Have you stopped buying certain things because of price?

[SmithOp]

I can’t stop myself from being very frugal, and I pass up lots of items because of the price. It is stupid, but it is hard to change a lifetime habit. I could not bring myself to buy grouper for $39.99 a pound
I also am pretty frugal about airline tickets and don’t like paying to upgrade my seat, and I stick to a carry on bag. ironically I paid for first row seats for nine of the 12 people who flew down to help me, and they all had a carry on and a checked bag.
I drive a 2001 dodge caravan also. But when you find out a used car with 150000 miles is $15000, why give up a car with less mileage that you know works.

In my case frugal is the way we were raised, so much is ingrained I find myself repeating phrases my father said even though he's been gone ten years now. I agree it's stupid and hard to change!

I haven't succumbed to Temu yet.

 

[Cornell]

I thought you were being sarcastic about Chili’s being cheaper than fast food. To me, Chili’s is fast food. Am I the only person who sees it this way? Just curious.

I do not. Huge difference in my opinion b/w table service with real plates, glasses and silverware*. Fast food is ordering at a counter and waiting for your bag or tray . Everything disposable.

I am actually interested in so many of the comments here. Many of you don't seem fazed whatsoever by inflation, cost of dining out etc. Where I live people are hurting. I see it in local Facebook groups all of the time where people are truly running out of money to feed their kids. Big uptick on families utilizing the public school free breakfast and lunch programs over the summer. I also see many people looking for deals at value restaurants like Chili's , Outback, etc so they can have the occasional restaurant meal with their families.

* "Casual Chains" are the label for places like Chili's, Applebees, Olive Garden, etc.

 

[Cornell]

Working on a project now for a major consumer package goods brand whose had a big sales decline in past few months. We surveyed people who either stopped or significantly reduced their purchasing of this brand.

We gave the respondents 28 different reasons to cite for their decline/stop.

The data is clear: It's all about price. Consumers say this product is "non-essential" and they can no longer fit it into their budget.

 

[rapmarks]

I do not. Huge difference in my opinion b/w table service with real plates, glasses and silverware*. Fast food is ordering at a counter and waiting for your bag or tray . Everything disposable.

I am actually interested in so many of the comments here. Many of you don't seem fazed whatsoever by inflation, cost of dining out etc. Where I live people are hurting. I see it in local Facebook groups all of the time where people are truly running out of money to feed their kids. Big uptick on families utilizing the public school free breakfast and lunch programs over the summer. I also see many people looking for deals at value restaurants like Chili's , Outback, etc so they can have the occasional restaurant meal with their families.

* "Casual Chains" are the label for places like Chili's, Applebees, Olive Garden, etc.

My daughter pays absolutely no attention to prices. In fact, most evenings she will order meals delivered from restaurants for the three boys, and the 12 and 15 year old sometimes get two meals.

 

[Cornell]

My daughter pays absolutely no attention to prices. In fact, most evenings she will order meals delivered from restaurants for the three boys, and the 12 and 15 year old sometimes get two meals.

Cannot relate whatsoever. I cannot fathom what the receipts are for this.

As most of you know I have a college-aged daughter. She has my credit card which is for emergencies/ special purchases. She only gets to use it upon permission.

I give her a weekly "allowance" which goes into her checking account each Sunday. All meals, food, etc must come out of this allowance. Includes personal care etc. I have not increased her allowance in the past year and as we know food cost increases are real. As a result, I hear her talk about shopping grocery store sales, hitting up Aldi/Walmart, meeting her friends for dinner for "early bird specials" or using coupons, etc. She NEVER orders Uber Eats, etc b/c she refuses to pay the delivery fee and tip. She orders carryout sometimes but uses an app where she is accruing rewards to earn free meals, discounts.

I'm a big believer that not only is teaching her practical life skills but is giving her fuel to want to get out into the workforce and earn a good living for herself.

 

[rapmarks]

Cannot relate whatsoever. I cannot fathom what the receipts are for this.

As most of you know I have a college-aged daughter. She has my credit card which is for emergencies/ special purchases. She only gets to use it upon permission.

I give her a weekly "allowance" which goes into her checking account each Sunday. All meals, food, etc must come out of this allowance. Includes personal care etc. I have not increased her allowance in the past year and as we know food cost increases are real. As a result, I hear her talk about shopping grocery store sales, hitting up Aldi/Walmart, meeting her friends for dinner for "early bird specials" or using coupons, etc. She NEVER orders Uber Eats, etc b/c she refuses to pay the delivery fee and tip. She orders carryout sometimes but uses an app where she is accruing rewards to earn free meals, discounts.

I'm a big believer that not only is teaching her practical life skills but is giving her fuel to want to get out into the workforce and earn a good living for herself.

Bravo, I do not understand how two children can be raised the same, one is careful with money and one isn’t. And we didn’t have money, they were raised frugally, we camped, we visited family, we did inexpensive things.

 

[Cornell]

I do not understand how two children can be raised the same

I am from a family of 5 kids. It was as if 3 of us were raised by one set of parents and two were raised by other parents.

 

[clifffaith]

Bravo, I do not understand how two children can be raised the same, one is careful with money and one isn’t. And we didn’t have money, they were raised frugally, we camped, we visited family, we did inexpensive things.

My deceased brother and alive sister, both younger, had/have no clue about money. It is a family mystery as to how I, the oldest, “understands” about money and spending, and they don’t. Developer purchases of timeshares notwithstanding!

 

[dioxide45]

My daughter pays absolutely no attention to prices. In fact, most evenings she will order meals delivered from restaurants for the three boys, and the 12 and 15 year old sometimes get two meals.

We have a friend like that. Says they just buy what they want. They don't look at the price. Though they are millionaires. Life is different depending on what you have.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I don't believe cutting back is any different than in the past. My parents were frugal - came out of the depression. They rarely went out to restaurants to eat, always shopped for bargains and travel was a once every few year luxury. They didn't camp. We didn't get new clothes often and were expected to pay for items with our allowance.

When they added another kid they just added another cup of water to the concentrated OJ pitcher. They would buy one steak for 4 people and slice it for everyone.

Sometimes they splurged on travel and bought a boat but it was a very measured and deliberate thing after the kids were out of college.

Yet they got all the kids through college and we always had food on the table.

 

[easyrider]

My usual Sausage McMuffin at McD's is 3.99 in Evansville. Yesterday, in Flagstaff, it was 6.89 -- I ordered it with Rewards points instead. On closer inspection, all the sandwiches with egg were 3.00 more than their counterpart without.

I always order from the app, and there's usually a buy one get one for free, or for $1, which makes the price reasonable. It's an unusual day I would pay full price for McD, except for the convenience.

We ordered a couple of breakfast combos at the McDonalds at SEA and it was about $26. Two McGriddles, two crappy potato things that we tossed and two coffees. I thought something was wrong with the order kiosk so I cancelled the first order and did it again with the same result. Oddly, it was more to buy just a McGriddle and coffee than a combo with the potato thing.

Bill

 

[TravelTime]

I do not. Huge difference in my opinion b/w table service with real plates, glasses and silverware*. Fast food is ordering at a counter and waiting for your bag or tray . Everything disposable.

I am actually interested in so many of the comments here. Many of you don't seem fazed whatsoever by inflation, cost of dining out etc. Where I live people are hurting. I see it in local Facebook groups all of the time where people are truly running out of money to feed their kids. Big uptick on families utilizing the public school free breakfast and lunch programs over the summer. I also see many people looking for deals at value restaurants like Chili's , Outback, etc so they can have the occasional restaurant meal with their families.

* "Casual Chains" are the label for places like Chili's, Applebees, Olive Garden, etc.

I totally agree with you on inflation and how people are hurting. We are a family of 4 and it shocks me how much our weekly grocery bill is now. A few weeks ago, I spent almost $500 at Safeway for what I thought was our normal weekly grocery list. Now I am wondering if there was an error and I was overcharged for that week. Usually our weekly bill is $300 to $350 just for groceries (not including misc grocery run and dining out). We can afford it but it does hurt and takes a big chunk of our after tax income. I wonder how working class families make ends meet. I do look at prices for everything I put in the cart and I lean toward buying the sale items yet our bill is still high. It feels unavoidable these days.

 

[Cornell]

I don't believe cutting back is any different than in the past. My parents were frugal - came out of the depression. They rarely went out to restaurants to eat, always shopped for bargains and travel was a once every few year luxury. They didn't camp. We didn't get new clothes often and were expected to pay for items with our allowance.

When they added another kid they just added another cup of water to the concentrated OJ pitcher. They would buy one steak for 4 people and slice it for everyone.

Sometimes they splurged on travel and bought a boat but it was a very measured and deliberate thing after the kids were out of college.

Yet they got all the kids through college and we always had food on the table.

Your childhood was just like mine. We went through a phase where my mom cut milk with powdered milk. It wasn't until all 5 of us were put through college that my parents enjoyed their own lives with financial treats.

I had what I needed growing up: food, family, clothes, safety, an education.

 

[ScoopKona]

Strangely enough compared to the 90s, brands have killed their brands so hard that branding is mostly meaningless in 2024 online, so that's why Temu does so well. Amazon and Facebook ads already conditioned people to "trust" random makers (I don't even want to call XHUIOGUI a "brand").

I'm not really talking about that though. I'm talking about manufacturers who use stabilizers and conditioners to keep bread from going moldy. (I won't call them bakers because although there is heat used in the process, it isn't baking. It's manufacturing.) People don't read. And they don't care. They've reliably proven that they will buy anything without thinking about it. So that is how the manufacturers treat the market.

How much wood is in your food? (Again, not "you -- jp10558," I'm addressing you, the person reading this message.) If you buy a lot of brand-name food in bright boxes and bottles, the answer is "considerably more than you ever imagined." There's cellulose gum in damned near everything these days. It's not harmful. But it means more profit and lower costs for the manufacturers. (It also means shredded cheese which doesn't clump back together.)

Most people have no idea what's in their food. And since they don't care to find out, the shrinkflation and skimpflation continues. This is a generational problem -- especially with items like olive oil, which has always had a rather dark history.

As for weird Amazon and Temu brands, it's like they're picking letters from a Scrabble game.

 

[joestein]

I work in market research … specifically in consumer packaged goods. Inflation is real. The data bears it out with changing purchasing behaviors. Private label is absolutely growing in share .

https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/store-brands-are-filling-up-more-of-your-shopping-cart-e4c8065f?st=09himdkdufrsp5p&reflink=article_copyURL_share

I purchased private labels way before the COVID inflation. I am frugal by nature and don't believe that name brands equal quality. I highly doubt that Shop Right actually produces salsa or many other products. It comes from one of the big brands anyway. They just slap their label on it.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Although I cannot comment on gourmet items, many millennials and gen Z are reading labels and worrying about what chemicals they are putting into their bodies.

My daughter and niece have convinced us to start drinking out of stainless or glass containers (plastic only when all that is available) and to never put plastic food containers in the microwave or dishwasher to avoid microplastics in our body.

I just threw away a 70s Teflon pan because it has forever chemicals that I don't want collecting in my body

With their urging, I just watched the movie "Dark Waters" on Netflix about how Dupont hid the dangers of Teflon and PFOAs. It was a wake up call to me.

I am reading more labels and trying less processed and natural food. Not perfect. Not a fanatic but just trying to be more conscious and avoid more often when I can.

Our generation has spent a lifetime exposed to plastics and Teflon in our food. Maybe it's too late for me but not for them.

 

[jorcus]

I don't do most of the shopping but my wife loves half and half. It has become so expensive. Whole milk not good enough for your coffee? Oh well it's not that big a deal just wonder why the cost has not come down with the price of milk or cheese.

 

[ScoopKona]

With their urging, I just watched the movie "Dark Waters" on Netflix about how Dupont hid the dangers of Teflon and PFOAs. It was a wake up call to me.

I am reading more labels and trying less processed and natural food. Not perfect. Not a fanatic but just trying to be more conscious and avoid more often when I can.

Sadly, this particular rabbit hole has no bottom. If you reach the end, you'll wind up buying a farm and living like pioneers.

 

[geist1223]

I have the Fred Meyer (Krogers) and Safeway Applications loaded on the Samsung Fone. I shop the ads every Wednesday morning. I only buy what is on sale. Really like the Digital Coupons. I pay an average of about $1.29 for a half gallon of milk. I see people grab a gallon of milk that is priced at $3.59 to $3.99. My 2 half gallons cost me $2.58. I only buy Sugar Free Powerade when it is on sale for less that 90 cents and stock the Frig in the garage. Fruits and Vegetables are bought at WINCO. I have not paid more that 90 cents for a pound of Apples in several years. Many times Bell Peppers of all colours are less than 90 cents. I always find it interesting that 2 24 ounce containers of Cottage Cheese are less than 1 48 ounce container of Cottage Cheese. I also buy shredded cheese when it is on sale and put in the Freezer. It does fine when thawed.

 

[clifffaith]

I totally agree with you on inflation and how people are hurting. We are a family of 4 and it shocks me how much our weekly grocery bill is now. A few weeks ago, I spent almost $500 at Safeway for what I thought was our normal weekly grocery list. Now I am wondering if there was an error and I was overcharged for that week. Usually our weekly bill is $300 to $350 just for groceries (not including misc grocery run and dining out). We can afford it but it does hurt and takes a big chunk of our after tax income. I wonder how working class families make ends meet. I do look at prices for everything I put in the cart and I lean toward buying the sale items yet our bill is still high. It feels unavoidable these days.

My rule in the grocery line is “don’t talk to me” (aimed at Cliff). I find I have to keep an eye on anything that had a special sale price or I am in danger of being over charged. Happens regularly at different grocery stores.

 

[ScoopKona]

Usually our weekly bill is $300 to $350 just for groceries (not including misc grocery run and dining out).

I almost never dine out because I refuse to pay high prices for low quality. The restaurants which make better food than I can at home are few, far-between, and too expensive for what they're serving.

As for groceries -- about $300 per month. It's hard to put a solid "this is what I pay every month" because if I run out of flour, I buy 25-pounds at Costco and use it for weeks and weeks and weeks. Same with anything that can be purchased in bulk and safely stored in the pantry.

I don't know what you're buying. But my general rule is that anything that comes in a bright box/bottle/package is generally a false economy. There are exceptions -- but not many.

However, I "pay" for this by spending more time in a kitchen.

 

[Tia]

We ordered a couple of breakfast combos at the McDonalds at SEA and it was about $26. Two McGriddles, two crappy potato things that we tossed and two coffees. I thought something was wrong with the order kiosk so I cancelled the first order and did it again with the same result. Oddly, it was more to buy just a McGriddle and coffee than a combo with the potato thing.

Bill

there was a man at McD's yesterday who ordered at the kiosk, it charged his card. But McD's could not find his order in their system when he was inquiring! This was while I was waiting forever for my little order.

 

[Tia]

I have the Fred Meyer (Krogers) and Safeway Applications loaded on the Samsung Fone. I shop the ads every Wednesday morning. I only buy what is on sale. Really like the Digital Coupons. I pay an average of about $1.29 for a half gallon of milk. I see people grab a gallon of milk that is priced at $3.59 to $3.99. My 2 half gallons cost me $2.58. I only buy Sugar Free Powerade when it is on sale for less that 90 cents and stock the Frig in the garage. Fruits and Vegetables are bought at WINCO. I have not paid more that 90 cents for a pound of Apples in several years. Many times Bell Peppers of all colours are less than 90 cents. I always find it interesting that 2 24 ounce containers of Cottage Cheese are less than 1 48 ounce container of Cottage Cheese. I also buy shredded cheese when it is on sale and put in the Freezer. It does fine when thawed.

If we are lucky our City Market has a Digital Coupon for 1/2 gallon of milk for $1.19 occasionally. Otherwise it's $1.99 half gallon.

 

[Superchief]

While beef and seafood prices have increased by over 25% in the past four years, pork and lamb have moderated and are now a better value. We replaced our occasional steak with lamb chops ($5.99/ lb at Costco). Pork tenderloin and pork chops are lean and are typically available for about $3 /lb. We only buy chicken at our butcher, Fresh Market, or Jungle Jim's and prices fluctuate. I never thought that chicken breasts would be cheaper than wings. Prices at our butcher shop have gone up the most and never come down so we only buy a few items there. In 2020, I could get a full bag of meat for $75, while now it is less than half a bag. Corn prices are a key driver of meat prices. I hope they finally stop forcing about 25% of corn crops be used for ethanol since it actually does more harm to the environment than regular gas and requires substantial water. Lower corn and fertilizer costs should reduce meat prices.

 

[linsj]

I used to stock up on 12-packs of Diet Coke when it was on sale to feed my daily habit. (I've never paid full price.) Then the sale price jumped several dollars, so I decided to quit buying it. But sometimes I'll have a glass of it in a restaurant since some food, like Changs' kung pao shrimp and Bonefish Grill's bang bang shrimp, demands pop. Ironically, I used to pay less for a 12-pack than one glass.