Hi all,

Been a bit since we have had a thread on this and the scene has changed
a bit in both produce and items we may be finding. I'd be interested
in what items the rest of you are using now that you enjoy.

One item almost out of our purchases is beef. Thats not a good sign
for our economy in the USA but the cost is now radically higher than
pork, often $2 a lb or more. Fresh seafood is generally cheaper now
than beef.

Major brands are reducing sizes in small increments while store brands
and 'off brands' are not. Salt and sugar addition to major brands
seems to be increasing while store brands overall seem stable.

Thoughts?
Carol

--

On 6/22/2011 5:37 PM, cshenk wrote:
Hi all,

Been a bit since we have had a thread on this and the scene has changed
a bit in both produce and items we may be finding. I'd be interested
in what items the rest of you are using now that you enjoy.

One item almost out of our purchases is beef. Thats not a good sign
for our economy in the USA but the cost is now radically higher than
pork, often $2 a lb or more. Fresh seafood is generally cheaper now
than beef.

Major brands are reducing sizes in small increments while store brands
and 'off brands' are not. Salt and sugar addition to major brands
seems to be increasing while store brands overall seem stable.

Thoughts?
Carol

One thing I've done for years is to buy the store brand of canned
whatever, usually they will stock canned goods with a prominent label,
"No Salt Added." Since I try to avoid oversalted foods that is what I
buy. Where the major brands cost in the seventy to ninety cent range,
the store brands usually start at forty-nine cents per can and up. Even
those prices in store brands haven't risen and the cans are still the
same size whereas the major brands are down sized and over priced.

Reasonably priced meat can still be found. I frequent the "used meat"
bin at the local Kroger. Stuff going off the "best by" date on the next
day is marked down 20 to 50 percent dependent upon the cut. A couple of
months ago I bought several large ribeye steaks that had tags indicating
that the regular price was over eighty bucks. I spent forty-seven bucks
for them. One steak feeds the wife and I a meal so it works well.

I had been buying bison meat from Kroger, packaged by Maverick Ranch in
Colorado. A few months back it was cheaper than store brand chuck, at
about $5.99 a lb. Two weeks ago I found it for $7.99 and last week it
was $9.99. I think that probably reflects the transportation cost what
with diesel and gasoline going up a lot.

I occasionally find seven-bone chuck steaks, four to five lb ones, on
sale in bulk. I buy them cheap and then repackage in vacuum bags for
later use. When some of our large family comes to visit we have a big
pot roast with lots of veggies, home made bread, and some sort of
dessert from fruit we've canned ourselves. Feed eight or ten people a
good meal for a reasonable price.

You have to shop smart. Wife drinks canned fruit juice, used to buy one
specific brand, name slips me at the moment. Nowadays we buy the twelve
ounce cans of Jumex, various fruit juices including some we never heard
of before we started buying that brand. Get them two for 89 cents routinely.

Of course we're both retired now so we have the leisure to shop wisely.
A friend hops from store to store buying stuff listed in the weekly
grocery flyers. He spends more on gasoline than I would do but seems
happy with it. I shop the one store and know where everything is and go
straight to whichever aisle my computerized list tells me to go. I don't
shop Walmart, they change the blasted aisles every other week to
encourage impulse shopping. Don't shop Sam's anymore because we don't
need bulk groceries just for the two of us. We do use coupons whenever
we can find some for the things we use, don't use them for things we
ordinarily don't buy. I don't buy Sam's or Walmart meat because, due to
labeling laws, the ingredients include "WATER."

The best part is we have a small vegetable garden, about 17 X 25 feet,
plus several dwarf fruit trees. Unfortunately we've been in a deep
drought for about two years and our city now rations water. Fortunately
we've gotten over an inch of water in the last three days, that helps.

On Jun 22, 6:37*pm, "cshenk" wrote:
Hi all,

Been a bit since we have had a thread on this and the scene has changed
a bit in both produce and items we may be finding. *I'd be interested
in what items the rest of you are using now that you enjoy.

One item almost out of our purchases is beef. *Thats not a good sign
for our economy in the USA but the cost is now radically higher than
pork, often $2 a lb or more. *Fresh seafood is generally cheaper now
than beef.

Major brands are reducing sizes in small increments while store brands
and 'off brands' are not. *Salt and sugar addition to major brands
seems to be increasing while store brands overall seem stable.

Thoughts?
* * Carol

--




I got coffee today - 2 lb. 4 oz. bag was 3 bucks off regular price,
plus I had a coupon. No more silly 12 ouncers for me.

cshenk wrote:

One item almost out of our purchases is beef. Thats not a good sign
for our economy in the USA but the cost is now radically higher than
pork, often $2 a lb or more. Fresh seafood is generally cheaper now
than beef.

I only compare beef prices to beef, pork to pork, etc. If I want beef,
why would I compare its price to pork??

We tend to pay whatever it costs when we want particular cuts for family
meals. For example, we do a lot of flank steaks when we can get all the
kids together, and I get good meat in larger quantities at Sam's Club.
If I see a sale price, I'd scarf it up and freeze extra.

I get excellent deals on really nice lamb loin or rib chops by paying
attention to the "used meat" shelves. So few people eat lamb around here
that they're always having to mark it down and we swoop in and buy all
we can find then. Obviously we have to have the resources to buy
whenever it comes up, but in the long run we end up saving money this way.

"cshenk" wrote in
:

Hi all,

Been a bit since we have had a thread on this and the scene
has changed a bit in both produce and items we may be finding.
I'd be interested in what items the rest of you are using now
that you enjoy.

One item almost out of our purchases is beef. Thats not a
good sign for our economy in the USA but the cost is now
radically higher than pork, often $2 a lb or more. Fresh
seafood is generally cheaper now than beef.

Major brands are reducing sizes in small increments while
store brands and 'off brands' are not. Salt and sugar
addition to major brands seems to be increasing while store
brands overall seem stable.

Thoughts?
Carol

75% of the time I buy items that are on sale and that I have a
coupon for. (Lots of double coupon stores in my area.) Day old
bread, marked down meat that is at the expiration date or a bit
later. And by the store brands for staples like flour, sugar, salt
etc. Right now, one of the local grocery stores has White Rain
shampoo only sale for 69 cents! Chicken tenders and boneless
chicken breasts for $1.88 # are on sale this week at Albertsons.

If I am lazy... I'll take all the ads to WalMart and have them
price match. And WalMart ususally has GREAT sales on chips and BBQ
items around the 4th of July.

The best part is we have a small vegetable garden, about 17 X 25 feet,
plus several dwarf fruit trees. Unfortunately we've been in a deep
drought for about two years and our city now rations water. Fortunately
we've gotten over an inch of water in the last three days, that helps.

Here in the San Gabriel Valley, in SoCal, a new player came into town
about four years ago. This is the Fresh & Easy chain, owned by Tesco
the big British retail company. I usually get to the local store
(about 1/4 mile away) either at around 11:00 AM or a bit later after
the staff has pulled all of the stuff that will be out of code within
the next two days. Excellent buys on the majority of stuff that I
eat/ Lots of produce packed in "3 fers" @ .98 cents per package,
apples, onions, pears, etc. I like to get the small salads that
usually retail for $3.99/ea for about $2.75 that are about one day
out; the bread that I prefer is the ciabatta loaves, regularly priced
at $3.99, go for $2.89/ea, etc. The markdowns include the meat &
chicken items also. Dairy is fair-traded in California to 15% of
retail price, but that's a good deal.

Since Azusa is a university town, (Azusa Pacific University and Citrus
Community College) both across the street from the geezer park where I
live, there are lots of students shopping along with the geezers, and
everyone is looking for the best deals. Two doors down is the $.99
cent store that I sometimes shop at for the dried noodle soup
packages.

Harriet & critters in Azusa

On Jun 22, 4:56*pm, Kalmia wrote:
--

I got coffee today - 2 lb. 4 oz. bag was 3 bucks off regular price,
plus I had a coupon. *No more silly 12 ouncers for me.

I saw several of the "new cans of coffee" at 10.5 oz, I believe. The
12 oz can has gone the way of the 16 oz can.

Harriet & critters in Azusa.

"sandi" wrote in message
...
"cshenk" wrote in
:

Hi all,

Been a bit since we have had a thread on this and the scene
has changed a bit in both produce and items we may be finding.
I'd be interested in what items the rest of you are using now
that you enjoy.

One item almost out of our purchases is beef. Thats not a
good sign for our economy in the USA but the cost is now
radically higher than pork, often $2 a lb or more. Fresh
seafood is generally cheaper now than beef.

Major brands are reducing sizes in small increments while
store brands and 'off brands' are not. Salt and sugar
addition to major brands seems to be increasing while store
brands overall seem stable.

Thoughts?
Carol

75% of the time I buy items that are on sale and that I have a
coupon for. (Lots of double coupon stores in my area.) Day old
bread, marked down meat that is at the expiration date or a bit
later. And by the store brands for staples like flour, sugar, salt
etc. Right now, one of the local grocery stores has White Rain
shampoo only sale for 69 cents! Chicken tenders and boneless
chicken breasts for $1.88 # are on sale this week at Albertsons.

If I am lazy... I'll take all the ads to WalMart and have them
price match. And WalMart ususally has GREAT sales on chips and BBQ
items around the 4th of July.

We've been really surprised since we retired at how much our cost of living
dropped since we don't do so much eating out. Grabbing a sausage biscuit
and OJ on the way to work and for lunch, even a soup/salad sort of quick
meal really added up to a lot of money. Just a few at a time, I've checked
out store brands. Some have been real duds but some are happy winners.
Blackberry preserves, cereal (really) and lots of items are just so much
cheaper as well as superior to a name brand. The worst test was just plain
old wieners for hot dogs. Store brand? Waaah, yuck and phooey. The gators
wouldn't even eat them. There are 8,500 alligators here in our county (more
or less and probably more) and we do not offend them. Polly

"cshenk" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

Been a bit since we have had a thread on this and the scene has changed
a bit in both produce and items we may be finding. I'd be interested
in what items the rest of you are using now that you enjoy.

One item almost out of our purchases is beef. Thats not a good sign
for our economy in the USA but the cost is now radically higher than
pork, often $2 a lb or more. Fresh seafood is generally cheaper now
than beef.

Major brands are reducing sizes in small increments while store brands
and 'off brands' are not. Salt and sugar addition to major brands
seems to be increasing while store brands overall seem stable.

Thoughts?
Carol

We're back to using coupons and trying to combine them with sales. There
aren't a lot of coupons we can use given our food allergies and the fact
that we don't buy much prepared food. But we use what we can.

We have cut back on the variety of what we eat, especially with produce. I
buy greens, onions of all kinds, sometimes potatoes, baby carrots, sliced
apples, tomatoes, and once in a while something else. I get the apples and
carrots at Costco.

We are eating less meat. I actually have a good coupon for money off of any
pork product but aside from bacon, I don't eat pork and daughter doesn't
much care for it any more. She used to like pork chops but no longer. If
it's still good when my husband is home I will buy something for him. He
eats it.

We do eat beef but rarely and mostly ground beef.

Daughter likes chicken but mostly I don't. When I fix it for her I usually
just eat peanut butter or beans.

I have discovered Winco Foods. I can save a ton there! I wouldn't say that
they have the highest cuts of meat, particularly beef. They do have some
chicken that looks good.

Mainly we buy stuff like rice, canned goods, produce, cheese, lunch meats
and some gluten free items. Also has the cheapest price on beverages.

It is in another city so we mostly go there once every two weeks. I try to
buy enough to last the two weeks. On alternate weeks, we get what we need
at Costco.

I do shop at some other stores around here which means sometimes going every
other day to some store. QFC sent me coupons for money off and free items.
I got free eggs, yogurt, chips and whatever the other item was now escapes
me. Whatever it was, I got it. Albertsons puts out doubler coupons every
few weeks. You get three in Sunday's paper and they have to be used by
Tues.

I now take the paper to get the coupons. I get whatever coupons I might use
from my dad who does not use them. I have also bought some from Ebay.

I have asked for a chest freezer for my birthday next week. Currently we
have a side by side and the freezer portion doesn't hold much or large
items. I will be able to use more coupons once I get that.

On Jun 22, 3:37*pm, "cshenk" wrote:
Hi all,

Been a bit since we have had a thread on this and the scene has changed
a bit in both produce and items we may be finding. *I'd be interested
in what items the rest of you are using now that you enjoy.

One item almost out of our purchases is beef. *Thats not a good sign
for our economy in the USA but the cost is now radically higher than
pork, often $2 a lb or more. *Fresh seafood is generally cheaper now
than beef.

Here fresh fish costs more than Filet mignon. (Not counting swai,
basa, or tilapia). Shrimp is dirt cheap though.


Major brands are reducing sizes in small increments while store brands
and 'off brands' are not. *

House tuna comes in a 5 oz can.

On Jun 22, 6:37*pm, "cshenk" wrote:

One item almost out of our purchases is beef. *Thats not a good sign
for our economy in the USA but the cost is now radically higher than
pork, often $2 a lb or more. *Fresh seafood is generally cheaper now
than beef.

Major brands are reducing sizes in small increments while store brands
and 'off brands' are not. *Salt and sugar addition to major brands
seems to be increasing while store brands overall seem stable.


I love giving opinions. On this subject my opinion is that food is
relatively cheap compared to the cost of other things. So far at
least. I suppose it's all relative. If some person is accustomed to
eating 12 ounces of filet mignon every day and the price suddenly
soars, that might be a major incident in his life. On the other hand,
if that same guy is out in the desert with enough water to last two
weeks and no more, but he also has no food - at that time lizard mean
could take on an appeal he never knew existed. I do not concern
myself with the cost of food. I am an animal. If it comes down to
cannibalism, I am ready to eat. But so is everyone else. That will
be true capitalism, when people work not for pay but for food - when
the day comes when all other animals have already been killed off and
all that is left are humans.

TJ

On Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:32:05 -0700 (PDT), "critters & me in azusa, ca"
wrote:

Two doors down is the $.99
cent store that I sometimes shop at for the dried noodle soup
packages.

I hope you get more than one for $1.99!

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:56:10 -0700 (PDT), Kalmia
wrote:

I got coffee today - 2 lb. 4 oz. bag was 3 bucks off regular price,
plus I had a coupon. No more silly 12 ouncers for me.

YAY! You should know by 10AM if you like that coffee or not.
Hopefully you got what you paid for (and more).

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Jun 22, 4:21*pm, George Shirley wrote:

One thing I've done for years is to buy the store brand of canned
whatever, usually they will stock canned goods with a prominent label,
"No Salt Added."

We buy practically zero canned foods other than tomatoes for sauce.
Black beans if we're going to make burritos or something. Evaporated
milk for quiche.

Reasonably priced meat can still be found. I frequent the "used meat"
bin at the local Kroger. Stuff going off the "best by" date on the next
day is marked down 20 to 50 percent dependent upon the cut.

This is good but pickings are slim. I bought some beef shanks the
other day, roasted them, and made beef stock in the slow cooker. And a
rump roast to cook rare and slice/marinate into Italian beef.

I had been buying bison meat from Kroger, packaged by Maverick Ranch in
Colorado. A few months back it was cheaper than store brand chuck, at
about $5.99 a lb.

If store brand chuck isn't less than $4 a pound there is something
wrong with America. No idea where to get bison by me though. Even lamb
is scarce nowadays. Lamb stew meat sells for the price of top sirloin
beef.

Two weeks ago I found it for $7.99 and last week it
was $9.99. I think that probably reflects the transportation cost what
with diesel and gasoline going up a lot.

Every meat was considerably cheaper in February/March than today -- I
just cleaned out the stack of reading material on my side of the bed.


I occasionally find seven-bone chuck steaks, four to five lb ones, on
sale in bulk. I buy them cheap and then repackage in vacuum bags for
later use. When some of our large family comes to visit we have a big
pot roast with lots of veggies, home made bread, and some sort of
dessert from fruit we've canned ourselves. Feed eight or ten people a
good meal for a reasonable price.

I grind chuck roast into hamburger meat because I have no faith in
what they put in it.


Of course we're both retired now so we have the leisure to shop wisely.
A friend hops from store to store buying stuff listed in the weekly
grocery flyers. He spends more on gasoline than I would do but seems
happy with it. I shop the one store and know where everything is and go
straight to whichever aisle my computerized list tells me to go.

There are four supermarkets in a half-mile strip by me, including
Trader Joe's and Whole P. (which carries the bread I like). I get the
sale flyers and circle the things I want. I cherry pick what I want.
Bing bing bing. My wife shops one of the farmers markets on Sunday.

One of our weekend destinations is close to an Asian store with dirt
cheap, medium to good quality produce. There we'll get a stir-fry
vegetable, bean sprouts (good for the liver) and a Vietnamese baguette
for sub sandwiches. The bread keeps well in the freezer if we're not
going to eat it right away. I used to get cheap chicken legs at a
different Asian supermarket, but my wife thought they smelled too
gamey. So I avoid the meat section.

I don't
shop Walmart, they change the blasted aisles every other week to
encourage impulse shopping.

I checked out the closest Walmart supercenter but there was nothing
special there.

On Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:35:02 -0700 (PDT), "critters & me in azusa, ca"
wrote:

I saw several of the "new cans of coffee" at 10.5 oz, I believe. The
12 oz can has gone the way of the 16 oz can.

Time to raise the price of a pound or lower the can to 8 oz.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.