While I’m not worried or losing sleep over the cost of food or the shortages but I have been thinking about it some lately. Maybe it’s because I’ve been inside the grocery stores more recently than I had been in two years, maybe it’s because of a multitude of reasons, most of which aren’t topics I’d like to discuss on here.
Last week Vince and I were in Walmart. He was looking at something and I went toward the groceries to pick up a few things. I was walking down one aisle and I noticed about a 10′ area with nothing . . NOTHING . . on any of the shelves. I stopped to read the labels on the shelves to see what was missing. It was the pasta section. I’m telling you . . there wasn’t a bag of egg noodles. There wasn’t a package of angel hair pasta. There wasn’t a box of elbow macaroni. There wasn’t a single package of pasta. I guess I was standing there looking like someone who hadn’t been in a store much in the past two years and a lady walked by and said “It’s been that way for a long time!
As I started this blog a few minutes ago, I looked online and the same Walmart pasta shown as being in stock – about half the listed pasta is in stock and about half is out of stock.
The next day after we had been in Walmart, Vince went to Aldi and they had plenty of pasta.
Yesterday we were in Aldi, which according to the local reports I read on Facebook, has been better stocked than Walmart here – of course, not as much variety.
I’m not going to say the store was half stocked but there would be sections completely stocked and then sections like this freezer area . . with entire shelves empty. There was no chicken – none! There was very little beef . . more pork and I think two packages of salmon. Vince likes canned fruit with cottage cheese. There was hardly any canned fruit – no peaches, no pears, and 2 or 3 cans of pineapple. The fresh produce area looked to be completely full. I wasn’t looking for anything but I didn’t see any empty bins. At first glance, the dairy area looked like it was full but there was not much behind the front cartons. There may have been more in the back. I have no idea. There wasn’t a single row that we went down that didn’t look like at least part of the row was empty.
Like I said . . I’m not worried but it is something I think about and never ever thought this would be something we’d be thinking about here in the U. S. I’m not saying it’s a serious issue . . yet, because there does seem to be plenty of food – just not always what we want and the prices have gone up so much.
I hear all kinds of reasons as to why – people not working, truckers not delivering, political reasons – I think it’s probably a combination of several things — I surely don’t know, nor do I believe most of what I hear. All I know is that when I see the prices, I feel horrible for people with small children and not enough money to buy all they need.
One thing that does cause me some concern is the price of fertilizer. If what we’re hearing is true, that seems like it could cause some issues for our food supply with farmers not planting as much as they have in the past because of not being able to afford the fertilizer, or not using as much and having smaller yields.
I’ve been thinking of ways we could conserve and make our food budget go a little farther. Suggestions would be appreciated. I shared the rice mix last week. I think that’s quite tasty. We actually liked the Tuna Helper we tried.
My goal starting with next week’s menu is to have at least two things on the menu that cost less and/or go farther to help the food budget. I had hoped to get next week’s menu posted yesterday but I should be able to finish it up today.
Joyce says
I suspect the lack of canned food is one of two things. Either there are not truckers to get the produce from the farm to the processing plant, or the processing plant is lacking in the raw materials to make the cans so they can process the food. I haven’t really noticed empty shelves around here, but maybe it’s for things I don’t buy. I make lots of casseroles I can freeze, so I tend to use pasta and rice as means of stretching the budget. Gardens are great, but I just haven’t had any luck with mine the last several years, so I gave it up. I was putting in tons of work and getting nothing in return. It just wasn’t worth it. I may try some container gardening this year and see how it goes.
Tee says
I swear the price of the prairie gold wheat flour you talked about yesterday went up by $1 since I put it in my Walmart cart. I know it was $3-something for a 5lb bag and now it is $4.38. I saw the price change when I opened my cart. I am stocking up a bit, but I am afraid not nearly enough. I do grow a big garden, but that produce only goes so far into the winter, no matter how much I preserve in jars. I am thinking of getting a dehydrator. I guess the time has come or will be really soon. I do worry about young families; I remember when we were young parents and how hard it was to buy fixings for mac and cheese when my 4 year old son would only eat that. Now he has a son and I am afraid that generation will have hardships we can’t even fathom.
Linda in NE says
I just ordered Prairie Gold flour from Walmart online yesterday and it was still $3 something per 5-lb bag. I haven’t been in a Walmart store for so long so I don’t know what they’re charging around here. Anyway the nearest store is 60 mi away and all I hear from my daughter is that they have cartons and totes of products all over the aisles but shelves aren’t getting stocked. That would be frustrating. Add to that the self-checkout and no discount for being your own checkout clerk it’s just simpler to order online.
Linda in NE says
Oops, I take back what I said about ordering the flour from Walmart. I ordered from Amazon. And it was still $3 something for 5lbs + free shipping.
Elle says
I wonder if it’s a regional thing? Never since the start of the pandemic, have I seen an empty space in my usual local grocery store. Once I couldn’t find an item on my shopping list “toasted sesame oil” and the employee I found said they couldn’t get it in. That’s it. (I shop an employee owned store).
I agree with you on how hard prices must be on young families with lower wages as well as those on fixed income. Our state foodbank is doing a terrific job of feeding families and their donations increase with need. God is good.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I feel like, at least most of the time, when I’m hearing of shortages, we haven’t had it nearly as bad as some places but lately, the pickings have been slim here.
Debbie says
I struggle with going to Walmart and other grocery stores. Some have stock, some don’t. Walmart tends to be 10 feet of shelving for some items every time I go. It usually is pasta, pasta sauces, canned tomatoes. Chicken, eggs and milk where very scarce a month or so back. It is crazy.
We managed well during the pandemic but my son is with us temporarily and boy, he eats a lot. That is a stressor on me.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
It is amazing how much more I spend just for the weekends when Addie is here.
Shauna Trueblood says
I buy almost exclusively online, but I change which Walmart store to pick up from based on my need that week. Some have different stock than others. I wanted canned biscuits a couple of weeks ago and none of the stores had any. Also Fritos seem limited for some reason. Normally something being out just means I change my menu, but recently it is almost like I have to look to see what they have before I can plan.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
That’s exactly what I’ve said – I have to plan my menu around what I have here already or what I can get.
Sara Fridley says
Grocery items that aren’t available seem to rotate a lot around here, with less variety often available. For example, Honey Nut Cheerios has been hard to come by lately in the big grocery store 2 blocks from my house. But there were plenty of other flavors of Cheerios, and other cereal. However, Walmart did have it. I haven’t noticed any lack of pasta or sauce, but couldn’t always find the shape of pasta I wanted.
Paula Nordt says
We had a Frito deficit here for awhile, but that seems to have ended. Pasta at Wal-mart definitely has been feast or famine. If it was just us, our food budget would definitely include some of your stretcher recipes. I have been substituting to bring extra income in to pay for repairs to our 32 year old house. Now part of it goes toward food. It’s going to be tight for a few weeks as I need to stay home and care for my husband as he recuperates from a total knee replacement.
Donna says
Our Walmart temporarily closed the deli and bakery! It’s been closed for about 6 weeks! I guess they can’t get any help but there are always at least 3 people including a woman with her kids begging for money on the street corner as you turn in there!
Deborah A. says
Many years ago my husband wanted us to buy a pasta maker. Perhaps it is time to rethink that idea.
Cherylle Kruse says
We have a small farm in south Texas, Galveston/Houston area. Last year we were paying a bit over $500 per ton for fertilizer, which was already an increase. Today, husband ordered some and it was $1000 per ton. Of course, fertilizer is linked to the price of natural gas so we can expect the prices to keep rising until we see some changes in our energy policy here in the USA. This is not all because of the war in Ukranian, it’s been going on for the past year.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
You’re right! I’m sure it will be blamed on Ukraine, some will believe that; hopefully most will not.
So sorry you’re having to pay the higher prices for fertilizer. I was hoping a “real” farmer would comment.