# How bad are grocery prices where you are? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 3, 2023, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608 "2023-01-03T21:47:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/21 "2023-01-04T16:15:28Z")
Depends on the store. The closest store is not a corporate place (locally owned) and it’s expensive. I’ve averaged $50/bag there. Bacon (10oz pkg) is about $7. If I go to Costco, I get four pounds for about $20. One brand of half & half (quart) is about $4.50, another brand is $3.50. And we live in the middle of dairy country. There is a co-op nearby that is a bit better, but some of their stuff I don’t like. Their “large” eggs are like robins’ eggs. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/22 "2023-01-04T20:42:52Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > If you want cheap chicken, buy whole legs A place I visit regularly has your choice of legs or quarters for 49 cents a pound. That’s the same price as loose beets and less than onions or potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/23 "2023-01-05T00:45:48Z")
I just looked at the Provigo where we do nearly all our food shopping. They had an ordinary looking cauliflower for $4. But eggs, were $4-$5 dozen, depending on size. That seems high to me. Milk is getting up to $8 for 4 liters, which seems awfully high to me. Fortunately we don’t usually have to think about cost of food (yet). ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/24 "2023-01-05T00:56:31Z")
Washington State. - Dozen eggs have been about $1.30 for a long time. - In early December, that jumped to $1.89 a dozen. - Then Avian flu was detected in the state just before Christmas. - Price is now $3.48 a dozen (two dozen limit). Avian flu is now the worst in US history. Anything connected to poultry, and/or poultry products (and turkeys and ducks) will be affected. So not just eggs, but chicken, chicken parts and anything made with chicken in it. All 50 states now report avian flu in wild birds, and 47 states in poultry (57 million plus birds destroyed to date). ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/25 "2023-01-05T11:35:11Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Prices are going up in the UK and complaints are rife of course but generally they still are quite competitive when compared to other places in the world. I’ve noticed meat prices have taken a recent upturn around here lately but it’s cheese that seems to be skyrocketing. Feels like the prices go up on a weekly basis, and they’ve more than doubled since the start of 2020. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/26 "2023-01-05T11:36:09Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I’ve noticed meat prices have taken a recent upturn around here lately but it’s cheese that seems to be skyrocketing. Feels like the prices go up on a weekly basis, and they’ve more than doubled since the start of 2020. where are you based? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/27 "2023-01-05T11:36:20Z")
London ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/28 "2023-01-05T11:39:24Z")
I’d be very surprised if food prices have more than doubled since the start of 2020, certainly doesn’t feel that way to me. I could well be wrong though, I’m going to look at some of the prices I paid for my online shopping back in early 2020 and see if I can re-create them and see how much it has gone up. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/29 "2023-01-05T11:41:50Z")
Food prices in general haven’t doubled. But, for example, a sliced cheese that I used to pay £1.55 for is now about £3.25 around here for the same amount. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/30 "2023-01-05T11:56:10Z")
Ah, I see. I certainly think some specific items have increased far more than others. I’ve done a quick calculation from a Tesco order dated April 2020 and for almost exactly the same items (the beer wasn’t available but I substituted an equivalent) the basket total was 9% higher to buy it today. The cheese in my basket was £3.30 in April 2020 and £3.75 to buy the same one today ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/31 "2023-01-05T12:52:10Z")
Taking Novelty\_Bobble’s list, I did a comparison with Tesco and Aldi today, in the West Midlands. …Teso…Aldi 15 eggs for £1.59/$1.91…£1.79…£2.15 Cauliflower £0.95/$1.14…£0.95…£0.95 (price-match with Aldi) Peppers from £2.00 per kilo or appx $1.08 per lb…£2.00 per kilo…£? Milk £0.70 per litre or appx £3.82 per gallon…£1.16 per litre…£1.14 per litre Pasta (spaghetti) 60p per kilo or appx $0.33 per lb…£0.60 per kilo…£0.60 per kilo Bananas 90p per kilo or appx $0.49 per lb…£0.78 per kilo…£? ? = no per kilo price quoted. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/32 "2023-01-05T13:08:58Z")
I’ve always bought groceries like the Great Depression was imminent (thanks, Grammy!), never buying meat unless it is dramatically reduced, using the hand basket instead of the shopping cart, and using coupons (if available) on those brand items I must have. So, while my brand items have gone up a bit, I’m handling this fine. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/33 "2023-01-05T13:20:32Z")
My gf does most of the grocery shopping. I asked her about prices and she laughed. Basically, she knows what she wants to buy and she does. No looking at prices, no comparison shopping, no coupons. I don’t go grocery shopping with her, it would drive me nuts ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/34 "2023-01-05T13:27:17Z")
I shop weekly at a Kroger (midwestern grocery chain). I don’t do all the family shopping, Mrs. solost does a Costco run every couple weeks for various staples. But I do a lot of it, since I do most of the cooking. I’m not one who really pays attention to prices though, as in “I can’t believe the price of eggs this week!”. I just buy what I want / need. I’m a fairly simple man; I don’t spend a lot on toys and gadgets and things like that. Consumables, good food and drink, are what I spend money on mainly. But I have noticed: Kroger sends us coupons, and one of the coupons we often get is “save $20 for every purchase of $200 or more”. Used to be not too long ago I could not hit $200 to use the coupon-- I’d fall well short unless I made a point of buying several high-ticket items just to put me over the top. Now I always go over $200 without even trying. Sometimes well over. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/35 "2023-01-05T17:01:19Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Basically, she knows what she wants to buy and she does. No looking at prices, no comparison shopping, no coupons. That’s me. I figure whatever I buy is cheaper than going to a restaurant, so I just get what we want. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/36 "2023-01-05T17:04:59Z")
not a massive difference there but I think some of them can be explained by you just concentrating on a couple of supermarkets and me using a wider comparison site. Of course not many people skip around multiple shops to get the best prices so in practical terms your prices are closer to what we’d really pay. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/37 "2023-01-05T17:18:25Z")
> [@solost](#): > > But I have noticed: Kroger sends us coupons, and one of the coupons we often get is “save $20 for every purchase of $200 or more”. Used to be not too long ago I could not hit $200 to use the coupon-- I’d fall well short unless I made a point of buying several high-ticket items just to put me over the top. Now I always go over $200 without even trying. Sometimes well over. Same-same with Vons (Safeway). $5 of an order of $50, $10 off an order of $100. I never used to hit the hundred dollar mark just shopping for myself. Now I can do that with one bag, no alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/38 "2023-01-05T18:50:50Z")
I’m in Minnesota. The prices are definitely higher than they were 2 years ago and even 1 year ago. I don’t have any idea what the % would be. Eggs have really skyrocketed. I used to get Walmart eggs for 68 cents/dozen within the last year or so. They’re $4.60 now. Pop is outrageous! $7+ for a 12-pack of Diet Coke. That’s close to the price a 24-pack used to be which is over $12 now. I usually buy what I always buy regardless of the cost, but I am much more likely to sub the store brand now. We had a Great Value Thanksgiving! Many items were close to half the price of the name brands. There was no difference. The only thing that I don’t sub store brand for is my beloved Diet Coke. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/39 "2023-01-07T00:41:28Z")
As I said earlier, prices are probably about 50% higher on average than a few years before the pandemic. It’s getting to be almost funny, in a black-comedy sort of way. After picking stuff up at the liquor store today, I thought I’d stop by the grocery for one of their tasty subs, and may as well pick up a pizza while I’m there. While there, I also remembered a few other things that I was running short of. Total, for my sub, pizza, and “a few other things I remembered”: $140.97! OK, admittedly I was remembering a lot of stuff, but still, this wasn’t even a planned shopping expedition. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608/40 "2023-01-07T02:32:31Z")
Eggs are the thing I’ve noticed the most. I got some large eggs from the Super Walmart last week for $2.92 and that’s about the cheapest you can get around here. $5/$6 a dozen is more the norm. I don’t buy soda but my husband likes Diet Coke so when he goes out to buy other stuff he’ll usually pick up some of that too. He says that’s gotten absurdly expensive as well. Some of the beer he likes has gone up quite a bit - from what I hear that may have to do with the war in Ukraine driving grain prices up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-are-grocery-prices-where-you-are/977608.md?page=3)