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Inflation not a problem as long as you avoid food

4K views 40 replies 31 participants last post by  Rhiamon 
#1 ·
#2 · (Edited)
Will be stocking up on more sugar, that is for sure...lol


Global sugar prices are at their highest level in 30 years and may rise higher as fears of a worldwide shortage loom.

The high prices are part of a larger trend of high food prices caused by loss and degradation of arable land, climate uncertainty and price speculation. In the case of sugar, prices were pushed to record highs by a drought in Brazil, leading to a 30 percent drop in sugar cane production.


http://www.ft.com/cms/s/43cfbb7a-e6...ww.naturalnews.com/031100_sugar_shortage.html



Learn more: Global sugar shortage looms, price hikes expected
 
#4 ·
Booklover,

I buy mine 25-50 pounds at a time ( I get raw , turbinado , or cane sugar) not sure if it is because of the kinds I get but I put them in 5 gallon buckets and they never get hard.
 
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#5 ·
Stockpile.
Use coupons when I can.
Buy loss leaders.
Don't use menus.
Garden.
Chickens for eggs.
Canning / freezing.
Buy mark downs.
Sub in something different if cheaper in price.
Buy genaric.
Shop at Aldi's mainly.
Buy in large quanity if the price is right.
Check the marked down shelf at the store.
Bartering and thinking outside the box.
Scratch cooking / baking.
Don't eat out.
Learn new recipes.
Cook smaller meals, so less leftovers.
Only enough for a second day, not 3 or 4 ........
Track inventory with lists.
Go to local farmer's markets. Make friends with the farmer :)
 
#7 ·
Most of what I buy is on sale or part of the perimeter of the grocery store. Seasonal fruits and veggies are part of my diet. Frozen veggies when on sale also get purchased.

I stock up on meat when I see managers specials.

Now that you brought this up I think I will soak some beans tonight and throw them in the crockpot!
 
#9 ·
:laugh:: Would make it easier ....lol
 
#10 ·
LOVE my stockpile and I cook mostly from scratch. We seldom eat out. So I have the luxury of buying ONLY when on sale, with a coupon, at the salvage store, etc. and then and only then do I stock up. Since I am on a diet and exercising we are eating healthier and less. So stockpile is lasting longer!

EVERYBODY go on a diet - LOL!
 
#11 ·
ummm....Now that is the million dollar question for me right now. Up until now we've;

-Gardened and froze & dehydrated surplus

-Planted fruit trees

-I make my own mixes for things like cakes, muffins, cookies

-I do a two, three times yearly if I can, stock up on flour, oats, cocoa, sugar, spices, etc. I try to do a stock up on harvest produce in the fall for cold storage (from farmers market, this year prices were too high) pumpkins, potatoes, onions, apples. And a stock up from the food thrift store on things like gluten free mixes, and things my oldest likes. I wait until I have enough saved up, sometimes it's just $30, sometimes more. I always hope to have more. :)

-I cherry pick. I get out my flyers and find what's on sale and then I make a giant loop hitting each store so I don't waste gas.

-I check out any and all food clearance racks. I've gotten some fabulous gluten free and natural products for a song that way.

-beans, lots of beans. Soups, lots of soups. And a lot less meat.

No one's mentioned it, but if you have a state park near you, often you can get put on a deer list. Right now they are thinning the herds around here, we just may get one to put up in the freezer. They also call you for deer/car accidents. The thing is, you've got to come when they call or you back to the bottom of the list.
 
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#12 ·
Bread in the container with the brown sugar will keep it soft as sand...change out the bread once in awhile. If you put the bread in a container with cookies it will keep them soft. The bigger the piece of bread the softer...don't put a big piece..the cookie will be TOO soft.

Food is going to continue to rise no matter what you/we do..stockpiling helps until you have to replace it..then you have THAT days increases.
Gardening definitely helps.
Alot of the stuff Lady said is what I agree with...it's about all you can do
But in the end it's going to keep increasing and unfortunately alot of peoples pay isn't.
This recession isn't over by a long shot...and me, the way I see it, this is only going to either make it worse or keep it going longer.
 
#13 ·
People just have to stop being afraid. That's what drives inflation more than anything. Sadly, unless you live in a country that directly controls the exportation of particular items, you'll always be hanging on the fears of someone above you who is controlling prices.

All you can really do is start switching to alternatives, learn how to garden, buy items on markdown/clearance and hope for the best. If you live in a country that cannot coupon or has few coupons, you have to live a lot differently than other people. My suggestions? Pay attention to the biggest sales and stock up. Write down your ingredients in your recipes and what the measurements are. Buy strictly based on that.

Also, cut back on eating out and learn to eat leftovers. Make/bake from scratch and adapt to using recipes that have few ingredients.
 
#14 ·
I've switched our household over to a vegetarian diet and that has cut my grocery bill dramatically.

We use things like:

Brown rice
Beans (dried and canned)
Low fat dairy ( hard to stockpile much of this- I just get what is on sale)
Frozen veggies and fruits (fresh are outrageous right now)
potatoes
soups
whole wheat pasta
Canned tomato products
Peanut butter
Basic baking supplies

You can make a lot of different dishes from the above ingredients if you have a well stocked spice cabinet.

I've only done this for a couple of weeks but I'm noticing a HUGE difference. As an added bonus, it's also way better for the environment.
 
#15 ·
I shop the sales at Market Basket. Our favorite bread is usually $5.19 for a 24 oz loaf. Bought two recently for $2.50 each. It's certified organic 12 grain whole grain. Boy howdy, is it delicious.

I only buy meat on sale or marked down.

Use my slow cooker a lot.

I buy seasonally for fruits and veggies.

Canned veggies only bought on sale, then I stock up, same with pasta and marinara sauce.

I do use store bought bread dough for my homemade pizzas, but it's only $1 each and two packages give me a huge pan of nice, thick pizza.

I try new recipes: discovered cheeseburger pie, yum! and will be making my first meatloaf soon.

I make my own Bisquick mix now.

Hot dogs on rolls with a side of baked beans is good for dinner.
 
#17 ·
all of the previous ideas are great. i imagine that most of us on this site do many of these things already. i know i do. the only thing that i need to improve on is eating out. but i really consider that as entertainment, a social outlet if you will. since i do nothing and go nowhere.

i think since we all are frugal there is nothing new for us. most have already cut to the bone already. we will have to cut back on eating.......it is the next step. sad..........really sad state of affairs. my heart hurts for those that have children to feed. how much can you cut back with no effect? just thinking out loud here.....and grumbling.
 
#19 ·
i really havent been that hard hit by foods. i am still keeping on same budget i was a few years ago even with a 22 yo back at home

i do see higher prices out there but just dont buy stuff at that price.

if its not on sale i dont buy it - whether its someones fav food or not . My low end prices really havent changed for me except for toilet paper and i still try for that price and go for the lclosest i can - .

i meal plan based on what i have or is on sale or make a change if i find it on sale unexpectedly .

i work based on portions -
what is a healthy portion... not what my kids want to eat . If they are still hungry a 1/2 hr after they are done they can have some popcorn or fruit to eat as a snack but your body doesnt register full until 20 min after it is , and eating huge portions use to be seen as a healthy appetite but now is being realized is a bad habit to take into adulthood health wise.

no one goes hungry but they also arent eating too much carbs or meats by triple portions .

our fresh fruits and veggies we get an an ugly -cold fruit stand that is a distribution center type of place but cheap and good fruit .

never really did premade dinners etc cost too much for a family our size.

really havent made any changes from what i usually do except have less time to make extra trips to the store during the week .
 
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#20 ·
Well fellow frugal friends and ants don't panic, but be wise. Wheat is rising as we speak. Panic no..... but stock upget some for a good price you will need. It doesn't hurt to be wise, shop frugally and be ahead of the curve. A penny saved is a penny earned.

Bloomberg:

U.S. Commodities: Grains Rise as Food Protests in Africa Mount
By Jeff Wilson and Whitney McFerron - Jan 26, 2011 5:15 PM CT

l

Wheat rose, capping the longest rally since November 2009, while corn and soybeans climbed as countries increase purchases from the U.S., the world’s biggest exporter, to cut food inflation and quell civil unrest.

Food-exporting countries are “strongly advised” not to restrict shipments to prevent “more uncertainty and disruption” in world markets, the United Nations said. Governments in Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Yemen have faced protests amid rising costs and high unemployment, and a revolt toppled Tunisia’s leader.

“Sovereign nations are beginning to stockpile food to prevent unrest, and that will help to boost demand for U.S. grains,” said Jim Gerlach, the president of A/C Trading Inc. in Fowler, Indiana. “You artificially stimulate much higher demand when nations start to increase stockpiles.”

In other markets, hog futures surged to the highest in more than 14 years as prospects improved for U.S. pork exports to Asia. Sugar jumped more than 4 percent. The UBS Bloomberg Constant Maturity Commodity Index advanced 1.7 percent, the most this month, to 1,661.31.

Wheat futures for March delivery rose 18.25 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $8.565 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade, capping a seven-day advance of 11 percent. Earlier, the price r

U.S. Commodities: Grains Rise as Food Protests in Africa Mount - Bloomberg
 
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#21 ·
Found this interesting:


Grocery prices increased at more than 50 percent the rate of inflation in 2010, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.


For the first time since 2008, inflation is hitting consumers in the stomach.

Grocery prices grew by more than 1 1/2 times the overall rate of inflation this year, outpaced only by costs of transportation and medical care, according to numbers released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Economists predict that this is only the beginning. Fueled by the higher costs of wheat, sugar, corn, soybeans and energy, shoppers could see as much as a 4 percent increase at the supermarket checkout next year.

"I noticed just this month that my grocery bill for the same old stuff - cereal, eggs, milk, orange juice, peanut butter, bread - spiked $25," said Sue Perry, deputy editor of ShopSmart magazine, a nonprofit publication from Consumer Reports. "It was a bit of sticker shock."

But it makes sense. Since November 2009, meat, poultry, fish and eggs have surged 5.8 percent in price. Dairy and related products have gone up 3.8 percent; fats and oils, 3 percent; and sugar and sweets, 1.2 percent.

While overall inflation nationwide was 1.1 percent, grocery prices went up 1.7 percent nationally and 1.3 percent in the Bay Area, said Todd Johnson, an economist for the Bureau of Labor Statistics office in San Francisco. "The largest effects on grocery prices here over the last month were tomatoes, followed by eggs, fish and seafood."

Read more: Food prices rise sharply - and there's more to come




Food prices rise sharply - and there's more to come
 
#22 ·
I have noticed, with the boxed foods, that the price hasn't increased as much as the boxes are shrinking. I heard it referred to as the "magic shrinking package syndrome". Same price for less product makes the consumer more likely to purchase than a price increase on the same size product. No idea why- it's still a price increase either which way!
 
#23 ·
I wish I could stockpile a bit. But with moving every 3-4 years with the military, I can't really buy more than a few months worth of stuff at time.

You can bet once DH retires from the military at 38, we will start a sensible stockpile.
 
#24 ·
I've been stocking up on flour it's been on sale lately! A meatless meal would help also. Using coupons whenever I can too!
 
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#25 ·
Trisha,

Try finding something like what your family likes that's meatless. Like veggies & cheese on pasta if they like spaghetti & meat balls. Don't make exactly the same thing veggie only OR stop entirely having the meat versions, but maybe 1/2 the time. It's a "different" king of spaghetti. You can also make 3 cheese lasagna or zuchinni lasagna or spinach lasagna or veggie stir fries or... you get the idea.

When we got married DH was a perfectly happy vegetarian. Me? No way! I had to have MEAT and BUTTER!!! I can do without both now, but it has taken a lot of years of learning that without them I can still have a meal that fills me up. Eggplant parm subs will fill me up as well as a meatball sub, but it is different.

When I tried doing without entirely, I got to where I dreaming about steak! So I learned to go veggie only about 1/2 the time as a goal. That was years ago. Now we eat whatever, meat or veggie that we have available. Sometimes it's a lot of meat, sometimes it's about 1/2 and 1/2 again, sometimes it's all veggie. Depends on the weather, $$, and what's in the house.

IHTH!

Judi
 
#26 ·
I don't have room to stockpile and live in an expensive city with not very many grocery stores nearby. I go to a nearby farmers' market each Sunday for most stuff and the first thing I do is walk around the entire market to find out what the different vendors are charging for the same product. I have found that veggies tend to be similarly priced, but dairy and meat can vary a lot. The guy I usually buy eggs from sells 1/2 dozen eggs for 75 cents less than another vendor on the other side of the market.
 
#27 ·
Thirty years ago, rice came in 25 lb bags.
Ten years ago, rice changed to 20 lb. bags.
This weekend I saw the first advertisement for 15 lb bags.
 
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#28 ·
We're stepping up on the gardening, even planning some cold frames to keep hardier greens and root veg. through as much as the winter as possible.
I've gone back to couponing - which is a lot of work, but it pays off even with no stores here doubling coupons.
We're also building a pantry in the basement to keep our stock pile off the floor of the kitchen - flats of cans are a pain to move every time we need to sweep and mop - and my kitchen is not getting any bigger.
 
#29 ·
I do a lot of what is already mentioned:

* Stockpile
* Buy loss leaders
* Joined a produce co-op
* Eat at home
* Use every bit of food (leftovers)
* Make good use of my freezer (stock up on berrie in the summer!)
* Going to plant tomatoes this summer
* Homemade snacks (cookies, popcorn, etc....)

Would like to look into a dehyrator.
 
#30 ·
I've noticed sizes in packaging shrinking. My kids love granola bars for breakfast when they are on the run in the morning to get to class and the bars have shrunk by at least an inch in size but the box is still the same. The price is a little higher.
 
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