The week flew by in a blur-like state since returning home from Aruba. The combination of almost 3 weeks away, let lag, returning home and starting work on a Friday last week, which is an odd day to start work again, all made this week seem surreal.
However, I’ve had a few great runs outdoors this week.
I saw some pretty trees and flowers on my path.
Lots of juicy fruit has been consumed.
As well as green salads
Dressed with homemade Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing
And for snacks there have been always a few handfuls of these
And a few handfuls of Peanut Butter Chex Mix, i.e. Puppy Chow (Vegan, GF, No Bake, Easy & Fast)
And I’ve washed it all down with Vanilla Iced Coffees
These just hit the spot in the summer. Or year round.
I don’t discriminate with coffee. I’ve previously reviewed about 20 different types of coffee.
Speaking of coffee, I went to TJ’s yesterday to pick up some of my beloved “daily brew” coffee, Dark Sumatra. For the price, and availability, and just all around, this is the coffee I reach for day in, day out, after I’ve tired of Smores Coffee or specialty brews which are fun here and there, but Sumatra is my daily workhorse.
I noticed the price went up from $4.99 to $5.99. That doesn’t sound like much but it’s an almost 18% price increase.
I asked a TJ’s employee was I mistaken or did prices go up and she told me that yes, prices did indeed increase on coffee because there is a worldwide shortage of coffee from things like poor weather in the growing regions to more people worldwide drinking coffee to continued weakness in the Dollar.
All of these factors and more are driving up coffee prices and they are at a 34 year high.
Folgers also raised their coffee prices.
She also said that cocoa prices went up, too, for similar reasons.
From my last post, Eating the Rainbow Recipes, it was fun to hear what Rainbow colored foods are your favorites to eat and most everyone agreed that eating rainbow-colored foods found in nature just make you feel so much better.
Questions:
1. Have you noticed any grocery prices rising in your area? Or any particular items that are now more expensive?
Jenn and I have discussed this a bit and so I know others are experiencing rising prices.
Hypothetically speaking…My musings, thoughts, and opinions only follow…
Imagine if your groceries, across the board, went up 18 to 20%.
That means that the $100 you used to spend for the week for your groceries, just turned into $120. Are you making more? Can you afford $120 instead of $100? I don’t think anyone is getting a raise of 20% just to cover their possibly rising grocery bill.
But what if you couldn’t pay more for food. You just don’t have the money. Since you can’t pay more, you’ll just have to eat less. Cruel thinking, but let’s play out the example.
You only have $100 to spend, but now you are really getting about $80 dollars worth of food rather than the $100 you’re used to because of the increase in prices. Are you going to make sure your kids eat first? So will you be the one hungry? Someone’s going to be hungry if you’re used to get x amount of food and now you’re getting x – 20 and you don’t have any extra income.
Or will you take on a second job?
20% is not a small amount for the average person or family to cover or absorb. It doesn’t sound like much, here and there, but as a lump sum, it becomes very significant. Imagine if prices did rise 20% across the board for groceries. Or imagine if your auto insurance went up 20% or your mortgage payment suddenly went up 20%. However, those things aren’t going up as fast as food prices are rising.
Have you noticed any rising food prices? Overall, you likely have. Food prices have been, and continue to be, on the rise, overall.
3. How would this effect you and your life?
Would you eat less in general?
Would you eat at home more? Less takeout? Cook more?
Buy generic?
Part with the “I have to have organic” thoughts and buy whatever is cheapest? (this is what I frequently do)
Grow your own food? (this is not always cheap, easy, or effective. Could you feed yourself with what you can grow on urban NYC on balcony or in rural North Dakota in January? Didn’t think so.)
I have a post on Saving Money at the Grocery Store which has been a popular one and I give some of my real-life suggestions and tips. How to feed a family and not go in debt is a real issue for so many.
Lots to think about with our food supply both in this country and worldwide and how this global picture translates and boils down to mom and pop and kid just trying to get dinner on the table and eat healthfully and affordably. I still think you can eat the rainbow and not break the bank.
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts about this! And again, my opinions only, my musings, and just my stop and say hmmm, thoughts of the day and in no way a complete commentary on this extremely complex topic.
P.S. Last reminder to enter my Coconut Oil Giveaway. Winner announced Friday (next post).
With rising food prices, I believe thinking in terms of the most calories for each dollar you spend would be a good option. (I’m not talking twinkes or frito lay chips though). What I mean is you might buy unroasted raw peanuts to roast yourself, instead of buying expensive brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, pre-raosted nuts, etc. You would buy the conventional produce with the least of amount of pesticides (“the clean fifteen”), and the cheapest organic produce. You might start doing simple preparation at homes, that doesn’t take too much time, but compensates for the rising prices (like making your own pancake mix on Sundays for the week, for example).
I think there are simple ways to still feed your family sufficiently– it just might involve the taking away goji berries and copious amounts of larabars (which you can make yourself with cheap ingredients, too– using different dried fruits, like raisins)!
Those mega chunks were a HUGE hit at my house!
And yes, grocery prices have risen in my area. And right at a time when my kids have hollow stomachs, too! *sigh*
Grocery prices, gas prices, and house prices are all astronomical in my city. It is insane.