Shortages at the Grocery Store and Inflation

I definitely see shortages at the grocery store and inflation hitting our small town.  I have saved several of my most recent store receipts from shopping trips to start comparing prices.  I know there are so many reasons for what is happening in the economy, but it is really putting a dent in what we normally spend while grocery shopping.

Shortages at the Grocery Store

Our two most recent Walmart grocery shopping trips have been frustrating, to say the least.  We shop there because it seems to be the only place in town to get everything we need in one trip.  Several refrigerated cases were completely wiped out of food a couple of weeks ago.  I didn’t think even to ask why, but I’m assuming it could have been perhaps they weren’t working properly from the extreme heat we’ve been experiencing.  It looked like this:

Then, this past Friday, we made another shopping trip, and the lunch meat and cheeses were completely gone.  And look….almost no fresh green produce!

The baby formula aisle looked like this:

We ended up having to stop at Kroger on the way home so hubby could get the lunch meat he uses during the week.  I also needed some shredded cheese, and he was able to find that there.

The shelves, minus those pictured above, seem pretty stocked, but I’ve noticed that choices are limited now.  Whereas you might have been able to choose from many different brands of things, you now only have three or four choices.  So far, I am still able to get the things I am pretty brand loyal to.  We use a lot of Sam’s Choice products, so there are no problems there.

Rising Prices

One thing I have changed is my coffee.  For years I have drank Dunkin Donuts coffee, always buying the big plastic tub of it.  I have now switched over to the Donut Shop brand from Walmart.  It’s still pretty good and $10 cheaper. Before “that point in time of which we must not speak,” I was paying under $5 for a can of Lysol.  It killed my soul to pay $7 for the same can at Dollar General today.  My feminine products have jumped $2.  A bottle of Mucinex set me back $15.  It was $12 when my son had “the stuff” almost a year ago.  Jake’s cat treats are up almost $2.  I’m also paying closer attention to the expiration date on things I buy because some of the canned goods I have bought I am noticing are only good for a year, if that.

Gas has started to come down, and we are finally seeing it under $4 here.  I’m not getting too excited about that because I personally believe we are WAY overpaying for gas in the first place.  One good thing about leaving my job is that I will no longer have that 40-mile commute daily.

Adjusting for Inflation

I’m fortunate that I’m at home now and not having to use much gas in the car.  I top it off when it gets to half a tank.  I’m trying to put back a little extra of the things we use the most around our home.  Buying today will save me on replacing it in the future when prices are even higher.  We’ve swapped out some brands to save a little more.  I still look at the coupons, but besides cleaning products, I don’t really use any of the coupons in the paper.  So, I’m canceling the paper.  Ha!  I will keep our hometown newspaper, but this is the state paper, and even that has leaned a little too liberal for my liking.

All that to say, I suppose we are just like any typical American family trying to tighten our belts and make the best out of a crappy situation.  It has happened before, and it will inevitably happen again.  But this time, it just feels different.