Inflation? Tell me it ain't so.

squatting dog

squatting dog

Remember when... thirty seemed so old.
Location
Arkansas, and also Florida
So, my wife has this Walmart app she uses for ordering groceries. It was interesting because Walmart leaves it up showing your previous orders. That makes it possible to re-order the same items.

On Dec 28,2021 items we bought totaled $131. Putting the same items in our cart yesterday showed the price is now $252. o_O (that's minus 7 items not available that would add approx. $30+ more).
Even my limited math skills tells me that it may be a bit more than the 2.5% I keep hearing. :mad:

At least now I know why they no longer count food when factoring inflation numbers.
As an aside, I didn't bother to check and see how much these exact products had shrunk. (as I'm sure some of them have)
 

I did the same thing a few months ago (also Walmart)... pulled up my previous orders and put it all in the cart item by item. To say I was shocked would be an understatement... my order in November of 2022 was $148. June of 2024... same order $231. I could scream when I hear people say they haven't noticed very much difference... maybe supermarkets don't exist under that rock. 🤷‍♀️
 
squatting dog said:
So, my wife has this Walmart app she uses for ordering groceries. It was interesting because Walmart leaves it up showing your previous orders. That makes it possible to re-order the same items.

On Dec 28,2021 items we bought totaled $131. Putting the same items in our cart yesterday showed the price is now $252. o_O (that's minus 7 items not available that would add approx. $30+ more).
Even my limited math skills tells me that it may be a bit more than the 2.5% I keep hearing. :mad:

At least now I know why they no longer count food when factoring inflation numbers.
As an aside, I didn't bother to check and see how much these exact products had shrunk. (as I'm sure some of them have)
Click to expand...
yes it's high but it is 3 years ago....
 

CallMeKate said:
I did the same thing a few months ago (also Walmart)... pulled up my previous orders and put it all in the cart item by item. To say I was shocked would be an understatement... my order in November of 2022 was $148. June of 2024... same order $231. I could scream when I hear people say they haven't noticed very much difference... maybe supermarkets don't exist under that rock. 🤷‍♀️
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oh that's shocking that's just 18 months
 
Food "inflation" has gone up substantially in the past couple of years. The "government" statistics are NOT reflecting "reality". We live in an area with several Amish and Mennonite stores, and we often stop there and find some good specials. A few days ago, we stopped at one and found a 4lb. pack of bacon for $10....half the price at Walmart or the local grocery store. We've got a freezer and some shelves in the basement, so when we do find a real sale, we buy multiple quantities, and that helps keep our costs under control.
 
I drove a friend to Walmart today and I picked up some chicken legs and eggs. The price on chicken hadn't changed but the cost of a dozen eggs had shot up a couple of dollars in just a couple of weeks. Have I missed something about eggs?
 
Reply
Alizerine said:
I drove a friend to Walmart today and I picked up some chicken legs and eggs. The price on chicken hadn't changed but the cost of a dozen eggs had shot up a couple of dollars in just a couple of weeks. Have I missed something about eggs?
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A couple of dollars ?:eek:...how much were they before?

Ours are about £2.75 for free range... about £2. more for Organic
 
I lot of people see me as strange but I am much like @Don M. when shopping. I am big on shopping loss leaders for everything. I also shop for seasonal items when they are offered at the best prices, For instance, as winter and the holidays approaching I will stock soups, broths, baking goods, pie fillings, chocolate chips, nuts, those type of things. I can pretty much know what I need to hold me until next year, Nuts and chocolate freeze very well. I also buy butter for the freezer at that time, cheapest all year.

In the summer, condiments mayo, mustard, barbecue sauce, hot dogs, smoked sausage, canned baked beans.I am not a brat or Italian sausage person but there are very good sales on those as well.

I shop with purpose of keeping a full freezer and pantry at the best pricing I can find,
 
Groceries have doubled in price here in the last 3 years. A few weeks ago my 10 ounce bag of coffee went up $2. I switched to a different brand.,
 
Do you think the huge growth in Warehouse spaces in Major Cities over the past 10 years promise even more high inflation levels.
10's of 1000's of 18 wheelers on the interstates, ripping up the Cement / Blacktop yearly repairs have a chance.
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have you noticed the stores are moving the stuff around, is it impulse buying gimmick?
 
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Not much any of us can do.

You can only cut spending to the bone once, then the price of the bone starts to rise.

I have eliminated some items, shop the dips, managers mark downs, etc…

I don’t ‘feed’ a freezer, I use the freezing compartment in my refrigerator as a temporary parking lot for a few bargains and leftovers.

I’m afraid high prices are here to stay.
 
papa tiger said:
Do you think the huge growth in Warehouse spaces in Major Cities over the past 10 years promise even more high inflation levels.
10's of 1000's of 18 wheelers on the interstates, ripping up the Cement / Blacktop yearly repairs have a chance.
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have you noticed the stores are moving the stuff around, is it impulse buying gimmick?
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They have always moved tings around. Just when you have committed to memory. Yes, it is to make us walk all the aisles, check up and down the shelves to find the product we want. It is hoped that we will make an impulse buy.

They don't consider the elderly that have trouble walking, bending up and down.....or the young parent trying to get in and out corralling a bunch of kids.
 
Part of it is lack of competition. Right now, just three corporations control 70% of the grocery market: Krogers, Albertsons, and Walmart. While many of us were struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic, they've been raking in profits. Here's the data on Krogers:

Kroger gross profit for the quarter ending July 31, 2024 was $7.651B, a 3.7% increase year-over-year.
Kroger gross profit for the twelve months ending July 31, 2024 was $33.697B, a 4.17% increase year-over-year.
Kroger annual gross profit for 2024 was $33.364B, a 4.99% increase from 2023.
Kroger annual gross profit for 2023 was $31.778B, a 4.71% increase from 2022.

Krogers is trying to merge with Albertsons, which will reduce competition even more. Personally, I don't know how Albertsons stays in business since they're such a poorly run chain, but that's their problem and the problem of people who shop there.

In addition, four large corporations control 85% of the beef market, 70% of the pork market, and 54% of the poultry market.

From what I remember from economics, when just a few firms control the market, that's called an oligopoly. With just one firm, it's a monopoly.

So what's the answer? More competition! Stop the Krogers/Albertsons merger!
 
I agree that the merger should be stopped. I shop both stores for loss leaders but Kroger seems to be in the habit of not putting sales prices in their computers. They will charge the regular price if you are not on top of it. Albertson's may have a mistake every great once in a while. I feel Kroger does this on purpose hoping you won't notice.

I also find Albertsons meat to be of better quality with one exception, chicken breasts. Krogers are cleaned better, they cook up tender with good texture.

The chicken tortilla soup I made the other night was all from canned goods, open, dump, stir and simmer, last touch ground cumin. Serve with crushed tortillas chips and cheese on top. So good and freezes well.
 
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Blessed said:
Ken, you are here in North Texas, are you paying those amounts? Yes, I am sure they are out there but with taking advantage of sales every week I never pay those kind of prices.

I will also say there are things that I don't use on the list but it is a very common list of items.
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Yes for the most items, some have gone down and some up!! Eggs go up and down a lot!!
 
Like many others, my wife and I are the only 2 at home now that the kids are grown and married and out on their own. I not only look at the way prices have risen, but also how this effects the government. During the past 20 years, the U.S. has borrowed or printed a lot of money.

Next month, October, the U.S. has an interest payment due. According to the CBO, the interest payment due next month, October, will be close to $1 trillion. If the U.S. fails to make the interest payment, it could have consequential circumstances around the world.

Interest Payments

Data
 

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