tnphil
Don't screw with an engineer
They now sell "baby" bok Choi. Tiny little thing. For about $3.
Can't make Kim Chi out of that unless you wanna spend $25 for a quart.
FOOD Report food & grocery shortages / price increases here: 2024 Edition
- Thread starter phloydius
- Start date
Can't make Kim Chi out of that unless you wanna spend $25 for a quart.
Alaskan_Leatherhead
Contributing Member
Here in my area in Alaska the main grocery store is Fred Meyer, and we have two near us. One just remodeled and now has fewer shelves spread out more to hide shortages more. On a weekend the place is usually picked clean with a lot of empty shelves everywhere. I’ve noticed this trend over the last 6 months and it just seams to be getting worse. I feel for the people who are not preparing for the shortages to come.
I haven't grocery shopped since 12/22/23 and my shopping list is getting very long. I've never liked shopping, but really hate it anymore. You never know if you'll find what you need and, if you do, if you'll be able to afford the higher price. I usually shop once a month, but with the crappy weather I just don't want to go out. I have been to the local store twice and have spent less than $20 this month on milk and other fresh stuff. I did notice that a can of vegetables had gone from $1.45 to $1.75. I get mine at Aldi still less than $1 a can -- at least they were on 12/22. The local store is not as well stocked, but I believe that is due to people not shopping there except between trips to Aldi, Fareway, Walmart, Target or HyVee which are within a couple blocks of one another in city.
straightstreet
Life is better in flip flops
Thank you Summerthyme
we are fairly well stocked for just the 2 of us. I will probably give it a try and see how much I can save for usMarseydoats
Veteran Member
Husband likes junk cereal. WM had no store brand cocoa krispies, fruit loops, or lucky charms. The entire cereal aisle was really picked over and they had next to no Kelloggs...
Mid South
Mid South
My guess is that a lot of you guys' missing stock is because of the recent weather. Transport is messed up, but will be back to normal as soon as your weather is.
I shop the loss leaders constantly. It does save - and what the heck. We are usually buying a bit more ahead than the average shopper anyway. Worth it to take advantage of low prices, especially on shelf-stable staples.
I shop the loss leaders constantly. It does save - and what the heck. We are usually buying a bit more ahead than the average shopper anyway. Worth it to take advantage of low prices, especially on shelf-stable staples.
Barry Natchitoches
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I have always said, when the MID SOUTH (read that: Memphis and its surrounding areas) start having regular shortages, then we (as a whole nation) are near the crisis point.
This is because we sit right on the busiest east-west shipping lane in the nation (I-40), one of the busiest north to south shipping lanes (I-55), and we have the FedEx main International hub, the Mississippi River//Memphis river port with all the grain barges headed from the mid west farms to the port of New Orleans coming thru here, and we have the only rail line to cross the Mississippi within 200 miles - all of that in our back yard.
Well, folks, the shortages are hitting the greater Memphis area more frequently now.
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For some reason I never have problems with shortages at Walmart here in CAs high desert. Out of a 16 item order the only thing they were out of was Stouffers reg size stuffed peppers. Maybe ours just has good management or something or maybe I just hit it at he right time.
bracketquant
Veteran Member
The WM cereal aisle, here - western MA, is fully stocked, having all of the GV knock-offs, too. It's one massive aisle, with boxed cereals along one entire side. The bulk bagged cereals take up about half of the other side, and then it gets into oatmeal, pancakes, etc...
I'm going to assume that cereal is very popular nationwide, and is one of the most consumed food items. The word that I hear is that keeping the cereal aisle well stocked is priority #1, above everything else, in almost all WM stores. Customers who can't find "their" cereal are unhappy customers.
The only thing that I buy from that aisle is maple syrup, up high on the next to last shelf. If they are down to the last few jugs, and the jugs are at the back of the shelf, I need to find some sort of stick in order to reach them. Other than that, I can reach the front of the top shelf and everywhere else on all the other shelves.
SlipperySlope
Veteran Member
I have been craving an old fashioned (chuck)pot roast. Would you believe they were $6.99 at the store yesterday? What the heck. I remember the old days when they would go on sale from 49 to 69 cents a pound. What are they running in your area?
tiredude
Veteran Member
Barry, I know you arent an alarmist. We are not having shortages. Maybe a bad week but NOT shortages. I am in the same area.
Hi Slippery, I just bought a small one for my neighbor and it cost 23.00. Around 9 bucks a lb but Instacart always tacks on an extra buck or so. It was choice grade if that matters.
psychgirl
Has No Life - Lives on TB
They’re so expensive now it about makes me cry when I check them at Kroger.
I was raised on Chuck roast and they’re my very favorite.
What used to be a 7-10$ cut of meat (and I’m not talking a small chunk of beef either) is now 20$ or higher.
Even on sale I’ll buy one but consider it a splurge.
I had several roasts down in the big freezer shoved in there from sales I’d found. I don’t have the heart to count up how many I have left
$4.99/lb. for chuck roast at the little butcher shop a couple miles down the road - in their ad this morning for next week. They have excellent meat and an excellent rep around here. Still, I'll probably opt instead for loading up on their country-style pork ribs at $1.69/lb and the delish spice-rubbed porketta steaks at $2.49/lb. if I decide I need something. "Might" have company staying here next week...and they ain't getting beef roast.
Usually, the local/regional chain puts beef roasts on sale for $3.97 or that neighborhood, but not this week. I don't buy meat on cravings - buy ahead when it's on special. I think we have an advantage on prices here - N MN - but Midwest in general, because we are close to the source, and close to the processors. But COL is lower here anyway - all the way around.
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Be careful of the triple witching when you shop this next week. That’s what people in retail call it First of the month when benefit payments are made welfare and insurance. It’s also the week that people who get biweekly checks get paid along with SS payments. Shelves get bare quick.
psychgirl
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I’ve never heard of that before!
Thank you!
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I'm seeing the same thing at out local Walmart. It has been recently renovated. Now, where there used to be one side of a whole aisle for different canned veggies, there is only about 1/4 the space. They only have name brands, with only one or two Walmart brands to choose from. It's the same all over the store. Where there once were large sections for each product/item, it's been cut at least in half. Same store, but much less in it. NE MS.
Did my regular shop at Safeway on Wednesday, then sent DH back to use his loyalty card on Thursday or friday. The local independent didn't have anything I needed or prices that were exceptional. I did notice that while the sale price on half gallons of milk (97c) was the same as it has been since around October, the limit is now 3 - it used to be 4. Very few items that I bought - all on sale.
Hit the discount grocer yesterday when we had to go to a much larger town. Most of their stock is junk food (chips, cookies, vegan jerky --??). They had only 1/2 of one aisle for what I would consider real food ( canned goods that are not condiments). Very few beans or pasta, but lots of frou-frou stuff. I was able to buy collagen powder and CALM magnesium supplement for about half of what I normally pay, so that was good. I also bought some 2 gallon ziploc bags for whenever we raise meat birds again.
Hit the discount grocer yesterday when we had to go to a much larger town. Most of their stock is junk food (chips, cookies, vegan jerky --??). They had only 1/2 of one aisle for what I would consider real food ( canned goods that are not condiments). Very few beans or pasta, but lots of frou-frou stuff. I was able to buy collagen powder and CALM magnesium supplement for about half of what I normally pay, so that was good. I also bought some 2 gallon ziploc bags for whenever we raise meat birds again.
bracketquant
Veteran Member
Yes, Barry, you are the shipping lane, but that's about it.
Being in the single poorest metropolitan (1,000,000+? population) area in the entire country, goods pass through, but mostly don't stop there. The goods will go to more affluent areas that will pay more for, and buy more of, those same goods.
psychgirl
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Does anyone here have experience shopping at a Harvest Market store?
We have one opening here this summer.
I’ve heard it’s pricey like Whole Foods is, but also that they carry mainstream items too.
I just looked at their website sale flyer. It doesn’t look “too bad”?
We have one opening here this summer.
I’ve heard it’s pricey like Whole Foods is, but also that they carry mainstream items too.
I just looked at their website sale flyer. It doesn’t look “too bad”?
bracketquant
Veteran Member
I only buy at 50% off sales ($2.49 to $2.99 a pound), not the $5 - $6 a pound regular price. Sometimes it's buy one get one free, rather than the sale on a single roast, which is fine with me.
psychgirl
Has No Life - Lives on TB
You must shop in a better store bought Han what I have then, because I can’t begin to remember a price like that.
The lowest I’ve seen in a few years is mayyyybe 4.99/lb.
Ages ago too?
And I’m not talking at fancy places either. Just Kroger or at Meijer
bracketquant
Veteran Member
I did my WalMart run the other day. Basically fully stocked except for eggs (again). It likely has to do with Massachusetts passing a law a couple of years ago about minimum cage sizes. I think the law was again modified, but perhaps some people closed their businesses. There was also the huge fire in CT, (about 50 miles away), that burned down the largest egg producer in the area.
Very surprisingly, winter clothing is currently on clearance. I picked up a very nice winter coat for $35 (a SWISS TECH hooded puffer), marked down from $60. The odd thing is, this coat, and basically all winter coats, were not in stock, until this clearance sale. Perhaps they were shipped from WalMart stores further south.
Very surprisingly, winter clothing is currently on clearance. I picked up a very nice winter coat for $35 (a SWISS TECH hooded puffer), marked down from $60. The odd thing is, this coat, and basically all winter coats, were not in stock, until this clearance sale. Perhaps they were shipped from WalMart stores further south.
bracketquant
Veteran Member
Stop & Shop, here in the northeast. Sales used to be several times a year, now it's about once a year. Other than roasts, every other cut of meat is through the roof. Thank goodness that I prefer the flavor of pot roast over all of the far more expensive stuff.
Bps1691
Veteran Member
Local IGA e/central Illinois has been $6.99 lb all Jan. The closest wall mart is always around $8+ lb. Neither place has had any small ones and they are not cut well. To much outter fat and instead of marbled are big chunks of fat in meet.
Have been getting good ground chuck at $3.99 lb at the local IGA though from all the chuck roasts they can’t sell. Win-win
Bubble Head
Has No Life - Lives on TB
They flush the animal after the kill with a water solution that is supposed to remove bacteria from the blood but it actually places about 10% water into the weight of the meat you buy. Destroys the flavor and cost more.
momma_soapmaker
Disgusted
Local WM in south central Arkansas was completely out of Delsym cough syrup. I had to order some off Amazon.
bracketquant
Veteran Member
I found the Equate version just as effective, and at a much better price. Of course, they are usually both sold out at the same time.
xtreme_right
Veteran Member
I bought one for the first time in a while for $5.99/lb for Prime. Ground chuck is $4.39 so it’s only $3 or so more to be able to enjoy a nice roast.
bracketquant
Veteran Member
With possible supply chain issues with almost any products today, meaning the availability of what you want or need, along with the inflation factor, have you researched the making of your own protein powder or drink?
nomifyle
TB Fanatic
That's the brand I use, I'll have to check out their website.
I had not shopped since 12/22/23 so today I went to Walmart and Aldi to the tune of $140.57. Actual expense was $115.57 because I had a $25 gift card for Aldi. On October 4, 2023 frozen OJ concentrate cost $1.99 and today it was $2.49. I didn't pay special attention to prices because I was only buying items needed to replace what I've used over the last month. When you have to have it, you have to pay the price. I did buy extras of several items hoping to extend the time before I need to shop again!
A friend was my shopping buddy today which made the trip more pleasant than usual but I'm still beyond exhausted. Doesn't help that I had two trips to the basement to check on what I needed to add to my list before I went and then six trips to put things into the basement pantry. Half hour driving each direction to town. Today there was not much traffic and I only had one near accident when some idiot did not yield coming into the roundabout. Walmart seemed to have more staff and two actually spoke pleasantly as they passed. Also, more registers were open even though fewer shoppers.
I've found Tuesday mornings are the least busy time to shop. I try to do my monthly shopping at the end of the month rather than dealing with the craziness at the first of each month. Some shelves were thin but in general things seemed to be well stocked. I've read recently about lack of frozen potato products, but Walmart's freezers were fully stocked with both store and name brands and all varieties. Frozen pizzas were stocked but there were some thin and a few blank spots.
Only found three bargains. At Walmart cream cheese in a 2 pack for $3.12 and French bread marked down 44 cents. Aldi had the $2.49 wheat bread marked down to $1.49. I assume the bread at both places was marked down as day old, but it goes straight into the freezer when I get home so not a problem for me. Last time I bought cream cheese it was 2 for $6.00. I've got to take advantage wherever I can.
A friend was my shopping buddy today which made the trip more pleasant than usual but I'm still beyond exhausted. Doesn't help that I had two trips to the basement to check on what I needed to add to my list before I went and then six trips to put things into the basement pantry. Half hour driving each direction to town. Today there was not much traffic and I only had one near accident when some idiot did not yield coming into the roundabout. Walmart seemed to have more staff and two actually spoke pleasantly as they passed. Also, more registers were open even though fewer shoppers.
I've found Tuesday mornings are the least busy time to shop. I try to do my monthly shopping at the end of the month rather than dealing with the craziness at the first of each month. Some shelves were thin but in general things seemed to be well stocked. I've read recently about lack of frozen potato products, but Walmart's freezers were fully stocked with both store and name brands and all varieties. Frozen pizzas were stocked but there were some thin and a few blank spots.
Only found three bargains. At Walmart cream cheese in a 2 pack for $3.12 and French bread marked down 44 cents. Aldi had the $2.49 wheat bread marked down to $1.49. I assume the bread at both places was marked down as day old, but it goes straight into the freezer when I get home so not a problem for me. Last time I bought cream cheese it was 2 for $6.00. I've got to take advantage wherever I can.