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        Daily Chat >> General Posts >> Up, up and away..
        
(Message started by: Paul98 on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 8:17am)

Title: Up, up and away..
Post by Paul98 on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 8:17am

Well, oil prices are up and now the price for food has followed.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article3799327.ece

I have a feeling there is going to be a world wide convulsive adjustment to life styles over the next few years. What many people do not realize is that the stockpiles of food that is available (grains) is now down to ~ 60 days. More and more food is being diverted to the energy stream as oil prices go up. All it is going to take will be a bad crop year in some part of the world and people will not be able to afford to eat. Better prey it isn't in the USA as we are a major producer of food.

It has become painful to go grocery shopping and I have really adjusted what I buy. Anybody else really starting to feel the pinch?

-P.

edit to add: And now the speculators and going to compound the problem with the food. GREED!

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080423/BUSINESS/868303815/1001

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by Rosybabe on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 9:04am

oh yeah, we buy almost everything store brand...a can of corn is going for 50 cents, not long ago it was 30 cents...

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by deltadarlin on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 9:13am

Gosh Paul, how often do you buy groceries ;)? I've been tracking prices for awhile now and I've seen at least a 20% increase in the price of some of the items I buy. I'm a merchandiser in Wal Mart and it's nothing unusual for me to be told by my department managers that they had to do over a 100 price increases that particular day. As long as the price of diesal goes up, the price of groceries will continue to climb.

Ethanol is the biggest boondoggle the govt. has ever created. It is NOT eco-friendly and if it weren't for the govt. price supports, it would be far more expensive than gasoline.

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by Melissa on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 9:15am

on 04/23/08 at 08:17:45, Paul98 wrote:

Anybody else really starting to feel the pinch?

Most definately! This is why Jesse & I are anxious to garden this year. I mean, we have a garden every year, but this year there is going to be a ton of freezing and canning that what I normally do. :)

Grocery shopping is really a challenge!

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by BarbaraD on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 9:20am

Right now I'm "GROWING" food to freeze and can. Wish I had a green thumb.... but am doing the best I can. Tomatoes are doing pretty good. Peppers are growing. Peas????

I agree Paul - who can afford to DRIVE to the store and then BUY food? But the economy is just doing peachy according to Dubba... for some reason, I don't think he's been to the store lately. >:(

Diesel is over $4.00 a gallon (we're clearing land) and I've got a diesel guzzsuling tractor... geezzz!

Oh well, looking on the bright side, guess we all needed to lose a little weight anyhow....

Hugs BD

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by Redd on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 9:37am

It's very much a challenge. I chose to forgo submitting mileage at 28 cents a mile threw work, to take the hit now and write it off next year at the federal standard 47 cents. So that leafes less in my pocket right now.

Two teenagers that have adult appetites means a larger chunk of cash outlay for groceries and even shopping at Aldis is getting more expencive and the selection of even staple foods is decreasing steadily.

I'm working on my mind set to get ready to attempt to quit smoking again simply because I can't afford it anymore, betweeen the costs of other goods and the additional $1 per pack tax added on in January.

The more I try to get ahead the further and further behind I'm getting.

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by Paul98 on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 10:33am

on 04/23/08 at 09:13:24, deltadarlin wrote:

I shop once a week and each week I see double digit % increase in many of the items I buy.

Agree about the EtOH made from food. You can thank the environmentalists and Tom Daschle for pushing legislation back in 1999 to mandate corn based EtOH blends in gas. Bush has since made matters worse. EtOH is a huge killer in MPG and contributes to more pollution than it reduces it.

-P.

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by BMoneeTheMoneeMan on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 10:45am

I could be wrong here, but wasn't the reason for ethanol in the gasoline to help out farmers? And also to not rely on the middle east for gasoline?

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by LeeS on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 10:50am

Quote:

Up, up and away..

Dang Paul. I thought this thread would be about witches and limey-bird's next visit :-X

However, you should see the price of eye of frog, claw of crow and ear of elephant over here these days ;)

-Lee

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by Paul98 on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 11:07am

on 04/23/08 at 10:45:39, BMoneeTheMoneeMan wrote:

I could be wrong here, but wasn't the reason for ethanol in the gasoline to help out farmers? And also to not rely on the middle east for gasoline?

In '99 it was a mandate to phase in EtOH. It was sold to the public as a environmental issue (better air, less reliance on oil) The truth was to bolster the corn producers specifically SD (Hence Tommy D.) Bill Clinton signened it into law in the wayning days of his administration. This sparked the first round of price jumps in gas because the refineries were not geared for the designer blends when it was forced upon them. Since then Bush has further promoted EtOH in gas. Another bad decision by the law makers just like MBTE was forced upon the industry only to find out it polluted huge tracts of ground water. Congress never has to pay the price of their poor decisions!

-P.

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by Paul98 on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 11:10am

on 04/23/08 at 10:50:28, LeeS wrote:

Dang Paul. I thought this thread would be about witches and limey-bird's next visit :-X

However, you should see the price of eye of frog, claw of crow and ear of elephant over here these days ;)

-Lee

Helen has been hoarding and it has driven up the prices ;;D I fear she has something big in the works ::)

-P.

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by John Michael Smith on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 11:12am

I think North Dakota and living off the land is becoming more and more attractive.......... Don't think Killroy 2.0 would be too terribly excited about it though.... :-/

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by Mosaicwench on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 3:40pm

on 04/23/08 at 11:12:27, John Michael Smith wrote:

I think North Dakota and living off the land is becoming more and more attractive.......... Don't think Killroy 2.0 would be too terribly excited about it though.... :-/

Just read an article about North Dakota ghost towns. Towns that 50 years ago had 300+ people have vanished. Houses and stores sit empty with no municipal government to plow or tax or provide upkeep. No schools, no utilities, no jobs, no money - just nothing.

The high prairie is swallowing towns whole.

Perhaps we could set up a cluster colony up there???

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by Jackie on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 3:50pm

We are burning our food supply......
And in the process solving NOTHING!!!!!

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by seasonalboomer on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 3:54pm

nothing happens suddenly. whatever is going to happen will take time and man will evolve.

enough with the dramatic and dire predictions. its depressing.

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by brewcrew on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 4:10pm

on 04/23/08 at 15:54:39, seasonalboomer wrote:

nothing happens suddenly. whatever is going to happen will take time and man will evolve.

That's right. So slowly, in fact, that most of us won't even notice it's happening. How do you boil a frog? S-L-O-W-L-Y. Keep turning up the heat, little by little, and it'll never notice.

Some call it evolution, others call it being cooked.

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by chewy on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 4:19pm

Quote:

Helen has been hoarding and it has driven up the prices

No question about it.

The woman has a lot of gas.

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by Jonny on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 5:04pm

Quote:

The spectre of food rationing arose in America today as retailers began imposing limits on rice and flour sales following bulk purchases by customers alarmed by rocketing global prices for staple foods.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ca3_1208977329

Title: Re: Up, up and away..
Post by Charlie on Apr 23^rd, 2008, 8:41pm

on 04/23/08 at 09:20:51, BarbaraD wrote:

Right now I'm "GROWING" food to freeze and can. Wish I had a green thumb.... but am doing the best I can. Tomatoes are doing pretty good. Peppers are growing. Peas????

The return of the victory garden. Everybody used to can stuff when I was a tyke.....yes, glass was around in my youth. We grew everything. Dad "grew" chickens too during the war. No meatless days in Lakewood...

Ethanol is "cute" but lets not delude ourselves. What they're talking about so far just won't do it. Warren Buffet says that he'd never bet on it. You can be sure that he'll be the first in line when something really works. Perhaps it will spur other research.

I can buy canned corn here for 25 cents a can at one store. The thing is that I can use only so much of the stuff. On the other hand, the same store is selling milk for $1.99 a gallon. Hard to beat that!

Food is up though, especially bread. Even Wal Mart's prices have caught up and I can't save much buying from them so that's a good excuse to stay out of the place. I'm doing my part though. I cut down on my cheese Danish intake for lunch at the super market cafe I use while waiting for the bus.

I'm not sure about the food scarcity thing here though. Wary but not hattening down my batches.

Time to start selling canned goods for OUCH. Get to work Edna.
Charlie http://www.netsync.net/users/charlies/gifs/frypan.gif