Prices - I'm kind of shocked

[vraiblonde]

Or maybe not really....

Remember when "they" said inflation wasn't really that bad, grocery stores were just price gouging? And we said, great, now that they've jacked up the price of everything it will never come back down?

But prices *have* come down. The eggs I buy have come down about $3/doz. Ribeye steaks are down about $2/lb. Cara Cara oranges are about $2 lower a bag. Things like toothpaste and nail polish remover are noticeably lower. Gas is going about $2.49-.69/gal here.

I had an email discussion with the coffee place in VT where I get my maple French roast. He said they never raised prices to match rising cost because he thought everything would come back down and in the meantime they'd just eat the difference to keep their customers habit buying. But Fresh Market raised the price of their Tuesday special ground chuck from $3.99/lb to $4.99/lb, which at the time was still a deal but now is what you pay normally at other places. So Chuck and Chicken Day isn't such a draw anymore.

Tariffs were supposed to kill us all but I haven't experienced that either.

What are your observations in MD? Are you seeing lower prices and easing up on the budget?

 

[stgislander]

It's been reported that the price of beef is/will be going up. My brother's neighbor just shipped 20-25 calves down to Winchester to auction. I'll be interested to hear how much he got for them.

 

[tuffenuff2]

Nicks of Clinton Ny strip was $9.99 a pound which is a large increase and my decaf coffee was up to $14.99 which is another huge increase.

 

[Sneakers]

TBH, I really don't pay much attention, just get what I need/want. The only thing I watch is fuel prices, but I use so little these days it really makes no difference.

 

[OccamsRazor]

The only thing I watch is fuel prices...

Price for 87 was $2.71 on Sunday. By Tuesday, price went up to $2.99

 

[vraiblonde]

TBH, I really don't pay much attention, just get what I need/want. The only thing I watch is fuel prices, but I use so little these days it really makes no difference.

I notice the total first, then look at the individual items. So when my grocery total jumped to average $75/week I was like, WTH??

 

[NOTSMC]

Commissary prices don't ever seem to come down. It's little increases like 5 cents, then the following week another 5 cents for the same item. Things I was buying last year have gone up a dollar or more this year. I go shopping there every two weeks mostly for meat and cheese, but the rest of the time I go to Walmart. Bigger selection, better prices. I am surprisingly pleased with their fruit. From Walmart. Who'd thunk it? They have the commissary beat hands down.

 

[NOTSMC]

Price for 87 was $2.71 on Sunday. By Tuesday, price went up to $2.99

What gives with that I wonder. BF got gas for $2.49 last week. Same place two days later $2.99. I drove by Cooks a week or so ago in the morning. Gas was $2.79. I thought get it on the way home. Not two hours later, it was over $3.00.

 

[stgislander]

Remember the good ole days when the stations were changing prices multiple times daily. I was pumping gas at the Sheetz on RT5/GMR watching the price on the board change. When I hung the nozzle up, the price on the pump had gone up.

 

[frequentflier]

Groceries still seem too expensive to me. I try to load up on items we use regularly when they are on sale.
I despise that we have to pay to have a BJ's account and still have to clip coupons!
And Giant has "digital coupons" which really pisses me off. I don't use my phone for anything but calls, texts and FB. On a recent trip, I mentioned to the cashier that I did not buy items that required digital coupons and she suggested I do the survey that is on the bottom of the receipt.; which I did but don't think it will make a bit of difference.
Another observation is that so many of our fresh produce comes from other countries...asparagus for example. For several years, it all comes from foreign countries.
Off my soap box now

 

[Hessian]

Traveling the E Coast...good to see gas prices down. NOW? drop the dang toll prices please!
If you fill a cart at BJs...expect 300.00 or more even if its just food aisle purchases...:-(

Aldi is Aldi...what can I say?
Days are long gone when we'd have steak tree times a month....we have transitioned to a lot more chicken.
Going OUT to eat has NOT come down in price. I suspect that is still labor and corporate expectations of profit.

NC...our future home is still noticeably cheaper than Maryland.
BUT...the tariff ripple and the Federal job uncertainty HAS started to impact housing prices....they have gone flat or started to drop.

 

[Hessian]

Groceries still seem too expensive to me. I try to load up on items we use regularly when they are on sale.
I despise that we have to pay to have a BJ's account and still have to clip coupons!
And Giant has "digital coupons" which really pisses me off. I don't use my phone for anything but calls, texts and FB. On a recent trip, I mentioned to the cashier that I did not buy items that required digital coupons and she suggested I do the survey that is on the bottom of the receipt.; which I did but don't think it will make a bit of difference.
Another observation is that so many of our fresh produce comes from other countries...asparagus for example. For several years, it all comes from foreign countries.
Off my soap box now

I think the age-ist bias is evident all over the place. They expect QR codes to reserve things, or digital swipes...I find it very annoying and do not willingly use it. My phone has very limited uses even though it could probably decrypt the locations of CIA black sites....I don't care: Three uses --that's it. Corporate America has given up on older consumers...ticks me off.

 

[Clem72]

Tariffs were supposed to kill us all but I haven't experienced that either.

What tariffs? They keep getting paused, or cancelled, or reduced, or doubled (after a pause).

But most haven't actually been active for any appreciable length of time so it hard to gauge their impact.

 

[NOTSMC]

Traveling the E Coast...good to see gas prices down. NOW? drop the dang toll prices please!
If you fill a cart at BJs...expect 300.00 or more even if its just food aisle purchases...:-(

Aldi is Aldi...what can I say?
Days are long gone when we'd have steak tree times a month....we have transitioned to a lot more chicken.
Going OUT to eat has NOT come down in price. I suspect that is still labor and corporate expectations of profit.

NC...our future home is still noticeably cheaper than Maryland.
BUT...the tariff ripple and the Federal job uncertainty HAS started to impact housing prices....they have gone flat or started to drop.

mmmmm steak tree. I'm going to plant it next to my money tree.

 

[vraiblonde]

BUT...the tariff ripple and the Federal job uncertainty HAS started to impact housing prices....they have gone flat or started to drop.

Which you'd think would be a good thing.

Democrats: "OMG housing prices are so high! All I can afford is a tent under a bridge!"
Also Democrats: "OMG housing prices are dropping! Trump is trying to kill us all!"

 

[BOP]

What gives with that I wonder. BF got gas for $2.49 last week. Same place two days later $2.99. I drove by Cooks a week or so ago in the morning. Gas was $2.79. I thought get it on the way home. Not two hours later, it was over $3.00.

Anticipation for increased demand.

Those Molotov cocktails aren't going to fill themselves.


Er, I mean, summer driving. Yeah, that's it, summer driving.

 

[LJ1999]

I haven't looked from item to item but I certainly see a difference in my total grocery haul, and it's much better. I remember the last couple of years that pantry staples were outrageous and the sales at Safeway were minimal. I have noticed better deals on pantry staples now. Like, for example, Shake and Bake went over $5.00 per box.

 

[tuffenuff2]

Yesterday over in Dahlgren Wawa and Sheetz gas was $3.19 but the walmart gas station was $2.79. 2 hours later it was up to $3.19.

 

[frequentflier]

I think the age-ist bias is evident all over the place. They expect QR codes to reserve things, or digital swipes...I find it very annoying and do not willingly use it. My phone has very limited uses even though it could probably decrypt the locations of CIA black sites....I don't care: Three uses --that's it. Corporate America has given up on older consumers...ticks me off.

A friend and I went to the Brick Bistro in PF a couple years ago. She had never been there before. The young chickie behind the bar actually rolled her eyes at us when we asked for a REAL menu.
We walked out. Never returned.

 

[OccamsRazor]

A friend and I went to the Brick Bistro in PF a couple years ago. She had never been there before. The young chickie behind the bar actually rolled her eyes at us when we asked for a REAL menu.
We walked out. Never returned.

Went to a Chipotle shortly after they installed their "To Go" order prep station. After waiting in line at the "In Person" counter for a bit, I noticed a sign that said "Sorry.. We are out of Guacamole." Sure enough, the Guac tray was empty. However, at the "To-Go" counter, the tray was overflowing with Guacamole. When I ordered the meal, I asked the prep person to get some Guac from the other prep area.
Was told "Sorry sir... that is only for Online and To-Go orders."
So essentially, if you were at the restaurant in-person... No Guac for you! Even though there was a full tray of it 5 feet away.
Immediately walked away and out the door.