Have you noticed that there are fewer coupons being offered these days? Not only are there not as many coupons circulating around, the dollar value of the coupons has dropped as well. This includes coupons for groceries, clothes and health items. Supermarket News states that the grocery segment is offering 13% fewer coupons, and 27% of offers require you to purchase multiple items. So, for example, your $1.00 off coupon may not be such a great deal when you have to buy 3 or 4 of the item. Also, more coupons are being redeemed than ever before.
I noticed a couple of weeks ago that Fred Meyer (Kroger) now only has 6 coupons on the inside of their cover page when they used to have 8. Also, the deals aren't all that great. Tillamook Ice Cream is 2 for $6 this week, but it is not even a full 1/2 gallon anymore, it's 56 oz.
At another grocery chain, they have one day sales, usually twice a month. There used to be a limit of, say 4, on an item. Now it is a limit of 1. One gallon of milk at $1.88 (used to go on sale for $1.68). One loaf of bread at .48 cents. Unless you go in the store several times, or bring the whole family to make purchases, you can't stock up on anything at a great price, because you're limited to one item, which you will probably have used up before the end of the week.
With gas prices rising out of sight, it is no wonder that people are shopping with a list and coupons, and sticking to it. No more impulse shopping. Our disposable income is dwindling, as is our standard of living. Our resources are disappearing . Have you noticed that when there is a really good buy on basic food items, the shelves are empty? I have been asking for more Rain Checks these past few months than ever before. This decline in our ability to put food on our table, gas in our cars, and pay our living expenses is crippling.
I have been really bad about using what is in our freezer to make space for fresh items. I think I am a closet grocery hoarder. When my freezer is full and my pantry shelves are lined, I feel more secure. I don't like that food prices are up, good deals are down, and it looks like there is no end in sight. How is this going to affect everyone in the long haul? It is not looking good my friends. I have been using every coupon and deal I can lay my hands on. Hang in there and get those deals when you can.
supply shortages are also beginning to pop up.
ReplyDeleteIf you have the means, you may have to just bite the bullet and buy your supplies while you can actually get them. There are more and more predictions coming that there will be a time when you simply can't get them, money or not.
I agree with you, Matt. I think you're right about there is a time coming very soon when we will not be able to get needed supplies.
ReplyDeletei dont generally use coupons as i dont generally buy or use the brand name items and still i agree, the amount of coupons is far less than just a month ago. and matt is right about getting what you need while you can.. the reason why is oil...it affects every aspect of our lives from clothing, food, transportation, farming,...just everything. if that truck that makes the dairy deliveries or the vegetable deliveres or the frozen food delivery to the grocers cannot stay on the road because of the cost of gas..there are fixing to be alot of folks who will be really scrounging, and going hungry too. and there are an awful lot of folks having to use foodstamp/ebt cards these days..can you imagine how many would be standing in lines like the soup and bread lines of the depression were it not for ebt cards. and i wonder what life will be like when even an ebt card cannot buy what is needed due to shortages and the card being worth less due to inflation. and then we have farmers who are putting in the family gardens but forgoing the big bean and pea crops and letting acre upon acre go fallow because they cannot afford the fuel to plant the seed that is in short supply. like dominoes when they fall, our country is fixing to see some really hard tough times and it is best to be prepared for it.
ReplyDeleteYou make some good points about how it is one big chain, and without that fuel to keep everyone going, it is going to get very difficult. Prepare what you can now.
DeleteAs I posted today signs like these are the first ones we will notice that things are getting really bad. Sure lack of public services come and go but when the stores begin to dry up the real problems are showing through.
ReplyDeletePioneer Preppy, I think you are right...these are the first signs.
DeleteEvery business has to cut back today. Where I live there isn't a strip mall that doesn't have 1/3 of the units empty that did have small business tenants in them 4 years ago. Gas and the outrageous housing prices have suck all the extra cash out of the market place. It's a domino effect that we are all seeing now.
ReplyDeleteWhen I want to put fresh food in the freezer,I defrost some of the older stuff and can it.This usually happens when I buy to much meat and need to make room in the freezer.Which only happens when my husband comes shopping with me,lol.
ReplyDeleteLOL, when my husband says he is going to Costco or BJs for something, anything, I know he is going to come home with meat, lots of meat, at least half a cow or pig.
DeleteThat being said, do you can ground beef? I have heard that some folks don't like the smell or flavor of canned ground beef. To them it reminds them of pet food. What is your experience?
hey Rose - thank you for your sweet comment on my blog today! yes, as everyone has mentioned, now is the time to put all of your resources into stocking up whatever you can get your hands on! that's what we've been doing!
ReplyDeleteRose - i will add you to our blog roll and i will also click the follow button! hope to see you at our blog more often - your comment was so very sweet and i really appreciated it!
kymber
i rarely can meat these days unless it is chicken..but, yes there are some folks who are just picky...about certain smells, tastes or looks..most meats i can are gonna be in the jar as soup, stews, chili, spagetti sauce etc...i do this mostly so that i dont have to actually put a meal together when needed..it is already done. so anyway, if i have bought a surplus amount of ground round i am gonna put a small amount in the freezer and then make big pots of chili, meat sauce, sloppy joe, stew or whatever and then can the meals. this is also handy if you lose power and need a meal. just grab a spoon, open a jar and dig in - it is already a meal and is already fully cooked.
ReplyDeleteThank you for addressing this. We increased our grocery budget by 20% in January, and still can't buy as much as we could buy say 18 months ago, shoot even 6 months ago. Coupons aren't as good, stores are either limiting the purchases (which is fine with me) or the shelves are totally empty of the deals. Stocking up for the future is getting harder and harder as all the grocery money has to go for immediate needs. I am new to pressure canning, but definitely see myself canning more soups/stews etc as I make them.
ReplyDeleteYou are very observant. I've used coupons for years, why should I pay more than I need to, and it's just more money for me to spend elsewhere or to save. I am constantly amazed at what I see when I am shopping where I live. It seems very few people use coupons and they have their carts loaded down with expensive pre-packaged/prepared food.
DeleteI was behind a gal at the checkout who was buying food with an EBT card. I asked the clerk how many people does she guess use those cards. She said a lot and asked if it was maybe 50% and she said oh no, it was more like 75% of the people who come through. The govt wants people to be dependent on them for all our needs and food is one way to control the population.
Yes, can your soups and stews. They are economical, and can up easily. Scope out garage sales for canning jars and get as much stocked up as you can. If you're like me, much more of our money is going to our gas bill (we both commute), and other needs that we have.