Reply #9: It's actually been pretty shocking

[jenmarie]

dad and I shop about once a week -- typically buying pretty much the same stuff each week with more or less items as necessary. Since last summer, our weekly amount has gone from consistently being around $70 - $80/week, to now being $80. - $100./week. Just in one year. He's been retired for almost 20 years, and his increase in income has obviously not kept up with food and gas increases.

Dad's pretty old, but he has a memory for numbers like crazy, so he remembers what he was paying for things 5 or 10 years ago and it's disgusting how much things have gone up. I have to convince him that we have to buy fruit even if it's expensive because when he looks at the prices he just says, no, I won't pay that much for apples -- or whatever it is. Seriously, if I wasn't here he would not be eating any fruit at all. Unfortunately, we live in an area where no fruit or veges are grown, so there's no farmer's markets and everything is shipped in. Still, I doubt prices are much better anywhere else.