While none of this is funny, and I’m certainly not making light of it, it’s almost comical to see what’s going to be in short supply next. So much of it makes no sense to me. I understand worker shortage, supply chain issues due to lack of dock workers, transportation issues, etc. It doesn’t even really matter why it’s happening, since most of us have no control over any of it and can only try to be as prepared as possible – especially for the things we truly need.
Not that CO2 is something I really need but I’ve been reading about the CO2 shortage. For us . . we could live without it but for those folks working at or owning microbreweries, and other industries, probably smaller ones rather than the larger ones, it’s becoming a real problem.
I told Vince we were lucky to get that big CO2 cartridge and get it filled. I’m guessing we won’t have to get it filled again for at least four years and then . . hopefully some of this mess will have resolved itself.
Elle says
It is really funny not funny. This entire time since C19 began, only one item I use regularly has been out of stock: Hills Brothers SF Double Mocha Mix. That is it!
I went to do my monthly pantry replenishment this morning. Except for 2 items, all my prices are the same as a year ago. Fresh fruit, Zoi yogurt and organic milk haven’t changed-those I would have expected to rise by now. As for the freezer stuff stocked up this spring, Organic ground beef, ground turkey and chicken are up as are frozen blueberries. It is rare that I buy a prepared food, box, bag so processed foods are not on my radar-are those the things that have risen so much that have people’s anxiety so high? I’m just not feeling that big an inflation issue in the “full tummy” department and my monthly financial analysis shows no change in (home) food expenditures and a drop in eating out.
It is quite apparent to me that mileage varies tremendously by choices and perhaps location? I’m in the NorthWest and shop at an employee owned store where we’ve always bagged our own.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I can tell you that here, it is not the fast food and prepared foods only that have gone up. Everything from laundry detergent, to food, to pet supplies.
Rita’s dog food that I mix with homemade food 12 – 3.5 oz containers is $27.75 now. In June, it was $23.50. That was at Chewy.
You’re very lucky. Here there are things that have not gone up but things like canned chicken and canned roast beef that I’ve used as donation items . . both have doubled. Chicken was $9.98 in November, 2021. Today, it’s $18.98. Same exact thing!
I ordered dried corn from Azure Standard in April for $25.60 and today I paid $44.16 for the exact same thing.
Milk here has gone from about $3.50 per gallon to nearly $5 per gallon. Eggs have gone from about $1.50 per dozen to over $3 per dozen. Those are foods most families use every day.
There are a very few things I can think of that have not gone way up.
danielle says
I have a friend whose husband is a truck driver. He has been amazed at reports (from his wife, and friends) of empty shelves in various types of stores – when he says he has just delivered full truckloads of the items to the said stores. I think there has been a supply chain issue – I think there has been supply issues – but I also think that corporations have discovered a very good way to keep prices elevated
Mare says
Everything has gone up far as I can see. Fuel prices affect basically everything. A friend manages a grocery department in our town and says he only receives a fraction of what he’s ordered… apparently they call it “smoothing” (trying to spread the shortages to all the stores). I pray for better times ahead.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Ahh . . a name for it! 🙂 I’ve seen where people were complaining because grocery stores were putting things that didn’t need to be refrigerated into the refrigerated areas to try to fill gaps and that sometimes isn’t good to put things in the pantry once they’ve been refrigerated.
For the longest time, there was no pasta of any kind in our stores. Now I’m seeing pasta again, at a higher price, of course. I so rarely go into the grocery store and when I do, it’s to get something and get out and I don’t spend much time looking around. I also don’t pay a lot of attention to prices. I know if salt is $1.50 per box, that’s outrageous but whether 39 cents or 54 cents is a good price . . I can’t say. I can go back and look at my Walmart online orders for delivery and compare those prices to what I’m paying now; same with Sam’s Club since most of what I buy there is ordered and then picked up curbside.
I’m just thankful that we aren’t picky eaters, and we like beans! 🙂
Mare says
Yes – so true – my husband’s parents immigrated from Sicily in the 1950’s. My mother-in-law was a great cook but she explained to me the food she prepared was actually based on growing up “poor” – the ingredients were affordable – not expensive.
Kat in Tamale Land says
I had sticker shock when checking Walmart for 2-liter orange soda. Could only get it shipped, and it was $6 a bottle, and I need 2 of them!! Add in the 2 cans of Eagle brand for $5, $3 for ice, and that makes for expensive homemade ice cream. Finally found a pack of 17 oz cans of orange soda that will give me what I need for a lot less. I don’t understand why it costs twice as much in a 2-liter bottle.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Isn’t it crazy? It wasn’t that long ago that we got name brand 2 liter drinks for 99 cents and the off brands were 79 cents.