Some painful food for thought: grocery prices surging

[Forkboy]

Besides soaring costs for gas and travel, the latest pain to hit consumers is at the dinner table.

US food prices are expected to jump between 3 and 4 percent this year, about twice the general rate of inflation, after rising last year by the slowest rate since 1962, according to a Department of Agriculture forecast this week. The increase is due to unusually inclement weather, high worldwide demand for US agricultural commodities, and rising gas prices.

Some local supermarkets are passing along those costs on everything from vegetables and wheat to fruits and meat to consumers, many of whom continue to pinch pennies during the jobless recovery.

Food prices have risen significantly in recent months, helping to push the average food bill in America up 10 to 20 percent over what it was a year ago when the rate of food price inflation was low, some analysts say.

http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/articles/2011/02/26/for_consumers_rising_food_prices_are_hard_to_stomach/

[deacon]

1. Yeah and the GOP wants to lower wages to 50 cents an hour. n/t

[TomClash]

20. They'll still claim that's too high nt

[xxqqqzme]

2. I spent $200

to join the local Community Garden ($100 refundable when you give up your plot) It is a 15' X 20' growing space. I grew an abundance of artichokes, tomatoes, cantaloupe, broccoli, brussels sprouts, green beans, sweet peas, eggplant and peppers in a 10' X 10' plot in my backyard. My community garden plot is 3X as big. I'm looking forward to having plenty to share w/ family.

[Forkboy]

6. That's a cool thing.

And we'll need a lot of things like that in the future. Unfortunately, that's not always practical for many (for instance, I couldn't pony up the $200 in the first place). But still, it's a good thing, and something I hope more people look into.

[xxqqqzme]

21. I'm sharing my space.

There are others who are also sharing the cost and space. There are always ways to work around it. But then our group is committed to making certain that people who need it, have access. The sharing cost/labor/rewards is encouraged.

[blueamy66]

17. That's awesome.

We are going to plant some veggies today in our backyard.

I love to share the veggies with friends too.

Hope your growing season is great!

[uppityperson]

3. k&r, the increase in gas will really make it go up.

[FreakinDJ]

4. And we all know the Reaganomics method of controling inflation

UnEmployment

[inna]

5. Perfect timing to cut food stamp spending, for the first time in history of the program.

[Forkboy]

7. And 2 years with no COLA adjustment either.

The big squeeze in on.

[inna]

11. While the rich get hundreds of billions dollars in tax breaks/corporate welfare.

It's a unilateral class war; I don't think it's ever been more obvious, at least not in my life time.

[Aerows]

8. the "inflation index" has been kept artificially low...

... for years.

Everyone knows that prices on *everything* have risen, but our "inflation index" has been kept artificially low because it doesn't account for necessities. I urge you to investigate what the CPI (Consumer Price Index) really calculates, but even more so, who CONTROLS that "Price Index".

You are getting played if you think everything hasn't skyrocketed in price.

It's time for a REAL price index the Reality Price Index.

I just made that up, but we need one. Food, fuel and utilities are rising, and paychecks have not kept up the pace, even if you have been working at the same job for 10 years. Your paycheck does not stretch as far.

That the Reality Index.

[Aerows]

9. CPI and Quantitative Easing - how they affect you

This is a quick and dirty on how financial snake oil, ponzi's, and out-right theft affect YOU:


http://www.zerohedge.com/article/quantitative-easing-explained

Pay attention to:

But aren't the food prices higher than a year ago? Yes
Aren't the gas prices higher than a year ago? Yes
Aren't the utilities prices higher than a year ago? Yes

Note that we aren't experiencing "inflation". Everything costs more, but that isn't inflation, provided that you change what "inflation" means to economists. You couldn't make this up if you tried.

[Aerows]

10. K & R - I'd like to see some discussion on this m/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Peak Oil+ Global Weather Change+ qualitative easing

and the first two are far more guilty for this. Malthus was right, and it will be here, sooner rather than later.

[Aerows]

13. Quantitative Easing

Is not the same as every other boogie man dreamed up. Next year, it will be called something else besides "printing money", but that's what it is. "Printing money" devalues your own money that you possess in your hand, period. If you have a savings account, no matter how meager, it makes it smaller because your money is worth less - it's inflation, but they don't call it that. You just see "rising prices".

The CPI has been working hand in hand to convince you and the legislature that prices have not been going up faster than incomes. For the past 5 years, everything has been priced the same, give or take the amount your wages have also increased.

You have paid the same thing for a roll of toilet paper and a loaf of bread for 5 years.

Are you convinced that is true, yet?

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. The comodities problem has to do with

crop failures due to global weather change... why oh Russia had a few fires last summer, and closed down any exports of food.

That is just a major example.

Trust me, I cannot eat money, but if there is less food in the market, due to crop failures, it is going to go up in price.

And if my energy to produce\transport it is also more expensive...

Malthus comes to mind.

[Aerows]

15. There is a very real shortage of food

coming in the world, and it is already making itself felt. The Federal Reserve has not improved it and probably made it worse along with the IMF, but it also cannot be held solely responsible for it, either.

Hungry people revolt.

I anticipate we will see this on a greater scale, as rice and wheat prices rise.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Absolutely, it is the malthusian crisis

the only reason it took so long is our highly technological and energy intensive agriculture...

[cali]

18. It's painful. The only way I can get by

is... very carefully. I shop for things like coffee, honey and preserves at Ocean state Job Lots once a month. I buy canned and boxed goods at the local dented can store. My local market almost always has 8 ounce Cabot cheddar bars for 1.99. For fruit and fresh greens I buy what's on special and I buy grains, lentils and beans at the local co-op.

It takes a ridiculous amount of planning- both shopping and cooking.

[Solly Mack]

19. K&R