Food prices are out of control

Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 3:54 am

amother Slategray wrote:

Everyone always says to go to the non Jewish stores... I don't really find them so much cheaper usually.
Eggs happens to be very expensive this week but the last time they were very expensive I did buy in Costco.
I find Costco produce to be expensive and very good but I don't buy it often.
A lot of my sibling shop at Aldi but I personally really don't like the store. Most of the time I went there there are stuff that are cheaper but lots of it is actually comparable and more expensive to my Jewish store.
For the most part, I shop at one Jewish store that is closest to me. Usually about once a month I stock up at a cheaper grocery store. Once in awhile I'll go turn on Jewish store and get stuff. We don't have any Walmart near us. Aldi is a 20-minute drive away and I can go but since I don't love the store I don't bother you usually.

Inflation sucks

What do you mean "you don't love the store"? Is it the cleanliness or decoration or they height of the shelves?
When one has difficulties with food prices one needs to forego the experience of the shopping tour and shop where it's cheapest.

amother

Whitesmoke ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 6:21 am

We only eat cholov Yisroel, pas Yisroel, DH keeps Yoshon, and many things like snacks must be Jewish company.
This really limits us so basically the only thing I can buy in non Jewish stores is produce and eggs.

It gets SO expensive!!!

amother

Celeste

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 6:57 am

It's crazy! You can definitely cut costs but getting everything possible at non Jewish stores and stocking up when things go on sale but it won't bring the prices back to pre-inflation. I've definitely changed my style of cooking a lot since the prices changes, a lot more vegan/vegetarian based meals, xutting proteins with vegetables, cooking from scratch etc

amother

Magenta ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 6:58 am

2 word food stamps. There is no way any middle class family can afford 6 dollars for a jar of cottage cheese unless you’re getting a government subsidy that you can only use on food. A family of 7 gets about 2K worth of money that they can only spend on food per month.

amother

↑ Ultramarine ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 7:00 am

amother Magenta wrote:

Many people don’t qualify. We are a family of 6, don’t qualify by a thread and it’s astronomical

amother

↑ Magenta

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 7:05 am

amother Ultramarine wrote:

Many people don’t qualify. We are a family of 6, don’t qualify by a thread and it’s astronomical

Yes exactly that’s the problem however more people do qualify than don’t. So between the uber rich and the poor on food stamps that’s generates more profit to the kosher food industry than having to adjust prices for those stuck in the middle.

amother

↑ Ultramarine ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 7:10 am

amother Magenta wrote:

Ah I see what you’re saying. Honestly I get wic, always shopped at the not Jewish store (they had cy milk), now the Jewish store takes wic, so we all shop there and technically they can charge astronomical prices because wic will cover

amother

↑ Whitesmoke

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 7:10 am

amother Magenta wrote:

Most people that I speak to, do not qualify.
We make a little over $50k, family of 4. No food stamps. We only had it for like a year around COVID time but you have to make really little to get it.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 7:31 am

amother Magenta wrote:

I don’t qualify for food stamps at all! I make what is considered a decent salary except with prices these days there’s nothing left at the end of the month

amother

Emerald ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 10:33 am

No FS here.
Prices are crazy.
We eat cholov Stam and even at the major chain store prices have gone up. I remember when I could get cereal, name brand, for $1 or less with sales/coupons. Now I am excited when it is $2 with sales/coupons. (All smaller boxes but still ended up cheaper than larger boxes per oz, yep I did the math). It is crazy. And nothing we can do about it.

I shop sales, shop major chains for everything but chicken/cheese, don't buy meat, try to get a friend to get me cheese from costco...
And I use the store app for coupons, points etc.

Between tuition, rent and food I have no money left over and I work full time as a professional! Oh and we don't eat fancy. We eat cheap.

amother

Copper

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 11:09 am

amother Charcoal wrote:

They are empire brand. They usually carry chicken/turkey products, ground beef as well

If you buy their salmon without a hechsher (I do) it’s also well priced. Though some stores like Monsey have the hechsher anyways I think

Theres no hechser at all, or just a OU?

amother

Chestnut

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 11:12 am

amother Whitesmoke wrote:

Yeah, same.

amother

Brickred

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 11:30 am

amother Magenta wrote:

I actually have food stamps and I only get about $900 for a family of 6….. it basically covers half of the month

amother

Aconite

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 11:46 am

I had a phase where I shopped at ShopRite and the price difference wasn’t much so I stopped
Now I go to Trader Joe’s for eggs ($3 instead of $6) pasta sauce ($2 instead of $5) snacks, sometimes produce, rice ($4) bread, pasta (.99) etc
Jewish stores I get frozen broccoli, cauliflower, meat, chicken, and dairy items, spices (I find it’s cheaper cuz containers r so big)

amother

Clear ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 12:25 pm

tichellady wrote:

If money is tight perhaps it’s time to ask about not keeping chalav yisroel

I know this might sound strange to some, but for people who have grown up eating CY and have eaten only CY all their life, from an emotional perspective it would feel like eating treif to start eating cholov stam. Seriously. thats how it would feel to me. Now throw as many tomatoes as you like, thanks Wink

amother

↑ Taupe ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 12:46 pm

amother Whitesmoke wrote:

We don't keep yoshon, but we do keep cholov and pas Yisroel. We still are able to buy most of our groceries in Walmart. I think the only thing we buy that yoshon would affect is pasta, but there are plenty of times even that can be bought and still be yoshon. https://yoshon.com/product/gre.....etti/ (Duncan Hines brownie mix is always yoshon - https://yoshon.com/product/dun.....-mix/)

Here's the list of what I buy: https://www.imamother.com/foru.....76157