How are you handling rising food and energy costs?

[jo-jo]

I paid $3.61/dozen at Lidl this morning. We bake a lot, and my youngest loves eggs for any meal, so I had to get them.

OTOH, I got a bone-in ham, originally $1.99/lb, marked down to $0.49/lb, then 30%. The checkout clerk couldn't believe I got a big ham for less than $3! We'll get several meal out of that, from ham slices to ham and as ingredient and then split pea soup!

I didn’t even think to look at hams. We did do well with specials this season. From various stores got two free hams and two free turkeys. Bjs was the easiest. Spend a hundred and get a free turkey. That’s a pack of toilet paper, two packs of paper plates,and a bottle of vitamins.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I couldn't tell you the last time I didn't have only 2 items in each double bag. It's been a long while since you bag your own groceries.

Even when I tell them I'm perfectly capable of carrying a bag with a 12 ounce box of cereal, can of cheese, and a bag of tortilla chips, they still put them in 3 separate double bags.

I find the cashiers tend to overload the plastic bags and the grocery pick up seems to underload the bag, we just prefer to do self-check out when in the store itself so we get it to our liking. Since we get majority of the time grocery pick up we get too much bags. They have brought back the recycling box at Walmart but I actually keep my bags and when I get a good amount of them take them to a nearby foundation that weaves them into sleeping mats for the homeless. They are always in need of them.

 

[mrodgers]

They have brought back the recycling box at Walmart but I actually keep my bags and when I get a good amount of them take them to a nearby foundation that weaves them into sleeping mats for the homeless. They are always in need of them.

I gave mine to my mother as her church did the same, weaving into sleeping blankets for the homeless. I don't have that outlet any more and no longer a family of 4, so they aren't being used up as garbage can liners like they were either.

Now my daughter is using them as can liners in her dorm that she empties every day, so they are getting used up. I would hate to get rid of the plastic grocery bags (stores getting rid of them) as I would have to replace the can liners with bags that I purchase that have 10 times more plastic, thus making it worse rather than better by eliminating them.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I gave mine to my mother as her church did the same, weaving into sleeping blankets for the homeless. I don't have that outlet any more and no longer a family of 4, so they aren't being used up as garbage can liners like they were either.

Now my daughter is using them as can liners in her dorm that she empties every day, so they are getting used up. I would hate to get rid of the plastic grocery bags (stores getting rid of them) as I would have to replace the can liners with bags that I purchase that have 10 times more plastic, thus making it worse rather than better by eliminating them.

Yeah I wouldn't be a fan of removing plastic bags entirely. We're not as wasteful (no pun intended) as we used to be adjusting and changing our habits and finding different ways to use the plastic bags but we still want them generally speaking.

 

[CdnCarrie]

$7.09 for 18 eggs here

 

[Kitty 34]

$7.09 for 18 eggs here

I was shocked to see a dozen of Meijer's "cheapest" eggs were over $5 when I went to the store this morning and a bag of 5lb potatoes were close to $5. I thought for a moment I might have slept thru 2023!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I was shocked to see a dozen of Meijer's "cheapest" eggs were over $5 when I went to the store this morning and a bag of 5lb potatoes were close to $5. I thought for a moment I might have slept thru 2023!!

It seems like the cost of practically everything in grocery stores has increased significantly.

 

[DeeBee3]

Was just going to post $7.99 for 18 eggs and I saw I wasn't alone above me!

 

[TwoMisfits]

It seems like the cost of practically everything in grocery stores has increased significantly.

After 2022 already had everything skyrocket, the start of 2023 hasn't seemed to turn the trend around...

 

[superme80]

I saw a dozen and a half for $11.99 at my locally owned grocery store. I did a mid week quick trip into town. I spent $125 on 3 bags of groceries. I did buy cheese, some meat, and a frozen pizza. Those things really kicked up the cost. I just try cook from home and cry a lot.

 

[DCLMP]

I complain a lot

No one listens, I keep complaining, prices keep climbing....

The farmers have been warning us for several months. Buy now it's only going up.

 

[Donnainnj]

At Costco I bought the 2 dozen cage free eggs just before Christmas for $4.99.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I didn’t even think to look at hams. We did do well with specials this season. From various stores got two free hams and two free turkeys. Bjs was the easiest. Spend a hundred and get a free turkey. That’s a pack of toilet paper, two packs of paper plates,and a bottle of vitamins.

I happened across the ham while I was heading for the eggs. They also had some good deals on their German Christmas stuff--DH likes it, and DS25 is a huge fan of the marzipan logs, so I got a few of them. When they're gone, none until next winter.

 

[jo-jo]

I happened across the ham while I was heading for the eggs. They also had some good deals on their German Christmas stuff--DH likes it, and DS25 is a huge fan of the marzipan logs, so I got a few of them. When they're gone, none until next winter.

Yeah, those I saw, but I know enough stuff I shouldn't eat, don't need to find more stuff I shouldn't eat.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

The farmers have been warning us for several months. Buy now it's only going up.

There is a thread for June where I said the cost of Diesel was going to drive the cost of everything sky high…..

this is not rocket science, and the writing has been on the walls for years

 

[DCLMP]

There is a thread for June where I said the cost of Diesel was going to drive the cost of everything sky high…..

this is not rocket science, and the writing has been on the walls for years

I think with the farmers its a combination of diesel, fertilizer and interest rates. Higher interest rates increase the cost of production. We also have supply issues and workers shortages. It's a combination of a lot of things.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Yeah, those I saw, but I know enough stuff I shouldn't eat, don't need to find more stuff I shouldn't eat.

You're right about that! I didn't get any for myself--I like them well enough, but we still have a crap-ton of Christmas candy in the house, I don't need anything else! I do have a few strudels from Aldi in the back freezer, though.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I paid $4.99 for pasture raised brown eggs at Trader Joe's last week. Overall, I find that TJ's is an all-around good place for grocery shopping. Yes, prices have gone up in the last year like everywhere, but it's still reasonable. This week I'm going through the freezer/fridge/pantry and using up what we have. Always a good way to start the year. I want to try and do better with respect to food waste.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I think with the farmers its a combination of diesel, fertilizer and interest rates. Higher interest rates increase the cost of production. We also have supply issues and workers shortages. It's a combination of a lot of things.

Diesel fuel touches every single thing in our life…

Even the higher interest rates are because diesel fuel is so expensive

 

[tzolkin]

I track our expenses and savings with spreadsheets so I know that our food cost has about stayed the same/ decreased slightly in the last few months. However, we went vegetarian over the summer and probably 95% of our diet is vegetables and dried legumes. I know that prices have been skyrocketing because everyone has been talking about it, but I haven't noticed as much because I haven't been buying most of the items that have seen the large increases.

ok, two months later.....what are you all paying for eggs.

I had no idea that there was an issue with eggs until my oldest daughter mentioned it to me. Now I have been looking and they are between $6-8 around here depending on what store you go to. We have chickens and were wasting dozens of eggs over the summer because we really don't eat them much.

Walmart is not THAT much cheaper than most large conglomerate grocery stores.

In fact, I won't even shop at Wal Mart because it's less convenient and the savings is negligible on the foods we buy regularly.

I agree. In my experience, most items are just a few cents cheaper at Walmart but Walmart does not typically run sales so it's actually often more expensive to buy something at Walmart than to buy it on sale at our local grocery store.