AIBU to find food prices bewildering?

[GuyMontag]

Like I think most people I've tended to always keep a weather eye on food prices, buying here and there, near work, near home, maybe a wee top up in b&m/home bargains from time to time, kind of aware of shelf prices, getting things cheap when I can.

But fuck me, not any more. Prices are all over the place now. Massive increases, but really uneven across the shops, so that I don't know what to do or how to buy . All I know is that everything is scary expensive compared to even a few months ago and I can't shop around it.

Anyone else?

[Crikeyalmighty]

Yep, that £3 - £5 an hour more in wages in certain sectors such as HGV driving and warehousing im afraid affects prices for everyone , so yes I appreciate its helpful in those sectors - but for everyone else it's paying more for goods and services but stagnant wages.

In some cases it's due to raw materials costs and Ukraine situation- but in some cases it's a combination of raw materials costs and an opportunity to absolutely take the piss ,due to a shortage of workers post Brexit (see builders for details) . People are being charged for quite simple extensions as much as you can actually build a whole house for. It's not as if they are buying the land either! I heard 2 tradesmen in town chatting about this today and the fact they were back to earning £85k because they could charge what they want. Nice for some- doesn't help those who are on fixed and far more modest salaries

[Lovesplasticstraws]

@Crikeyalmighty @fyn @Bubblebubblebah
Thank you. I find the bigger picture hard to visualise sometimes.

[NewBootsAndRanty]

The world has turned upside down.
I just got 500g salted butter in M&S: £3.50

Ive not seen large blocks anywhere else, but 250g own brand butter everywhere else including Aldi is £2 (so £4/500g)...

[TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination]

@bodie1890

This was always going to happen when we left the EU but people seem so surprised by it.

🙄🙄

not a pandemic
not a war

just another remoaner with with blinkers on.

[AdoraBell]

DH picked up a Mars bar in the supermarket today, he was shocked at the size of the bar. He put it back.

And yes, prices are going bloody sky high.

[Georgesgrumpymedicine]

In 1974 we spent 24% of our income on food. Food is still massively cheap!

[Liorae]

@Georgesgrumpymedicine

In 1974 we spent 24% of our income on food. Food is still massively cheap!

From the point of view of someone that doesn't live in the UK I agree. The prices being quoted sound laughable to me, but I am sure that incomes mostly match.

[plinkypots]

The pound is likely to drop under the dollar while almost ALL leading economist have now described the U.K. as acting like an emerging market that is submerging. We have far bigger problems than the price of eggs! Truss is about to tank the entire economy and allll the services that rely on tax.

[bevelino]

The supermarkets are making billions in record profits and should be reigned in. There is no need for the hike in price across all product lines.

[plinkypots]

It's ludicrous to say we should limit the profits of businesses. Do people truly not understand that we have no regulatory control on profits? It's not what capitalism does! Gah! Read!

[Gobimanchurian]

@Tabbouleh

I didn't realise that Russia and Ukraine had such a big impact on food prices. I suppose I have been lucky until now.

Going to buy more frozen veg thoughI often find it soggy for the kind of food I make. I notice the quality of supermarket veg has been going down. So much of it spoils so easily.

I’ve noticed sainsbury’s have joined M&S in removing dates from some veg ‘to reduce waste’. Pisses me off as you can’t tell how fresh anything is.

[GuyMontag]

@FrancescaContini

Aldi own butter is £1.90 for 250g.

M&s is £1.75.

What a pp said about m&s protecting their prices by getting longer term agreements at the right time appears to be true. They've bumped up once or maybe twice on most items but not by as much as the others and they're not doing the see-sawing that is everywhere else.

Ofc some things - nicer things - were always more expensive and still are, but basic bread, cheese, milk, eggs and butter are cheaper in comparison to others.

[Slavetotherhythm]

On Ocado:
15 free range eggs
2.20 Ocado
2.25 M&S
2.10 Asda

Butter 250g
1.99 Ocado
2.15 M&S
2.00 Asda
2.04 President on Ocado on offer

[Slavetotherhythm]

ALDI butter was £2.00 for me in store.

maybe regional variations?

[Slavetotherhythm]

Sorry for multiple messages but I couldn’t resist - it is literally, 6 of one & half a dozen of the other 🤣

[MovieQueen12]

Felt quite tearful of late walking around the supermarket as everything has got so expensive, even the basics. It's just awful.

[GuyMontag]

Yy it's the basics going up that are the real hammer. A pp said she was spending the same by making sure she only bought things in season but there's no such thing as seasonal bread, milk, butter, oil or eggs.

[MadisonAvenue]

I was adding things to my Tesco order for next week earlier today and noticed that milk has gone up another 10p since I received this week’s order yesterday.

I drink coffee but only like it with Coffee Mate added. That was £2.15 a few months ago, it’s now £3. Ginsters Pasties in a pack of 4 were £2.75 for ages at Tesco, now they’re £4.

I’m also finding Tesco’s lack of choice for home delivery items frustrating.

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

Crunchy Nut Cornfkakes in Sains. ‘Pricelocked’ at £4.50.

No way am l buying those.


l also find Sainsbury comparable to Lidl in lots of things. Chicken is the same price. The discounters aren’t discounting that much.

[MrsClatterbuck]

@Tha

I went through the self checkout the other day and a 12 pack of toilet roll was £13.50. £13.50!?? To wipe our arses? Asked the helper lady to cancel it and I wasn't even ashamed. I will use fucking LEAVES before I pay £13.50 for toilet roll.

I buy the 32 pack cushelle now £15 in Sainsburys was 10.50 pre pandemic. Now 14.90 in Tesco. The thing is its not really feasible to go around trying to find the cheapest in each shop.
So I buy a few extra things if I can. If you decide not to buy something as you have some at home you run the risk of it going up by an unreasonable amount when you do need it.
Today I bought a lot of Baxter tins of soup as they were reduced to £1 in Sainsburys from £1.60 Shopping is becoming a nightmare.
I feel really sorry for people who can only shop at their small local supermarket where prices are much higher than the big supermarkets.
Today I saw Birds Eye frozen peas at £3.70 for 1.2k and then £1.10 for 1kg in Marks.

[miserablecat]

£1.99 for own brand supermarket butter.

I noticed this too.
And £10 for the 24 pack of coke. (I know that's not an absolute essentia)

[miserablecat]

In 1974 we spent 24% of our income on food. Food is still massively cheap!

But I think housing/rent is comparatively massively more expensive.
I don't think the average house price was 8 x the average salary in the 1970s so people might have had more to spend on food?

[Blondeshavemorefun]

A lot of things have gone from 99p to £1.25. Mainly crisps but some fruit and Bread

26p is 25% in crease. Insane

so add that to most shopping bill's

what was £60 is now £75

£75/80 is now £100

[120go]

It's going to get a whole lot worse thanks to Kwarteng and Truss. We are a significant net importer of goods and they are choosing to devalue the pound.

[Liorae]

@miserablecat

In 1974 we spent 24% of our income on food. Food is still massively cheap!

But I think housing/rent is comparatively massively more expensive.
I don't think the average house price was 8 x the average salary in the 1970s so people might have had more to spend on food?

Have you factored in the interest rates? What was the average percentage of family income spent on mortgage payments then vs now?