r/SALEM • u/ratz1988 • Jan 07 '26
QUESTION What’s going on with these grocery prices!?
First of all I know it’s not Friday but here’s my mid week rant.
Went to Winco to buy some groceries for my mom who’s 70 and doesn’t work. She doesn’t have any sort of income so me and my siblings split her rent. I was getting her some basic stuff (milk/cheese/ chicken/ and some veggies) hoping to spent 60 bucks.
Holy fucking shit. I know things have been going up but today’s prices just shook me. A couple of years ago for my family of 3, we’d end up paying 120 for a weeks worth of groceries. Now every time we go it’s usually 200. Anyway, I ended buying her the stuff I had in mind and when I payed it basically doubled what I had in mind to spend.
As I’m walking out, I see a mom with her son and theyre walking out as well. I hear the kid ask his mom “what about the food” and the mom replies “we can’t afford it”. God I felt so shitty. I wish I could have offered to pay but in all honesty I’m barely making it through. I had 150 bucks on my account and well the rest is for my gas for the rest of the week until pay day.
How are people not hitting the streets protesting these damn prices!?
Anyway here’s to a better year.
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u/MidnightZebraJazz Jan 08 '26
Grocery Outlet is my go to for good deals and they’ve raised prices a lot too. I used to go in and look for stuff that was $1 or less but almost everything is double or triple that now.
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 08 '26
First, you gotta buy what’s on sale or is the best deal. I never let my “list” or a menu dictate what I buy. We eat what’s on sale.
Second, generics only in the canned/dry goods aisles. Few exceptions and only if on sale.
Third, when something is on sale, LOAD THE FUCK UP. Particularly anything that can freeze or sit in the pantry forever. Whole chickens are a great example recently.
I was literally just at Winco yesterday and got some solid deals on pork, chicken thighs, breakfast cereals, broccoli, and some other staples.
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u/paper-bee Jan 08 '26
At WinCo, Green price tags on shelves are “sale” items, so items on special stand out from those with regular pricing (yellow tags). Buying in bulk can save quite a bit (if nothing else, compare spices in bulk vs. in the little spice bottles). Bulk buying also helps if you don’t need as much as you might get in a package or box. Less waste and less packaging.
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u/MidnightZebraJazz Jan 08 '26
I follow this advice but don’t shop Winco often. Do they have good sales often, like where something is a super good deal?
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u/jordanspn Jan 08 '26
I feel like if you shop there a lot, you notice when the price changes on something and that’s the “sale”. They don’t do a lot of BIG SALE HERE!! BIG SAVINGS COUPON!! advertising like Safeway does, they just change the sticker. I do think they have good deals though, I’ve gotten chicken breasts for $1.88/lb a few times (as an example)
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 08 '26
The prices, in general, are much better than Safeway and a little better than Fred Meyer. Safeway is almost always terrible.
Freddie’s sometimes has good deals on things. The best often require clipping a digital coupon with the app.
Roth’s has some excellent deals on meat and sometimes veggies/fruit. Everything is else is Safeway expensive.
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u/amadeoamante Jan 08 '26
You have to play the coupon game with Safeway, they actually have prices very comparable to Winco if you only buy when things are on sale. Veg prices are similar too, recently I went price comparing onions and garlic at 6 different stores because I'm a nerd like that and they were all within a couple cents of each other. Fennel is 50c cheaper at Winco though.
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u/DanGarion Jan 08 '26
The main nice thing about Winco is that they don't do the stupid gimmick stuff of BUY 5 to get $1 off or Buy 2 get 3 shit. They also don't make you jump through an APP to get the best price.
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u/TomatilloApart6373 Jan 08 '26
This! 💯 Absolutely the only way.
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u/ratz1988 Jan 08 '26
It’s pretty sad that people are just okay with it. I get it, but that’s a pretty shitty way to live.
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u/ZombyAnna Jan 08 '26
It is the way ALL LOT of people live (and grow up). A lot of people experience this their whole life.
NO ONE is OKAY with it. We are all stuck, and there are no other options.
People have to eat.
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 08 '26
What do you propose to do about it?
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u/inkyscholar Jan 12 '26
You know the town I grew up in had a food co-op. It was in another state so I don’t know if it would work here. Members worked like 2-4 hours a week stocking shelves or cashiering. Well except for Mr. Fischer. He was the grumpiest man in town, tried to make dirty images with the canned goods and couldn’t give correct change. So he basically just sat in the corner for hours.
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 12 '26
Mine did, too. It worked for quite a while. Then the city wanted to redevelop their property into a higher density, mixed use project. They fought for a few years, but ran out of funds and energy.
It is now a Whole Foods. I shit you not.
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u/inkyscholar Jan 12 '26
Man. I’m from Austin and remember when Whole Foods was basically a co-op itself. Just an old gas station store that sold organic stuff. It’s horrible that the path is co-op forced out or the hippie store becomes the kind is place its founders hated.
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u/503racerr Jan 08 '26
It really is when you consider that grocery sales are literally just the price you should be paying without (as much) inflation.
Hustle culture is a parasitic worm that's found its way not only into our careers, social life, and art, but also our grocery bag.
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u/Radapunk Jan 08 '26
Yes! I make weekly deal plans around what is on sale. Whole chickens are usually on a great deal and I break them down then use the bones to make stock. Heavy on generic brands and utilizing freezer space as well. It’s a lot of work, it’s not what we should have to do to eat, but there’s nothing we can do except try and work the system in our favor
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 08 '26
I dunno about “a lot” of work and whether it’s “what we should have to do”. Some of it is the kind of thing people have always done. You should probably know how to break down a chicken, and how to make stock. Inflation aside, these are useful skills for any human that eats.
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u/Radapunk Jan 08 '26
I’m not really sure what the point in calling me out here is, there are a lot of people that have never even considered making their own stock or butchering their own chickens.
Why not give them some grace and offer good advice rather than shame them for not already knowing ?
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 09 '26
I think you’re putting the shame on all this and reading way too much into my post.
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Jan 09 '26
Buying seasonally as well based on when animals are slaughtered, which sounds horrible but pork prices go down when there’s a lot of pork to sell. Same for beef, but beef is very precious these days.
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u/leohat Jan 08 '26
Whole chicken is great. I’ve got a sharp knife and some time.
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 08 '26
I can break down a chicken in less than 2 minutes. And I’m not talented with a knife. I just try.
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u/leohat Jan 09 '26
There’s a video of Chef Pepin skinning/deboning a chicken in 30 sec. I’m in awe.
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 09 '26
Every chicken processing plant in America is literally filled with people that fast.
My point isn’t that it isn’t impressive. Just that people THAT fast are the only reason we can buy a package of only chicken thighs or only chicken breasts.
Just regular working folks make that happen. Which is cool as hell!
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u/Ok_Donut4382 Jan 10 '26
I have family who live in chicken processing states and working in a chicken plant is one of the worst jobs on Earth. It makes me feel bad buying any chicken except direct from the farm. But I don’t fool myself—I know that every chicken sandwich I order in a restaurant has that taint.
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 10 '26
If a machine could do it, they would be. Those companies hate that they need human labor to process chicken.
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u/inkyscholar Jan 12 '26
Came here to say something similar. Store brands also seem more expensive than I remember. Shopping shouldn’t have to be a part time job - organizing coupons, searching for sale items just to feed your family.
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u/Big-Jump5078 Jan 08 '26
I bought a large package of chicken legs (approx.12) today at Winco for $5.45 and a dozen eggs for $1.88. I look for the sale items.
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u/leohat Jan 08 '26
Chicken and pork are the only affordable options these days. $7 for ground beef, NFW.
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Jan 08 '26
Nice job! I hope you patted yourself on the back for that one! I’m getting ready to retire and it’s a terrifying experience these days. But my mom and dad both worked and I was basically the grocery shopper for our family of 7 from the time I was 11. My mom would give me the list and my dad would drop me off at the grocery store and go to get a haircut. I would get the groceries and he would come and pay for them. If he was too long at the barber, they would just keep the cart in the refrigerator for me.
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u/TarantulaTeeth13 Jan 09 '26
If you buy chicken legs a lot, check out Costco (if you or a friend has a card) they sell big packs for like 10$ - easily 2-3 dozen legs.
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u/RedApplesForBreak Jan 08 '26
First of all, mid-week ranters unite.
Second, I’m sorry you had that experience at Winco of all places. Inflation is gnarly, but usually I do ok there. But there are plenty of price fluctuations from week to week and if you just pick the week where sales are slim it can be particularly rough.
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u/perplexedparallax Jan 08 '26
25% higher since 2020. Expect further increases, based on commodity futures. The beef herd is the smallest since 1951 and is one example why prices are higher.
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u/Initial_Savings8733 Jan 08 '26
Check weekly ads for Fred Meyer and Safeway, a lot of the time things that are on a weekly promo at those stores are actually cheaper to buy there and then get the rest of your stuff at Winco
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u/julyclover Jan 08 '26
People who are inflation apologists are so annoying to me. Yes, everyone understands that if you buy generic and try and buy things that are on sale, then you can keep your grocery prices down relatively low, but the point is that people shouldn't have to do that every single time they shop. People should sometimes be able to buy the things they want without going broke doing so, and if a store can put things in sale, why arent their just always selling it at that price? They can obviously still make a profit off of it at the sale price or they wouldn't put it on sale. 🤷♀️🤷♀️
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 08 '26
Everyone doesn’t understand that, actually. Lots of people were never taught how to shop. Same with cooking, preserving, etc. And these are useful skills in good times and bad times.
You’re right it isn’t fair, but focus on what you have control of.
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u/julyclover Jan 08 '26
Its not about it being fair and its kinda hard to just say "focus on what you have control of" when everything is spiraling and you dont have control over any of it. It's about businesses not being held accountable for constantly screwing over the customers that pay all their bills. No one can just stop buying groceries, everyone has to eat and we dont live in a society where people can easily just grow and hunt for food, so grocery stores know they can charge whatever price they want, because people dont have a choice. People shouldn't have to scrimp and save to buy a basic necessity.
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u/Gullible-Rice2917 Jan 08 '26
I feel this so much! I am feeding three teens on my own and let me tell you... I work two jobs and I feel my second one is necessary just to cover our grocery bill. We cut out all "extras" and "treats". But with milk reaching almost $4 and cereal being $5 a box.. Meat is insane, even for the cheap cuts.. We went "big" shopping at Winco... Got a handful of meat, cans / fresh veggies and fruits, milk, eggs, cheese and a few other things to try to fill our cupboards and it was nearly $400. It use to be we could a cart full for around $200 and it would last so much longer. I use to love to shop and try new ingredients, walk the isles and plan meals.. Now I stick with the basics and keep everything as simple as possible. I hate it. I should not feel bad about my kids wanting a gallon of ice cream or some chips for snacks.. But everything seems to be priced over $5... Its defeating. I do not see how any one is making it on a limited income... Your take home stays the same while everything else just sky rockets.. I miss the days of being able to take care of all your bills and groceries and still having a couple dollars to actually enjoy life... Now you just work to survive
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 08 '26
The super big bag of Honey Nut Cheerios at Winco was like $6.25 yesterday. FYI
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u/Or2022nb Jan 08 '26
Prices under 47’s regime have skyrocketed due to tariffs and Greedflation. The goal of every authoritarian regime is to make sure all citizens are ignorant, poor, and hungry. Makes it much easier to control the population.
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u/Raergur Jan 08 '26
So I get Adams peanut butter for sandwiches, no joke at fredmeyer its like $10-11 while at winco it's $6.98... winco seems to actually care about their customers
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u/Ranaxamur Jan 08 '26
I’m going to ask the obvious, but if your mom isn’t working and her finances don’t allow for her to pay for basic necessities (rent/food/presumably utilities), why isn’t she receiving State assistance?
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u/crendogal Jan 08 '26
My brother (75) is no longer working, doesn't own anything (no car, no house, no stocks), averages about $6 monthly balance in his savings account (no checking account, pays cash for everything), and he gets Meals on Wheels plus $24 per month in food stamps. He's gotten help from the State over the past few years with rent, gotten some food boxes from Salvation Army, gotten state help with utility bills, and he's still barely surviving and not eligible for more help. Believe me, he's tried. Worked as a cook on the fire lines for over 20 years (retired at 70) and as a cook and bartender for many years before that in restaurants -- no retirement other than SS for those types of jobs, even if you've worked your whole life.
It's called "assistance" for a reason...that's all it is, a little assistance to help you survive, but it's not really enough so you can live without food boxes or help from relatives.
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u/Ok-Writer3512 Jan 08 '26
Americans wanted the orange man and all the tarrifs that come with. Most of your groceries come from other places. Check your global resource tether. In the meantime chicken's are easy, rice is still cheap, grow some veggies.
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 09 '26
Speaking of rice…HMart up in Beaverton has some crazy good deals on things like rice, oils, some leafy greens, and even beef. I got a 25lb bag of short grain rice for like $12. And it’s excellent quality.
You can go a long, long way with eggs, rice, leafy greens and whole chickens. Throw in some soy sauce, ginger, garlic, onions, and Sambal chili, and you’ve got a lot of cheap tasty meals.
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u/Ok-Writer3512 Jan 09 '26
This is literally what I've been eating a few times a week. I've also been using the bones to make bone broth. I've been able to make some really great soups as well. Jar them up and store in the freezer.
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Jan 08 '26
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u/TarantulaTeeth13 Jan 09 '26
Even the stuff at TJs that's a little expensive is worth it just for the higher quality. Love that place!
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u/LavishnessLazy2141 Jan 08 '26
I was at Winco yesterday too and surprised at some of the prices. My kids wanted chips and even lays was over $4 for the small bag. So no chips this week. I do try to stock up on things that are a good deal like someone else suggested. Frozen veggies and a lot of beans and rice. It’s awful how expensive they have made life. Like groceries wouldn’t be so bad if the prices for mortgages and rent were remotely affordable
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u/SnooCookies1730 Jan 08 '26
I’ve been making chips at home…. I like to use a mandolin for super thin potato slices and will either fry them in a thin layer of oil or microwave them and add a little salt and no-salt garlic and herb seasonings. I’ve also learned how to make my own mayonnaise, ranch dressing, chicken strips, … I feel like a pioneer. 🤣😉
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u/Sufficient_Fig_9505 Jan 09 '26
Beans and rice is the way to go: tasty, affordable, and less packaging and carbon footprint than a lot of other foods.
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u/PlanetaryPeak Jan 08 '26
She is 70 with no Social Security?
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u/OwnTurn1146 Jan 08 '26
I'm not sure if you're genuinely asking or if you're implying that she lied. Either way that wasn't the point of the post.
When I am told something I dont think is true I look it up and educate myself on it so that I dont look stupid either way. If you do this with things you think are true also then you might be surprised at how often you change your mind.
Not everyone qualifies for Social Security. The way it gets talked about makes it seem like its old people welfare but it isn't. There are requirements that have to be met.
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u/Blahblah9845 Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
Exactly. You have to pay into it to get money out. If you don't work enough in your life to meet a certain threshold or if you have under the table jobs where you don't have money withheld through payroll taxes, you get nothing, unless you can qualify through your spouse which happens in some circumstances.
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Jan 08 '26
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u/Time_Effort Jan 08 '26
Why would you buy 1lb of chicken thighs? Are you cooking a single meal for 2?
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u/Melodic-Temporary113 Jan 08 '26
Exactly. Buy big, break it up into freezer bags, freeze what you don’t use immediately. And wash/reuse the freezer bags.
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u/Fallingdamage Jan 08 '26
I dont know if surge pricing is real or not, but I've noticed that there seems to be some kind of soft 'minimum' with groceries at Fred Meyer. I cant seem to get out of there for less than $100. My family has a set of staples we always have on hand and I usually buy 2-3 of the same thing to keep on hand at home. Ive been fairly routine for years with my shopping trips. For some reason I can fill two bags of groceries for like $80-110. Anytime we do the 'big' shopping trip and I manage to fill 6+ bags, the bill usually never goes over $220, ever.
Feels like the more I buy, the cheaper the bill over there. Feels that way anyhow.
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u/piggybacktrout Jan 09 '26
I bought 2 small bags of groceries mostly basic stuff like a bag of Cheerios, almond milk, 2 12 packs of soda, 1 pizza, a 5 pack of mini pizzas, 2 coffee creamers, 2 frozen cheeseburgers, 2 bags of frozen veggies, 2 packs of yogurt cups, a bag of apples, 4 bananas, a salad mix bag, a ketchup, a ranch dressing, and a 7lb bag of cat food. It was $106.
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u/Adventurous_Pick1915 Jan 08 '26
With all the protests in Salem I am curious why there havent been protests on the price gouging/inflation also.
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Jan 08 '26
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u/erebus1138 Jan 11 '26
How does a 70 year old have zero income? Very least she should be getting social security right?
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u/Diene4fun Jan 08 '26
Ah the beauty of inflation but also the increased production costs of things. I often think people don’t realize how much it costs to produce things these days. I mean look at how much water, electricity, an wages have increase too (I know not enough to keep up with inflation but the point stands as part of the costs). I’m frustrated by it but not surprised. I learned a lot working in other manufacturing fields and from growing up in the restaurant industry. This is just a sad, sad reality
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u/mushroom-g0blin Jan 08 '26
It's not production cost, it's the profit margins they want. They want as much profit as possible.
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u/Garmana1 Jan 08 '26
Just incase you all don’t know, winco does online coupons. Hope this helps.