Steepest Rise in Food in 36 yrs. Stock up

[HappyMama]

Again know I am preaching to some of the choir here, but for those who watch the market, commodities, bonds, oil prices and stock up accordingly you will be fine.

Here are some signs that you need to keep on keeping on. Stock what you eat, eat what you store, rotate and stock your pantries. For those who buy prepared food you will see an increase, if not now when. The companies are and have taken the hit in the price increases. You are the ones that might not see too much of an increase until the new skus or prices come in and companies can reduce packaging , amounts per package etc. to keep things ok for a little while. Which is great for you so stock up and coupon when you can.

But for those who buy raw goods to prepare and cook from scratch use your buying power now , shop loss leaders, in season, coupon ,bulk buy and cook from scratch. You will see the biggest increase as you are buying raw product, but since you are willing to do the work of the bulk buying and cooking you will have the biggest savings and possibilities to stock your pantry.

Do what is best for you and your family accordingly just thought I would throw out there for thoughts, suggestions etc.


Wholesale prices up 1.6 pct. on steep rise in food - Yahoo! Finance



Wholesale prices up 1.6 pct. on steep rise in food

In this March 1, 2011 photo, a customer looks at fresh vegetables at a Kroger Co. supermarket in Cincinnati. Wholesale prices jumped last month by the most in nearly two years due to higher energy costs and the steepest rise in food prices in 36 years. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)
On Wednesday March 16, 2011, 8:57 am EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Wholesale prices jumped last month by the most in nearly two years due to higher energy costs and the steepest rise in food prices in 36 years. Excluding those volatile categories, inflation was tame.

The Labor Department said Wednesday that the Producer Price Index rose a seasonally adjusted 1.6 percent in February -- double the 0.8 percent rise in the previous month. Outside of food and energy costs, the core index ticked up 0.2 percent, less than January's 0.5 percent rise.

Food prices soared 3.9 percent last month, the biggest gain since November 1974. Most of that increase was due to a sharp rise in vegetable costs, which increased nearly 50 percent. That was the most in almost a year. Meat and dairy products also rose.

Energy prices rose 3.3 percent last month, led by a 3.7 percent increase in gasoline costs.

Separately, the Commerce Department said home construction plunged to a seasonally adjusted 479,000 homes last month, down 22.5 percent from the previous month. It was lowest level since April 2009, and the second-lowest on records dating back more than a half-century.

The building pace is far below the 1.2 million units a year that economists consider healthy.

There was little sign of inflationary pressures outside of food and energy. Core prices have increased 1.8 percent in the past 12 months.

Still consumers are paying more for the basic necessities.

Gas prices spiked in February and are even higher now. The national average price was $3.56 a gallon Tuesday, up 43 cents, or 13.7 percent, from a month earlier, according to the AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge. Rising demand for oil in fast-growing emerging economies such as China and India has pushed up prices in recent months. Turmoil in Libya, Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries has also sent prices higher.

But economists expect the earthquake in Japan to lower oil prices for the next month or two, which should temper increases in wholesale prices in coming months. Japan is a big oil consumer, and its economy will suffer in the aftermath of the quake. But as the country begins to rebuild later this year, the cost of oil and other raw materials, such as steel and cement, could rise.

Oil prices fell sharply Tuesday as fears about Japan's nuclear crisis intensified. Oil dropped $4.01, or 4 percent, to settle at $97.18 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Food costs, meanwhile, are rising. Bad weather in the past year has damaged crops in Australia, Russia, and South America. Demand for corn for ethanol use has also contributed to the increase.

Prices rose 1 percent for apparel, the most in 21 years. Costs also increased for cars, jewelry, and consumer plastics.

[mauimagic]

Mahalo for the update and reminder. I am working on this daily.

[ncarr]

thanks for the article. definitely a good thing we stockpile!

[bustedparts]

I just came from Aldi's doing a stockpile run. I didn't realize it looks strange to other people that see you in the store bc some little old lady in front of me said, my gosh dear do you have a restaurant? after I politely tell her no she decides that I MUST have a big family.

I don't understand how people can live with only a week's worth of food on hand in their house. it drives me nuts if I don't have at least a month's worth on hand.

thanks for the article

[HappyMama]

Hehe !! bustedparts you will laugh I was shown a house once with 3 cupboards in the kitchen. That wouldn't even hold my pots and pans, or appliances let alone a few days of food. The Realtor told me if you need more then one small cupboard for food you had issues. I liked her, her lifestyle, none of my business but she never cooked, ate out every night, had a children with "behavior issues", and was in tremendous debt . Once again her lifestyle and opinion but the result of her decisions on her bank account, and family health was not one I wanted to deal with.

I am not saying to over buy, hoard or whatever but to me she lacked common sense and the ability to see the forest for the trees. One small cupboard wouldn't hold my precious spices. .....lol just saying.

[pinetree]

I have been having a hard time finding good deals, prices went up here around Christmas and I havent had a good sale since.

[savvy_sniper]

SO glad I have my stockpile. I regularly compare prices at Kroger, HEB, and WalMart. I ONLY purchase things on sale (loss leaders) and/or that I have a coupon for. I spent $24 yesterday and came out of the store with FIVE bags of food most of which was fruit and veggies.

I also frequent Big Lots when they offer 20% off and my local salvage store. I bought tons of dry dog food between Thanksgiving and the end of February because Pet Smart had it on sale and there were $5 off coupons in the bags.

So far I am doing really good dollar wise. This month I am putting $200 worth of groceries on my Discover card because they are giving me 5% cash back. I will pay the bill in full when it comes due.

I am spending more time and effort stretching my grocery budget, BUT it is paying off. My stockpile is in the best shape it has ever been in, it hasn't cost me an arm and a leg, and we are eating well.

[mauimagic]

finding good deals is getting harder and harder here. I want to dehydrate - but there is nothing I can afford to dehydrate - but then, if I don't do it know the prices will be higher later. Okay - deep breath - one thing at a time.

[bustedparts]

Hehe !! bustedparts you will laugh I was shown a house once with 3 cupboards in the kitchen. That wouldn't even hold my pots and pans, or appliances let alone a few days of food. The Realtor told me if you need more then one small cupboard for food you had issues. I liked her, her lifestyle, none of my business but she never cooked, ate out every night, had a children with "behavior issues", and was in tremendous debt . Once again her lifestyle and opinion but the result of her decisions on her bank account, and family health was not one I wanted to deal with.

I am not saying to over buy, hoard or whatever but to me she lacked common sense and the ability to see the forest for the trees. One small cupboard wouldn't hold my precious spices. .....lol just saying.

ONE cupboard for food

we had a pantry in our previous home, but not here. my pots and pans take up all but 2 cabinets. and those 2 cabinets are stuffed with food. I think the more "real food" cooking that you do, the more room you need. I have my flour, sugar, rice, and beans stored in huge 5 gallon buckets. they sit on a shelf in the dining room with the rest of our food since I ran out of room in the kitchen. my dream house would have a walk-in pantry but until then, my spices are still in a huge box jumbled all together since I can't figure out what to do with them.

I don't approve of the whole hoarding thing either. some of the coupon sites out there make some of us look bad. what exactly are you going to do with 200 toothbrushes if you aren't donating some of them? KWIM

[mauimagic]

I use my downstairs linen closet for my extra pantry - works great - only need so many towels and sheets!!

[Spirit Deer]

Interesting article. Thanks!

I just love it when they exclude gas and food in their hocus pocus numbers. That's only valid if those of us who live here in the real world can exclude those costs from our lives. Oops, can't. So who cares if other things aren't going up? We still have to buy gas, and buy things hauled to our local stores and/or produced with oil.

I have one cabinet for food... IN MY CAMPER! I agree, one little cupboard wouldn't even hold my spice and herb collection. I also have a walk-in pantry and I have to say it's a great storage space. I didn't think I wanted it when we looked at the model home, but I couldn't live comfortably without it now.

Who would even want to eat out every night? Ew.

[imagine]

Hehe !! bustedparts you will laugh I was shown a house once with 3 cupboards in the kitchen. That wouldn't even hold my pots and pans, or appliances let alone a few days of food. The Realtor told me if you need more then one small cupboard for food you had issues. I liked her, her lifestyle, none of my business but she never cooked, ate out every night, had a children with "behavior issues", and was in tremendous debt . Once again her lifestyle and opinion but the result of her decisions on her bank account, and family health was not one I wanted to deal with.

I am not saying to over buy, hoard or whatever but to me she lacked common sense and the ability to see the forest for the trees. One small cupboard wouldn't hold my precious spices. .....lol just saying.

When I first read this I thought 3 cupboard = three pantries

Then I realized you meant 3 cabinets.

Then I understood.

[krbshappy71]

My house came with a small pantry, very handy. Thanks for the article.

[Ramona]

I just came from Aldi's doing a stockpile run. I didn't realize it looks strange to other people that see you in the store bc some little old lady in front of me said, my gosh dear do you have a restaurant? after I politely tell her no she decides that I MUST have a big family.

I don't understand how people can live with only a week's worth of food on hand in their house. it drives me nuts if I don't have at least a month's worth on hand.

thanks for the article

Me, neither. I've always been astonished when someone says "There is nothing in the house, I have to buy food."

[Ramona]

Hehe !! bustedparts you will laugh I was shown a house once with 3 cupboards in the kitchen. That wouldn't even hold my pots and pans, or appliances let alone a few days of food. The Realtor told me if you need more then one small cupboard for food you had issues. I liked her, her lifestyle, none of my business but she never cooked, ate out every night, had a children with "behavior issues", and was in tremendous debt . Once again her lifestyle and opinion but the result of her decisions on her bank account, and family health was not one I wanted to deal with.

I am not saying to over buy, hoard or whatever but to me she lacked common sense and the ability to see the forest for the trees. One small cupboard wouldn't hold my precious spices. .....lol just saying.

This reminds me, our "good" Walmart has just started selling small cellophane bags of various spices at reasonable prices. It seems a good way to test spices you've never used and only need a bit of.