We’re trying. Need to switch cable and maybe internet service and get rid of some streaming services but it’s like a huge research project that the data changes daily. Shouldn’t be this hard.
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An inflation moment last night.
I went to the nearest small local family grocery store last night (small, but everything you need) for a few things. They often are a little more expensive but I’m fine with paying a little more for the convenience and the quicker in/out factor. And I usually shop the sales for things like meat for the week.
I needed a pound of butter - 4 sticks. Just the butter I use for cooking/baking, so a basic brand is fine (as opposed to I will spend more for butter for my butter bell/crock!).
The cheapest pound of butter they had was $6.99! $7 for 4 average sticks of butter! Wasn’t a fancy brand, just the most basic they had. (this is the midwest, not a big city, not high COL)
I refused to buy it. I just could not. I’ll make a stop at Aldi or Costco later in the week and do much better than that!
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I find I’m saying this more and more. Yesterday, I picked up DH from the airport close to dinner time. We’ve nixed restaurants entirely ($18 for a salad? Nope), so we stopped at the grocery story to pick up a rotisserie chicken. $10 for a chicken? Nope. We went home a made an Instant Pot soup instead.
I think “Spending Freeze February” is our new normal.
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With college starting soon, our money is going to be tight for the next 4 years. I’m finding myself cancelling streaming services and shopping around for things like orange juice. Sam’s Club saves us money but keeping monster size packages in the fridge to feed 2-3 people is overkill. Although the Sam’s Mastercard is nice. You can get 5% cash back for gas and being “Plus” members we get 5% back at the warehouse and for prescriptions. That gives us enough Sam’s cash to pay for a shopping trip every quarter or so.
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I make a big distinction between being able to pay for something and being gouged. Inflation is not affecting our financial standing, but it is affronting my sense of value. I have no idea how long it would take before I could look at a $10 chicken and say, “OK, that seems reasonable.” I posted somewhere else that I have a prescription I refuse to fill because it’s overpriced. My response to prices that are out of line with my sense of value is to simply pass. I just seem to be doing that all the time now. It’s good for the monthly cash flow, though.
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Try Good Rx and see if you can’t get a better price.
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I think I am of the same mindset. We do a Walmart pick up for things that come in a bag or box and cleaning supplies. Then go to the grocery store for produce and meats and deli. We pretty much are only buying stuff when on sale. We always pack a lunch for work. Then for times we don’t cook we will scrounge for something or get food. We won’t do national chains. It is either regional places or local places.
I definitely feel like we have been voting with our feet and not going into certain places. We will we still go some places if we feel like we are getting quality. And of course never doing delivery.
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I hope you do better. But don’t count on it.
Entertainment has gotten outrageous. For example, a new indoor miniature golf placed opened nearby last year. We went and it cost $250 for 3 people for a few rounds and a few drinks. We were shocked, and even though I could afford it, we never returned. It’s a value thing for me. My DD went recently for a date night and said the company had completely redid their pricing to lower the overall cost for a night out by a lot.
As another example, a few weeks ago we went bowling. We got in 2.5 games, ordered appetizers and one drink each, and again spent $200. Outrageous!
Our kids will really need to find cheap entertainment or companies will have to get real with pricing. These prices have surpassed inflation and are just gouging at this point.
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Butter prices at Costco are pretty good per pound. Much better than the local grocery stores.
Edited to add: I just looked at my last Costco receipt and 4lbs of Costco butter was 12.99
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Another way we’ve saved money at times…Target has a “Circle” debit card. This card, tied to your bank account, gives you 5% off if you use that to pay for your stuff, including groceries. Their prices are already low, but the 5% actually brings the prices to at or below Walmart. People usually don’t think “groceries” at Target. I noticed that their grocery offerings in the last year or so have gotten much more robust.
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Tried them first. No go.
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I purchase my butter at Aldi and it is around $3.50 a pound. $7 is crazy.
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The beauty of inflation is that its a hidden tax so the Dems can keep it high and not have to vote to raise taxes.
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Let’s not forget about Covid and its impact on today’s inflation with supply chain issues still affecting our economy today.
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Apparently the butter supply chain is especially affected. . .
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So you’re saying the pandemic and the recovery efforts, including PPP loans, student loan pause, PPP loan forgiveness, etc. is not related to inflation TODAY and the chart that you just posted for the years 1962-2054?
I completely disagree.
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Edit post because I forgot I wasn’t on the political forum.
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Replying to myself. 
Got my pound of butter today at Aldi for $3.69! Much better than $6.99 - and will get me through until I get the Costco pack.
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