Grocery and oil prices!

[asjr]

I suppose I will never let go of my naivete. I have always thought people should be above board and empathetic. I went to Walmart yesterday with my DIL. I no longer drive and have no car so I depend on her.I have been griping about grocery prices for ages and yesterday was no exception. I bought my favorite coffee. It seemed the container looked so much smaller. It used to be a pound of coffee was 16 oz. This container was 10.5 oz. $3.58. I realize they have been downsizing just about everything and believe this was their fourth time to do so. Two weeks ago Betty Crocker brownie mix was on special for $1.00 a box. I bought two boxes. Last week they had upped it to $1.74 a box. This week it was $1.47 a box. Do you suppose someone complained??? Obviously Betty Crocker is now wearing designer clothes instead of Walmart originals and has to pay for them. I needed Post-it notes, hadn't bought any in ages. $4, $6 a pack and higher. I will just cut out my notes and use scotch tape and glue. Watch the price of Scotch Tape rise! And ice cream--don't you just love those half gallon containers that harbor a few morsels of ice cream? I think they are 1.5 quarts.

I realize we are in a "recession" though to hear our leaders we are supposed to think we are doing "better." Oil prices are still extremely high even though we don't use as much now. Some refineries, as I understand it, are idle. Supposedly being revamped or simonized and washed--like our brains.

The thing I am most irritated with is our government. I am a Democrat and always will be and I like our new president. He is presidential unlike the previous one. BUT, even though we have a president who is not afraid to speak out, the other parts of government--CONGRESS, or CONMEN and WOMEN make us think they are taking care of business when actually they are lining their pockets with other people's money including ours. Has anyone heard of a senator or rep. speaking out about the terrible prices in stores? I know the march on DC on the illegal war in Iraq was big, but the next march should be about what is actually happening to the citizens of this country. It should be so big DC should be tied up in traffic on the streets and sidewalks. They are running out the clock on everything. They are "nulling it over" where health care is concerned. And stimulus packages?? I could use one of those packages. It's not easy being a senior citizen these days and heaven knows how the unemployed and homeless are getting on. I am sick of hearing "talk about change". I want to see it.

I don't know how many of you will read this, but I have had to get this out of my system or go nuts. I don't sleep. I have acid reflux so bad my generic Zantac stopped working. The purple pill?? Probably out of my price range. If anyone can get a protest march going I will glady join if I can find someone to push my wheel chair.

[unhappycamper]

1. If you don't mind walking with veterans, I'd be

happy to push your chair.

[asjr]

7. I would be very happy to have you

push my chair around DC. I've griped about all this stuff before but I am really riled up about it now. It will take a 5 million man march to get their attention. The Congressional rhetoric is just that--rhetoric. And they are all alike. Face time and making soothing noises is all they can do.

[napi21]

2. I too don't drive anymore. I con my husband to drove to stores like ALDI's,

Save-A-Lot (a division of Kroger), and make almost everything from scratch instead of the expensive quick fix things like Hanburger Helper etc. Always plan your weeks meals around what's on sale that week at the store(s) where you shop. If you have a coffee or some other thing you really love, spend the $$. Sometimes you just have to do it for YOU!

[trof]

3. The 2000 Mile Spuds

A while back Miz t. and I went grocery shopping at our Winn-Dixie.
We live in a rural, farming area of coastal Alabama.

I picked up a 10 pound bag of potatoes, flipped it over, and saw that they came from a corporate farm in Simi Valley, California.
That's roughly 2000 miles from us.
I looked at another "brand".
They came from somewhere in Colorado.
Those being my only two choices, I picked the 'closer' Colorado spuds.

There used to be potato farms in our area. Now farmers grow commercial crops like soy beans and cotton, or they grow turf for homes and golf courses that are no longer being built.

I wondered how many gallons of fuel it took to get those potatoes from field to packer to central warehouse to distribution warehouse to Winn-Dixie.

Now that the days of cheap gas and cheap transportation are waning I think (hope) we'll see more local produce.

[asjr]

8. When I was younger and had my own house

I had a beautiful vegetable garden every year. A big garden. I miss that but can't manage to do it now.

[Sal Minella]

26. I noticed this many years ago -- in the 'Seventies!

When I was living in Oregon as a grad student's wife, the cheapest potatoes I could buy were grown in Idaho. Living in California (more grad school) the cheapest potatoes I could buy were grown in Oregon!

I wondered then if the produce distributors had some sort of deal with the trucking companies, and I wonder still.

[Subdivisions]

28. 'Re-localization' WILL happen. That's a good thing, though it won't be easy going to get there. n/t

[KharmaTrain]

4. Silent Suffering...

Unlike the rich, the middle class and poor don't own news networks or papers, they don't host hate radio shows or are used for much more than props for one political agenda or another. The past 30 years we've been told if you're suffering it's your fault, that government is THE problem and if things are going bad in your life, it obviously is your fault and if you ask for help, you're a deadbeat.

Our "market system" is massively broken...3 decades of "deregulation" has eliminated competition replacing it with crony capitalism. The mindset is that somehow you will always find the extra to pay for what you want and if you can't afford it then you can get a "low cost" loan. The game was to get people into financial servitude to control their lives and maximize profits. Sadly, this cronyism is so vast and systemic it's hard to put your finger on one cause or culprit for the ongoing financial messes many, like yourself, are in.

Fixing it isn't and won't be easy. It means dismantling a system that won't go down easy...and will resist every step of the way. It's bringing back regulations and preventing companies from becoming too big to fail. It's also re-igniting the middle class...returning the focus of economic health to how the overall population is doing rather than the rich. I can't say if and when this will happen, but the old games aren't working anymore. The middle class...or what's left of it...is tapped out...and as long as they don't spent (and earn!!) this economy will struggle to recover.

While it's easy to say hang in there, it's another to face your realities...I see so many stuck in similar frustrated ruts, but this is the time where one needs to be more pro-active, not ready to hide in a hole. We're seeing that our voices are starting to puncture through...persistance is what is needed. Giving up lets the bastards win.

Here's hoping for better days ahead...but change doesn't just happen, it means having to work for it.

[asjr]

9. Some days I feel like going to my

Republican senators and saying "More gruel, please." They are both nitwits and are not worthy of my attention. Tennessee hasn't learned anything especially when they have those two and that miserable Marsha Blackburn.

[KharmaTrain]

12. Tale Of Two Countries...

This is one thing I do find fascinating on DU...and in some cases the cause for some of the flaming or misunderstandings.

I'm from a totally blue area...and it's easy to see how some can comprehend that this is how others here live as well. I think that leads to some of the South flaming that goes on...they don't have direct experience with how life is in those areas compared to the city or suburb they live in.

That said, anyone who thought "change" would just happen overnight after last November sadly deserves to be let down. It was just another step in a long road...one we're finally moving forward one, but a slow road it is. I'm grateful we've reach the "peak" of the right wing storm of the past 8 years and things are moving in a better direction, but there's many miles to go. While Democrats now control the government, there's been a lot of messes to clean up and the goal to this point has been to stop the bleeding. Almost everything President Obama has had to deal with is in reactive rather than proactive mode. Thus the need to not only work hard to hold onto the gains Democrats currently enjoy but where needed to find and help get "better" (more liberal/progressive) Democrats elected and to keep pushing forward. In the end, hopefully we're on the road to positive change...hang in there.

[Le Taz Hot]

5. Here's another reason your groceries are out of sight

and I can't get anyone on DU to talk about it: The San Joaquin Valley literally feeds much of the country and a respectable amount of the world and THEY'VE SHUT OUR WATER OFF! The local saying goes something like this: If you like foreign oil, you'll LOVE foreign food.


http://www.newsweek.com/id/211381

[asjr]

13. Is that legal? Cutting off your water?

Is the drought that bad?

[Le Taz Hot]

15. Once again it's a situation in which

Fed law trumps State law. As an environmentalist I can appreciate the need to save as many species as possible. I just find it hard to justify, in the THIRD year of the drought and in that California's lifeblood is agriculture and goddess knows we need all the money we can put our hands on, the Feds cut off the spigots. Farms are going fallow which means less food production which means price increases. The local impact has been devastating.

Mendota, CA, a rural farming community, is a good example of the impact the federal shut-off has had locally.

http://theuniversalseduction.com/articles/calif-farmers-say-feds-make-drought-worse

[sammytko]

6. I buy my ice cream from the Schwan's guy - still 1/2 gallon

I buy coffee in the foil packs. Never ever buy brownie mix. The one bowl brownie recipe on the back of the Bakers unsweetend chocolate squares is the BEST!

[asjr]

10. I do not believe we have Schwan's here but

I will surely look into it. This is middle Tennessee and the best thing we have going for us is Jack Daniels distillery 12 miles away. Our local Dillard's just moved out and Goody's closed and even restaurants closed--although one was for lousy food. I usually make everything from scratch but lately I have become very lazy. There is a teenager in this house and he eats everything in sight!

[sammytko]

19. FYI - Schwan's takes food stamps/cards nt

[Liberation Angel]

11. Ginger root powdered for tummy, hops/chamomile for sleep

Yoghurt too helps the tummy.

Coffee can hurt it too , but I use cinnamon and ginger with the coffee.

These food plants and herbs can really help.

I buy hops cheap from a local brewer/winemaking place (about $2-$3 for a few ounces) and take a teaspoon of tea at night (It helps lots. Its bitter so I swallow it whole sometimes with water instead of drinking the bitter tea)


If you feel lousy do a google search for "medicinal herbs" and whatever condition you have.

Ginger and cinnamon can be bought in bulk (usually several ounces to a container and (not expensive really, maybe $3-4 a jar which will last months) you only need a little for a great hot tea? I mix it with generic orange pekoe too)

and pretty much all these have anticancer and other medicinal properties and are safe as can be.

I have given up my car for now (I drive my daughter's when she's not working and bike when I can, but I live way out in the boondocks so store going requires gas pretty much - but we do all our shopping at once, once or twice a week)

Chamomile tea too is good for the tummy and to relax and sleep. Again, cheapest to buy it in bulk, usually at a health food store bt many hispanic stores or sections in stores have the tea in bulk as "Manzanila".

Do a wiki search on any of the above teas/herbs (and yoghurt) and it should help you find an inexpensive balance.

With the hops helping you sleep everything else gets better.

It takes time to heal inflamed areas which are hurting from acid reflux, but really important to do that.

I am not a doctor but my father orked with hers and I have also been using them for many years. Do a little research.

Aloe and licorice are also recommended

and I buy fresh papaya which also helps with stomach problems - make sure it is ripe and sweet - it has digestive enzymes that help and balance the acid in the atomach etc.

Good luck.

The best weapon we have to protect ourselves from corporate greed and systemized societal failure is knowledge.

Plus when you heal yourself you empower yourself.

[asjr]

14. Thanks for the info. I knew about camomile tea

but wasn't aware that ginger helped.

[Liberation Angel]

29. ginger is really good - i get candied ginger sometimes

from a local asian market

yummy

but sugar isn't always best

try maple syrup if you can get that for tea

and for sweetening yoghurt

I get kefir too for the tummy (better than yoghurt)

But papaya is really good

[Lorien]

16. Try Costco and Aldis instead of Walmart

better deals (on gas too at Costco), and you won't be giving your hard earned money to one of the most worker unfriendly corporations in America.

[Skidmore]

17. Toilet paper....

Buy it once a month. Now it comes in 3 sizes. The double roll size is now the size of what used to be the regular roll, and the regular roll is a taunt to the consumer. I saw a "mega" roll which was the the size of what used to be the double roll. AND there were fewer rolls in the package with considerably higher prices.

I no longer buy any prepared foods. It is much cheaper now to make your own from scratch. A bag of flour will serve as an ingredient for many more items than one mix can. It takes a little more time, but if they don't value our time as workers then we can value how we spend our time and money in consumption. Period.

[Morning Dew]

21. Toilet paper

Use Scott toilet tissue - a roll lasts forever and is soft enough. The "soft" version of Scott isn't as long lasting.

They often have 12 pack specials as well - this is great stuff - with a 4 person household, we were going through TP like mad until I started buying Scott. It drove me nuts. Now there's always TP when I need it... simple pleasure.

[asjr]

22. I have always used Scott's. One day

my DIL brought home some of the "mega roll" tissue and it started plugging up the toilet.

[Kansas Wyatt]

18. Corporate America appreciates your business.

You must be very thankful that Corporate America looks out for and takes care of you, and you must be so grateful that you live in a country where your leaders have given you Corporate America to take care of you.

Translation: Your Corporate Government Store owns you and you are a Subject to the Corporate Government Store. Your representatives merged the Government with Corporate America awhile back, and all citizens became Subjects to the Corporate Government Store. Think Company Store on steroids with the government on it's side, and you'll get the picture. Don't like it? Too bad, the citizenry voted years ago to be more conservative and the deal was done. You can try to file a complaint with your Corporate Government Representatives, but they are owned by Corporate America.

Try chanting this: Go USA! Go USA! Go USA!
Now don't you feel better?

[asjr]

23. You are correct. I thought for a long long time

that there would be a remedy for that, but I probably won't see it in the rest of my lifetime. I am not being gloomy--I am angry.

[Kansas Wyatt]

24. Well that's the problem...

How do we peel back bad laws, with layers and layers of new laws on top of them, especially when our alleged representatives work for Corporate America, instead of the People.

In case people haven't noticed... Only Corporate America is worried about, and the citizens of this country are ignored, unless the citizens are getting in the way of Corporate America and have to be penalized.
But hey, at least we don't live in a totalitarian state... :yoiks:

[DainBramaged]

20. Brown Gold coffee, USED to be $5.99 for a 16oz. can as of last month

and was a 16oz. can for years and years. Now it's 11.5 oz. for $5.99, a 25% price increase. I stopped buying it. Maxwell house discontinued their 1891 brand a while ago which was 16oz. because and I quote the toadie on the other end of the phone, "people want more convenient sizes".

Dunkin Donuts coffee for me (when I drink it) Still $6 a pound.

[global1]

25. We Have Jewel Foods In Our Town........

They are on this advertising campaign claiming 1000's of products - 'new low prices' - '20% savings'. The problem is weeks before they started this campaign they started raising prices. Just like your brownie mix example - my mother buys a certain brand of cinnamon bread. She was always paying $1.99 per loaf. They then raised the price to $2.59 per loaf. She stopped buying it. Then their new campaign hit and they lowered the price to $2.20 per loaf claiming their big sale price. She started buying it again - but is paying $0.21 over what she always paid - with their new low prices.

This is just an example that we were able to track. I'm sure they did that with all their 'new low pricing' and are making more then they ever did.

Aside from decreasing the size of the package and paying more for less - like your coffee example - another trick the people that make shampoo are using is to alter the formula and take out some of the ingredient that makes the suds when you wash your hair. The tendency is to now use more shampoo to get more suds - because people thick they aren't getting the cleaning action without the suds. The result - you use more shampoo every wash - and you have to buy it more often.

Tide laundry detergent - indicated they changed their formula - and now you can use half as much volume of the detergent to get the same washing action as you did with their original formula. The other added benefits that they claim is you can get more bottles on the shelf because they are half the size - environmental - use less plastic - etc. What I used to buy on sale for $5.00 per bottle is now half the size and they are charging $9.00 per bottle. I really don't think that they changed their formula - they're just telling you that you can use 1/2 as much.

Lunchmeat at the deli counter. You would pay $4.98 per pound of a good Polish sliced ham - now they advertise $2.98 - but watch - it is for a 1/2 a pound of the same ham. So now you think you are getting a deal but you are now paying $5.98 per pound.

Bottom line - we're getting ripped everytime we go to the grocery store and these tactics are being used in more and more stores on more and more products.

I wonder what the size of the packages will be 10 years from now.

[Subdivisions]

27. I have also been noting the same thing: Smaller quantity/same price or

higher prices on unchanged quantity. Also at Walmart (I know, I know...). I've also noticed a lot of empty shelf and floor space. Also, Walmart's generic brand Great Value has gone to generic packaging as well, which is a cost-cutting tact. I am less familiar with what's happening elsewhere in a Walmart Supercenter as I try to go elswhere for that stuff so as to reduce my patronage of Walmart as much as possible.