one-third of the US maize crop to ethanol, have led to shortfalls in world production and low food stocks,” states the article.
It does lead back to the price of oil, seems everything does these days.
I’m an American who wouldn’t have a huge problem with going to war over oil. Of course, I want such a war to make oil cheaper and more accessible and I want to stop paying for such a war if it’s having the opposite effect. I want to reduce our desperate dependance on oil by developing more realistic technologies FAST. I don’t like being lied to, but I grew up with a military father who regularly uttered the words, “It’s classified,” so I can accept not having all the information.
I have no problem with militarily kicking terrorist ass. Or fascist ass for that matter. I’m a military brat not a passifist. Truthfully, I’ve been apathetic about the whole war.
But now its seriously effecting my personal economics and so now I’m voting the oil barren/cowboy Bush and his Republican friend McCain out. I don’t care for the way it’s effecting our nation’s economics either - putting a war on the national credit card for a few months I can deal with, but charging on it for years of futility is a definite no go for me.
I’m so hoping that our next President will address the oil/war situation in a more effective and economical way. I’m sure she will. Her husband, Bill, had no national deficit and a big fat savings account, they share a family budget so it’s likely their fiscal policy will be similar.
I’m so grateful that my family is one of the really, really lucky ones. During the past few years our income has continued to go up. Other families, I know, are suffering this extraordinary inflation without an increase in income.
In that case, there are only three choices - put more on the credit card which will bite you in the ass in less than 30 days, make more money or drastically reduce living expenses. I’m going to make more money. Check out ThriftyMommy and SimplyThrify for ways to reduce your expenses. My funny friend Jennifer from jlogged writes a lot about ways to cut costs and stay on budget too. She has a way of making it seem fun.
My night snacking issue seems to be temporarily resolved though, - we ran out of popcorn and there won’t be any more until payday. The generic cheetos he bought are just too gross for me to put in my mouth. Okay, I ate some anyway, but ick.
Tags: blog fabulous, empowering women, empowering-girls, ethenol, food inflation, gas, grocery-shopping, save money grocery store, so sioux me, thrifty-mommy, tracee siouxRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Fabulously Cheap
37 opinions for Off Grocery Detail
Violet
Apr 8, 2008 at 9:59 am
I’ve noticed the same thing. My grocery bill seems to be about 30% higher, and I’m buying about the same things I always did. I know I can cut my budget by eating cheaper, lower quality foods, but I just can’t do that. My long-term health is really important to me these days.
I grew up in a house with six kids, and a modest income, so I know some of the ways our moms got around this. Mine had a garden, canned a lot of food, and fed us way too much mac & cheese, ramen noodles and PBJs. Do. not. want. (well, maybe the garden would be cool.)
But have you had to travel anywhere in the car lately? It’s crazy how much gas is.
Tarah
Apr 8, 2008 at 10:14 am
I know, shame on me, but everything is so expensive, I just buy what the heck we want and forget it. lol
We don’t eat a lot of sweets, etc. though, and I do buy more organic every week. I realized last week though that I need to actually LOOK at what a gallon of milk costs. If I need it, I just get it and don’t even pay attention. Good thing I only do that with food. I hate to think if I bought a car that way!
Tarah
Apr 8, 2008 at 10:16 am
forgot:
Kudos to your husband for giving it a shot!
Tracee
Apr 8, 2008 at 11:05 am
That WAS my strategy too Tarah - and it’s just not going to fly anymore. Too. Much. Money.
I’ve been skipping going to my grandma’s for Sunday dinner because of gas prices. Sad :(
We’re totally planting a garden because that’s what my family did too. That’s tomorrow’s story.
Ashley
Apr 8, 2008 at 11:40 am
My parents own a resteraunt and if you compare this month’s grocery truck reciepts with last April’s grocery truck reciepts the prices have nearly doubled.. that’s a fact. It all comes down to gas. Thank goodness we have oil company big wigs like Chaney to look out for our best interests by securing us enough oil to live and eat - who cares if by ‘us’, they mean only the wealthy that can actually afford to drive to the store to buy the damn over-priced groceries! Thank goodness for the good intentioned Bush administration!
Tarah
Apr 8, 2008 at 11:41 am
My mom and dad always had a garden. I love gardens. I’ll be waiting for tomorrow!
Ashley
Apr 8, 2008 at 11:42 am
And yea- your husband rocks. You’ll have to do a post one day about the secret trick to getting hubby to the grocery store to bargain shop. Mine would come home with 5lbs of shredded cheese, mustard, pop tarts, a jar of olives, a case of Budweiser, 2 boxes of burritos and mac and cheese (you know, for the young’ns)
Tracee
Apr 8, 2008 at 11:43 am
I’m glad to hear it’s not just me.
The funny part is that I, personally and deeply, feel guilty when I leave the store because I spent too much money. As if it’s my lack of will power - instead of my human need to eat good food - that has caused the higher prices.
Anyone else suffering the guilt?
Ashley
Apr 8, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I know what you mean - but I know that I haven’t bought a buggy-full of gourmet products, or even the all-holy organic items.. I’m pushin a whole lot of generic baby!
So I guess I’ve passed through guilty, made a quick stop at “oh, s**t! what are we going to do if this keeps up” and finally arrived at piping mad..
Allison
Apr 8, 2008 at 12:12 pm
You are not alone! I’m SO frustrated with the increase in prices at the grocery store. And, because it’s just how we live, we insist on certain things: Organic milk and eggs, mostly organic produce, and for the most part we don’t enjoy generic brand stuff as much as the real stuff (not always…certain things are the same either way).
Our grocery budget is something I don’t want to admit here, to only feed 2 adults and an infant. It’s ridiculous!
Violet
Apr 8, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Ha Ashley, I would NEVER let my husband do the shopping either because I know that man would just bring home steaks, beer and snack foods. And he has no idea what is a bargain and what isn’t. Frankly, I don’t even like him to come with, cause he blows my budget and gets crap we don’t need. If I shop, he just eats whatever I get. :)
Ashley
Apr 8, 2008 at 1:07 pm
The few times my husband has come with me we end up throwing down in the middle of the cereal aisle.
My husband was raised by people who were not rich but who wanted their children to feel rich and not worry about anything.. I was raised by a penny-pinching, Great depression surviving grandmother and broke divorcee parents.
The last time my husband and I cruised the aisles together is remembered in these parts as the great Cocoa Puff Conflict. We’d rather not talk about the specifics..
Tracee
Apr 8, 2008 at 1:14 pm
My shopping list included baked chips, tons of fruits and vegetables, enough soy milk for the baby, one bulk meat (switching between beef, pork, fish) diapers, healthy snacks like nuts and trail mixes, etc. healthy stuff that makes us feel good.
Here’s how I got him to do it - Our Money program says I’ve been spending - and I’m embarrassed to admit this - $190 wk. on average.
Well, we can’t do that. Can’t do it. Just. Can’t. Do. It. Not an option.
So, he goes and gets the kids some cheap hot dogs, one loaf of bread, half the fruits and veggies I would buy, two half gallons of soy milk that I’m rationing by Tuesday, a bag of potatoes, some onions and a bag of crappy generic chips. He throws in the mac and cheese and hamburger helper too (bleck!). He skips half the list.
We’re on budget - but it’s like a Georgie Porgie enforced diet full of high fat, crap cheap food and no pleasure. We won’t starve (not to death), but it’s not looking pretty.
Tracee
Apr 8, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Oh and Ashley - we can’t shop together either.
Either he goes OR I go or it’s a big huge screaming fight on Aisle 3. It was embarrassing for the children.
Ashley
Apr 8, 2008 at 1:20 pm
lol
Tarah
Apr 8, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Plus if the food you buy is food nobody will eat because of its taste, then its not really a bargain anyhow.
I was going to add up what I spend on groceries (I go to a few different stores, so it’s not like I have just one total) but I was afraid..very afraid..
Violet
Apr 8, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Hamburger Helper! My mom used to get that crap too. It’s full of sodium and other icky stuff.
When I was a poor young person on my own, I remember just eating Helper. I didn’t have any hamburger.
Tarah
Apr 8, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Violet,
Just eating helper..no hamburger..too funny.
You sound like all the college kids that live on Romaine noodles. lol
Violet
Apr 8, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Does anyone else use coupons? I have been using some lately and can save up to $10 a trip. But it’s a huge hassle and half the time I forget.
I don’t think I’ll be canning anytime soon, but a friend of mine makes and cans her own spaghetti sauce. She grows the veggies herself and figures each bottle costs her about 25 cents!
Plus, it doesn’t have all the sodium and other chemicals in commercially bottled sauce.
Violet
Apr 8, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Tarah - ramen noodles were my big staple. Also, potatoes, rice and mac & cheese. Gee, carb much? No wonder I kept getting fatter.
jen
Apr 8, 2008 at 3:19 pm
“The funny part is that I, personally and deeply, feel guilty when I leave the store because I spent too much money. As if it’s my lack of will power - instead of my human need to eat good food - that has caused the higher prices.
Anyone else suffering the guilt?”
Good gosh, YES! And most especially right now. We were doing so well not eating (our new year resolution) and then we got back into the dirty habit when we began remodeling the kitchen, and my SIL had cancer surgery. No time to cook=eating fast food, and/or convenience foods from the grocery store (which at times are WAY more than grabbing 1.00 menu junk from the drive thru.
Grocery prices right now are out of control man!
Post rant on jlogged.com comming soon…with helpful hints of course ;)
Rebecca
Apr 8, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I don’t get why it’s embarrasing that J takes over grocery shopping. I know you can’t possibly be thinking it’s a woman’s job?! So since I obviously don’t get it, explain! :)
My husband and I usually do the big grocery run together, which is every couple of weeks. It’s so much easier to do it together, since we eat different cereals and snack foods and can collaborate right there about dinner options, plus, one person can run down one aisle while the other person gets something else.
Tracee
Apr 8, 2008 at 3:38 pm
It’s not embarrassing that he’s doing the shopping - throw in the floors and dishes and I’m a happy lady. I loath Walmart, so any excuse not to go is great.
It’s embarrassing that I’ve been spending so much money on groceries.
It’s a whole different scenario when you want different snacks, but can only afford to buy one. Then the dukes some out.
Tracee
Apr 8, 2008 at 3:42 pm
You’re right Jen - the $1 menu at McDonalds is way cheaper than a healthy homemade meal. It’s way cheaper even than one bag of baked chips.
Can you tell I want my damn chips back! At least the popcorn. geez.
Rebecca
Apr 8, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Ok thanks!
Ugh, I hate walmart too.
I don’t think spending alot of $ on groceries should be embarrasing! And…I have to admit generic cheetos don’t sound half bad. But I’m pregnant so I’m out of whack! (I could probably eat the whole bag.)
Tracee
Apr 8, 2008 at 5:44 pm
They’re bad. Styrofoam with yellow grease on top that actually scratches the roof of your mouth. I think I’ll go have some now.
KIDS - WHO ATE ALL THE CHEETOS?!?
Thrifty Karen
Apr 8, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Thanks for the link love.
I feed our family of 4 with name brand products for about $200 or less every month using The Grocery Game. Here’s the link. You might want to give it a shot.
http://www.thriftymommy.com/how-to-play-the-grocery-game/
Ashley
Apr 9, 2008 at 5:53 am
double yuck. I’ve had those.
I made it in and out of wal-mart last night in record time: left house at 7:37, turned in the driveway at 8:05.. Whoo-hoo!!!! That’s literally my record.
Tracee
Apr 9, 2008 at 6:54 am
Oh thanks Karen!
I forwarded my husband the link - we have come to a point where I think such a game is worth the time - especially since he has taken over the shopping;)
Ashley
Apr 9, 2008 at 7:07 am
I’ve heard of that - but I wondered if it would be worth the time in a small town? Does anyone know?
Tracee
Apr 9, 2008 at 7:26 am
I looked it up and the closest zip code was an hour away for me. The stores in my town weren’t listed on the site. My local stores also only offer sporadic double coupons and couldn’t tell me when.
But, it’s a town I visit once a week anyway, because of family so saving $95 ($75 if you subtract the gas to get there and back) and getting the food we want may actually be worth it.
Ashley
Apr 9, 2008 at 7:31 am
Tracee - you should write the people who make those baked chips you’re missing and see if you could get a freebie going!
Tracee
Apr 9, 2008 at 7:36 am
lol.
Dear Baked Dorritoes,
I can’t afford your chips anymore because of the price of gas & groceries. The war is hard on everyone. Please send me all I can eat for free. I’ll write an article about how much I love them.
Love, Tracee
Ashley
Apr 9, 2008 at 7:37 am
Exactly!
Thrifty Karen
Apr 9, 2008 at 9:42 am
Sorry you can’t find stores to double coupons. We’re thinking of moving and my mom told me to make sure I move somewhere that doubles coupons. lol It does make a difference in my grocery bill.
crystal
Apr 9, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Yes, and we’re not the only country being affected. There’s been rioting in other parts of the world because people can’t afford food.
Tracee
Apr 10, 2008 at 10:49 am
Crystal, I didn’t realize it until I Googled “food inflation” but, it’s really a world wide food inflation problem.
It’s tied to diverting the use of 1/3 of the United States corn crop into Ethanol, which ties right back to . . . take a wild guess. . . OIL.
I knew my friend Jen at Jlogged would have a lot of great tips to help us float through the crisis though so here’s a link: http://jlogged.com/2008/04/09/crisis-at-thecheckout-line
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