Has your grocery shopping changed with rising prices?

[Stewie]

We know food prices are rising fast. Have you changed what/where you buy?

Have you moved from beef to pork to chicken?

Do you substitute items that you used to buy for something else?

Just curious, Stewie

[trndobrd]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

I agree with the sentiment about restaurants seemingly not being as good as in the past. But I can’t quite decipher for sure if it’s our increasingly sophisticated palettes, improvements in cooking, or restaurants dropping in quality. It’s probably all of the above but I can’t recall the last time we had a good valued meal out to eat that wasn’t just something like bacon cheeseburger or a few bbq places.

Some of the slide restaurant quality seems to be lack of staff in general, and lack of experienced managment.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by trndobrd

Some of the slide restaurant quality seems to be lack of staff in general, and lack of experienced managment.

Help wanted signs are everywhere. One of our favorite Italian restaurants closed a couple of months ago because the owners simply couldn't find anybody to work there. There are other places that can no longer offer delivery because they can't hire drivers.

I don't understand this. The covid unemployment stuff is over. What the hell are the people who used to work at these restaurants doing now? Sponging off mom and dad?

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

I agree with the sentiment about restaurants seemingly not being as good as in the past. But I can’t quite decipher for sure if it’s our increasingly sophisticated palettes, improvements in cooking, or restaurants dropping in quality. It’s probably all of the above but I can’t recall the last time we had a good valued meal out to eat that wasn’t just something like bacon cheeseburger or a few bbq places.

Before the pandemic I would vehemently disagree. But now places are cutting corners for short term profitability to be afloat. The avg 2019 restaurant is light-years better than a 1999 one on average. Being a chef is considered more of a real and respected profession. More flavor palettes and attention to detail. Much more of a focus to use fresh ingredients and less reliance on frozen.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Frazod

Help wanted signs are everywhere. One of our favorite Italian restaurants closed a couple of months ago because the owners simply couldn't find anybody to work there. There are other places that can no longer offer delivery because they can't hire drivers.

I don't understand this. The covid unemployment stuff is over. What the hell are the people who used to work at these restaurants doing now? Sponging off mom and dad?

There is a whole industry of making money from social media, coding and video games that wasn't really around 20 years ago. Also many young people who hit big in crypto currency. Combine that with more coddling from mom and dad, less incentive to leave the nest, and printing more money and hand outs. This is what you get. Its kind of a perfect storm.

[Pepe Silvia]

Originally Posted by BWillie

And toaster strudel

Toaster strudel used to be my favorite. I hadn’t eaten them for a few years so I made a couple and they hardly put any jelly in them anymore, it’s all crust now.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by mlyonsd

Two grocery stores I frequent just moved their aisles around in the last month. I think it's a trick of the trade. When you're searching all over the store for something you don't care what it costs by the time you find it.

It's actually good merchandising. You will discover something new to buy during your search, is the plan.

[Saulbadguy]

The replies on this thread are kind of interesting. If I had to guess, I probably eat less than 1lb of beef a month - that's whatever I purchase at a grocery store + eating out. I can't fathom buying a half a cow.

[Fat Elvis]

Originally Posted by Frazod

Help wanted signs are everywhere. One of our favorite Italian restaurants closed a couple of months ago because the owners simply couldn't find anybody to work there. There are other places that can no longer offer delivery because they can't hire drivers.

I don't understand this. The covid unemployment stuff is over. What the hell are the people who used to work at these restaurants doing now? Sponging off mom and dad?

There was a lot of upward mobility over the past two years due to people aged 55 and over deciding that there is more to life than work and retiring. Prior to 2019, roughly 1M people aged 55 and over retired per year; between 2019 and 2021, that number jumped to around 2.5M people aged 55 and over retiring.

Those jobs didn't disappear. They still needed people to fill them. Given the choice between a higher paying job and staying in a low wage employment environment like working in a resturant, what do you think people are going to choose?

[2112]

Originally Posted by Frazod

Help wanted signs are everywhere. One of our favorite Italian restaurants closed a couple of months ago because the owners simply couldn't find anybody to work there. There are other places that can no longer offer delivery because they can't hire drivers.

I don't understand this. The covid unemployment stuff is over. What the hell are the people who used to work at these restaurants doing now? Sponging off mom and dad?

The pizza place in my town I grew up with just closed their doors. It was owned by two brothers. The older brother retired and moved to AZ before Covid and the younger brother (he’s 77 lol) tried selling it because his kids want nothing to do with it and wouldn’t help him out. Nobody was interested in buying it and he just closed the doors last year. Sad, the place opened in 1971, 50 years in business.

[ghak99]

I just read a long local convo on FB. People are getting their winter utility bills and shit is hitting the fan. They're sharing and comparing their actual statements, so it's not BS. The inflation is insane. I can assure you most of the names I recognize will indeed be adjusting their grocery shopping and dining out budgets in order to make an adjustment. It's really the only thing some of them have that is adjustable unless they're willing to give up their cell phones and netflix.

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

have hookers increased their rates?

Pussy is actually cheaper now.

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by ghak99

I just read a long local convo on FB. People are getting their winter utility bills and shit is hitting the fan. They're sharing and comparing their actual statements, so it's not BS. The inflation is insane. I can assure you most of the names I recognize will indeed be adjusting their grocery shopping and dining out budgets in order to make an adjustment. It's really the only thing some of them have that is adjustable unless they're willing to give up their cell phones and netflix.

It's kind of bullshit how those utility companies up their rates during periods of essential high usage.

Should be illegal. Actually, I think it is...

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Fat Elvis

There was a lot of upward mobility over the past two years due to people aged 55 and over deciding that there is more to life than work and retiring. Prior to 2019, roughly 1M people aged 55 and over retired per year; between 2019 and 2021, that number jumped to around 2.5M people aged 55 and over retiring.

Those jobs didn't disappear. They still needed people to fill them. Given the choice between a higher paying job and staying in a low wage employment environment like working in a resturant, what do you think people are going to choose?

I can only speak specific to my town but my daughters work in food service and what has changed for them is that people they used to hire conditionally (people they knew might show up or might not) in hopes of getting someone to stick - those people have simply decided they don't want to deal with working. I know a lot of people between 18-25 that are sitting at home doing nothing. I don't know if it's COVID or what but they simply don't want to work at all anymore.

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

There is a severe shortage of Cadbury eggs.

First world problems.

[ghak99]

Originally Posted by rabblerouser

It's kind of bullshit how those utility companies up their rates during periods of essential high usage.

Should be illegal. Actually, I think it is...

The "winter rate" change on a few of them did seem outrageous.

I may, or may not, have told one of them she could easily make up the difference with an onlyfans account. I'm impatiently waiting to see if she takes it as a compliment, but so far it's going over with the crowd much better than I expected.