My inspiration for this post came from my dear, longtime blogging friend, Debbie @ Musings by an ND Domer's Mom, who is not only a gifted...
I'm sure you have all noticed the INSANE escalation in food prices when you go to the grocery store each week, right?
I certainly have.
I'm only one person, so it's not like I have to purchase food for a partner or family members, but I can even see how the cost of food has climbed Mount Everest.
I usually shop (at Trader Joe's and Mom's Organic Market) twice a week. I don't have a lot of space in my studio apartment kitchen, so I have to purchase in small amounts and shop more frequently. I sincerely don't mind that because I like my food (which consists primarily of vegetables) fresh. For instance, if I make pesto pasta with broccoli, I will purchase fresh broccoli and basil that day. I shop very much like a European.
I used to spend about $35.00 each time I shopped, which totaled (for the week) around $70.00, which is not bad at all, considering that I eat my meals at home.
HOWEVER...
Now when I shop, I've noticed a steady increase every time I go to the store. The increases were between 2-3 dollars for each product. Currently, I spend anywhere from $52.00 to $56.00, which totals over a hundred dollars each week.
And that total doesn't include personal products such as: shampoo, bath soap, deodorant, toothpaste, and paper goods, which have gotten SO FREAKING EXPENSIVE. While shopping for toilet paper at Target a few weeks ago, I discovered my favorite brand (Scott) had increased to $6.99 for FOUR rolls. That's when I started collecting leaves from the trees in our parks and thought about using them as toilet paper.
LOL!
Oh, and speaking of Target (which used to be my go-to store for great prices), I spotted a medium-sized bag of pretzels that had a price tag of $8.99. For PRETZELS!!!!
Lately, I find myself walking away from products and saying aloud, "There is no way in HELL I will pay those prices!"
Yes, the economy in this country is a total wreckage. And it's been that way for many years. However, I believe companies are simply jacking their prices (price gouging) and blaming it on inflation.
Isn't it something how when COVID hit in 2020, companies were kind, compassionate, and fair towards the people of this world? However, now, they are back to being self-serving and greedy. It seems to take a catastrophe to humble people. But how soon they forget.
Anyway, I thought it would be fun (and possibly depressing) to recall the price of food when I grew up in the 60s. Yes, I know prices are all relative to various decades, and what was less expensive back then was consistent with the average yearly income. But I still think essential food was much more affordable. As a kid, I remember grocery shopping with my mother and recalling how the cart was always filled to the brim, top, and bottom.
1960s -
*Note: Grade 'A' Large Eggs for only .79. Today, in Pennsylvania, a dozen eggs cost $4.52
*Note: A tube of Colgate toothpaste for only .99. The toothpaste I currently use (Crest) is $8.99
*Note: No, I didn't smoke cigarettes in the 60s, but my mother and father did. And yes, a pack was only .35. Later in life, I did smoke (for almost 40 years). And by the time I quit (in 2015), cigarettes were up to $8.00 a pack. I'm so glad I no longer smoke, both in money and health.
*Note: A can of Campbell's soup was .09. Today, a can is anywhere from $1.99 to $2.50
*Note: Beverages - Coffee, Pot - only .35!? A 12 oz. coffee here in Philly (before tax) is $2.45-$3.15.
McDonald's Prices 1965 (by the way, one of my first jobs was working at McDonald's)
Oh, and before cellphones, this is how we blocked calls in the 1960s...
Have a faaaabulous week, everyone! 💕
*Please feel free to share things you've noticed that have increased in price.
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