Monday, April 28, 2008

Spot-On: The Cost of Eating

Click to enlarge.

You may not have noticed, but food prices actually started going up over two years ago. I was acutely aware of the trend because I was watching the average food costs for my clients climb from 30 percent to 40 percent by the end of last summer. Because I charge a flat rate for food and service I was also watching my income decline. So last August I bumped my prices up. I'm already almost back to a 40 percent food cost. (Note: I buy from grocery stores just like you do.)

You can read the complete article at Spot-On.

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3 Comments:

Blogger Susan from Food Blogga said...

You're so right, Kevin. A loaf of Italian bread I buy went from $2.85 to $4.05, and Trader Joe's eggs went from .99 to $1.50. Just about everything is much more expensive now than it was even 3 months ago, and the prices continue to go up. I try to buy most of my produce from local farmers' markets and stick with basics at the grocery store like milk, eggs, etc. I don't buy much food at places like Costco, but I have found their meats (like pork chops) and seafood (like tilapia) to be really good and significantly less expensive than grocery stores.

4/28/2008 01:14:00 PM  
Blogger Kevin said...

Susan,
Yeah, it's killing me. I probably should have changed my pricing model last August instead of my prices. Oh well.{sigh}

4/28/2008 03:38:00 PM  
Blogger CJ said...

We also joined a CSA this year. It works out to roughly $20 a week for a bounty of produce for a family of four from June through October.

Being a family of two (sometime three when our 20-something son is home), it gives us ample produce and some for freezing/processing.

We've also cut back on meat consumption; making more stir fries, soups etc.

We've got a huge chest freezer and I've been contacting local farmers regarding chickens, lamb, and beef. No final word yet, but it's in the works.

I'm not past pulling out the old bread machine to work some dough for me while I'm at work. But I like to finish the baking in our oven.

The more prices go up, the more I will adapt.

I planted an herb garden in my meager sunny area. The brightness of fresh herbs does wonders for any dish and makes the simplest foods special.

One thing I know-- if you know how to cook, you can stretch a food dollar. You might not be eating steak, but you won't be hungry either.

4/28/2008 05:26:00 PM  

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