# Food prices going up?



## SurviveNthrive (May 20, 2010)

I've been hitting the items on sale so I've not felt the bite as much...I also don't eat certain 'staples' all that often like cold cereal, or that many frozen dinners right now. My last trip to Costco provided some pleasant surprises, and some less than pleasant ones.

Does anyone have a good idea what foods are going up quickly? yes, I can and will check the info online, but I also want a feel from those who have been shopping regularly.


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## tortminder (Oct 15, 2008)

SurviveNthrive said:


> I've been hitting the items on sale so I've not felt the bite as much...I also don't eat certain 'staples' all that often like cold cereal, or that many frozen dinners right now. My last trip to Costco provided some pleasant surprises, and some less than pleasant ones.
> 
> Does anyone have a good idea what foods are going up quickly? yes, I can and will check the info online, but I also want a feel from those who have been shopping regularly.


I had asked pretty much the same question of a friend of mine who is an active farmer, here is his response:

"Meat prices will soar in about 6 months on pork and beef.

Chicken, turkey, duck, and farmed fish, will start going up now until sky high.

The grain to meat conversion on beef is highest which means whopping prices. Even the feeder cattle folks who use mostly grass to raise their product for the feed yards are going to get more $ and every other group that supplies farmers are not going to miss a chance to gouge when they see money.

Your best bet for home production is chickens. Meat and layers can be fed pretty good with table scraps as long as you don't get to many. However, better to get a few extra, if freezer space allows, and supplement them all with some mash to balance their protein levels.

Tell your neighbors to save their scraps for your chickens and you will give them one when processed. All grain elevators have a place where all the cracked grain sifts off. They may or may not charge you, but it's excellent feed for chickens.

Hybrids are the only way to go for meat. Just don't expect them to free range, and breeding requires incubation...way too stupid for both.

Eggs will also go sky high. Layers are a little harder to feed just scraps unless you go with a breed that has the older blood lines. Maybe not as productive, but they will scratch and hunt bugs when allowed to free range.

Good nest boxes where they roost is a must. Closing them in where you want them to lay and roost for a couple weeks is also a must, or else they will roost in trees and lay their eggs here and there.

Keep the layers water in the roost shed and never ever let a layer go without water. No water-no eggs, and many times they shut down for good, unless bred.

Keep roosters away, unless you like blood spots in your eggs. They don't need a rooster to start laying. However, a rooster will help start a hen that shuts down too early. 2 years is about all you will get from layers. You can use them to replace themselves, IF you have the right rooster, and IF they will get broody (set on the nest). Incubation is OK, but baby chick supplier is just as cheap.

Then it's time for the pressure cooker..and trust me, soup meat is all an old layer is good for. Shoot all critters and make sure you have a safe and sound roost for them at night. Don't forget to shut the door EVERY night. Weasels, ferret, mink, raccoon, fox, bobcat, coyote, and tramps, all love, and I mean love, chicken.

And a weasel or ferret will kill every chicken, even if they can only eat one chicken. Once they get a taste, without a doubt they will be back for more. In the tramps case, he will tell his friends." 


Hope this helps answer your question.


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## Aemilia (May 27, 2010)

tortminder said:


> "
> Your best bet for home production is chickens. Meat and layers can be fed pretty good with table scraps as long as you don't get to many. However, better to get a few extra, if freezer space allows, and supplement them all with some mash to balance their protein levels.


I've always heard rabbits are the best for home meat production. Any thoughts? I have chickens, and have butchered a few, but I still haven't gotten them to lay through the winter. My ducks are better layers.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

Aemilia said:


> I've always heard rabbits are the best for home meat production. Any thoughts? I have chickens, and have butchered a few, but I still haven't gotten them to lay through the winter. My ducks are better layers.


raising rabbits AND chickens is a strategy that I have seen implemented very successfully many times, bugs LOVE rabbit poop & chickens love BUGS, the tiny turds make great fertilizer mixed with the HIGH nitrogen content of chicken manure (especially bug-fed)

high nitrogen content manure comes from high PROTEIN diets

fat: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen

carbohydrates: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen (hence the clever name  )

protein: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and *nitrogen*


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## SurviveNthrive (May 20, 2010)

thank you Blob. That's neat to learn, sorta like the Chinese Chicken/Pig/Duck/Carp thing.


But once concern is feed going up for everything? I was listening to a guy explaining the margins on the cost of animals and birds, medication, vet or whatever, and feed, and even without the labor, it's got narrow. If feed goes up, I guess it's possible to go with free range chickens with just small amounts of feed, grazing cattle with the two months of grain at the end, and more food waste products for the pigs. Rabbits can eat more grass, I guess...but I'm wondering if quality suffers.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

General Mills is raising prices 20% across the board at the end of November/beginning of December... Merry [email protected]%^%@ing X-mas everybody :rant:


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

SurviveNthrive said:


> But once concern is feed going up for everything? I was listening to a guy explaining the margins on the cost of animals and birds, medication, vet or whatever, and feed, and even without the labor, it's got narrow. If feed goes up, I guess it's possible to go with free range chickens with just small amounts of feed, grazing cattle with the two months of grain at the end, and more food waste products for the pigs. Rabbits can eat more grass, I guess...but I'm wondering if quality suffers.


Everyone considering raising any of these animals for meat needs to consider the cost of buying food for them. It's difficult to grow enough for them in a lot of climates, and takes a lot of space. In the south you might be able to free-range chickens or even rabbits in portable cages most of the year, but it most of the U.S. and nearly all of Canada, that's a seasonal option. The price of feed has doubled in the last few years, at least around here.

Quality of the meat (or eggs if we're talking laying hens) doesn't really suffer, but the growth and amount of lbs. of meat on the finished animal is often less if you're free-ranging them. That depends on the breed, too.

As for the price of food going up at the grocery stores, they never had canned pumpkin for a good price this year. Cheapest I saw was $1.50, and most were higher. Usually it's $1 or less and I buy a case of it. This year we're using the squash we grew to make "pumpkin" pies instead.


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

We have been concerned with the price of feed going up, but so far the $ from egg sales has paid for the feed and our new chick orders. The price of everything is going up around here. Especially flour, sugar, coffee and dairy products. I saw the same price for pumpkin you did Gypsysue and I was glad I had some in the freezer. I really haven't felt the price hikes much as I shop the specials on Sr. discount days. However, I did stop by to get 1 gal of milk, 1 loaf of store brand bread and 1 small carton of cream for a special cake I had to bake. I had to work for 1 hour to earn enough to pay for these 3 items. It was hard to believe. Don't know how some are going to make it, if they haven't prepared.


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## jbjr829 (Dec 1, 2010)

*Chickens eating eggs???*

I have a bunch of chickens and one or more of them has recently started eating the eggs. I do not know which one or ones it is. I recently built them a new coop and they have just started doing it. I noticed a bunch of postings on chickens and wondered if anyone knows how to get them to stop eating the eggs.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

jbjr829 said:


> I have a bunch of chickens and one or more of them has recently started eating the eggs. I do not know which one or ones it is. I recently built them a new coop and they have just started doing it. I noticed a bunch of postings on chickens and wondered if anyone knows how to get them to stop eating the eggs.


my *guess* is that they have a calcium deficiency... for actual info check these guys out

Chicken Keeping Secrets - How To Keep Chickens at Home

http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Chickens-from-Eating-Their-Own-Eggs


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

jbjr829 said:


> I have a bunch of chickens and one or more of them has recently started eating the eggs. I do not know which one or ones it is. I recently built them a new coop and they have just started doing it. I noticed a bunch of postings on chickens and wondered if anyone knows how to get them to stop eating the eggs.


Do you have grit out from them? (I would start there.)

Also could be the number of chickens that you have in your coop. (Second thought) ...

Once a chicken starts eating eggs it is hard to get them to stop, just so you know. Check for eggs more often and maybe start giving them some table scraps, just somthing to pick at. (If they are kept in the coop all the time.)


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)




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## Willow (Nov 27, 2010)

In many cases the marked price is close to the same as a few weeks ago. What has changed is the amount of product. Tuna used to come in 6 oz cans. Now they are 5 oz. Very slight size difference that most consumers won't notice.

Willow


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## Cud579 (Apr 26, 2010)

I have heard that putting a golf ball or some golf balls in the nest box works. My chickens will eat their eggs when they were layed on the ground but not when layed in the nest box. Try the golf balls and also try checking for eggs numerous times per day so all they have to peck on is the golf balls. They will eventually tire of not getting the goods.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Cud579 said:


> I have heard that putting a golf ball or some golf balls in the nest box works. My chickens will eat their eggs when they were layed on the ground but not when layed in the nest box. Try the golf balls and also try checking for eggs numerous times per day so all they have to peck on is the golf balls. They will eventually tire of not getting the goods.


Golf balls in the nest box will also help if you have a snake problem.


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## ditzyjan56 (Oct 3, 2009)

*price increases*

Well today I went to Sam's Club to stock up and did i get a surprise

50# Rice went up 3 dollars from 16 to 19$
25# Sugar went up 2.50 from 14 to 16$
TP went up $2 too

No need to wait until Jan to see price increases they are already here:gaah:


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## 41south (Dec 4, 2010)

Just a question, why do you buy the 25 Lb bags of sugar, $19 for 25Lb = 64 cents per Lb, I buy small 4Lb bags for $1.85 = 46 cents per Lb. Gotta compare prices at wally world, wally plays tricks on us.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

41south said:


> Just a question, why do you buy the 25 Lb bags of sugar, $19 for 25Lb = 64 cents per Lb, I buy small 4Lb bags for $1.85 = 46 cents per Lb. Gotta compare prices at wally world, wally plays tricks on us.


It's not just wally world that does this. When we go to the grocery store I no longer look at the price that is displayed in large numbers. I look at the price per pound that's underneath it. I've found that a lot of the "sale prices" cost you more per pound than the smaller packages at regular price.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

41south said:


> Just a question, why do you buy the 25 Lb bags of sugar, $19 for 25Lb = 64 cents per Lb, I buy small 4Lb bags for $1.85 = 46 cents per Lb. Gotta compare prices at wally world, wally plays tricks on us.


Then you are very lucky to be living where you are.
Right now white sugar is $3.79 a pound in our area and that is the cheap one- that breaks down to about .76¢ a pound. But surprisingly enuf I got 25lbs of sugar this summer for $14.70. (Sam's club) that was only .59¢a pound.
Sure you can get the smaller bags on sale cheaper-but not very often.
I am a label reader and price checker beyond compare! (or at least that is what my family all complain about ) My allergies to food additives and pesticides forces me to check darn near everything I buy.:gaah:
Also some of the cheaper sugars are beet sugars and for the past few years they have been making them with GMO beets- well a law passed here this summer that has banned GMO beets in our state so soon I can buy my local Michigan made sugars again.

But on the upside--I just got a bargain a couple days ago! Whoo hoo!
I use Almond extract in my baking quite often and I ran out and had to buy more last December--I was shocked that the small bottle ran from $3.79 to $5.99 depending on which one you bought! I had bought it at Save a lot the year before and it was only .79¢ for the same one oz bottle! 
So this year when I stopped at Save-a-lot I saw that they had their brand in again and even tho the price was up to .89¢ I bought up 7 of those little bottles! Now what the heck is up with that? and yes it is all 100% pure almond extract not artificial and all the bottles are the 1oz size. If I had been in Sam's I could have gotten it but they only have the big 10oz size for$8.99 But still the same price as the save a lot brand oz for oz it pays to be a price watching label reading coupon clipper type shopper.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Emerald - I visit the local warehouse for my groceries quite often and there, I can buy a 1-litre bottle of vanilla extract (not artificial) for the same price as I can buy a tiny little bottle of the fake-stuff from Safeway. It pays to look around and find the best prices on bulk-items.

For me, having "The Warehouse" (shopping for the average person in restaraunt-sized portions) makes sense. I can break-down the large packages into smaller-sections at home and re-use the jars, cans, containers for other things.

A few weeks ago they had a sale on peanut-butter. 1kg of the good stuff (Kraft smooth!) for 1/2 the price of the 500g anywhere else. Ya - I bought 4kgs of it :2thumb:


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## iouJC (Nov 20, 2010)

*Continuing off topic....LOL!*

Some insight on raising rabbits.....I had 60 of the little buggers at one time!! Unless you set up a water line for them they are labor intensive. They will easily drink a 1/2 gallon, or more, of water a day in summer. 
As far as feed, I fed mine weeds after the price of feed went up (but once again it is important for you to learn more about edible weeds) and they did fine. I fed mostly Giant Ragweed and Wild Buckwheat, which grows all over my property. They also love the thinnings and left overs from the garden, and Possum grapes and grape vines. During winter, I would feed hot oatmeal with mashed bananas (over-ripe bananas sell for CHEAP at the store, as do alot of the veggies) and molasses. Also used them to rotate out any of my canned vegetables or fruit that were a year or so over expiration date. Yep, you guessed it.....I turned them into pets. Killed a few of them, but I just couldn't eat the meat....my dogs, on the other hand, had no problem with it! 
Rabbits tend to get ear mites, which can be easily treated with the same products used on cats for ear mites. Jeffers Vet "Ear Mite Killer" (Perormer brand) is great, and the cheapest I found. Rabbits are very similar in behavior to cats also.....they wash themselves and if tame, will come running to you and use a litter box and are easily trained! Ask me how I know!!!
I ended up giving most of mine away to kids at my church.

As far as the manure!!!! OH MY!!! If you leave it below the cages and cover with a layer of hay every other day or so.....well, mine had earthworms in it as big a SNAKES!!! I kid you not.....they were about 10 inches long and as thick as my little finger!! Talk about FISH bait, or fantastic in the garden!! Or for chicken feed!! The only problem with this was I ended up with alot of blow flies, but scattering a thick layer of perthein (sp??) seemed to fix that also. And if you had chickens, (I didn't) they would probably eat the blow fly larva. If you get a blow fly in an animal, you can get it out and the critter does just fine....Ask me how I know that too!
All round, rabbits are a very good source of "Gold Manure" and worms you wouldn't believe!! You just need to learn the correct weeds to feed them.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

NaeKid said:


> Emerald - I visit the local warehouse for my groceries quite often and there, I can buy a 1-litre bottle of vanilla extract (not artificial) for the same price as I can buy a tiny little bottle of the fake-stuff from Safeway. It pays to look around and find the best prices on bulk-items.
> 
> For me, having "The Warehouse" (shopping for the average person in restaurant-sized portions) makes sense. I can break-down the large packages into smaller-sections at home and re-use the jars, cans, containers for other things.
> 
> A few weeks ago they had a sale on peanut-butter. 1kg of the good stuff (Kraft smooth!) for 1/2 the price of the 500g anywhere else. Ya - I bought 4kgs of it :2thumb:


You sure are right about that! I always get my good vanilla at Sam's. Now I did see in a department store a glass bottle with a swing top on it with 3 vanilla beans in it-it was probably 16 oz bottle type-it was $7 I should have got it as I really wanted it and $7 for three nice looking vanilla beans is a bargain it was a "do it yourself" vanilla extract kit you just had to add alcohol of your choice in there.. I still wanna get it! I will have to drag the honey to the mall! lol Sure it's kitchy but I have wanted to buy up some vanilla beans for a while now and they are quite expensive to buy locally. But I have seen some good buys online.
Right now in the Grand Rapids MI Sam's stores they have a whole coffee bean that is supposed to be fair trade and it is only $5.41 for 2 1/2 pounds--and it is a really great coffee! we have stashed away about 5lbs so far-vac-packed and everything.

We do have a big restaurant supply chain called Gorden's food (used to be Gorden frost pack) That you don't have to be a member to shop at and while some things are great prices, some are not but they usually can not be found anywhere else. I do buy a lot of my kitchen utensils and other kitchen gadgets there as they are a bit cheaper and are quite good quality.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

iouJC, that's exellent information on rabbits! Thanks!


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Went to the wholesale store today. The coffee DW drinks went from $9.69 three weeks ago, to $10.99. Last year(09) the TP we use was $12.99. Today it was $22.49.  But hey, inflation is under control. Helicopter Ben says so.


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## 41south (Dec 4, 2010)

I notice when I see lower prices, the volume has been cut, cooking oil here at fred's used to be 2.65 for 64 oz now they have a special it's 2.25 for 48 oz I also notice three rolls of paper towels regular priced for 2.75 when they run a sale they are 3.49. I joke with the girl there, I be glad when the sale goes off. 

Sugar is 1.85 now for four Lb of fred's brand, Dixie crystal is 2.20 for five Lb

We have a dollar store and Fred's right across the road from each other, I get some stuff at each one, dollar store has best price on laundry detergent by far, larger jugs but per oz is near half of fred's.

The little cans of roast beef went from 2.00 to 2.50 pinto beans used to be 1.00 for two Lb now they are 2.25 in two years. And that was before QE2 With higher taxes and hyper inflation on food happening, I don't know how folks are gonna make it.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

41south said:


> With higher taxes and hyper inflation on food happening, I don't know how folks are gonna make it.


I fear that many will not.


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## SurviveNthrive (May 20, 2010)

I'm thinking that what will happen is a further expansion of what's been going on since the 1950's...while no one is starving, many of the urban and rural poor will be going through a form of malnutrition as opposed to starvation, and that will affect children for life. In addition to utter ignorance regarding nutrition, some folks simply aren't able to afford the expensive fresh veggies and fruits that greatly help health and in the 'food deserts' in areas like the inner city parts of Detroit Michelle Obama addressed, they're less widely available.


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## CVORNurse (Oct 19, 2008)

iouJC said:


> As far as the manure!!!! OH MY!!! If you leave it below the cages and cover with a layer of hay every other day or so.....well, mine had earthworms in it as big a SNAKES!!! I kid you not.....they were about 10 inches long and as thick as my little finger!! Talk about FISH bait, or fantastic in the garden!! Or for chicken feed!!


Here in my neck of the woods, we call those "night crawlers". Don't ask me why. You can pinch one in half or even thirds when fishing and make your bait go further, but your fingers get really nasty looking.(ask me how I know  )


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

I got sticker shock Saturday. Stopped at Save-a-Lot to pick up some more canned evaporated milk. Been 2 months since I last purchased and at that time I paid 79 cents a can (always buy by the case). Saturday the price was $1.19 a can. Guess we will learn to drink our coffee without cream. After that shock I checked the prices of other things I usually buy there by the case. On adverage prices up 16 cents per item. But the 30 cents per can on the milk knocked the wind out of my sails.


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## siletz (Aug 23, 2011)

Coffee prices have almost doubled here.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

siletz said:


> Coffee prices have almost doubled here.


I got Maxwell House 4 months ago for $6 and last week, DG brand for $6.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Clarice said:


> I got sticker shock Saturday. Stopped at Save-a-Lot to pick up some more canned evaporated milk. Been 2 months since I last purchased and at that time I paid 79 cents a can (always buy by the case). Saturday the price was $1.19 a can. Guess we will learn to drink our coffee without cream. After that shock I checked the prices of other things I usually buy there by the case. On adverage prices up 16 cents per item. But the 30 cents per can on the milk knocked the wind out of my sails.


I found same today.
I had stopped shopping at SaveALot because Aldi's has better prices.
But last Wednesday, I stopped in (it's beside Dollar Tree) and got a case of the cheapo $1.25 laundry detergent.
Well, today, I stopped in for chicken dumplings and the laundry det. was $1.50!!!!! Jumped a quarter in 6 days???:gaah:
Isn't that an increase of .20 %???


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## Turtle (Dec 10, 2009)

siletz said:


> Coffee prices have almost doubled here.


Yeah, my wife and I were at Walmart the other day, and she went to grab coffee, and said, "Nine dollars for a bag of coffee?!?! That's absurd!"


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Turtle said:


> Yeah, my wife and I were at Walmart the other day, and she went to grab coffee, and said, "Nine dollars for a bag of coffee?!?! That's absurd!"


Mine stopped at the store on the way home from work yesterday and discovered that a 5# bag of red potatoes went from $3.99 to $5.99.


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

All I can say guys is plant a bigger garden, spring & fall, and start now using your stored items sparingly. Coffee here Folgers $15.99/can. Good thing I stocked up when it was $5.99/can.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

Our walmarts have a coffee brand called "master chef" and it is put out by Sara lee. it is $5.29 a tin can full (33 oz ground) very nice full body coffee that I mix with a brick of cuban expresso (got on sale for $1.89 one pound brick) makes the coffee I like to drink most often... Glad I am not living where you all are..

our Meijer big box stores(I think the are now found in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana) are having a 10 for $10/11th free sale this week... Many good things but best of all.. 5 lb white potatoes are on it.. Got 7bags today for only $5! (I bought 20 items and used the get "2" free for more potatoes). After I rest my poor abused toe(still hurts.. week three of being broken)boychild and I are going to peel and shred and steam 5lbs and put them in the dehydrator to get ready to do it again tomorrow.
(and the next day and the next day ans so on) with plans to buy more Friday.(if they are out, rain checks are in order)


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

only ONE Meijer within 50 miles (48.4) of me


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

The_Blob said:


> only ONE Meijer within 50 miles (48.4) of me


Sorry Sweetie  I live almost in the exact center equal distance to 3 of them.. The best prices tho are always with the number one store in Greenville... Their hometown. We go there the most.
But if you was going that way-worth picking up potatoes.. no limit on how many you can get. just how many they have.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Clarice said:


> All I can say guys is plant a bigger garden, spring & fall, and start now using your stored items sparingly. Coffee here Folgers $15.99/can. Good thing I stocked up when it was $5.99/can.


I got Maxwell House @ DG @ $6.00 3 months ago...and someone said the DG brand @ $6.00 wasn't bad, os I got that too.

I don't even have to have coffee, but nice for a change or when weather is nasty.

Good for barter --put in pint jars??

Emerald?? I broke 2-3-4 May 10th---went till May 19th without a boot. I still healed well---truth in what my family doctor said--IT WILL HEAL---IT WILL HEAL---IT WILL HEAL!!!

Wasted time and money (still paying) because they didn't do chit for my toes as far as healing.

Dr. was trying to tell me that---but legally, he couldn't--we just didn't read him right; after all, he made the appt. with the other doc...

Word to the wise...IT WILL HEAL!!! LOL


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

Eggs (1 1/2 doz Large) at my Save-A-Lot jumped from $1.69 2 wks ago to $1.89 last wk to $2.59 this week. I almost had a heart attack! Two percent milk up 20 cents per gallon, crackers up forty cents, tuna up 20 cents, whole pork loin up $1.00 per pound (now 2.99 per pound). 

I had a little food money left over this month, so I spent it on a little stash today. I'm afraid it's too little too late.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Emerald said:


> Our walmarts have a coffee brand called "master chef" and it is put out by Sara lee. it is $5.29 a tin can full (33 oz ground) very nice full body coffee that I mix with a brick of cuban expresso (got on sale for $1.89 one pound brick) makes the coffee I like to drink most often... Glad I am not living where you all are..
> 
> our Meijer big box stores(I think the are now found in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana) are having a 10 for $10/11th free sale this week... Many good things but best of all.. 5 lb white potatoes are on it.. Got 7bags today for only $5! (I bought 20 items and used the get "2" free for more potatoes). After I rest my poor abused toe(still hurts.. week three of being broken)boychild and I are going to peel and shred and steam 5lbs and put them in the dehydrator to get ready to do it again tomorrow.
> (and the next day and the next day ans so on) with plans to buy more Friday.(if they are out, rain checks are in order)


 I just bought 15 lb.s of red potatoes and canned 7 qts and froze for hash browns the rest.
We try to buy only sale items,and put up what we can but mostly we hope to grow our own.
We have chickens and a good garden comign along now,plus a greenhouse .


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

I consider my pantry well stocked. I try to keep it that way by replacing what I use each month. But when I was looking at the ads in the paper last night I got sticker shock. The prices are way up compared to what things were a month ago. Anyone else noticed this????????????


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Clarice--it's all stores, everywhere...noone is exemp--remember when they scared us and said we'd see the weather effects on cotton, sugar, chocloate, coffee, etc....in a few months??
Well, the few months are up, I think...Sam's 25 lb rice was $8.50 4 weeks ago here...now???? Sunday---$9.67!!!!

We were warned!!

I am so thankful for our Aldi's here.:2thumb:...and Dollar TRee.


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

Meerkat said:


> I just bought 15 lb.s of red potatoes and canned 7 qts and froze for hash browns the rest.


Meerkat,
Could you please tell me how you process your potatoes, both for canning & freezing. I don't have good luck growing them and if I did, I can't keep them over the winter. I've never canned or frozen potatoes.


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

Local grocery has russett potatoes on sale this Friday $7/40#. Time to can. We haven't had any luck growing them.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

The one pound hams I bought at Wal-Mart went from $3.48 to $3.84. A 10% increase.
Hershey bars at Wal-Mart went from 48¢ to 74¢. A 50% increase.
My favorite jam made in Wisconsin went from $2.99 to $3.99 but I'm not sure when.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

LilRedHen said:


> Meerkat,
> Could you please tell me how you process your potatoes, both for canning & freezing. I don't have good luck growing them and if I did, I can't keep them over the winter. I've never canned or frozen potatoes.


 I cut the potatoes into 1 no more than 2 inch chunks.

First I mixed my ascorbit acid[ I used lemon juice.2 tables spoons per gallon].
Then we boiled them about 3 mins.Packed them in hot jars,then filled to 1 in. headspace with boiled water.
be sure and go along sides of jars with spatula to get air bubbles out of jars.
Pressured at 10lbs for 45 minutes.

I'm very new at canning so its better to get more help from the ones here with more experiance.


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

Meerkat, sounds like you are right on with your instructions. That's how I do it.


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

Meerkat said:


> I cut the potatoes into 1 no more than 2 inch chunks.
> 
> First I mixed my ascorbit acid[ I used lemon juice.2 tables spoons per gallon].
> Then we boiled them about 3 mins.Packed them in hot jars,then filled to 1 in. headspace with boiled water.
> ...


I've been canning a long time, just not potatoes. I scored today at my local Save-A-Lot, getting a 50 lb bag of potatoes for $10.99.

Thank you so much for the info:wave:


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

LilRedHen said:


> I've been canning a long time, just not potatoes. I scored today at my local Save-A-Lot, getting a 50 lb bag of potatoes for $10.99.
> 
> Thank you so much for the info:wave:


 Your welcome its good to be able to answer questions for awhile,usually I'm asking.:wave:


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Clarice said:


> Meerkat, sounds like you are right on with your instructions. That's how I do it.


 Thank goodnes,glad I did'nt mislad.:wave:


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## showmegal (Sep 14, 2011)

Just got back from save a lot. Boneless skinless chicken breast are $1.49lb and crappy hamburger in 3# rolls is $5.95.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

LilRedHen said:


> Meerkat,
> Could you please tell me how you process your potatoes, both for canning & freezing. I don't have good luck growing them and if I did, I can't keep them over the winter. I've never canned or frozen potatoes.


I just buy canned potatoes...use them like home grown.

Pretty good---I stew, mash, and use in soups.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

BillS said:


> The one pound hams I bought at Wal-Mart went from $3.48 to $3.84. A 10% increase.
> Hershey bars at Wal-Mart went from 48¢ to 74¢. A 50% increase.
> My favorite jam made in Wisconsin went from $2.99 to $3.99 but I'm not sure when.


I bought 2 and 3 years ago---first were 1.50 and then 2.00 and last I bought were 2.50---haven't bought lately, I have 22, Bristol brand, and Aldi's even went to $2.95 on their 1 lb hams.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

showmegal said:


> Just got back from save a lot. Boneless skinless chicken breast are $1.49lb and crappy hamburger in 3# rolls is $5.95.


Chicken?? here it's $7.00 for 3 lbs at SaveALot. Which is why I buy aldi's 3 lbs. for 5.50

That's a good ground beef price too--we just paid 2.40 at the slaughter house for ground beef.


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## showmegal (Sep 14, 2011)

I will be stocking up on the chicken and hamburger everyday. The lady that checks me out stopped asking about my crazy buying habits. I always have an excuse why I buy so much of one things. Now my standard answer is that I just buy a bunch of one thing when I need to make dinner so that I dont have to buy it again later. No way am I saying im prepping. Its hard enough to stop my 12 yr old and her friends from telling everyone what we have in the house and about the bomb shelter.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

showmegal said:


> I will be stocking up on the chicken and hamburger everyday. The lady that checks me out stopped asking about my crazy buying habits. I always have an excuse why I buy so much of one things. Now my standard answer is that I just buy a bunch of one thing when I need to make dinner so that I dont have to buy it again later. No way am I saying im prepping. Its hard enough to stop my 12 yr old and her friends from telling everyone what we have in the house and about the bomb shelter.


I say that I breed champion dogs and they require a special diet... works every time :2thumb:


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

JayJay said:


> I just buy canned potatoes...use them like home grown.
> 
> Pretty good---I stew, mash, and use in soups.


The Rooster & I eat potatoes a LOT! He could live on them if I would let him Canned from the store is way too high. The prices on food are getting so scary that I've really begun to pinch my pennies till they scream. I've never had to look at prices soooo closely before. It bothers me a lot, but instead of sitting around worrying about it, I've begun to see what I can do to outmatch my savings from the week before. I kind of like this game, especially as I can see my preps stacking up with no extra money from the budget spent. At least I'm getting started.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

LilRedHen said:


> The Rooster & I eat potatoes a LOT! He could live on them if I would let him Canned from the store is way too high. The prices on food are getting so scary that I've really begun to pinch my pennies till they scream. I've never had to look at prices soooo closely before. It bothers me a lot, but instead of sitting around worrying about it, I've begun to see what I can do to outmatch my savings from the week before. I kind of like this game, especially as I can see my preps stacking up with no extra money from the budget spent. At least I'm getting started.


That sale at SaveaLot, $11.00 for 50 lb of potatoes?? Not at our savealot!!
10 lbs for $6.00!!!

I've had my canned potatoes for about 3 years. I don't even know the price of canned today.


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

JayJay said:


> That sale at SaveaLot, $11.00 for 50 lb of potatoes?? Not at our savealot!!
> 10 lbs for $6.00!!!
> 
> I've had my canned potatoes for about 3 years. I don't even know the price of canned today.


We have a lot of Hispanics in my area that work in the nursery business. I've been told that 10 to 12 live in one house and that they rotate the cooking, shopping, cleaning, etc. I've seen a couple of them come into SaveaLot and exit with 2 or 3 buggies mounded over. I think those 50 lb sacks of potatoes are in response to our Spanish speaking friends buying habits. I also buy pickling spices in the Spanish section. The spices are packaged in cellophane packs, not the high priced bottles.

BTW, a small can of potatos was .89 today at SAL. Even the Rooster said I should can the 'taters in quarts.


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## showmegal (Sep 14, 2011)

Those of you that shop at save a lot..have you noticed the "shockingly low price" stickers..watch it...when they take those away the price will come back higher than the original price. This has been going on here for the last year. They are leaving those up long enough to make you forget about the original price. As I walked through the store and saw all those I cringed. Everything is going up!


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

Meerkat said:


> Your welcome its good to be able to answer questions for awhile,usually I'm asking.:wave:


Thanks to you, I have 5 large mouth quarts in the canner now and 5 more ready to go and I've only used about 15 lbs of my 50 lb. sack. It's been a very productive morning.:2thumb: My cows think the potato peelings are candy.:dunno:


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

Just don't feed raw potato peels to your chickens.. makes them sick. But a quick check says that cows can eat raw potatoes.


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## brucehylton (Nov 6, 2010)

Emerald said:


> Just don't feed raw potato peels to your chickens.. makes them sick. But a quick check says that cows can eat raw potatoes.


I used to feed everything to the chickens with no ill effects. But I quit peeling potatoes years ago when it was established that most of the nutrients were in the peel.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

showmegal said:


> Those of you that shop at save a lot..have you noticed the "shockingly low price" stickers..watch it...when they take those away the price will come back higher than the original price. This has been going on here for the last year. They are leaving those up long enough to make you forget about the original price. As I walked through the store and saw all those I cringed. Everything is going up!


That's why I stopped shopping at SAL mostly and use Aldi's...now, being fair, Aldi's did the reverse on that..when vegetables' prices started increasing, dh and I went shopping , bigtime!! 
Cases and cases for mostly 50/55 cents a can...
Then, in a couple of weeks, we went in for more preps, and I be darn...the prices on the canned goods were down to .49 cents...go figure!!!:gaah:

Still a savings, but we couldn't figure the decrease!!!

And those 90 cent potatoes at SAL???? I believe they are 60 cents at aldi's.


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

JayJay said:


> And those 90 cent potatoes at SAL???? I believe they are 60 cents at aldi's.


Well, my 50 lbs of taters cost .22/lb and I used about 1 1/2 lbs per quart plus the cost of the flat on the can (I already had the rings, cans, etc) so my quarts of home canned still cost less than aldi's pints. The nearest Aldi's is about 65 miles from me. I don't drive that far for hardly any reason any more except an emergency hospital trip. My gas money per month is extremely limited.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

LilRedHen said:


> Well, my 50 lbs of taters cost .22/lb and I used about 1 1/2 lbs per quart plus the cost of the flat on the can (I already had the rings, cans, etc) so my quarts of home canned still cost less than aldi's pints. The nearest Aldi's is about 65 miles from me. I don't drive that far for hardly any reason any more except an emergency hospital trip. My gas money per month is extremely limited.


65 miles?? Gosh...I don't even drive 30 to Bowling Green unless I am buying lots of cans, lots of bulk..or we're hitting several stores for sales.:scratch


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

brucehylton said:


> I used to feed everything to the chickens with no ill effects. But I quit peeling potatoes years ago when it was established that most of the nutrients were in the peel.


You were lucky. Raw potato peels contain solanine which is toxic them.. first it will give them the runs and then the egg production will go down and then death. Sure one or two peels here and there might not kill them but putting them into the chickens diet will slowly kill them. I have had someone put them in the pen for the chickens and thankfully they didn't eat them and I got them raked up and out..
I also do not feed them the apple cores-the peelings are fine but the apple seed in the cores actually contain small amounts of arsenic and will possible kill them over time.. I know this due to having had tropical love birds and small parrots it's a big no-no to feed them any of the apple core.

I do not feed my cats or dogs any potato raw or cooked.. their systems are not meant to digest it and when my dog did get into them once he got quite sick. Rice is okay.. potato is not.

I am just not a peel eater-I can not stand cooked or raw potato skin and I eat enuf other veggies and and meats that I don't think missing out on nasty old potato skin will kill me. Apple and peach is okay.


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## oldvet (Jun 29, 2010)

Emerald:

You are a wealth of experience and knowledge and I for one look forward to your posts. :congrat:

Thanks, and please keep on keeping on. :thankyou: 

I hope the Lord continues to bless you and yours. :flower::flower:


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

Emerald said:


> You were lucky. Raw potato peels contain solanine which is toxic them.. first it will give them the runs and then the egg production will go down and then death. Sure one or two peels here and there might not kill them but putting them into the chickens diet will slowly kill them. I have had someone put them in the pen for the chickens and thankfully they didn't eat them and I got them raked up and out..
> I also do not feed them the apple cores-the peelings are fine but the apple seed in the cores actually contain small amounts of arsenic and will possible kill them over time.. I know this due to having had tropical love birds and small parrots it's a big no-no to feed them any of the apple core.
> 
> I do not feed my cats or dogs any potato raw or cooked.. their systems are not meant to digest it and when my dog did get into them once he got quite sick. Rice is okay.. potato is not.
> ...


my dogs LOVE mashed potatoes and get *some* about once a week... :dunno:

1 is 19
3 are 13
1 is 10
1 is 6
1 is 4


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

The_Blob said:


> my dogs LOVE mashed potatoes and get *some* about once a week... :dunno:
> 
> 1 is 19
> 3 are 13
> ...


I wonder if dogs are like people and some can and some can't? But I am just telling ya what the vet told me about cats and dogs and taters. But I do have one cat that just loves french fries and will steal them from your plate.. 
Plus your cooking them and only once a week may not be that bad.
The vet also said that onions can kill some cats if they eat them. Like some kind of weird cat allergy.


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## Dixie (Sep 20, 2010)

The vet also said that onions can kill some cats if they eat them. Like some kind of weird cat allergy.
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*Onions and garlic contain thiosulphate which is TOXIC to cats AND DOGS! *


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

Emerald said:


> The vet also said that onions can kill some cats if they eat them. Like some kind of weird cat allergy.





Dixie said:


> *Onions and garlic contain thiosulphate which is TOXIC to cats AND DOGS! *


Thanks Dixie-I couldn't remember the why on that one. 
One of my darn cats will eat anything put in front of her or that she can find... only problem is...... It usually comes back up and out, in the middle of the night on the floor... and usually right where one of us has to walk barefoot!


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