Business and Economy
What surprised you the most at your last visit to the grocery store?
By Adnaan Wasey
May 04, 2008, 02:18 PM
Global food prices have risen dramatically in the past year — 57 percent, according to the United Nations' Food Price Index — because of rising demand and tight supplies. Wheat and oil prices have doubled. That's particularly troubling for the global poor, who already spend most of their income on food.
That may be hard for Americans to contemplate, but the same food pressures are being felt here, and the evidence is the price of your favorite foods in the grocery store aisles.
So, tell us, What surprised you the most when you last visited the grocery store? Is there something you took out of your shopping cart because of the price?
#2 Posted by Douglas Back, May 05, 12:45AM
Sort of tangential, but related to food prices, so I'll share.
I live in Queens and recently joined a local CSA (community supported agriculture) to essentially lock in vegetable and fruit prices for the whole season. Two friends and I are splitting a growing season's worth of food (June through November) for about $280 per person.
This seemed like a good idea at the time, if only for the fact I'd be getting fresh fruit and vegetables from a local farm for the whole summer (local being the eastern part of Long Island). After just glancing at some financial numbers, I've spent about 15% more on groceries in the last 4 months than I did in the same period in 2007. Needless to say, my wages haven't kept pace with these prices (they're barely keeping pace with inflation).
Here's hoping that this summer will be a bountiful growing season here in New York State, especially on Long Island.
#3 Posted by Johnathan Grant, May 05, 04:47AM
What surprises me is how much staple items have gone up. I really have to shop around now to find reasonable prices on milk, eggs, and bread.
I can report that visiting the bread thrift store is worthwhile; I can usually buy two loaves of any type of bread for the same price as one at a retail grocery store.
I am also looking into joining a CSA for much the same reasons cited by Douglas above. Or, at the very least, I will make a concerted effort to visit the local farmers' market more often this season.
And - we have bought some organic tomato plants, plus seeds for a few other items. So hopefully we'll have our own bumper crop this year; that'll not only be better for us, but cheaper as well.
#4 Posted by Leslie, May 05, 02:16PM
My daughter picked up shredded Mozzerella for a pizza and it cost over $6! Wow!
#5 Posted by jason, June 16, 08:04PM
The price of Milk. Wow.
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#1 Posted by Aaron Kinchen, May 04, 11:17PM
Well, It had been three weeks. I'd been hearing on NPR that the cost of groceries were "really going up", but to this point, i felt like that was only happening to "other people" and not to me. Well, what freaked me out the most was that the same pack of chicken that I ordinarily pay approximately $3.75 for, was literally DOUBLE!!
I haven't paid $7.00 for a 1.5lbs of chicken breast cutlets in my life! I was looking over my shoulder, wondering if someone was playing a joke on me. There was no hidden camera anywhere. Clearly, the cost of chicken has, "gone crazy".