Food prices are increasing. Too fast and too much!
 

It is so alarming to see the cost of groceries getting higher and higher. Cut deli meat was over $10 a pound yesterday. I did get a pound as I am serivng lunch today to some friends but I doubt I buy more. Then I got this in an mail

Top Grocer Kroger Warning About Rising Inflation, Prices. Inflationary pressure on prices is going to continue, an executive from a major U.S. supermarket chain warned this week.

Yup, Labor crisis, supply chain issues, the pandemic, etc. , buckle up for a long ride it’s not gonna be pretty!

On the good news side of thing, my husband's industry is packaging and they are still going strong. Boxes may sound boring but they are one of those "indicator index" sort of thing. We knew about/were affected by the GFC (global financial crisis of 2007ish) about 6 months to a year before the rest of the country/world because suddenly there was not only no overtime but reduced hours. When companies aren't expecting to sell things, they don't order boxes for things they aren't selling... Throughout the last two years, his company has been pretty much business as usual except for covid safety concerns.

So yes, more shortages and more inflation brought on by a number of variables. As I say, "may you live in interesting times" is a curse and not a blessing, but here we are!

Shipping boxes are important. Million more the home deliveries now then before plus shipping, and packing depend on boxes. Pretty good business to be in!

don't forget the effect of the massive forest fires this year and the drought, and the flooding. All of those are effecting our crops too. Farmers where I am could not feed their cattle, so they sold them off....which in the short term should provide extra supply and cost should go down, then up....but...I think they just went up. What??? Oh, I suppose they had to reinvest their profits from selling off the cattle which probably was lower as there was more supply but still had to buy feed for the remaining cattle, which is high because of the drought around here.

These are difficult times for every industry. Food is one of the first things to be effected by inflation always. I am not sure just how we will all get through it. I live on a fixed income and there is nothing that will change that. We have gotten through times of inflation before and will have to do it again. I am just grateful I don't have a house payment any longer. It makes things go a bit smoother.

I also noticed prices in my midwest stores rising too. I try to buy meats when on sale. Last week we have chicken hind quarters on sale for 10# at $4.99 so I bought a bag though I knew I had some in the freezer already. When they put their ground beef and pork on sale at 10# tubes, I buy them and split them in useable sizes for my recipes. Luckily I have 3 freezers at my disposal and my garden has been plentiful this year. I've also been sharing in my neighborhood as we have elderly couples on a very fixed income so this helps them somewhat.

good for you for sharing with your neighbors who are on limited incomes. I don't have a freezer and can not do much gardening anymore. But I did plant some cherry tomatoes in pots and have a lot of them so when I pick, I bundle up some and share them. I have been debating getting a small freezer but will probably need to more into assisted living in a year or so so haven't wanted to do that. Plus it would need to be in the basement and food I store down there tends to be forgotten by me. I need to go down and check the dates on some canned goods. I actually have been trying to use up the little "store" of goods I put down there at the beginning of the pandemic. I do try and use meat sparely and when I cook up a batch of stuff, I do freeze it in single servings. Sometimes I think I spend more on my 20# dog than I do I myself. I give always some kibble of a good brand but also mix in a bit of meat and vegetables. Good thing I have him to cook for otherwise I would be eating a lot of peanut butter toast, cereal, and canned soups.

Gas has shot up so it affects absolutely everything.
I rarely drink alcohol but my neighbor just told me he & his wife had 9 beers at a new Bar on Friday night. (and yes, he drove home) He didn’t complain about the tab ….. but yet he complains about grocery prices. Go figure.