Is anyone else noticing lower food prices at the grocery store?

[pepperhead212]

I'm curious how one would go about growing lettuce in winter.

Here's 3 different varieties growing in hydroponics. I keep cutting the leaves at the perimeter, and they grow back, in that leaf lettuce. I planted just 2 plants this year, in early November, started harvesting less than a month later, and I finally pulled them out in early May, only because I was getting it from outside!
Hydroponics lettuce and mizuna, 3-13-20 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[caseydog]

It has been my personal experience that home grown veggies are often more expensive than just buying them. The real benefit of growing my own is the personal satisfaction of growing something, and for many things, you get a better tasting product.

Right now, I am only growing herbs. The reason is that fresh herbs in the grocery stores is wilted, bruised and nasty. I really need to grow my own, so I can walk outside and snip of some herbs minutes before I use them.

CD

 

[Linda0818]

I've been doing that for 40-plus years. I'm amazed that more and more people are just now starting to do that.

CD

Well, it's just recently being reported that way. Perhaps many people have been buying the cheaper brands for many years. However, I personally used to buy several name brand products, but I can't afford them anymore. So those may be the type of people they're talking about.

In the past, when I would grocery shop, I'd go into the store and grab the things I needed, tossing this and that into my cart, without really thinking twice about it. Now I spend more time in the grocery store because I'm spending more time comparing prices. I can no longer just go in and grab what I need, not worrying a whole lot about how much I'm spending.

 

[Linda0818]

Here's 3 different varieties growing in hydroponics. I keep cutting the leaves at the perimeter, and they grow back, in that leaf lettuce. I planted just 2 plants this year, in early November, started harvesting less than a month later, and I finally pulled them out in early May, only because I was getting it from outside!
Hydroponics lettuce and mizuna, 3-13-20 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Super nice!

 

[caseydog]

Well, it's just recently being reported that way. Perhaps many people have been buying the cheaper brands for many years. However, I personally used to buy several name brand products, but I can't afford them anymore. So those may be the type of people they're talking about.

In the past, when I would grocery shop, I'd go into the store and grab the things I needed, tossing this and that into my cart, without really thinking twice about it. Now I spend more time in the grocery store because I'm spending more time comparing prices. I can no longer just go in and grab what I need, not worrying a whole lot about how much I'm spending.

I can afford anything I want in the grocery store, but I can't make myself spend a lot more money on something that isn't any better, at least to me. I learned that from my dad.

I will spend more for something if I believe it is worth the extra money. I had to teach that to my dad. I seek out "good value." He was just plain cheap.

CD

 

[Aunt Bea]

Yeah, people are much better off when they make less money.

While "inflation" is chipping away at our wallets, big corporations are reporting record profits. Wall Street is rolling in money, thanks to these record corporate profits. But, let's blame those greedy, overpaid workers.

I'm sure Reagan would also say, if he were still alive, the solution to this (and every) problem is tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. You know, trickle down economics.

CD

We can disagree.

IMO the way to lift yourself out of poverty is by having enough education and experience to command a living wage in the workplace and then learning how to manage those wages to your best advantage.

Raising the minimum/entry level wages actually drags down the purchasing power of every employee that has worked to command a higher wage.

Those record profits and gains in the stock market help to fuel the growth in the IRAs and pensions that many of us rely on for our income.

 

[caseydog]

We can disagree.

IMO the way to lift yourself out of poverty is by having enough education and experience to command a living wage in the workplace and then learning how to manage those wages to your best advantage.

Raising the minimum/entry level wages actually drags down the purchasing power of every employee that has worked to command a higher wage.

Those record profits and gains in the stock market help to fuel the growth in the IRAs and pensions that many of us rely on for our income.

Pull yourself up with your own bootstraps, right? I do agree on the education part, if you have a rich daddy who can pay for it, or don't mind spending 10+ years paying off college loans.

There was an ad campaign back in the 70s for Fram oil filters. The tag line was, "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later."

When the minimum wage is low, you may save a few bucks at the cashier stand, but then you'll pay more in Taxes to cover food stamps, medicaid, housing assistance, and the other Government programs low income workers need to make ends meet.

For years, the single largest recipients of Government aid were Walmart employees. That's the high cost we pay for low prices.

You can pay now, or pay later.

BTW, on average, Jeff Bezos pays an annual federal income tax rate of about 1.1-percent (Forbes). How about you?

CD

 

[Marlingardener]

We are extremely fortunate to have enough space and two growing seasons for our vegetable gardens. We also have fruit and nut trees. We'd rather spend time weeding and harvesting than wandering grocery aisles. Our hens give us eggs (not cost effective considering the price of chicken feed, but such fun!) and like Casey, we grow our own herbs to use fresh and dried. A small bag of fresh basil--pitiful looking stuff--was $3.00 and I was trying to give our excess away!
About the minimum wage hike--wasn't working as a bagger at the grocery, clerking or stocking at Walmart, or flipping burgers at McDonald's considered an entry level job and you either worked your way up or got training or education to move on to better wages? Education doesn't require a rich daddy. Community colleges, night schools, and on-line courses are pretty reasonable, or free. Being paid $7 one day and $15 the next rather kills incentive.

 

[BAPyessir6]

Jeff Bezos deserves his $7.9 million an hour, and that certainly doesn't contribute to inflation. Yep, it's those people stocking groceries at the supermarket who don't deserve fifteen bucks an hour. What a bunch of spoiled brats.

CD

I guess when I think about it, I never include the hyper rich in inflation/economy for 2 reasons. 1. being that I figure there's so few of them that they can't or won't have a huge impact on the economy (although I'd probably be wrong there) and 2. they're kinda untouchable anyway because they're so rich and powerful. Kinda reminds me of a song I heard a few months back about the "rich men north of Richmond."

Wowza, 7 million an hour? That's not just bringing home the bacon, that's a whole herd of hogs!!

 

[Andy M.]

We've noticed some moderation in prices. Not nearly enough.

I bought SO an Arogarden for her birthday last December because she's a plant-o-phile. We have a crop of lettuce maturing for harvest soon. (It hasn't been growing since December)

 

[GotGarlic]

I guess when I think about it, I never include the hyper rich in inflation/economy for 2 reasons. 1. being that I figure there's so few of them that they can't or won't have a huge impact on the economy (although I'd probably be wrong there) and 2. they're kinda untouchable anyway because they're so rich and powerful. Kinda reminds me of a song I heard a few months back about the "rich men north of Richmond."

Wowza, 7 million an hour? That's not just bringing home the bacon, that's a whole herd of hogs!!

From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distribution_of_wealth

According to the OECD in 2012 the top 0.6% of world population (consisting of adults with more than US$1 million in assets) or the 42 million richest people in the world held 39.3% of world wealth. The next 4.4% (311 million people) held 32.3% of world wealth. The bottom 95% held 28.4% of world wealth. The large gaps of the report get by the Gini index to 0.893, and are larger than gaps in global income inequality, measured in 2009 at 0.38.[15] For example, in 2012 the bottom 60% of the world population held the same wealth in 2012 as the people on Forbes' Richest list consisting of 1,226 richest billionaires of the world.

A 2021 Oxfam report found that collectively, the 10 richest men in the world owned more than the combined wealth of the bottom 3.1 billion people, almost half of the entire world population. Their combined wealth doubled during the pandemic.[16][17][18]

 

[caseydog]

About the minimum wage hike--wasn't working as a bagger at the grocery, clerking or stocking at Walmart, or flipping burgers at McDonald's considered an entry level job and you either worked your way up or got training or education to move on to better wages? Education doesn't require a rich daddy. Community colleges, night schools, and on-line courses are pretty reasonable, or free. Being paid $7 one day and $15 the next rather kills incentive.

That's what it used to be, when the middle class in the US was rapidly growing in income and wealth. Today, the top 1% are growing their wealth in leaps and bounds, while the middle class has been losing ground for the last 30 years. The last time the Federal Minimum Wage was increased was in 2009, when it was raised to $7.25/hour. That was 25 years ago, and a whole lot of Americans (including some of the posters in this thread), say that those people make too much money. But, being paid $7 one day, and $15 twenty-five years later probably does kill incentive. Not being afraid of being evicted, or unable to feed your kids probably makes people lazy.

When I graduated from High School in 1979, many of my classmates went straight into good paying Union jobs. They made good money, bought homes, nice cars, vacations -- a pretty good life. And now, they are retiring, just like me, and living comfortably. A high school education won't get that, anymore.

Also, when I graduated high school, I could go to a good University, get a degree, and not have to take on debt. I went to classes in the mornings, and went to my full time job in the afternoon and on weekends. Acquiring a good college education was easily doable. Kids coming out of high school today can't do that. At best, they can get a two year Community College degree the same way I got my University Bachelor's Degree.

CD

 

[caseydog]

BTW, another thing fueling inflation is unemployment levels at historic lows. Employers have to compete for good workers by offering better compensation. One way we could see prices go down is if the unemployment rate were to go up... maybe 7.9 percent instead of 3.9 percent. Hey, I'm retired, so I can't lose my job. If I only cared about ME, 10-million people losing their jobs would actually be a good thing.

CD

 

[caseydog]

Education doesn't require a rich daddy. Community colleges, night schools, and on-line courses are pretty reasonable, or free.

Yeah, but if you have a rich daddy, you can go to Harvard... for free.

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

What if you lost your retirement monies, your house, your photo equip, your car... then where would you be.

 

[caseydog]

What if you lost your retirement monies, your house, your photo equip, your car... then where would you be.

I'd be in the same boat as the people I am defending.

Unlike many Americans today, I don't believe that I "deserve" what I have, and "those people" don't. If a person is willing to work hard, they should be able to earn a living wage, even if that person is "flipping burgers at McDonalds."

CD

 

[HeyItsSara]

eggs have gone up and down.

 

[caseydog]

eggs have gone up and down.

Yeah, eggs are the item that I've noticed the biggest improvement, as far as prices. Of course, the previous spike in egg prices was primarily due to an epidemic of bird flu. A lot of chickens had to be euthanized.

CD

 

[caseydog]

Getting back to store brands, they really are a great way to save money on a lot of grocery items.

I do buy some name brand items, like Cento canned tomatoes, Ghirardelli chocolate, or Duke's mayo. But for things like beans, peanut butter, or sodas, I go store brand. There has to be a significant difference for me to pay extra

My sister buys all name brands. Sodas, canned goods, and even toilet paper (which MUST be Charmin). The biggest item I can't understand is her insistence onTide laundry detergent. Is that stuff made with gold? I do buy a name brand detergent, but it is Arm & Hammer, which costs a fraction of what Tide costs. Yet, Tide is the best selling detergent in America.

CD

 

[blissful]

I need to get 4 eggs at the end of June, for someone I get birthday gifts for and I asked them what they wanted, and it is cookies. One type of cookie uses eggs, so I'm debating between buying them or an egg substitute. The flax egg substitute or the mung bean substitute.

I noticed this week peaches are 89cents/lb, and they are pretty good.