Want weird? Maraschino Cherry juice cannot be had locally anyplace. I had to order from (guess where?)
Sigh
Sigh
FOOD Report food & grocery shortages / price increases here: 2023 Edition
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Just stopped at the local/regional chain this morning on my way home. Eeek, meat is pricey, even though they were touting their two week sale.
Chicken (bone-in thighs/legs or breasts) at $1.49/lb. but even that adds up fast in a family pack. I have been buying their 50/50 pork/beef mix burger at $3.49/lb. because I like it in hotdish, chili, meatloaf, even pretty decent for burgers, but jeepers...it's 50% pork. Seems high. The Minnesota Gold brand sliced-in-house slab bacon is good bacon (almost as good as the custom meat store) - it was stock-up week at $4.44/lb. Boneless country-style pork ribs, nothing special at $2.49/lb. but they make good BBQ ribs, kabobs, or kraut/cabbage and ribs.
Bananas - plenty of them, and I don't even look at the price anymore. Strawberries at 2lb for $6.00. Those and a tub of strawberry yogurt will be the treat/snack of the week. One thing I noticed - regular price on a six-pak of 16oz. bottles Diet Coke was back down below $6.00 at $5.99. Maybe the packaging problem is starting to ease. Plastic bottles were a supply problem for a long time - so it seemed.
So anyway - eggs from the hens, and no beef except that from my neighbor's butchering last fall in the freezer. Can't really get excited about refilling the freezer at current prices. But that's how I cook cheap(er) and it looks like it will be that way for a good long while. Soon will be spinach, green onions, and green beans from the garden - canned and frozen veg on sale when they pop up.
And so it goes.
Chicken (bone-in thighs/legs or breasts) at $1.49/lb. but even that adds up fast in a family pack. I have been buying their 50/50 pork/beef mix burger at $3.49/lb. because I like it in hotdish, chili, meatloaf, even pretty decent for burgers, but jeepers...it's 50% pork. Seems high. The Minnesota Gold brand sliced-in-house slab bacon is good bacon (almost as good as the custom meat store) - it was stock-up week at $4.44/lb. Boneless country-style pork ribs, nothing special at $2.49/lb. but they make good BBQ ribs, kabobs, or kraut/cabbage and ribs.
Bananas - plenty of them, and I don't even look at the price anymore. Strawberries at 2lb for $6.00. Those and a tub of strawberry yogurt will be the treat/snack of the week. One thing I noticed - regular price on a six-pak of 16oz. bottles Diet Coke was back down below $6.00 at $5.99. Maybe the packaging problem is starting to ease. Plastic bottles were a supply problem for a long time - so it seemed.
So anyway - eggs from the hens, and no beef except that from my neighbor's butchering last fall in the freezer. Can't really get excited about refilling the freezer at current prices. But that's how I cook cheap(er) and it looks like it will be that way for a good long while. Soon will be spinach, green onions, and green beans from the garden - canned and frozen veg on sale when they pop up.
And so it goes.Hit the local independent grocery today.. shortening is 7.75 for a 3 lb can (down slightly), deli meat $6/lb (cheaper than buying Oscar Meyer In the packs), ricr, flour, and sugar slightly down. Beans (dried) running around $2/lb.
Went to get some zucchini plants as I forgot to start some early. Yeah, not buying them when they are $8 for a medium size plant.
Went to get some zucchini plants as I forgot to start some early. Yeah, not buying them when they are $8 for a medium size plant.
Deli fresh sliced turkey, $12/lb
For TURKEY!
For TURKEY!
Bones
Living On A Prayer
We went to Aldi yesterday, specifically to get the 85/15 ground beef in frozen 1# tubes. It is priced at $3.99 @#. We planned to lay in up to 20# as we were close to empty.
We bought what they had....3#s. None in the freezer stock and the guy who looked for it told me don't count on any being on the next truck.
However, on a brighter note, the German Week inventory was good, and the German mustards are supposed to be on the shelves within 2 weeks.
We bought what they had....3#s. None in the freezer stock and the guy who looked for it told me don't count on any being on the next truck.
However, on a brighter note, the German Week inventory was good, and the German mustards are supposed to be on the shelves within 2 weeks.
I’m so thankful to get the tubes of hamburger from the church storehouse. Not only is it free to me, but it cooks like it’s at least 80/20, if not leaner.
ainitfunny
Saved, to glorify God.
80%20 and even leaner, hamburger really don't make good hamburger patties.
It's TOO DRY to stick together, and cooks up into a dry, tasteless hamburger without the fat that seals in the juices and makes the rich beef taste (like ground steak) that hamburger lovers want.
Get the highest fat content when you are making hamburgers for the family.
It's TOO DRY to stick together, and cooks up into a dry, tasteless hamburger without the fat that seals in the juices and makes the rich beef taste (like ground steak) that hamburger lovers want.
Get the highest fat content when you are making hamburgers for the family.
I think 80/20 works fine fir burgers. But I add a lot of ingredients to the basic burger before cooking.
ainitfunny
Saved, to glorify God.
When you are canning, and don't have a lot or storage space,
Or MONEY, PAY ATTENTION, PLAN what you plant.
Don't grow a lot of FOOD THAT IS ALWAYS CHEAP TO BUY CANNED!
CAN MEAT and fish above all other things.
Don't plan on canning GREENS it takes a daunting amount of fresh greens, once cooked, to fill one jar of spinach!
Don't grow too many vegetables that spoil very quickly once mature. Lots of winter squash (Acorn etc) is better than yellow squash and zucchini. Lots of cucumber canned(pickles)sweet and dill, is better than canning green beans or peas (more than you can eat fresh from your garden). They can be had already canned cheaply from generic brands. Carrots are good thing to grow and can because they KEEP in the ground orafter harvest longer than tomatoes and usually cost more to buy canned.
Rutabagas are also expensive fresh and usually unavailable canned. Generic canned tomatoes are cheap. Head Cabbage, both green and red is a wise to plant a lot of
Green bell pepper and hot peppers are wise thing to plant and dry or can. Grow your own spices is a money saver, and drying them is easy. A jar of canned minced Garlic is xheaper to buy and not worth all the effort to grow, harvest, clean and chop several hundred or more garlic cloves.
Or MONEY, PAY ATTENTION, PLAN what you plant.
Don't grow a lot of FOOD THAT IS ALWAYS CHEAP TO BUY CANNED!
CAN MEAT and fish above all other things.
Don't plan on canning GREENS it takes a daunting amount of fresh greens, once cooked, to fill one jar of spinach!
Don't grow too many vegetables that spoil very quickly once mature. Lots of winter squash (Acorn etc) is better than yellow squash and zucchini. Lots of cucumber canned(pickles)sweet and dill, is better than canning green beans or peas (more than you can eat fresh from your garden). They can be had already canned cheaply from generic brands. Carrots are good thing to grow and can because they KEEP in the ground orafter harvest longer than tomatoes and usually cost more to buy canned.
Rutabagas are also expensive fresh and usually unavailable canned. Generic canned tomatoes are cheap. Head Cabbage, both green and red is a wise to plant a lot of
Green bell pepper and hot peppers are wise thing to plant and dry or can. Grow your own spices is a money saver, and drying them is easy. A jar of canned minced Garlic is xheaper to buy and not worth all the effort to grow, harvest, clean and chop several hundred or more garlic cloves.
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herbgarden
Senior Member
Moldy, just get a package of seeds. even the cheap seeds work. I use my own seeds now but have used the 4 for $1 seeds from dollar tree. They germinated great.
Barry Natchitoches
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Every thing you say here is correct. However, there are other factors to consider when deciding what to plant besides the current cost of the item in the store, IMHO.
For example, canned tomatoes may be cheap in the store, but - at least the way I grow them in my garden (vertically, in a very rich, organically enriched, no-till soil), I can grow as much as 20 pounds of fresh tomatoes in a single patch of soil about 3 feet by 3 feet in size, without too much labor other than watering it regularly and topdressing it with an organic mulch soon after planting and again in late June.
One single cabbage plant needs the same 3 feet by 3 feet patch of soil to grow,
Now, at least in my Zone 7 garden using the intensive organic methods that I use, I am not faced with an either-or decision, when it comes to growing cabbage vs tomatoes.
The microclimate in the Memphis area is conducive to growing three independent crops in the same soil, IF you use no-till methods that free you from being dependent on just the right amount of rain in order to till the garden. And IF you use row covers on your garden in late winter (February to early March) and then again in late November. And if you start your own cabbage plants indoors the first week of January, and your own tomato plants right after Valentines day.
i plant cabbage seedlings in early February in the garden, under the row cover. i choose early cabbage varieties that grow well in colder conditions.
They mature in late March - right about the time that my tomato seedlings are ready to be planted outside. If it gets too cold for the tomatoes in late March, I just use the same row cover on them that I was using earlier in the year on the cabbage.
I start my fall cabbage plants indoors beginning in late July. I pull the tomato plants in mid-August. By that time, I have canned a ton of them, and don’t want to even see another fresh tomato. So I pull the tomato plant, add some organic compost to the soil, and plant the little cabbage start.
the fall cabbage plants can be harvested about Thanksgiving.
Alot of folks are in a position that they can grow more than one crop in the garden bed in a given year.
For alot of these folks, it does not need to be an either-or situation. They can grow - to use your example - both cabbage AND tomatoes.
Store canned tomato products may be inexpensive, but they do not have the taste of homegrown/home canned. Better than nothing for sure, but jars of your own on the shelf are golden. Same with green beans.
I am not fond of home canned carrots, but fresh from the garden they are the best.
Zucchini and summer squash can be home canned (not great but okay in soups) or dehydrated (can be added to most any casserole or soup). I love butternut squash as a keeper. However, sweet potatoes keep much longer than any squash I've ever grown.
Key is to grow and preserve what your climate allows and preserve (freeze, can, dehydrate, freeze dry, store) what your family will eat.
I am not fond of home canned carrots, but fresh from the garden they are the best.
Zucchini and summer squash can be home canned (not great but okay in soups) or dehydrated (can be added to most any casserole or soup). I love butternut squash as a keeper. However, sweet potatoes keep much longer than any squash I've ever grown.
Key is to grow and preserve what your climate allows and preserve (freeze, can, dehydrate, freeze dry, store) what your family will eat.
Loretta Van Riet
Trying to hang out with the cool kids.
Yum!
ainitfunny
Saved, to glorify God.
There is one SIGNIFICANT advantage to home canning tomatoes and that is you DONT GET LEAKING/ exploding TOMATO CANS like you do with commercially canned tomato products in METAL CANS.
I have had several BIG TOMATO MESSES TO CLEAN UP among purchased cans of tomato products.
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I'm of the opinion that we should always try to grow what we eat and preserve it according to our favorite methods. It might be cheap to buy in the store right now, but who is to say that anything will be available to buy in the near future or at what cost? I buy some things that I can't grow here, or it doesn't pay me to grow, so I buy those veggies canned from the grocery store. BUT, in the future, if those veggies become unavailable, or I can't afford the price, I'll do without those.
Here as well along with seasonal, we can as much as we can from season to season. Like you, we grow what does well here. Some things I buy from the Farmer’s market etc. And I always buy Klondike bars as treat for my spouse when on sale lol.
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I sure wish we had a decent Farmer's Market in my area. The closest one to us that is any good is in Birmingham, AL. that I know of, anyway. The one we have locally, is puny. Nothing I would want to buy there.
Yep...the common ones selling candles, goat soap and jam are not any help.
Luckily, there is a good one here early am Saturdays in one of the small towns, (locally grown, fresh picked produce) but they are pricy on a lot of stuff. Of course, our season is short, so no substantial harvest of real food (except of the greens, zucchini and radish variety) until Aug. into October. Later in the season is pickup loads of sweet corn, bushels of tomatoes, 50# sacks of potatoes and winter squash.
Lucky you! The deli I buy from is 12.00 and up. Roast Beef us 16.95 and 17.95 lb.
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Locally, ours is on a Saturday morning from 9am-12pm. Mostly what you mentioned, but not a lot of produce, or it's too expensive.
I usually buy the 93/7 when I make spaghetti because I don't like to pour off flavor. You are right about patties and meatloaf gets too dry too with the lean.
Garlic grew so good in the desert back when we had a garden. I think it is much better fresh because you can plant all the gourmet varieties like the mild elephant and the purple ones and they are so fragrant when fresh.
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Garlic grows very well here in our garden. I have a whole fence row of it. I never have to replant. It comes back every year. All I have to do is to go out and dig what I want to use at any given time.
nomifyle
TB Fanatic
This, our local farmers market sells a lot of "hand crafted" items at high prices. And what vegetables there are are not generally locally grown and at higher prices. I quit going several years ago. There is a local farmer that has a road side stand and his prices are out ragious, I don't go there either.
We don't have much luck with growing in our very sandy soil. Tomatoes do well, and to some extent, sometimes, yellow squash and zucchini. Sometimes they do nothing.
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
There are plenty of roadside stands in my area, but they only sell tomatoes and watermelons, occasionally, peaches when in season.
We have an abundance of Farmer markets along with a few U-pick farms. We were/ have been quite insulated from the pandemic shortages as well as grocery store supply issues. We were lucky in that respect. I am getting a few more hens this year to make sure we maintain supply for us and family as a few of my girls are going to age out soon and decrease production. One of the local farms here sells eggs for $2.99 so I do have a back up if needed.
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Here, too. We haven't been insulated from the increase in prices, though.
Yeah alot of folks were in same boat. I was well prepared, shopped a lot of sales. All my dry goods were bought ahead of the pandemic so I paid sale for a lot of what I had on hand. We used quite a bit over the interim and I have just now started replacing some of it we have used over last 3 yrs. But those item prices are down so not going to cost an arm and leg to replace. Patience is key. The one thing though we did see a shortage on was frozen FF. The spouse likes them occasionally. While they were hit or miss in the store we could always find potatoes on sale - so I made them when he took a shine for some. It wasn’t a big deal. Surprising chicken breast remained at our regular prices of $1.79-1.99 through the entire pandemic as well. There was one exception in Feb 2022 where it went to $2.49 that month and dropped back to $1.79 the following. We are still paying the same now. Sometimes I love where we live lol.
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SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I have a very large pantry. I'm at the point, now, of just buying to replace what I use from it every two weeks. The price of food is much higher than when I first started out. I'm glad I'm not starting from scratch these days.
phloydius
Veteran Member
We use votive candles pretty regularly. I was buying a 4pk of votives from Dollar Tree for $1.00 (So 25 cents each), during late-pandemic (2021). I was getting clearance ones before the pandemic even cheaper. Decided it was time to buy another shoe-box full of votives and checked at the Dollar Tree, expecting the $1.25 price increase. However, I was not expecting that they changed from a 4pk to a 3pk for the $1.25. That is 41 cents each, or a 64% increase. On that specific item, it is about a 29% inflation rate each of the 2 years!
We've tried about every fat content ground hamburger on a flame, oven, or stove; and found that we think 80/20 makes the best burgers of all of them. Personal preference.
We've tried about every fat content ground hamburger on a flame, oven, or stove; and found that we think 80/20 makes the best burgers of all of them. Personal preference.
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
We have a whole large tote filled with votive candles, but we don't have much use for them right now. They are still good to have just in case. We bought our years ago while they were still really cheap.
80/20 burger is what we use most in everything.
phloydius
Veteran Member
We have quite a bit too. I keep them in plastic totes that are the size of shoe boxes. They stack easily, but are not too heavy and fit into many places. We use a small but steady stream of candles, and when one of the boxes becomes empty we start hunting to replace them as cheaply as possible. In times past that was on clearance after Christmas (most often), but it is strange as it seems like there is a votive candle shortage -- they are just not the easiest things to find. Both Walmart's and the Target nearby us had zero votive candles in the store when we looked to try to compare prices.
I haven't bought the ones that are at the Dollar Tree I mentioned, yet. I'm looking around to see if I can find better price/value still. I am not in a rush, but do want to get the best price I can before they jump in price again.
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I still swear by those Walmart single wick jar pillars. I think they are 6.98 for a 20 oz. candle. Of course, they are scented, so if you can't handle scented, you are out of luck.But a darned good, cheap sub for the expensive Yankee jar candles.
Single wick pillar candles and jar candles are my favorite. I just love candles. My house is filled with them as decorations, plus I have lots and lots in storage. I do have several Yankee jar candles, but they are too expensive for me to buy on a regular basis.
ainitfunny
Saved, to glorify God.
ONE candle for the WHOLE house for LIGHT if there is nothing else left means you need:
360 candles for a year at one candle per day
You get six months light if you burn TWO candles per day
You get 120 days if you burn 3 of the 360 candles per day
you get 90 days light if you burn 4 of the 360 candles Per day
So, how many candles have you stocked?
REMEMBER YOU NEED THEM FOR LIGHT
and candles advertised as "long burning"
HAVE TINY WICKS, so ADD virtually NO LIGHT TO ROOM!
TAPERS have bigger wicks and give off much more light!!
****************
It is ALL ABOUT THE WICK SIZE.
YOU CAN MAKE EVEN one or two A LITTLE TEA LIGHTS fry eggs ,or WARM YOU DINNER OR MAKE WATER BOIL, or perk a pot of coffee, IF YOU REPLACE THE WICK, or add to its wick
By adding (laying on top of its original wick)A SHORT 1.5 ", HALF A tightly rolled up KLEENEX or two,
TO ITS LITTLE WICK, SO YOU GET A BIG FLAME!
LOTS OF LIGHT , LOTS OF FLAME AND LOTS OF HEAT!
MAKE SURE YOU DO IT IN AN EMPTY KITCHEN SINK WHERE THE FIRE YOU MAKE CAN BE CONTROLLED!
Remember-AN UNCOVERED CONTAINER OF WATER TAKES TWICE AS LONG TO BOIL SO COVER IT!
360 candles for a year at one candle per day
You get six months light if you burn TWO candles per day
You get 120 days if you burn 3 of the 360 candles per day
you get 90 days light if you burn 4 of the 360 candles Per day
So, how many candles have you stocked?
REMEMBER YOU NEED THEM FOR LIGHT
and candles advertised as "long burning"
HAVE TINY WICKS, so ADD virtually NO LIGHT TO ROOM!
TAPERS have bigger wicks and give off much more light!!
****************
It is ALL ABOUT THE WICK SIZE.
YOU CAN MAKE EVEN one or two A LITTLE TEA LIGHTS fry eggs ,or WARM YOU DINNER OR MAKE WATER BOIL, or perk a pot of coffee, IF YOU REPLACE THE WICK, or add to its wick
By adding (laying on top of its original wick)A SHORT 1.5 ", HALF A tightly rolled up KLEENEX or two,
TO ITS LITTLE WICK, SO YOU GET A BIG FLAME!
LOTS OF LIGHT , LOTS OF FLAME AND LOTS OF HEAT!
MAKE SURE YOU DO IT IN AN EMPTY KITCHEN SINK WHERE THE FIRE YOU MAKE CAN BE CONTROLLED!
Remember-AN UNCOVERED CONTAINER OF WATER TAKES TWICE AS LONG TO BOIL SO COVER IT!
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bracketquant
Veteran Member
A few days ago, the local WalMart had a sale on Eggland's Best large white eggs at $1.17 a dozen. The supply lasted perhaps a few hours. Now they have a huge supply of large eggs at $2.04 a dozen. These should last at least a week.
MissionBend
Contributing Member
We stopped at Sam's in Tulsa yesterday after a doctors visit and got 2 dozen eggs for $4.88. So I had hubby grab 2. Didn't notice any bald spots or odd filled sections but hubby is the one who normally does the shopping. I still spent way to much. 
If you set the candle in front of a mirror, you greatly increase the amount of light from one candle.
Not groceries, but close. Went to Dollar General today to check for canning jars. First store was out, said they get their truck on Wednesdays and I MIGHT get some if I got there early as they go really quick when they actually get them. Second store - $10 for a case of pints and $12 for a case of quarts. These are great prices for around here - and yes, I bought a bunch! Cheaper than buying jars at thrift stores even, and they are Great Harvest brand which is made in the US. The boxes of lids alone though were pricy - $3.60 a dozen.
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