Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small bunch
of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think
it may be time we rioted in the streets.

Paul

"Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
news:%FhMj.7448$6w3.5925@trnddc07...
> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
> pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small bunch
> of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think
> it may be time we rioted in the streets.
>
> Paul
>
In the SF Bay area what you're describing is rampant. At the Safeway down
the street, onions have approached a buck a pound, along with all the other
overly elevated produce pricing. At the produce market in Berkeley, a few
miles away, the same produce is from 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the local
supermarket price. Here seabass, frozen, is frequently over $20/lb. Who
wants to eat tasteless beef tenderloin at $25/lb. What is really maddening
to me is that, while food prices have escalated, in the local Chinese
supermarket, all is fresh, 2/3 the price, and the variety is far greater.

Let's all figure out a communal way to express that we're "****ed off" and
that, Godamn it, we're not going to take it anymore.

Kent

Kent wrote:
>
> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
> news:%FhMj.7448$6w3.5925@trnddc07...
> > Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
> > pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small bunch
> > of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think
> > it may be time we rioted in the streets.
> >
> > Paul
> >
> In the SF Bay area what you're describing is rampant. At the Safeway down
> the street, onions have approached a buck a pound, along with all the other
> overly elevated produce pricing. At the produce market in Berkeley, a few
> miles away, the same produce is from 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the local
> supermarket price. Here seabass, frozen, is frequently over $20/lb. Who
> wants to eat tasteless beef tenderloin at $25/lb. What is really maddening
> to me is that, while food prices have escalated, in the local Chinese
> supermarket, all is fresh, 2/3 the price, and the variety is far greater.
>
> Let's all figure out a communal way to express that we're "****ed off" and
> that, Godamn it, we're not going to take it anymore.
>
> Kent

I think it's all 'fuel/gasoline' related? I can't wait for the local
famers' market to open (too far north), and I anticipate their prices
will be elevated too due to high fuel prices too.

Sky

--
Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice

In article <%FhMj.7448$6w3.5925@trnddc07>, says...
> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
> pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small bunch
> of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think
> it may be time we rioted in the streets.
>
> Paul
>
>
>


Tonight I bought:

2 Red Bell Peppers
1 Very Large Onion
2 Bunches of Green onion
3lbs. of Green Grapes
A jar of salsa
Tortillas
Cereal
16oz Sour Cream
Two medium tomatoes

Total was $14.63

In article >, kh6444
@comcast.net says...
>
> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
> news:%FhMj.7448$6w3.5925@trnddc07...
> > Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
> > pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small bunch
> > of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think
> > it may be time we rioted in the streets.
> >
> > Paul
> >
> In the SF Bay area what you're describing is rampant. At the Safeway down
> the street, onions have approached a buck a pound, along with all the other
> overly elevated produce pricing. At the produce market in Berkeley, a few
> miles away, the same produce is from 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the local
> supermarket price. Here seabass, frozen, is frequently over $20/lb. Who
> wants to eat tasteless beef tenderloin at $25/lb. What is really maddening
> to me is that, while food prices have escalated, in the local Chinese
> supermarket, all is fresh, 2/3 the price, and the variety is far greater.
>
> Let's all figure out a communal way to express that we're "****ed off" and
> that, Godamn it, we're not going to take it anymore.
>
> Kent
>
>
>
>

It's mostly the big supermarket chains that are screwing people. Maybe
if we shopped them less and shopped the merchants with higher quality
yet lower priced goods something good might happen.

Namely, the big chains might finally realize that offering sub-par
produce and meat for top dollar isn't necessarily the way to do
business.

"T" > wrote in message
. ..
> In article <%FhMj.7448$6w3.5925@trnddc07>, says...
>> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
>> pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small
>> bunch
>> of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I
>> think
>> it may be time we rioted in the streets.

In the u.k. people get use to doing nearly all their shopping in
supermarkets they then dont notice often smaller shops are charging less.
You only have to look at large supermarket chains to see the excessive
annual profits they make.

As far as i can see the only way to combat these price increases is to make
people aware of comparitive prices among retailing shops. perhaps local
newspapers could be asked to print the comparitive prices of various items
at the different supermarkets or volunteers could collect prices and put
onto newsgroups. any other ideas?

On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 07:08:45 -0500, The Cook >
wrote:

>What would the bill have been if she had bought a head of lettuce


Just adding the word "Organic" would have added four more bucks to the
cost! Is it worth it? I don't think so.

And I don't recall ever seeing the word "Organic" in the frozen food
section.

On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 06:23:55 GMT, "Paul M. Cook" >
wrote:

>Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
>pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small bunch
>of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think
>it may be time we rioted in the streets.
>
>Paul
>


What would the bill have been if she had bought a head of lettuce and
an equal amount of full sized carrots? Around here it would have been
about $5.00. It seems that the high prices reflect her choices.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

The Cook wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 06:23:55 GMT, "Paul M. Cook" >
> wrote:
>
>> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag
>> of pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a
>> small bunch of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see
>> the total. I think it may be time we rioted in the streets.
>>
>> Paul
>>
>
>
> What would the bill have been if she had bought a head of lettuce and
> an equal amount of full sized carrots? Around here it would have been
> about $5.00. It seems that the high prices reflect her choices.
> --
> Susan N.
>
A couple of weeks ago I purchased a head of iceberg lettuce and a half
gallon of store brand homogenized milk from Albertsons here in the
Intermountain West. The cost was over $5. It would have cost less if I had
shopped Winco. However, that said. . .during that particular time frame all
produce at all stores sky-rocketed for about 2 weeks. Then prices dropped
with produce from Mexico. We have a choice I guess. We can either support
US producers of our crops or support imports. It isn't a simple choice. My
purse is pinched and gets in the way of my natural inclination to support my
neighbors.
Janet

The Cook wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 06:23:55 GMT, "Paul M. Cook" >
> wrote:
>
>> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag
>> of pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a
>> small bunch of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see
>> the total. I think it may be time we rioted in the streets.
>>
>> Paul
>>
>
>
> What would the bill have been if she had bought a head of lettuce and
> an equal amount of full sized carrots? Around here it would have been
> about $5.00. It seems that the high prices reflect her choices.
>
I agree, Susan. Those bags of salad seem to be very popular but they are
also pricy. I could see it if she wanted a mix of greens and buying a bunch
of each wouldn't be practical, but how difficult is it to tear iceburg
lettuce?! And of course you're paying extra for someone to run those
carrots through a machine and label them "baby carrots", when in fact they
aren't baby anything. That's not to say food prices aren't going up. But
she chose to purchase (and pay for) convenience.

Jill

Pre-chopped lettuce? If her time is that valuable that she can't fit in
chopping up a lettuce, she deserves to be overcharged. Were the bananas
lightly masticated for her too?

"Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
news:%FhMj.7448$6w3.5925@trnddc07...
> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
> pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small bunch
> of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think
> it may be time we rioted in the streets.

In article >,
Billy <Hereiam@hotmaildotcom> wrote:

> And I don't recall ever seeing the word "Organic" in the frozen food
> section.

Come to my Cub supermarket. Minneapolis area.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor
She's had good news! Hurrah!

"Paul M. Cook" > wrote in
news:%FhMj.7448$6w3.5925@trnddc07:

> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was
> buying a bag of pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of
> baby carrots and a small bunch of bananas. Her tab was
> $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think it may be
> time we rioted in the streets.

huh? if she wasn't too busy/lazy to cut carrots & lettuce she
could have saved herself about $8.

yes, food prices *are* going up, but one can cut some of the
expense by avoiding precut or prepared foods. cut out the junk
snacky foods helps a lot too.
lee
--
Last night while sitting in my chair
I pinged a host that wasn't there
It wasn't there again today
The host resolved to NSA.

In article <%FhMj.7448$6w3.5925@trnddc07>,
"Paul M. Cook" > wrote:

> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
> pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small bunch
> of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think
> it may be time we rioted in the streets.
>
> Paul

I believe that Americans still spend less of their income on food (I'm
not talking about restaurant meals) than citizens of any other country.
We're just catching up.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor
She's had good news! Hurrah!

Billy <Hereiam@hotmaildotcom> wrote in
:

> On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 07:08:45 -0500, The Cook
> > wrote:
>
>>What would the bill have been if she had bought a head of
>>lettuce
>
>
> Just adding the word "Organic" would have added four more
> bucks to the cost! Is it worth it? I don't think so.

not around here (in NH). the organic labelled carrots &
lettuce mixes are comparatively priced, & frequently less by a
dollar per 16oz bag of the salads.

> And I don't recall ever seeing the word "Organic" in the
> frozen food section.

most stupidmarkets put the organic frozen foods in a separate
section, but there are quite a lot of frozen organically
labelled foods.

lee
--
Last night while sitting in my chair
I pinged a host that wasn't there
It wasn't there again today
The host resolved to NSA.

The Cook wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 06:23:55 GMT, "Paul M. Cook" >
> wrote:
>
>> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
>> pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small bunch
>> of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think
>> it may be time we rioted in the streets.
>>
>> Paul
>>
>
>
> What would the bill have been if she had bought a head of lettuce and
> an equal amount of full sized carrots? Around here it would have been
> about $5.00. It seems that the high prices reflect her choices.

I agree. She chose to pay a premium for pre-torn lettuce, carrots that
required intervention to make them artificially small...and some
bananas. Seems to me she wasn't taken advantage of at all.

"enigma" > wrote

> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote

>> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was
>> buying a bag of pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of
>> baby carrots and a small bunch of bananas. Her tab was
>> $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think it may be
>> time we rioted in the streets.
>
> huh? if she wasn't too busy/lazy to cut carrots & lettuce she
> could have saved herself about $8.

I buy those bags of romaine hearts, I know they run to $3-4, maybe
a little more, but they make 3 nice salads, lettuce-wise, and I don't
wind up throwing out half the head. Iceberg lettuce has very little
waste and buying it cut up is a concept lost on me.

I am not one of those who think iceberg is flavorless, but that's
another thread.

The carrots, I really don't like those 'baby' carrots, I surely
don't care to use them in a tossed salad. I mean, if nothing
else I'd cut them up, so what purpose having them processed
like that first.

Bananas continue to be remarkably cheap, in my opinion.
Usually about 69 cents per pound, and 2 or 3 dollars buys
a bunch that lasts me a week. While I'm not crazy about them,
either, eating one is very good for my digestion and for my foot
cramps. What is not to like.

nancy

T wrote:

>
> It's mostly the big supermarket chains that are screwing people. Maybe
> if we shopped them less and shopped the merchants with higher quality
> yet lower priced goods something good might happen.
>
> Namely, the big chains might finally realize that offering sub-par
> produce and meat for top dollar isn't necessarily the way to do
> business.
>

You sound a tad naive. That supermarket chain buys for a nation worth of
stores and probably has all the produce delivered and then reshipped out
from regional warehouses.
Then you try to compare it to the mom and pop or the farmers market
which does more direct and local purchasing from farmers and perhaps
saves money.
In some ways it could be like comparing apples to oranges

"enigma" > wrote in message
. ..
> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote in
> news:%FhMj.7448$6w3.5925@trnddc07:
>
>> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was
>> buying a bag of pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of
>> baby carrots and a small bunch of bananas. Her tab was
>> $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think it may be
>> time we rioted in the streets.
>
> huh? if she wasn't too busy/lazy to cut carrots & lettuce she
> could have saved herself about $8.

No way. We grow lettuce here and it is still 1.50 a head. How does fuel
price work ino the equation when it is trucked, what? 10 miles?

> yes, food prices *are* going up, but one can cut some of the
> expense by avoiding precut or prepared foods. cut out the junk
> snacky foods helps a lot too.

Not 8 bucks. A pound of carrots is 3.00. We grow carrots in Bakersfield -
the carrot capital of the world. The cost of shipping 80,000 pounds of
carrots has gone up $200.00 yet the cost of that 80,000 pounds of carrots
has tripled. So it has little to do with fuel costs.

We'll have this same discussion ion a few months when a pound of lettuce is
10 bucks. When everyone runs out of something to give up in life just to
prepare a salad they'll reconsider the large object imbedded in their
rectum.

Paul

"The Cook" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 06:23:55 GMT, "Paul M. Cook" >
> wrote:
>
>>Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
>>pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small bunch
>>of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think
>>it may be time we rioted in the streets.
>>
>>Paul
>>
>
>
> What would the bill have been if she had bought a head of lettuce and
> an equal amount of full sized carrots? Around here it would have been
> about $5.00. It seems that the high prices reflect her choices.
> --

Lettuce 1.50 a pound, carrots 3.00 a pound, bananas 2.40 a pound.

Chuck steak is 1.69 a pound. She should switch to an all beef diet.

Paul

Paul M. Cook wrote:

>> What would the bill have been if she had bought a head of lettuce and
>> an equal amount of full sized carrots? Around here it would have been
>> about $5.00. It seems that the high prices reflect her choices.
>> --
>
> Lettuce 1.50 a pound, carrots 3.00 a pound, bananas 2.40 a pound.
>
> Chuck steak is 1.69 a pound. She should switch to an all beef diet.
>
> Paul
>
>
Are those prices for organic produce or something?
Carrots are about .99/pound, lettuce is probably about $1.50 pound but
it takes a lot of leaves to make a pound, eh? And bananas are a max of
abou .69/pound, more often cheaper.

"Goomba38" > wrote in message
...
> Paul M. Cook wrote:
>
>>> What would the bill have been if she had bought a head of lettuce and
>>> an equal amount of full sized carrots? Around here it would have been
>>> about $5.00. It seems that the high prices reflect her choices.
>>> --
>>
>> Lettuce 1.50 a pound, carrots 3.00 a pound, bananas 2.40 a pound.
>>
>> Chuck steak is 1.69 a pound. She should switch to an all beef diet.
>>
>> Paul
> Are those prices for organic produce or something?

We don't see much organic in these parts. So those are for the usual
pesticide laden crap.

> Carrots are about .99/pound, lettuce is probably about $1.50 pound but it
> takes a lot of leaves to make a pound, eh? And bananas are a max of abou
> .69/pound, more often cheaper.

Not in SoCal. Those are average prices. I shop in 4 stores. Lettuce was
1.99 a pound in December but then it was winter. Back in 03 I remember it
was 35 cents a pound in summer.

It all evens out, as they say. We'll have more in common soon enough.

Paul

To Paul and anyone interested. Here is a great place to vent your
frustrations. Hope to see you there. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/****AndMoan/

jmcquown wrote:

> I agree, Susan. Those bags of salad seem to be very popular but they
> are also pricy. I could see it if she wanted a mix of greens and buying
> a bunch of each wouldn't be practical, but how difficult is it to tear
> iceburg lettuce?! And of course you're paying extra for someone to run
> those carrots through a machine and label them "baby carrots", when in
> fact they aren't baby anything. That's not to say food prices aren't
> going up. But she chose to purchase (and pay for) convenience.
>
> Jill

You make a good point about buying the mix of greens to make a salad, so
I buy the premixed organic salad from Sam's Club.

http://www.ebfarm.com/Products/Salad/index.aspx

Becca

"kilikini" wrote

> Look at the price of potatoes! Wasn't the potato the original "poor
> family" food? It's crazy!

Thats one item we will always remember about Japan. In Sasebo, Idaho's were
simply not there. The commisary stopped getting them because for some
reason, they were always about 4$ a lb. Folks wouldnt buy'em. Locally
grown whites and reds and several other types you don't see in the USA were
common and reasonable at 1$ or less a lb.

We assumed some sort of import restriction involved or a high added import
fee. In the last 6 months or so before we left, they started stocking
frozen prebaked ones for the microwave in 5 lb bags <g>. Only 10$ a bag and
they were flying off the shelves! Hey, it was the only way to get a baking
potato!

"Kent" wrote

> Chinese supermarket, all is fresh, 2/3 the price, and the variety is far
> greater.
>
> Let's all figure out a communal way to express that we're "****ed off" and
> that, Godamn it, we're not going to take it anymore.

So do as i do and shop at this one <g>. I'll let you all know if these
higher prices have hit Norfolk area yet in a bit.

Goomba38 wrote:
> T wrote:
>
>>
>> It's mostly the big supermarket chains that are screwing people. Maybe
>> if we shopped them less and shopped the merchants with higher quality
>> yet lower priced goods something good might happen.
>> Namely, the big chains might finally realize that offering sub-par
>> produce and meat for top dollar isn't necessarily the way to do business.
>
> You sound a tad naive. That supermarket chain buys for a nation worth of
> stores and probably has all the produce delivered and then reshipped out
> from regional warehouses.
> Then you try to compare it to the mom and pop or the farmers market
> which does more direct and local purchasing from farmers and perhaps
> saves money.
> In some ways it could be like comparing apples to oranges

Might just be cynical. After all the big box stores always tell us that
they are "working for us" and it is "our store" and the "associates" are
all "helpful and excited to see us" and since the whole big box idea
is just so incredibility wonderful we will never need anything except
them...

"TongueDaddy" > wrote in message
...
> To Paul and anyone interested. Here is a great place to vent your
> frustrations. Hope to see you there.
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/****AndMoan/
>

Haiti just had a nationwide riot because of high food prices. In Asia the
governments are sweating bullets and fear the backlash of the populace. In
the US we just roll over and beg for more while eschewing KY. National case
of Stockholm Syndrome is what I call it.

Paul

"Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
news:ZwnMj.7598$El4.3660@trnddc05...
>
> "enigma" > wrote in message
> . ..
>> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote in
>> news:%FhMj.7448$6w3.5925@trnddc07:
>>
>>> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was
>>> buying a bag of pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of
>>> baby carrots and a small bunch of bananas. Her tab was
>>> $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think it may be
>>> time we rioted in the streets.
>>
>> huh? if she wasn't too busy/lazy to cut carrots & lettuce she
>> could have saved herself about $8.
>
> No way. We grow lettuce here and it is still 1.50 a head. How does fuel
> price work ino the equation when it is trucked, what? 10 miles?

> Paul


You actually think the only fuel involved is what's used to truck it to
market? Ever heard of tractors? Fertilizer?

Ms P

Paul M. Cook wrote:
> "TongueDaddy" > wrote in message
> ...
>> To Paul and anyone interested. Here is a great place to vent your
>> frustrations. Hope to see you there.
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/****AndMoan/
>>
>
> Haiti just had a nationwide riot because of high food prices. In Asia the
> governments are sweating bullets and fear the backlash of the populace. In
> the US we just roll over and beg for more while eschewing KY. National case
> of Stockholm Syndrome is what I call it.
>
> Paul
>
>
But you didn't mention the reason in Asia. We were buying so much of
their rice to grind up and use to make ethanol to keep the SUVs going
that it raised prices and ran their stocks low jeopardizing their food
supply and that of nearby countries whose people depend on the rice.
Vietnam, Pakistan and India now have export bans because of it.

Paul M. Cook > wrote in message
newsBnMj.7599$El4.5601@trnddc05...
> "The Cook" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 06:23:55 GMT, "Paul M. Cook"
>> > wrote:

>>> Went up to the market and the woman in front of
>>> me was buying a bag of pre-chopped iceberg lettuce,
>>> a large bag of baby carrots and a small bunch of
>>> bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked
>>> to see the total. I think it may be time we rioted
>>> in the streets.

What, exactly, is convenience worth to you? Convenience is what
she wanted and she was charged what she was willing to pay.

>> What would the bill have been if she had bought a
>> head of lettuce and an equal amount of full sized
>> carrots? Around here it would have been about
>> $5.00. It seems that the high prices reflect her
>> choices.

If she was going back home, it's _possible_ she had the tools
(knife and peeler) to process the lettuce and carrots... But
she was wanting convenience; exactly what she got. The
supermarket knew this and is catering to that consumer...

> Lettuce 1.50 a pound, carrots 3.00 a pound, bananas
> 2.40 a pound.

Damn! Those prices are sky-rocket-high! I haven't been shopping
the ads lately but last night I purchased a head of green leaf,
a head of red leaf, a head of iceburg and a head of butter for
US$0.99 each. They were also solid, and all of moderate size. I
was able to make a HUGE salad from the four. Carrots, also from
the bulk bin, were US$0.79 / lb; the daughter-units are back on
their carrot kick so I loaded up on six pounds. Bananas are
US$0.49-US$0.99 / lb. currently at Smart&Final, Gene's, and
US$0.19 ea at TJ's.

> Chuck steak is 1.69 a pound. She should switch to
> an all beef diet.

I think that's a little low for my neighborhood; we hover
around US$1.89-US$3.49 / lb. Beef is the luxury item nowadays
unless we bulk up at Costco.

The Ranger

"T" > wrote in message
> It's mostly the big supermarket chains that are screwing people. Maybe
> if we shopped them less and shopped the merchants with higher quality
> yet lower priced goods something good might happen.
>
> Namely, the big chains might finally realize that offering sub-par
> produce and meat for top dollar isn't necessarily the way to do
> business.
>

I don't think the supermarkets are screwing people considering their profit
margins, but I do think they have high operating costs because we demand
certain services from them. We want a choice of 5 sizes of the same cereal,
we want to select both thick and thin pork chops (notice the thin cost much
more) and we want to save a lot of money on "sale" items. We want a choice
of brands, organics, certified baby seal free seafood, we want our shrimp
cooked for "free" and we want them open 24 hours a day.

You can save a lot of money by being an informed shopper and be willing to
do some work. I buy whole pork loins at BJ's for $1.89 a pound and cut them
myself. The same piece of meat pre-cut at the supermarket can run $4 to $5
a pound. Or I can go to a small local market that does not offer all the
services I mentioned above and buy it for $3. Butter is $4+ a pound at the
supermarket, $1.88 at BJ's.

I do take advantage of sale prices on items we use on a regular basis. They
rotate the same items so you just keep an eye out for what you need and
stock up when you can.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

kilikini > wrote in message
...
[snip]
> Look at the price of potatoes! [..]

Conveniently, that was also on the shopping list last night so
I did.

"Baking" potatoes were $0.79/lb (Russets, 90 count)
White & Red $1.29 / lb
Purple $0.99 / lb.
Yukon $1.49 / lb.

Yams and sweet potatoes were less but since I didn't buy any I
don't have the prices handy.

The Ranger

"Paul M. Cook" wrote:
> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
> pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small bunch
> of bananas. �Her tab was $10.49. �I was shocked to see the total. �I think
> it may be time we rioted in the streets.

Any imbecile who buys prechopped iceberg and baby carrots (there is no
such thing) should have been made to pay $20.98... and I doubt there
was any woman, it was you.

"George" > wrote in message
...
> Paul M. Cook wrote:
>> "TongueDaddy" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> To Paul and anyone interested. Here is a great place to vent your
>>> frustrations. Hope to see you there.
>>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/****AndMoan/
>>>
>>
>> Haiti just had a nationwide riot because of high food prices. In Asia
>> the governments are sweating bullets and fear the backlash of the
>> populace. In the US we just roll over and beg for more while eschewing
>> KY. National case of Stockholm Syndrome is what I call it.
>>
>> Paul
> But you didn't mention the reason in Asia. We were buying so much of their
> rice to grind up and use to make ethanol to keep the SUVs going that it
> raised prices and ran their stocks low jeopardizing their food supply and
> that of nearby countries whose people depend on the rice. Vietnam,
> Pakistan and India now have export bans because of it.

What goes around comes around. Yes, ethanol production is a huge problem
right now.. Rich countries are buying poor country's food to turn into
alcohol to make fuel for cars. Not going to go over well when you are told
you have to starve to death in the name of soccer moms and their SUVs. In
those countries you mentioned, they already are dying from hunger. Food
politics has brought down many a powerful country, Russia and France come to
mind.

Paul

"Ms P" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
> news:ZwnMj.7598$El4.3660@trnddc05...
>>
>> "enigma" > wrote in message
>> . ..
>>> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote in
>>> news:%FhMj.7448$6w3.5925@trnddc07:
>>>
>>>> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was
>>>> buying a bag of pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of
>>>> baby carrots and a small bunch of bananas. Her tab was
>>>> $10.49. I was shocked to see the total. I think it may be
>>>> time we rioted in the streets.
>>>
>>> huh? if she wasn't too busy/lazy to cut carrots & lettuce she
>>> could have saved herself about $8.
>>
>> No way. We grow lettuce here and it is still 1.50 a head. How does fuel
>> price work ino the equation when it is trucked, what? 10 miles?
>
>> Paul
>
>
> You actually think the only fuel involved is what's used to truck it to
> market? Ever heard of tractors? Fertilizer?
>

It dos not count for lettuce going from 35 cents a pound to 1.50.
Especially when the majority of that increase was before the recent huge
leap in oil prices. At most it is maybe 10% of the overall cost. And
lettuce and carrots are not made into bio fuels.

Paul

"kilikini" wrote:
>
> Look at the price of potatoes!

I can't, you don't give an example.

My small local stupidmarket is selling 5lb bags of Dole brand "white"
potatoes for $2.49 but it's BOGO, so they cost 25 cents a pound, not
unreasonable by todays standards. Those potatoes are smallish and
some are mishapen but they taste fine, good salad potatoes. But
lately I've been buying potatoes at Sam's Club, they are selling 15 lb
bags of Chef's Grade russets for $4.49 (29 cents/lb)... every potato
weighs over a pound (a few weigh 2 pounds) and all are perfectly
shaped and none have any damage... last night I used six of those
monsters to make scrumptious mashed potatoes, *real* mashed, not
whipped/riced... so good I couldn't stop eating them... we had them
with sauted chick titties. Then later on last night I was watching
boxing and got the munchies so out of the fridge came my four quart
casserole filled to above the top so the domed lid barely could set on
and I continued devouring with a spoon, ice cold mashed are good...
now I have about three quarts left.

I don't see anything the matter with the price of potatoes, just gotta
know how to shop. Actually I think the price of spuds has steadily
come down in price since I was a kid, but you have to factor in
inflation and compare today's wages to sixty years ago when spuds cost
2-3 cents a pound... and the quality is better today, all produce is
better now.

So girl, what're we gonna do with the LOs:
http://i29.tinypic.com/110vjiw.jpg

I'm thinking shapping into pattys, dust with flour, dip in egg, coat
with matzo meal and fry... probably fry up a big mess of diced onion
to blend in first... my kids don't care what I do with the spuds, just
don't mess with those chick titties.

SHELDON

Billy wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 07:08:45 -0500, The Cook >
> wrote:
>
>> What would the bill have been if she had bought a head of lettuce
>
>
> Just adding the word "Organic" would have added four more bucks to the
> cost! Is it worth it? I don't think so.
>
> And I don't recall ever seeing the word "Organic" in the frozen food
> section.

Today, we popped into the local supermarket for a wee bit shopping. I
usually do this alone.

We had agreed some time ago that we should eat organic food and that is what
I always choose.

Today, I picked up a pack of two chicken breasts as usual and David went
bananas!! These two small chicken breasts cost more than a whole non
organic chicken. David is now revising his stance on organic food.

"Sheldon" > wrote in message
...
> "kilikini" wrote:
>>
>> Look at the price of potatoes!
>
> I can't, you don't give an example.
>
> My small local stupidmarket is selling 5lb bags of Dole brand "white"
> potatoes for $2.49 but it's BOGO, so they cost 25 cents a pound, not
> unreasonable by todays standards. Those potatoes are smallish and
> some are mishapen but they taste fine, good salad potatoes. But
> lately I've been buying potatoes at Sam's Club, they are selling 15 lb
> bags of Chef's Grade russets for $4.49 (29 cents/lb)... every potato
> weighs over a pound (a few weigh 2 pounds) and all are perfectly
> shaped and none have any damage... last night I used six of those
> monsters to make scrumptious mashed potatoes, *real* mashed, not
> whipped/riced... so good I couldn't stop eating them... we had them
> with sauted chick titties. Then later on last night I was watching
> boxing and got the munchies so out of the fridge came my four quart
> casserole filled to above the top so the domed lid barely could set on
> and I continued devouring with a spoon, ice cold mashed are good...
> now I have about three quarts left.
>
> I don't see anything the matter with the price of potatoes, just gotta
> know how to shop. Actually I think the price of spuds has steadily
> come down in price since I was a kid, but you have to factor in
> inflation and compare today's wages to sixty years ago when spuds cost
> 2-3 cents a pound... and the quality is better today, all produce is
> better now.
>
> So girl, what're we gonna do with the LOs:
> http://i29.tinypic.com/110vjiw.jpg
>
> I'm thinking shapping into pattys, dust with flour, dip in egg, coat
> with matzo meal and fry... probably fry up a big mess of diced onion
> to blend in first... my kids don't care what I do with the spuds, just
> don't mess with those chick titties.

Knowing how to shop - reminds me of the guy I knew who actually drove to
Santa Barbara for a sale on diet Coke. 99 cents a 12 pack. So he got 6
cases of the stuff. It only cost him 35 dollars in gas to save 12 dollars
on soft drink.

Paul

"Paul M. Cook" > wrote in
news:%FhMj.7448$6w3.5925@trnddc07:

> Went up to the market and the woman in front of me was buying a bag of
> pre-chopped iceberg lettuce, a large bag of baby carrots and a small
> bunch of bananas. Her tab was $10.49. I was shocked to see the
> total. I think it may be time we rioted in the streets.

Obviously, someone is catching up to reality and we now have to pay for
living a privileged lifestyle. I would suggest returning to living in
autarcy, but unfortunately we have gone too far beyond that.

Unfortunately, the money is not going to benefit anyone who actually needs
it, like farmers and fishermen and poor third world peons.

Yes, it is time we rioted, but not to reduce prices. Rather we should
insist that the wealth be more equitably redistributed. Otherwise, there
is no hope.