US Tariffs, Sigh!

[BigNate]

I plan my menu around the sales. Here's our sales flyer for the week - they have to be pretty similar all over?
Piggly Wiggly is a grocery chain in the Midwest, my brother-in-law creates the ads and sets the prices for one of the local chains (not this one). I'll ask him about the prices to settle this debate.

just remember this type of add tends to be full of loss-leaders, or not so good for tracking the actual average price of items... in-general they tend to show where there are local surpluses in supply chains - the vendor suggests a sale on the over-stocked items.... but looking at relative prices for similar items on sale could be interresting!

 

[Stacey K]

just remember this type of add tends to be full of loss-leaders, or not so good for tracking the actual average price of items... in-general they tend to show where there are local surpluses in supply chains - the vendor suggests a sale on the over-stocked items.... but looking at relative prices for similar items on sale could be interresting!

Yes, that's all correct BUT - if you're a regular sale shopper or coupon clipper, then you know what a good sale price is and what isn't and the sale prices also move with inflation. (except the water, I was buying a case of PW water 7 years ago for $2). I used to get Busch Light on sale for $17 - now it's $21.49 on sale. Used to get blueberries on sale frequently for 99cents, now it's almost impossible to find them on sale for $1.99.

 

[GAC05]

I checked the health of the economy by looking at the Amazon current price tracker for new and used toilet paper. Almost unchanged from the last time I posted (in this thread). Used TP is now just $0.04 USD cheaper than New TP. So, I think we are in a period of stability, at least in the near term.

 

[BigNate]

Yes, that's all correct BUT - if you're a regular sale shopper or coupon clipper, then you know what a good sale price is and what isn't and the sale prices also move with inflation. (except the water, I was buying a case of PW water 7 years ago for $2). I used to get Busch Light on sale for $17 - now it's $21.49 on sale. Used to get blueberries on sale frequently for 99cents, now it's almost impossible to find them on sale for $1.99.

Wow that was pretty cheap beer! I remember Dad giving us a $5 and we would get 2 movie tickets, popcorn, a candy and a soda.... (just took the Wife to see Superman and same deal, but 2 sodas and no candy - $110)

so I guess this is the strong evidence that there is no inflation and prices cost less now than they did before!

 

[guillermo]

He's producing parts for missiles because we are strengthening our military. Imagine that, a super power actually being backed by weapons.

yeah, right, Israel is depleting its supplies.

 

[guillermo]

Wow that was pretty cheap beer! I remember Dad giving us a $5 and we would get 2 movie tickets, popcorn, a candy and a soda.... (just took the Wife to see Superman and same deal, but 2 sodas and no candy - $110)

so I guess this is the strong evidence that there is no inflation and prices cost less now than they did before!

I heard in the news, that inflation went up 2.7%

 

[Stacey K]

Wow that was pretty cheap beer! I remember Dad giving us a $5 and we would get 2 movie tickets, popcorn, a candy and a soda.... (just took the Wife to see Superman and same deal, but 2 sodas and no candy - $110)

so I guess this is the strong evidence that there is no inflation and prices cost less now than they did before!

OMG that's crazy! Do you have a value day? Marcus Theatres here we have "Value Tuesdays" - movies are $6 I'm a Magical Rewards Member (free) so I get free popcorn and 20% off combos. Tickets were $5, they raised them to $6 within the last year.

Obviously there's been inflation, but my point is there's way around it in the grocery store and within our extra-curricular activities, if a person is willing to do some legwork. I used to be a stay-at-home mom on $40 a week for groceries with a family of 4 so I've learned how to be cheap. I make my own laundry detergent too...I pay about $6yr for it. I suppose I may have paid $5yr for it in the past but when you are paying so little, you don't notice the inflation so much. If you buy Tide...you will notice inflation MUCH MORE since it's more expensive and most people use a full scoop. I only use 1 TBL of my concoction.

 

[ikarasu]

OMG that's crazy! Do you have a value day? Marcus Theatres here we have "Value Tuesdays" - movies are $6 I'm a Magical Rewards Member (free) so I get free popcorn and 20% off combos. Tickets were $5, they raised them to $6 within the last year.

Obviously there's been inflation, but my point is there's way around it in the grocery store and within our extra-curricular activities, if a person is willing to do some legwork. I used to be a stay-at-home mom on $40 a week for groceries with a family of 4 so I've learned how to be cheap. I make my own laundry detergent too...I pay about $6yr for it. I suppose I may have paid $5yr for it in the past but when you are paying so little, you don't notice the inflation so much. If you buy Tide...you will notice inflation MUCH MORE since it's more expensive and most people use a full scoop. I only use 1 TBL of my concoction.

I brought my kid and wife to the new superman movie... We went 3d avx... So the more expensive tickets, came to about $85 after taxes for 3 people.

3 drinks and a large popcorn and 1 bag of candy came to $35. I think all in it was close to $120 after taxes for 3 people to goto the movie ... I used to sneak candy and drinks in to save money as a kid, but now that I can afford it I try to do better. But $120 to see a movie was crazy....

Non 3d/IMAX it's about $40 for tickets and $35 for food, so $75.... Still expensive.

Canadian money if course, but still ... Movies used to be $8 each, like... 10 years ago. A lot of people won't goto the movies and they're blaming it on movies sucking.... But the truth is they jacked up the price so much here that people can't afford to go. I could go out to eat at a nice restaurant 2x with the family vs a movie... Can get McDonald's like 5 times for the 3 of us! Even if people could afford the price, it's just a rip off compared to what you can get for other items.


Mini movie rant! I don't think the movie prices going up here is inflation, I think it's the rich trying to get richer.

 

[JBurton]

A lot of people won't goto the movies and they're blaming it on movies sucking.... But the truth is

I paid for this big azz tv with my covid money and I'm damn well gonna use it.

 

[BigNate]

OMG that's crazy! Do you have a value day? Marcus Theatres here we have "Value Tuesdays" - movies are $6 I'm a Magical Rewards Member (free) so I get free popcorn and 20% off combos. Tickets were $5, they raised them to $6 within the last year.

Obviously there's been inflation, but my point is there's way around it in the grocery store and within our extra-curricular activities, if a person is willing to do some legwork. I used to be a stay-at-home mom on $40 a week for groceries with a family of 4 so I've learned how to be cheap. I make my own laundry detergent too...I pay about $6yr for it. I suppose I may have paid $5yr for it in the past but when you are paying so little, you don't notice the inflation so much. If you buy Tide...you will notice inflation MUCH MORE since it's more expensive and most people use a full scoop. I only use 1 TBL of my concoction.

I understand strategic purchases... but to say there is no inflation, yet we have to switch from the nice brand name to the cheap stuff and you have to worry about wasting detergent? That does not sound like no inflation.... I liked the days when you did not have to worry about using a cup for the Tide, just dump some in... who cares if you waste an additional 2cents! but since prices have gone up less than wages, to maintain the same level of washes without using a larger percentage of your pay you need to change you habits to either using less Tide, or changing to a generic....

I agree with you, there was inflation - your workaround to lower final price of groceries seems to also lower the quality of the products purchased... generic instead of brand name, using less than desired...

I am not knocking your workaround... just acknowledging that the workarounds have their own intrinsic costs... the original post I reacted to said prices were actually "way down" and that there was no inflation - statements that I personally feel are false.

 

[Stacey K]

I understand strategic purchases... but to say there is no inflation, yet we have to switch from the nice brand name to the cheap stuff and you have to worry about wasting detergent? That does not sound like no inflation.... I liked the days when you did not have to worry about using a cup for the Tide, just dump some in... who cares if you waste an additional 2cents! but since prices have gone up less than wages, to maintain the same level of washes without using a larger percentage of your pay you need to change you habits to either using less Tide, or changing to a generic....

I agree with you, there was inflation - your workaround to lower final price of groceries seems to also lower the quality of the products purchased... generic instead of brand name, using less than desired...

I am not knocking your workaround... just acknowledging that the workarounds have their own intrinsic costs... the original post I reacted to said prices were actually "way down" and that there was no inflation - statements that I personally feel are false.

Quite the opposite. I make almost everything from scratch. I buy high quality ingredients when on sale and I grow my own vegetables to makes sauces, etc. I do buy certain things in generic as often it's the same as name brand. I don't like preservatives or additives. I make my own bread, mixes, sauces, oatmeal packets, pancake mix...it's cheaper, better for you and I find it fun. If I don't have time to make bread I buy it from the bakery. Do you know how many oatmeal packets you can make from that big tub of Quaker Oats? Just a couple Saturdays in Fall or winter of prepping and it saves hundreds or thousands throughout the year. It's not for everyone! But, for me, I enjoy it, it's healthy and it saves money. I just don't notice inflation as much. Meat - yes - my filet mignon is much more expensive!

Now...I DO spend way more on my garden than I need to but it's a hobby so...LOL

 

[BigNate]

Quite the opposite. I make almost everything from scratch. I buy high quality ingredients when on sale and I grow my own vegetables to makes sauces, etc. I do buy certain things in generic as often it's the same as name brand. I don't like preservatives or additives. I make my own bread, mixes, sauces, oatmeal packets, pancake mix...it's cheaper, better for you and I find it fun. If I don't have time to make bread I buy it from the bakery. Do you know how many oatmeal packets you can make from that big tub of Quaker Oats? Just a couple Saturdays in Fall or winter of prepping and it saves hundreds or thousands throughout the year. It's not for everyone! But, for me, I enjoy it, it's healthy and it saves money. I just don't notice inflation as much. Meat - yes - my filet mignon is much more expensive!

Now...I DO spend way more on my garden than I need to but it's a hobby so...LOL

sorry, my point in that last post was that if you feel you have to change you behavior due to economic pressure - whether or not the end result is actually better - then that helps bolster the point that there is inflation and higher prices.

(WWII POWs in Japanese camps were fed "dirty" rice because it was low class and the white rice was saved for the Japanese - but the end result is that the prisoners had better nutrition because the vitamins in the hull of the rice... the motive to give brown rice was evil, even if the result was good.)

 

[Boudica]

Now...I DO spend way more on my garden than I need to but it's a hobby so...LOL

Someone say garden?