Food Prices ?

sidevalve said:
Looking at our expenditure I must say that for us food just hasn't gone up much over the past four years... Must admit to being a bit baffled by the cries of so many 'Oh the food bill is HUGE these days'...I'm sorry but what do some of these people spend their money on ?
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classic33 said:
For some, what they were brought up on. Ready made meals...
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That's my thinking. My cart is nearly half full with produce in the front end, dairy in one back corner, household goods such as laundry powder or tissues in the other corner along with whatever meat I need that I haven't on hand in the freezer. Some of my "produce" might be frozen, but that's only because I want "fresh" cherries or raspberries for my daily treat of Greek yoghurt - and I do not buy the sweetened, fruit-in-the-cup glop. Yuck. Ready made meals? That's the storage container I've squirreled away in the freezer from an abundance of dinner once cooked, ready to be pulled out on a night I don't have time or energy to cook from scratch.

I do shop the sales, I have altered my store selection, and we probably eat a little differently than a few years back. I guess a lot of things about my shopping have changed except for the amount of money we spend!
 
Cinisajoy said:
Oh on groceries, last night we spent $30.
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We (well, my wife) shops about 5 times/week. Three times at the supermarkets and twice at the fresh food market. Supermarket bills average about Bht 500.00 per visit for food, fresh food market Bht 100.00 per visit. I have my "farang food" delivered every fortnight and spend about Bht 500.00 - 800.00 each time. That would add up to a total in the region of c. Bht 8,500.00 pm (US$ 250.00).
 
I haven't noticed prices going up too much either recently. But I guess it depends on where you shop, and if you buy things on sale or not.

The regular prices have risen slightly; maybe 5 to 10% on average, but the sale prices are pretty much what you would have paid on sale a few years ago just the same.

Well, except for seafood. I've noticed that Maine lobster prices don't come down very often anymore, whereas they would go on sale a few times a year in years past. They are regularly $10 to $12 per pound, and only during the molting season in June do they drop to $6 / pound. They used to go as low as $4 / pound at least 3 or 4 times a year.

A lot of other fishes have also remained high. Even the lowly tilapia (aka poo fish) isn't always the cheapest option.

Farm raised fishes tend go on sale more often. So does fish from China and Southeast Asia, both of which I would not accept even if it was free of charge. I just saw a warning from an Australian fishing buddy that said China is injecting large amounts of preservatives into their more delicate seafood such as crabs and scallops. One way to tell is if you find needle holes in the underside of the crab's shell, and if your scallops are unsually firm and plump.

OK, so getting back to prices, produce can vary greatly depending on where you shop and if you prefer to buy "organic". The latter rarely goes on sale, however, it is usually on a few cents per pound higher than the regular not-on-sale price.
 
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Blame the increase in fish/seafood prices on food trends, bucky. Whenever an organization or a chef promotes something and it becomes the next big thing, so do the prices. I give you the lowly beef shank, AKA shin, once never more than $2.00. It used to be my favorite cut for soup because of the high amount of collagen. Now I rarely see it under $4.49. Then there are beef short ribs, ramps, etc. I need to figure out what the "next big thing" is before it becomes famous!
 
Yes, chicken wings were dirt cheap before Buffalo.
And hanger (ar?) steaks as well.

But why certain fish? Or all fish? Lots of reasons that are true sometimes (supply/demand in season), but others not so much.
 
buckytom said:
Yes, chicken wings were dirt cheap before Buffalo.
And hanger (ar?) steaks as well.

But why certain fish? Or all fish? Lots of reasons that are true sometimes (supply/demand in season), but others not so much.
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Quota's are being cut, which will have a knock-on effect on the "landing price". Add to that the "novelty/fashion factor" and you end up paying what someone else wants

@Lynne Guinne, two to watch. Lamb and bacon. Lamb imports were hit following a case of Foot and Mouth, making it into the country earlier this year.
 
Thanks, classic. We aren't fans of lamb (leaves more for those of you who are), but bacon gets stockpiled in our house every time it's on sale. I buy the pound package, divide in half lengthwise, double-wrap and freeze half and use half. Had to do that a couple years ago when bacon suddenly became scarce.
 
I see from the news that Asda have stopped selling loose fruit and veg. That's going to put people's spending up as well as contributing to the mountain of waste food.
 
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