FOOD Report food & grocery shortages / price increases here: 2022 Edition

[Barry Natchitoches]

May I inquire as to what a ‘mobile food bank’ is? Is that ‘free’ stuff that others pay for?

A mobile food bank is an event sponsored by local food banks to distribute food to persons who can use a bit of extra help. People line up in their cars, and wait their turn to drive up to the distribution point. Volunteers put the food into their open trunks.

In my case, I have a wife who requires thousands of dollars of chemo to stay alive. Getting help from the food bank allows me to keep paying enough to the local cancer clinic to keep her alive.


Yes, I guess you could characterize mobile food banks as “free stuff that others pay for,” if you choose to do so.

I characterize it as a blessing that is helping me to keep my wife alive and in treatment, as the clinic will quit giving her the expensive treatments if I can no longer pay as high of a price tag as they demand.

 

[EMICT]

A mobile food bank is an event sponsored by local food banks to distribute food to persons who can use a bit of extra help.

In my case, I have a wife who requires thousands of dollars of chemo to stay alive. Getting help from the food bank allows me to keep paying enough to the local cancer clinic to keep her alive.


Yes, I guess you could characterize mobile food banks as “free stuff that others pay for,” if you choose to do so.

I characterize it as a blessing that is helping me to keep my wife alive and in treatment, as the clinic will quit giving her the expensive treatments if I can no longer pay as high of a price tag as they demand.

Thanks. My wife is fighting Leukemia and Skin Cancer as well. It’s nice to know that there are options when I reach that point of desperation as I am retired and she became the bread earner these past couple of years.

Never had to depend on others, and still don’t intend to until absolutely necessary.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Alot of the food we are given is recently expired food that it is illegal to sell (because of the date on the package) and would get thrown into the store’s dumpster if it was not donated to the food bank.

But it is still good food, and I am grateful for it.

Some of it is food bought with monetary donations from ordinary people who want to help other local people. The food bank can buy food cheaper than ordinary people because they buy in sucg huge volume.

Yet other food is actual canned goods or other perishables donated by individuals.

And then you have direct donations from food producers.

Awhile back, Haggan Das ice cream company filled alot of containers with one kind of ice cream, when the carton itself was for a different flavor ice cream. They could not sell the ice cream like that, but because of Tennessee’s good samaritan law, they could donate it to the food bank.

That was an extra special treat for my wife. And again, I am grateful for it.

 

[parsonswife]

I'm on the outskirts of Charlotte NC and am noticing some odd pricing in groceries. Where I'm at puts me in the vicinity of quite a few grocery stores, there are 4 Aldi stores within 15 minutes of me. I'm seeing major price differences in the stores. At the store closest to me things are anywhere from .40 to 1.00 higher than the other stores. New homes are going up on every patch of greens around here and the prices are upper 300's but another area has experienced huge growth also and their prices are lower so I don't think that's the reason. It's just crazy that I can drive a few minutes out and get things at close to pre pandemic prices or stay close to home, fight the traffic, and pay more.....

Don't know about Aldis but a WM manager told me the any WM near a Costco lowers their prices. I noticed the difference when I am serving the stores as a vendor. The further away from Costco the higher the price especially on Toys

 

[nomifyle]

Good. I am glad that they were able to give you more.

We did not get peanut butter this time, nor dried beans, rice or peas. But I still have some from previous mobile pantries, so my wife and I are doing just fine.

We picked up what they call FDA Commodities.

About 6 pieces of carrots
3# of sweet potatoes, half or more rotten
2 beets
maybe 15 pounds of potatoes, some very soft
four bags of walnuts
small boxes of raisins (generic brand, but I don't care about that)
4 bags of liquid mushroom soup
4 cans vegetarian vegetable soup (tastes like crap)
4 cans of mixed fruit
4 cans of salmon
4 cans of chicken (12oz)
two cans of green beans
two jars of Mayo

No peanut butter, no juice, no rice or beans. I actually have plenty of all of these things, its just nice to add to the stash.

We get another kind of commodities that they call the 40# boxes on Thursday.

I think I will wash up the pieces of carrots and eat them raw (my clothes are too tight)

I wanted to go to walmart to get 4 cases of water, but when I got out of the truck my knee gave me grief so I got back in the truck and told DH another time.

 

[moldy]

Talked to mom yesterday. She lives in KS and was excited that I had potatoes. She's she could only find one package ans it was $8/pound!!!

Today was build a burger at work. No fries, only onion rings and fried pickles.

 

[John Deere Girl]

Thanks. My wife is fighting Leukemia and Skin Cancer as well. It’s nice to know that there are options when I reach that point of desperation as I am retired and she became the bread earner these past couple of years.

Never had to depend on others, and still don’t intend to until absolutely necessary.

We participate in a food bank weekly, and I see a lot of the food is donated by various stores. A lot of the food is expensive stuff that no one is buying. A lot of the people who are blessed by the food bank are elderly or disabled. There a lot of people struggling to put food on the table right now. It's so rewarding to help out in this manner! If you need it, please don't hesitate to go! Praying for you and your wife!

 

[Digger]

Hubby and I had some time to kill before picking up the grandkids. We went to 10 Box. It is a no frills grocery store. Lots of low inventory: canned goods, dry beans, cooking oil. The small cans of tuna were not stacked. They were one can behind the other all the way to the back of the shelf. It looked weird. We also went to the Walmart Neighborhood Market. Some of their inventory was low too. Soda aisle was over half empty. We were only in there a few minutes so we didn't look around much.

 

[Marseydoats]

We picked up what they call FDA Commodities.

About 6 pieces of carrots
3# of sweet potatoes, half or more rotten
2 beets
maybe 15 pounds of potatoes, some very soft
four bags of walnuts
small boxes of raisins (generic brand, but I don't care about that)
4 bags of liquid mushroom soup
4 cans vegetarian vegetable soup (tastes like crap)
4 cans of mixed fruit
4 cans of salmon
4 cans of chicken (12oz)
two cans of green beans
two jars of Mayo

No peanut butter, no juice, no rice or beans. I actually have plenty of all of these things, its just nice to add to the stash.

We get another kind of commodities that they call the 40# boxes on Thursday.

I think I will wash up the pieces of carrots and eat them raw (my clothes are too tight)

I wanted to go to walmart to get 4 cases of water, but when I got out of the truck my knee gave me grief so I got back in the truck and told DH another time.

Judy, you can save the soup that you don't like for your chickens. I used to give mine warm soup or stew in the dead of winter to help keep them warm.

 

[von Koehler]

That's our favorite brand of bacon. After reading your post, I went and laid out a pack to defrost for supper one night this week. We have breakfast for supper a lot! Cary can eat breakfast any time of day.

As an adult, I had a very tough time eating breakfast for dinner. I do like bacon and eggs, that wasn't the problem.

When I was a young boy whenever my father was fired or quit, my mom would switch to making eggs for supper. It was the cheapest meal available for four hungry boys. They never talked about any financial troubles, but I could grasp that things weren't normal. So in my mind breakfast for supper was linked to hard times.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Thanks. My wife is fighting Leukemia and Skin Cancer as well. It’s nice to know that there are options when I reach that point of desperation as I am retired and she became the bread earner these past couple of years.

Never had to depend on others, and still don’t intend to until absolutely necessary.

There is an organization, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, that has lots of programs and resources to help both your wife and you also.

i am sorry that you have had cancer enter into your life, EMICT.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

We participate in a food bank weekly, and I see a lot of the food is donated by various stores. A lot of the food is expensive stuff that no one is buying. A lot of the people who are blessed by the food bank are elderly or disabled. There a lot of people struggling to put food on the table right now. It's so rewarding to help out in this manner! If you need it, please don't hesitate to go! Praying for you and your wife!

Thank You, John Deer Girl for helping the folks in your community by volunteering to distribute food.

Alot of the Memphis food is stuff stores could not sell, too.


Occasionally it will be the expensive stuff, like the Keto bread I have brought home several times. I am on a Keto diet, so I am really glad to get that bread. Sprouts sells it for about $7 a loaf.

But the Memphis market is not known for being a place where stores can sell alot of expensive stuff.

So, we don’t get too much of that expensive stuff that didn’t sell.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

We picked up what they call FDA Commodities.

About 6 pieces of carrots
3# of sweet potatoes, half or more rotten
2 beets
maybe 15 pounds of potatoes, some very soft
four bags of walnuts
small boxes of raisins (generic brand, but I don't care about that)
4 bags of liquid mushroom soup
4 cans vegetarian vegetable soup (tastes like crap)
4 cans of mixed fruit
4 cans of salmon
4 cans of chicken (12oz)
two cans of green beans
two jars of Mayo

No peanut butter, no juice, no rice or beans. I actually have plenty of all of these things, its just nice to add to the stash.

We get another kind of commodities that they call the 40# boxes on Thursday.

I think I will wash up the pieces of carrots and eat them raw (my clothes are too tight)

I wanted to go to walmart to get 4 cases of water, but when I got out of the truck my knee gave me grief so I got back in the truck and told DH another time.

Nomifyle,

We got alot of that vegetarian vegetable soup too.

It isn’t too bad, if you doctor it up a bit.

I cooked some rice using water that had beef boullion, garlic salt, and dehydrated onion in it, to give the rice more flavoring.

Then, I served that soup over the rice. I also served fried smoked sausage and a salad in the same meal.

It was actually OK served that way.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Judy, you can save the soup that you don't like for your chickens. I used to give mine warm soup or stew in the dead of winter to help keep them warm.

Hey, that is a good idea, Marseydoats!

 

[SouthernBreeze]

As an adult, I had a very tough time eating breakfast for dinner. I do like bacon and eggs, that wasn't the problem.

When I was a young boy whenever my father was fired or quit, my mom would switch to making eggs for supper. It was the cheapest meal available for four hungry boys. They never talked about any financial troubles, but I could grasp that things weren't normal. So in my mind breakfast for supper was linked to hard times.

We don't eat breakfast like normal people. We eat an early lunch around 10:30 am, then supper. So, if we ever eat breakfast type food, I have to make it for our supper. Cary doesn't mind. I've never seen him turn down bacon, eggs, hash browns, and hot biscuits, or pancakes and bacon, no matter what time of day it is.

 

[bbbuddy]

P

Yeah, they are changing the price RIGHT NOW from $2.62 a 14.oz box to $16.99+ $9.99 shipping a box! I couldn't get through my order, the types kept disappearing from my cart and I looked back at the price and it was NOW $16.99 a box instead of $2.62!

I just bought 12 each of the penne and angel hair at $2.62 each, no problem. Try again.

 

[John Deere Girl]

Thank You, John Deer Girl for helping the folks in your community by volunteering to distribute food.

Alot of the Memphis food is stuff stores could not sell, too.


Occasionally it will be the expensive stuff, like the Keto bread I have brought home several times. I am on a Keto diet, so I am really glad to get that bread. Sprouts sells it for about $7 a loaf.

But the Memphis market is not known for being a place where stores can sell alot of expensive stuff.

So, we don’t get too much of that expensive stuff that didn’t sell.

We love being able to help! It's so cool to see people excited about what they get! Serving Christ is serving others.

 

[EYW]

Barry and EMICT:

I received some help from the Pan Foundation while I was dealing with lymphoma. The funding did not go quite as smoothly as I had thought it would, but I suspect that may have had more to do with the lazy cows in the financial office of my treatment center than any issue with PAN. They did pay a substantial amount of my portion of the chemo. You guys should check into them if you have not by now. There are other organizations with similar goals, Sometimes they do exhaust funds for specific diseases (it's based on donations, so if the donor tells them to use these funds for high-stage, diffuse, T-cell lymphoma that is where it goes). Sometimes they can help, sometimes not.
PAN Foundation

Good luck
Sorry, a bit of a thread drift

 

[Loretta Van Riet]

May I inquire as to what a ‘mobile food bank’ is? Is that ‘free’ stuff that others pay for?

My local permanent Food bank also has a mobile food pantry. I"ll provide the link. See if your questions are answered. Sometimes the locations change. All food comes from donations of money and Business partners like Aldi.

Mobile Market Calendar | Mobile Food Pantry | Northern Illinois Food Bank

Find mobile food pantries happening in your area! View the calendar for drive thru food pantry dates open to the public, or contact us for more info.

solvehungertoday.org

The pantry is called "Northern Illinois Food Bank".

 

[Reasonable Rascal]

A serious tip to those who have access to such locations: check out your local retail salvage/liquidator stores like Retail Rebel, DaaBin Store, etc. Both mentioned are chains, with the latter having more locations. Besides Iowa locations they are also in Sioux Falls, SD, Rice Lake, WI, and Rocky Mount, NC, as well as 6 Iowa locations.

Our local store just opened Saturday and today was our 2nd trip. The prices depend on the day of the week, with Saturday being the most expensive at $7/item. Sunday is $5, Monday $3, Tuesday $1, and Wednesday you can fill a bag - think an industrial shopping bag here, seriously - for $10. They are closed on Thurs and Fri while they restock.

The food selections were low compared to the rest of the store but we did get 2 cans of Auguson Farms storage foods for $3/can. There were more on Saturday, perhaps 5 total but I'm cheap. We saw Auguson Farms products at Retail Rebel when it was still open locally (closed to to rent doubling). These were dated through 2032, BTW.

The best deal we ever got was last year when we got cases of corned beef hash in restaurant size cans for $2/case of 6 cans. In date as well. Granted 4# cans of tongol tuna (another find) aren't convenient for a single person but for a family they can be used up before they go bad after opening.

I took what we have managed to gather the past few months since May to our local FB last week. I apologized for what I thought was not much being offered, because the retail salvage store we bought literally case lots of things from closed in May. The manager admitted they are not getting as much from the regional bank (Sioux City), especially fresh meat. She said the front of the warehouse (think pallets on the floor under industrial steel shelving however high) is empty - period. Yet demand here is up. Less food to hand up, with more mouths seeking to be fed.

RR

 

[anna43]

May I inquire as to what a ‘mobile food bank’ is? Is that ‘free’ stuff that others pay for?

Of course, others pay for it through donations or government programs. Nothing is truly free in this life. This program is the Mobile Food Bank of Iowa. Yes, it's free to recipients. I have to drive to the county seat 15 miles away for the pickup so 30 miles round trip. I take two other ladies and since I qualify so get a box for myself which pays for my gas. Most people in our community who go take or pick up for other people. Many senior citizens are fast approaching not having enough to buy their food or medicine and, unfortunately, many are beyond that tipping point. Many also go to the local food pantry which I do not, so I do not know how that works. The Mobile Food Bank program is based on income.

 

[Loretta Van Riet]

P

I just bought 12 each of the penne and angel hair at $2.62 each, no problem. Try again.

I just received my 4 boxes of the Barilla protein plus penne pasta from Walmart at a price of $2.52 each.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Barry and EMICT:

I received some help from the Pan Foundation while I was dealing with lymphoma. The funding did not go quite as smoothly as I had thought it would, but I suspect that may have had more to do with the lazy cows in the financial office of my treatment center than any issue with PAN. They did pay a substantial amount of my portion of the chemo. You guys should check into them if you have not by now. There are other organizations with similar goals, Sometimes they do exhaust funds for specific diseases (it's based on donations, so if the donor tells them to use these funds for high-stage, diffuse, T-cell lymphoma that is where it goes). Sometimes they can help, sometimes not.
PAN Foundation

Good luck
Sorry, a bit of a thread drift

Unfortunately, aid from all the organizations - even the big ones like the American Cancer Society - and unfortunately I REALLY DO mean every last one of them - offers aid based on a person’s cancer diagnosis.

And - even though endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women - itis the ONLY cancer that does not have an organization or charity dedicated to helping women with endometrial cancer.

The closesr cancer to it - ovarian cancer - gets the lions share of funding dedicated to female cancers, even though the number of women newly diagnosed this year in the US will only be around 22,000 according to the American Cancer Society. There IS some funding to help pay for the treatment of women with ovarian cancer, because of that.

What money does not go to ovarian cancer gets directed to cervical cancer, which will hit even fewer women - only about 14,000 this year. Many of those folks are also benefactors of a government program that treats certain breast or cervical cancer patients for free.

But endometrial cancer - which lacks any group to fight for their needs, gets almost no government research dollars, and absolutely none from the private sector. It is the ONLY cancer that does not get help from the private sector.

Some people think that ovarian cancer gets so much funding because it is more deadly than endometrial cancer.

And at one time, that might have been true. But not anymore.

The number of women dying of endometrial cancer has been skyrocketing in recent years. They expect 12,550 women to die of endometrial cancer in the united States this year.

That is almost the same number of women they expect to die of ovarian cancer- 12,880.

The difference is thatthe women with ovarian cancer get lots of support - financially and otherwise.

The women with endometrial - honestly and truly - get nothing.

There is not one single fund that has been willing to help my wife - and it all gets back to the specific organ her tumor originally grew in.

And please do not insult my intelligence by suggesting that such and such an organization will provide support, becaise there are many organizations that make unsubstantiated CLAIMS that might make it sound like they support women with endometrial cancer - like the ones that CLAIM to support all female cancers until you approach them with a lady who has endometrial cancer. Then they back stroke - every one of them.

i have been looking for several years. Professional social workers out of Kentucky have been looking for me. The executive director of the NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network) cannot find anything to help my wife.

If they cannot, do you really think you can?


P.S. Sorry for the sour ending to that message, but every time I try to explain the complete absence of anything at all to help women with endometrial cancer, inevitably somebody who thinks they know better comes back with “well, so and so helped my friend with their ovarian or cervical or even peritoneal cancer, and so they will help you to.”

Well, guess what?

I - or professional social workers with a group in Kentucky that I have worked with - have approached every potential funding source. And that will end up including the one that my reader suggests.

And in the past, I found myself having to spend alot of very frustrating time trying to set that person straight.

I am really tired of people who have not lived with this 24/7/365 trying to tell me I don’t know what I am talking about.

So, sorry again for that sour note, but it did not form out of a vacuum.

 

[TxGal]

Okay, this is just weird so I'm going to post it to see if anyone else is seeing the same thing.

I was checking Costco.com to see what's in stock and available for delivery. We don't have a Costco near us, but there are a few within about a 3-4 hr round trip. Periodically I'll check online for trends, prices, etc., and have used their delivery option.

Online there is no canned fruit showing (just those plastic single servings of mandarin oranges), and no packaged pasta (not counting mac and cheese). This is extremely unusual. Any other Costco members (or non-members) seeing this?

 

[Babs]

I'm seeing the organic Garofalo pasta at my online Costco. No canned fruit, however. Over 3 weeks since they had Russet potatoes at my local Costco warehouse.

 

[thompson]

Okay, this is just weird so I'm going to post it to see if anyone else is seeing the same thing.

I was checking Costco.com to see what's in stock and available for delivery. We don't have a Costco near us, but there are a few within about a 3-4 hr round trip. Periodically I'll check online for trends, prices, etc., and have used their delivery option.

Online there is no canned fruit showing (just those plastic single servings of mandarin oranges), and no packaged pasta (not counting mac and cheese). This is extremely unusual. Any other Costco members (or non-members) seeing this?

I can't help you with the availability of Costco stuff online, but have been meaning to mention that the new Costco in College Station is now open. We haven't visited yet, but plan to.

 

[john70]

Canned Meats

ALMOST EVERYTHING IS IN STOCK AT KEYSTONEMEATS

 

[Deanne]

Amazon has been having V8 fruit juice on sale for 1.98 a bottle. A bought as much as I could for our storage. I had a glass this morning now I know why it was so cheap. It tasted like sugar water, no fruit taste to it. I'm afraid this is the new trend, watered down drinks

 

[TxGal]

I can't help you with the availability of Costco stuff online, but have been meaning to mention that the new Costco in College Station is now open. We haven't visited yet, but plan to.

Thanks, thompson! We did go last week, it was wonderful! Sure beats driving through the crazy traffic to go to the Woodlands, or even Austin (haven't been there in a decade, at least). We went on a middle of the week day, got there at opening time, and it was already getting busy. Prices are up, of course, but it was very well-stocked. We figured since they just opened and were heavily stocked for the grand openeing, we'd have a decent chance of getting ahead of any looming shortages. Well worth the trip!

 

[Sozo]

Canned Meats

ALMOST EVERYTHING IS IN STOCK AT KEYSTONEMEATS

I just tried to order a flat of beef, ground beef, and chicken (36 cans total) & they wanted $70 for shipping!
No way!! - That's beyond price gouging.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Of course, others pay for it through donations or government programs. Nothing is truly free in this life. This program is the Mobile Food Bank of Iowa. Yes, it's free to recipients. I have to drive to the county seat 15 miles away for the pickup so 30 miles round trip. I take two other ladies and since I qualify so get a box for myself which pays for my gas. Most people in our community who go take or pick up for other people. Many senior citizens are fast approaching not having enough to buy their food or medicine and, unfortunately, many are beyond that tipping point. Many also go to the local food pantry which I do not, so I do not know how that works. The Mobile Food Bank program is based on income.

I am glad, Anna, that you share your ride with others who need help.

I have once or twice, but folks don’t want to get up as early as I want to.

I would rather wait in the cool darkness before dawn than wait almost the same amount of time behind 200 other cars, in the 90+ degree heat of our hot, sweltering, southern summer.

It is cheaper, too, as I do not have to run the car in the early morning hours to keep cool, like the folks who arrive closer to 8am (for a distribution that does not begin till 9) do.

There are lots of us who now get there in the pre-dawn hours to beat the heat.

But too many others just want to get up their normal time and then go. Those folks find themselves behing 200 or 300 other cars - in blazing Memphis heat - having to run their engines both to keep cool and also, to slowly creep ahead when the line slowly begins to move at 9am.

I don’t know how they can afford the gas to do that, least more the misery of the heat. I get there around maybe 3:30 or so, when there are usually no more than a dozen or cars ahead of me. I catch a little sleep till dawn, then take a morning walk (usually with others who do the same thing), then go back to my car to wait for distribution to begin.

Since I am early in line, I am one of the first to be served. So I don’t burn much gas making my way to head of the line, and then I am on my way home.

I often pass the long line where the late sleepers are slowly creeping to where I just left. Some of them will not make it to the front of th line for another hour or more.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

I just tried to order a flat of beef, ground beef, and chicken (36 cans total) & they wanted $70 for shipping!
No way!! - That's beyond price gouging.

Unfortunately shipping costs have gone sky high too, and those boxes are heavy.

i don’t know if they are price gouging or not, but that shipping cost might actually reflect the true cost of shipping the heavy boxes to you.

Just a thought.

 

[summerthyme]

Unfortunately shipping costs have gone sky high too, and those boxes are heavy.

i don’t know if they are price gouging or not, but that shipping cost might actually reflect the true cost of shipping the heavy boxes to you.

Just a thought.

Unfortunately true. Most companies dont have the sweetheart deal Amazon does with the Post Office... IIRC, it was $2,85 per package, no matter what size or weight!

Summerthyme

 

[WalknTrot]

Yep..that's 70+ lbs. of cans. It's gonna cost ya.
Have to figure it into the cost per can and see if you can get it any place else cheaper. Unless you can get them on a free shipping deal like Walmart online, or can actually find it in the store, I doubt it.

 

[anna43]

I went shopping today and saw more shortages and price increases than ever before. A can of Crisco $8.99 at Fareway and no store brand available (none at Aldi). Aldi was decimated with many empty shelves. No bread for a start and things didn't improve in the rest of the store. Some shelves were full, but not what was on my list! Eggs were $3.29 a dozen. A frozen roll of 85/15 ground beef was $4.09 on 2/10/22, $4.39 on 8/10/22 and today was $4.49. Frozen orange juice concentrate was $1.19 on 2/10/22 and today was $1.49. I got 4 quarts of shelf stable milk at Dollar Tree which left only 2 on the shelf. No 2% so I got whole milk which is the same price as 2%. Interestingly the expiration date for the milk I bought today was May 2023 while what I bought on the 10th has a June 2023 expiration. I'm glad I checked dates before putting it in the pantry.

I use Playtex gloves for washing dishes and Walmart has been out for ages. There were two pair left on the shelf in my size, so I bought both. I think I've mentioned before that instead of buying tissues for my allergic constantly dripping nose, I've been using my late dh's handkerchiefs. They were getting quite thin and falling into holes, so I bought a pack of 6 at Walmart a couple weeks ago for $4 and today 6 at Target for $4.99. I should now be set for a very long time. What I save on not buying tissues considering I was using 3 boxes a month more than paid for the new handkerchiefs. Buying double when I find something makes a lot of sense to me with the number of times things are now missing in the stores.

On a thriftier note, I stopped at the library resale shop and bought 10 paperback books for $6. All were 2022 publication dates, so I know I haven't read any of them. Being addicted to books, I consider them an important prep. If the SHTF, I'm going to hunker down, eat from my pantry, read books and pretend it's not happening.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

I don’t get into WalMart too often, but I was in there today.

Aisles were wider than they used to be, but no empty shelves that I saw (I did not look the entire store over).

Most of the produce looked good, and there was lots of it. The white onions didn’t look all that good, so I bought yellow. They looked healthier.

I wanted cottage cheese, and there was an ample supply with expiration dates in late September. I bought 6 of them. My wife and I will have the cottage cheese eaten before the expiration date.

The only other thing I bought was a gallon of milk.

Total was $25 and pocket change.

Suburban Memphis is the location, for those of you who do not know that.

No tax was charged. Tennessee is enjoying a one month holiday from sales tax on food.

 

[babysteps]

2 lb loaf of cheese is $12.50 at walmart now. Bandon/Tillamook.

It was $8 ish a month ago. It's still $9 ish at winco thankfully, and about $10 at Costco for 2.5 lbs. But Walmart had been right with them in price and now.... ouch.

 

[babysteps]

Okay, this is just weird so I'm going to post it to see if anyone else is seeing the same thing.

I was checking Costco.com to see what's in stock and available for delivery. We don't have a Costco near us, but there are a few within about a 3-4 hr round trip. Periodically I'll check online for trends, prices, etc., and have used their delivery option.

Online there is no canned fruit showing (just those plastic single servings of mandarin oranges), and no packaged pasta (not counting mac and cheese). This is extremely unusual. Any other Costco members (or non-members) seeing this?

Don't know about your area but here (NW Oregon), the online stock is NOT the same as the in-store. They almost never show their ibuprofen or cold meds as being in stock online, but if I go in there's a whole display.
Walmart does the same. TP shows up in their app as being $30 PLUS a $12 shipping fee. If I go in they have cases of it for $15.
It's pretty crazy.

 

[workhorse]

Stoped at our local Wendy’s and they had a sign taped o their order board. We are out of baked potatoes,bacon,nacho cheese, broccoli and tomatoes. I know I could have made something better at home but Wife is out of town for a few weeks and I don’t like to cook for just me.

 

[SuElPo]

We were at a General Dollar Store yesterday and 2 bags of tortilla chips that use to be $2.00 each was $8.00 for 2 bags. I couldn't believe it.
Susan