We keep a grocery price book. In one year flour went from $0.99 to $1.67 for 5 lbs. Sugar went from $1.69 to $2.43. Milk went from sales at $2 per gallon to sales at $3.50 per gallon. An 18 pack of eggs went from $1.19 with sales occasionally at $0.99 to $2.38. Shredded cheese went from $4.50 to $7.50.
Since we don't buy processed foods, we really see the effects of higher food costs. We buy store brand basic foods, and the manufacturer can't dodge price increases by downsizing engineers, cutting advertising budgets, cutting packaging costs, reformulating to add more air or water to the recipe, or shrinking package contents.
We see the inflation in our hard goods purchases as well. Again, we don't buy finished end products. We buy stuff like rolls of wire fencing, screws and nails.
We also have to buy our own health insurance, which is going up at 7% per year like clockwork even though we have no claims. I guess compared to the other inflation we have to deal with that's almost a bargain.
Lynda
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