Have you stopped buying certain things because of price?

[jackio]

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.

I haven't stopped buying Diet Coke/Pepsi but a good sale used to be 4 12-packs for $10, and now a good one is 3/$18. Not on sale prices are between $8 and $10 for a 12 pack. I know it's less than $1/can, but I can't bring myself to pay that much.

 

[SmithOp]

We live in a senior mobile park and a lot of our neighbors are suffering also, not just families with kids. We have a food bank in the park and get donations twice a week, there is always a line of folks picking up food. Seniors on fixed incomes are cutting back, no restaurant dining, very little fast food.

Speaking of watching the register prices at the grocery, I "audit" the receipt when I get home every week to make sure I got all my discounts.

 

[geist1223]

We only buy Beef, Pork, and Chicken when on sell. Vacuum seal and put in Freezer. So never at Costco.

 

[Tia]

We live in a senior mobile park and a lot of our neighbors are suffering also, not just families with kids. We have a food bank in the park and get donations twice a week, there is always a line of folks picking up food. Seniors on fixed incomes are cutting back, no restaurant dining, very little fast food.

Speaking of watching the register prices at the grocery, I "audit" the receipt when I get home every week to make sure I got all my discounts.

I audit receipts in the parking lot, then go in for corrections when I find them.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

"Have you stopped buying certain things because of price?"

Timeshares from developers.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

Consumers say this product is "non-essential"

Whoa. Are the sheep waking up to CPGs? 5 Alarms! Ramp up the ad spending and the (LOL) "innovation". Just pretend that for the last decade-plus, when used in the CPG industry, the word "innovation" means Shrinkflation, heavier-processing-for-supposed-convenience, etc.
"Innovation"! Maybe 1 in 10 US CEOs has any idea what the word means. "Non-Essential"! Maybe those 9 are about to find out what it doesn't mean.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

Timeshares from developers

ba-da-BING ... mic-drop ... 5*s

 

[WaikikiFirst]

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.

Honey, is that you? I think I've heard these exact sentences every couple weeks since we moved back to CA. Exact.
I've eaten in restaurants more in Asia in the last 3 weeks than I have done in the USA, incl Hawaii, in the last ... maybe 5 years. And enjoyed it 10x as much.

Speaking of ... another one I can mention: if you're in the Kagurazaka (iirc the name) area of Tokyo (which you may not be since it is a high-end residential area packed with Italian & French food but no tourist spots) the 4 course lunch at Alberata (again iirc) is memorable ... and only $30. Appetizer course out of this world, similar to at TQ in Kamakura but better.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Ice cream has increased significantly over the last few years.

I was looking at Food Lion for ice cream treats for the kids here at Myrtle Beach. The prices were very high on the various ice cream bars and Klondike brands. The kids are little and wouldn't eat an entire large ice cream bar, but there were ice cream sandwiches, store brand, $2.99/ 12. That was the regular price. The grandkids loved them last night after a walk around the resort to feed turtles and play on the playground.

We had an incident last night at the playground. Olivia fell five feet from the platform of the slide.

 

[rickandcindy23]

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.

A server makes it not fast food, at least to me. Fast food is anything where you order at the counter and take it back to your table, then dispose of the trash yourself.

The pizza place our kids love is fast food because that is what they do. It's called Dion's, and it's by the Denver airport, if anyone is driving from Denver to the mountains. Really good salad, which is what I eat there. They put pastrami in the salad.

 

[rapmarks]

We live in a senior mobile park and a lot of our neighbors are suffering also, not just families with kids. We have a food bank in the park and get donations twice a week, there is always a line of folks picking up food. Seniors on fixed incomes are cutting back, no restaurant dining, very little fast food.

Speaking of watching the register prices at the grocery, I "audit" the receipt when I get home every week to make sure I got all my discounts.

Boy do you have to pay attention, especially with produce. Tomatoes were on sale for $1.19 and I was charged $3.99 a pound. I bought a greeting card,the rack had a banner $1.19 and when I got home I had been charged 4.99.
but the meat prices you quoted are a lot lower than we pay.

 

[isisdave]

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.

It's relatively cheap when you buy it by the quart at Sam's or Costco, can't remember which or if both carry it. Heavy cream too, and it's ultra-pasteurized and lasts like six weeks. She can make her own custom blend -- maybe 60/40, or 40/60.

 

[jp10558]

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.

My point was more that at least some people notice changes in formulation / taste...

 

[ScoopKona]

My point was more that at least some people notice changes in formulation / taste...

Not enough of them stop buying to make a difference. The market has proven over and over that they don't care. If they did, we'd have Japan's food landscape.

WaikikiFirst is dead on about Asia. Even in the high cost of living areas, they're selling better food, for less. Why? They have a market which will take their business elsewhere if the food is mediocre. Same thing in much of Europe. While this isn't a uniquely US problem, it really shouldn't be a problem at all.

Thankfully, there are enough people paying attention that the food landscape in the US is like the opening sentence of A Tale of Two Cities. We can get the absolute best here -- just have to go looking for it and deal with the sticker shock. For everyone else, manufacturers are busy working on ways to increase the sawdust content in junk food. The best of times, the worst of times.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

guess Nikes fit the theme. Problem seems to be worst in the US. Nike sees 1Q revenue (FY Q1 = whatever) down about 10%, dramatically worse than the 3% decline consensus had expected. Now realize that they have undoubtedly raised prices 5% in the last year so units will be down about 15%.

Nike Shares Crash Near COVID Lows After Warning Sales Slump Is Worsening​

 

[joestein]

I haven't stopped buying Diet Coke/Pepsi but a good sale used to be 4 12-packs for $10, and now a good one is 3/$18. Not on sale prices are between $8 and $10 for a 12 pack. I know it's less than $1/can, but I can't bring myself to pay that much.

I regularly see 4 for $14, but never 4 for $10 anymore.

 

[joestein]

Ice cream has increased significantly over the last few years.

I was looking at Food Lion for ice cream treats for the kids here at Myrtle Beach. The prices were very high on the various ice cream bars and Klondike brands. The kids are little and wouldn't eat an entire large ice cream bar, but there were ice cream sandwiches, store brand, $2.99/ 12. That was the regular price. The grandkids loved them last night after a walk around the resort to feed turtles and play on the playground.

We had an incident last night at the playground. Olivia fell five feet from the platform of the slide.

Ice cream prices are crazy. My daughters take a drive at least twice a week to 'Nicholas Creamery' by the Jersey Shore. I think they said that 2 scoops of ice cream in a cup is close to 10 dollars. They supposedly have fancy flavors. It is organic, blah, blah, blah. After they say $10 dollars, I really can't hear anything else they say.

Me - I am too cheap to pay that. I am fine with some 'sale' ice cream from the supermarket in a cone. Better yet... no ice cream at all.

Dr Bombay (Snoop Dog Ice Cream) is being sold for 99 cents many places - must have went out of business and is closing out.

 

[slip]

Me - I am too cheap to pay that. I am fine with some 'sale' ice cream from the supermarket in a cone. Better yet... no ice cream at all.

Who would want a life without Ice Cream?

 

[geist1223]

Me.

 

[slip]

Me.

Life is too rough to live it without Ice Cream.

 

[clifffaith]

Life is too rough to live it without Ice Cream.

Or chocolate, preferably See’s!

 

[slip]

Or chocolate, preferably See’s!

Chocolate my Favorite!!

 

[VacationForever]

Who would want a life without Ice Cream?

I have ice cream once a year, so I can live life without ice cream.

 

[slip]

I have ice cream once a year, so I can live life without ice cream.

I can too but I wouldn't want to.

 

[clifffaith]

Fritos. Can’t justify +/- $4.79 for a bag of Fritos at Albertsons.

Swag from today’s 4th of July party. Shared a bag there and brought two home!