How much do you spend on food?

[Wifezilla]

USDA Cost of food at home.

Family of 4 Monthly. Low cost, Moderate and Liberal
June 2006: $558.80, $685.00, $846.80
June 2007: $591.30, $723.80, $896.90
June 2008: $648.10, $797.30, $986.60
June 2009: $644.80, $797.80, $988.10
June 2010: $644.70, $797.10, $987.00
June 2011: $677.90, $836.20, $1035.10

It's plain to see there was a spike in prices from 2006-2008, then prices were rather flat 2008-2010, and now they are spiking again. Grocery prices do fluctuate, but the trend is easy to see and it isn't down. Anyone want to make a prediction where 2012 will be?

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/usdafoodcost-home.htm

 

[lorihadams]

We're at $100-150 per week for our family of 4 and that's after we raise all our own meat. The only meat we buy is pork. We also don't buy milk. It's scary. The other thing that makes our cost a little higher than others is that 90% of what I buy is GF and that means higher prices for some things like flour, pasta, crackers, bread, etc. We also go through fresh fruit and veggies like crazy and with our garden not producing this year it really is taking it's toll but hopefully next year will be better.

 

[Avalon1984]

We are around 30% but we are at the beginning of our journey - plus there is the 3k we spend on hay each year for the horses . And that is roughly since there are some other irregular incomes I have not considered, so by the time all is said and done more around 27%.

This year we have spent a lot of time freezing food and bartering for food so I am hoping our food cost will slowly decrease. Husband loves to go out every ones in a while so that is a big dent in our budget. Other than that at least the chickens and garden are starting to pay for themselves. Horses and husbands are a drain on every budget.

 

[k15n1]

USDA Cost of food at home.

Family of 4 Monthly. Low cost, Moderate and Liberal
June 2006: $558.80, $685.00, $846.80
June 2007: $591.30, $723.80, $896.90
June 2008: $648.10, $797.30, $986.60
June 2009: $644.80, $797.80, $988.10
June 2010: $644.70, $797.10, $987.00
June 2011: $677.90, $836.20, $1035.10

It's plain to see there was a spike in prices from 2006-2008, then prices were rather flat 2008-2010, and now they are spiking again. Grocery prices do fluctuate, but the trend is easy to see and it isn't down. Anyone want to make a prediction where 2012 will be?

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/usdafoodcost-home.htm

Indeed, there is a trend, but it doesn't factor in the time-value of money. Don't be so quick to jump to the conlcusions that suit your philosophy. I'm perfectly happy to consider a proper analysis of food prices, but your narrative review of 48 years won't substitute for analysis.

Anyway, thanks for posting this link. It's a great resource. Obviously, most of of us are not average... Still, it's nice to see how I measure up to the national figures. I wonder if there are similar numbers for other countries...

I did find some information in the CIA factbook, which includes an index of consumer prices. Completely different from the absolute cost of food, but relevent to the issue of the trend you mentioned. The North America has the 49th (1.6%) lowest inflation rate of 222 countries. Even that rank is misleading because there are 9 countries with deflation, which is a different sort of economic disaster altogether. I don't know how the index was calculated, but I expect that it was the same for all countries listed, so it's useful as an international comparison.

 

[AnnaRaven]

Horses and husbands are a drain on every budget.

 

[Wifezilla]

I'm perfectly happy to consider a proper analysis of food prices

I have posted enough information already. You can keep telling people food isn't expensive, or it is worse in other countries, or it was more in the past, but every week (or two weeks) when people go to the grocery store and they can get less for the same amount of money, your claim that food is cheap falls short. When the size of food packages shrinks but still costs the same or more, your argument falls short. When you read that 20 million more families are now on food stamps , your argument falls short.

I can't help but question your motive for starting a thread on food prices when your only goal seems to be convincing us that food prices aren't a problem.

 

[k15n1]

I can't help but question your motive for starting a thread on food prices when your only goal seems to be convincing us that food prices aren't a problem.

The reason I started this thread is because I couldn't find the Cost Food at Home data. That's what I was looking for. And even though I have that data now, it's still interesting to see how it compare to SS people. But now it sounds like you're going to invent a consipracy theory around me, which is kind of exciting.

When you read that 20 million more families are now on food stamps , your argument falls short.

I think unemployment is the main cause of the spike in government food assistance, not a slow creep of food prices. Yeah, life sucks right now for a lot of people. I'm seriously considering a how-to-garden charity at church. We have a lot of land it it would be nice to be able to help people---teaching them something and providing food. If it is really successful, maybe a farmers' market would provide some additional income for the gardeners.

Well, I'm not convinced and you're not convinced, so I don't see a lot of point in continuing this conversation. I'm gardening and putting up food, despite the relative and absolute cost of food. I really enjoy the discussions on the forum, so there's no point in burning bridges over this one issue.

 

[Avalon1984]

Horses and husbands are a drain on every budget.

I am thinking that once I figure out how to make my own wine, my 30% will go down to 15%. Wine is a grocery, right? Isn't it?

 

[abifae]

Wine is definitely a grocery.

 

[CrimsonRose]

Wine is definitely a grocery.

I thought it was medicinal.... calming and soothing to the nerves!