Posted by ME/NJ on 4/16/08 11:01am
Msg #243642

Tough times for everyone, not just us

I found out that a few friends will be out of a job by weeks end. They are from different parts of the country.

I have not seen it this bad ever, but hey the goverment thinks were ok...lol I want the same drugs there on.

Reply by Les_CO on 4/16/08 11:06am
Msg #243644

Screw the drugs…I want their salary, retirement, and medical plan (no SS)!!

Reply by jba/fl on 4/16/08 11:09am
Msg #243648

I want their SS protection too! And all the technological things that come with it too!

Reply by Mia on 4/16/08 11:13am
Msg #243649

Went to the Feed store yesterday -- they stated that what used to cost
$300 for trucking the merchandise, is now costing $900 to truck.
They also said to start stocking up on groceries because, by the summer
everything will be much much higher in price.

Reply by ME/NJ on 4/16/08 11:27am
Msg #243655

energy and food cost up over 4% in 30 days

and still going up, inflation is making up for the 7 year low.

Reply by TRG_wy on 4/16/08 12:28pm
Msg #243666

It is always relative and has a lot to do with your occupation and location. Here in Wyoming the unemployment rate for March was 2.7%, federally it was 4.9% in January 2008 and in January 1994 it was 6.7%.

So, stick around a few more years and it will change again - I surely have seen it a lot worse. Actually, overall, the government is correct - we are ok - when measured against historical records. For those of us who have been laid off in the past and those who might currently feeling the effects, it still doesn't make us feel any better.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 4/16/08 12:56pm
Msg #243672

I just got a reality check at the grocery store this morning

Our store sells milk in 1/2 gallon glass bottles. We love it. But... I just paid $3.00 for a 1/2 gallon or $6.00 a GALLON.

Now there is something else to complain about besides gas. lol

Reply by TRG_wy on 4/16/08 1:36pm
Msg #243683

Re: I just got a reality check at the grocery store this morning

Wow - think I would be eating my cold cereal out of the box. I just hit the store too. Milk here is $2.79/gallon (was 2 gallons for $5 last week). Extra lean ground beef (85%) was $1.79/lb and my boneless rump roast was $3.39/lb.

Reply by A-1 Signing Agents, LLC on 4/16/08 2:45pm
Msg #243696

Re: I just got a reality check at the grocery store this morning

I am a huge bargin shopper. Even when I didnt' have to be at one point, I still was. I found shopping at (are we allowed to say names?) May get deleted but starts with T and end's with arget. Ok, i didn't say the name fully. They have their store brands and what I would usually spend in our local grocery store is anywhere around $300 - $350.00 every 10 days or so for a family of 4. I am now spending under $300.00 and getting more. Their meats are great. They are one of the few stores these day's that will mark down their meats if it is the last day to be on the shelf. And always stick a $3.00 coupon on the package. I but up all I can when I see that. I bought today 2 big pieces of flank steak for $3.35 for one and $3.27 for the other. That is the meat portion of the meal and I buy as I said all store brands which are a minimum of .30 - .50 cents and a maximum of $1.00. The brand name detergents are a great deal as well. At least $2.00 under what the grocery stores charge. We who have kids know the cost of cereal. Store brand $1.67 for cinnamon toast and absolutely no taste difference of brand. Those are just a few of the things. I could go on and on but we who grocery shop do know prices. Something to definately check out. My grocery bill has gone down over $400.00 per month. I like to pass these things on and hopefully this won't get deleted due to mentioning a store name.

Reply by Sharon Taylor on 4/16/08 4:55pm
Msg #243709

I've used coupons and refunds for years

The "old days" were awesome. I lived just outside Syracuse then, and there were tons of coupons, long expiration dates, stores in the area doubled up to $1, great refund forms on both grocery and household products, and we held monthly swap meets where a dozen or more would get together with extra coupons and refund forms to swap what we didn't want for extras of what we did want.
Even now, I use a couple of coupon services and a swap forum to get extras of some coupons. The last one I did was a purchase of 60 of the Purina Healthy Life cat food coupons, each good for a free 1 lb bag, and I paid .20 each "handling fee" plus 2 stamps mailing cost. Before that I got a bunch of free canned dog food coupons, again paying .20 each "handling fee" plus a couple of stamps for mailing.
And our local Kroger had a special deal last week and the week before where there were a bunch of items on a list - buy any 10 and get $5 off your checkout total, limit 3 deals per checkout. A lot of us refunders were combining coupons with the special for super savings. Pedigree 22 oz canned dog food was 10 cans for $10, so I bought 30 cans and got $15 off, which equals to .50 per can (plus tax, of course).
The best part was that although you could only do 3 deals per checkout, you could either divide your purchases into 2 or 3 or 4 groups, checking out and paying for one group at a time, or you could go back several times, doing 3 deals each time.
One way to get extra coupons is to strongarm all your friends and relatives and neighbors into saving the coupon sections from their Sunday papers instead of trashing them. And if you have access to a recycling center and can figure out when the leftover Sunday papers are dumped by the distributor, you can get extras too.
I too watch for meats to be reduced on the last day and stock up the freezer.

Reply by Kathi Conahan-Baltzelle on 4/18/08 12:50pm
Msg #243993

Re: I've used coupons and refunds for years

Sharon can you tell me what coupon services you use. That is something I would be interested in doing. I use coupons now, but the service sounds interesting.

Reply by Nomad/OR on 4/16/08 4:52pm
Msg #243708

You MUST be the supplier for us because

I'm paying $4/gal for milk, $3.79 for ground that was on sale. ....bread? forget it, pulled out the bread machine three weeks ago and am looking at making about 15 loaves from $12 worth of supplies.

Reply by Sharon Taylor on 4/16/08 4:57pm
Msg #243712

I read an article that said it was cheaper to make bread

than to buy it if you had a bread machine! Congrats on having one, Nomad. What brand do you have? Would you recommend it?

Reply by Nomad/OR on 4/16/08 5:12pm
Msg #243715

Re: I read an article that said it was cheaper to make bread

Hitachi, had it since '92 and it still works great, just pulled out a 1.5lb loaf of Italian Herb.

Reply by TRG_wy on 4/16/08 5:30pm
Msg #243721

Re: You MUST be the supplier for us because

Bread is .99/loaf for store brand here at Smith's/Kroger.

Everytime I get out to San Diego to visit family I have massive sticker shock. Same brand and size of dog food for my girls ( i have two Beagles) is $2.50 more there. And yep, milk is like $5/gal too. I sure don't miss big city life! Course they are almost like NYC in that they want to charge for the air you breathe out there too.

Reply by Nomad/OR on 4/16/08 5:34pm
Msg #243722

Re: You MUST be the supplier for us because

Yeah, and I have to drive half an hour to town to pay these prices! $4.50 for a loaf of the good stuff in Eugene at Winco. Now it's more interesting to go to the grain bins and shovel out my own ingredients.

Reply by SReis on 4/16/08 3:37pm
Msg #243699

Def NOT just us....

My husband is an electrician & has been out of his regular work for almost 1.5 mths. Luckily, he has some connections w/other electricians & has been able to work BUT it is a day to day thing. This economy is really getting ridiculous!!

Reply by A-1 Signing Agents, LLC on 4/16/08 5:52pm
Msg #243727

Re: Def NOT just us....

Just thought of another really GREAT store. Big Lots. I'm sure they are all over. Brand name bread $1.00. Gatorade, .50 to .80 cents. Normally at least $1.59. I load up on supplies like that. Spices .65 for a nice size bottle. Asprin we all know the cost of and all need (lol) $1.50. Shampoo's, .89. Body soap 6 for $2.00. I go nuts in that store. Brand named chips $1.50. Goes on and on. They continually rotate their stock from other stores that can't sell certain items. Normally I wouldn't buy these things either but for that price, I learn to like them. Towels, sheets, all kithen items. It's an awesome store. Pretty organized for the most part but you really have to look. Can't go in there for a quicky shop. I love hearing other people's ideas on this stuff.

Reply by TRG_wy on 4/16/08 7:22pm
Msg #243745

Re: Def NOT just us....

Yep. I just hit Big Lots and Dollar Tree yesterday. I've learned to be a 'smart' shopper and it pays nowdays.