I know prices are rising, but this is crazy

[Zenana]

I saw this post (paraphrased) below on a Facebook page of someone I know from a hobby group. I don't know what they ordered or where from, or the size of the order. Is this anyone's experience? I don't have a delivery or do a massive shop so can't compare. This price rise is in three weeks!

I've just ordered exactly the same food shop order that I ordered on the 21st April 2023 - the same food shop order has gone up £20 what a joke.

I went to my local Intermarché yesterday.

One of the cheaper supermarkets excluding Aldi/Lidl.

Bought cheese 3 types, mineral water, own brand coke, 2 packs butter, 2 bars choc, bag of peaches, nectarines, small punnet of strawberries, cherries and 3 small tins of mackerel in sauce and 2 baton-type breads.

Thought at the worst it would be 80€. Nope. 93€!!

True, but my mum came to the U.K. recently and for the first time I can remember it ever being the case commented on a shop here being more expensive than at home. And we weren’t shopping in Waitrose.

That definitely wasn’t the case at the end of last year. I’d be happy to pay more for food but it would need to home with a fall in house prices so that people are paying a lower proportion of their wage in housing costs. I don’t see the Tories (or labour tbf) stopping propping up the housing bubble so things can realign.

The other option would be an increase in wages but we know how the government feel about that, they’d rather give real terms pay cuts and won’t even restore pay to what it should be.

Somethings come out this morning suggesting that some supermarkets are inflating the petrol and food prices themselves on top of actual inflation. So even if the cost of food goes down, I doubt the supermarkets will be as inclined to pass that onto consumer.

I think it's totally reasonable that there could be a £20 variation in the cost of a shop from mid ish April to now. That's not because food prices have gone up, per se, but because the prices of things have changed in that time. 21st of April was just after the Easter school holidays, so likely some specials still on and lots of food likely needing to be reduced to offload it - think of the sort of things people buy around holiday time, usually these are quite cheap because the stores have bought in bulk to accommodate demand. And the bank holidays were coming up so likely offers starting on BBQ items and picnic things, and alcohol. Easter and the coronation and 2 of 3 bank holidays are now finished, so I'd expect that prices are more 'normal' at the moment and not quite so many offers, especially on things like alcohol and snacks/holiday items.

That said, yes, prices have gone up. I know the price of literally everything I buy at Tesco and things are notably more expensive now than a year or more ago. £1.55 for milk (used to be £1.04), apples that used to be £1 are £1.70, chips used to be £1 and now £1.60, carrots used to be 40p for a 1kg bag but are (cheeky!) 49p but for an 800g bag (with a big sticker that says NEW PRICE! which is meant to make you think they're cheaper, but they have just lowered the amount you get).

A bag of minstrels or a 100g bar of chocolate were generally available for £1 a year or so back. They went up to £1.70 RRP but on offer are down to £1.25 or £1.50 (Tesco today).

I don't know how much milk has gone up by, but I'm tracking the essentials really closely. On the upside it means I eat less chocolate.

I just did the same with my Morrisons order from about 6weeks ago. Just out of curiosity. It was £83.59 so I added it all and it was £96.60. They have put prices up again in last few weeks so I'm not surprised but it sounds so much when u total it. The price rises seem to be every couple of months or sometime weeks between. That's over 14% increase on 6weeks ago.

I can only imagine how much difference it was to a year ago!

We are a family of four and our weekly shop was circa £120 now it’s £170. We shop mainly at Sainsbury’s. Actually scrap that as I do usually get some type of house product so it’s probably £150. I know that if I had to budget it could easily be under £100.