If hyperinflation exists when you see prices raise from day to day, then we are getting close to that point. We’ve seen gas prices rise daily; now I’m seeing food prices rise monthly. Here are some examples of recent price increases I have witnessed firsthand:
In a Dec. 10 post, I mentioned buying packages of Knorrs flavored pastas and rice for $1 each. They were still $1 in February. On Tuesday, they were $1.26. Those noodle and rice pouches increased 26 percent since I started monitoring them in December.
To be honest, I considered these cheap at $1 each, and $1.26 is still relatively inexpensive. However, these pouches contain only about four ounces of noodles with some powered spices. I can still buy a pound of pasta for about $1, making it a far better deal. Just another example of how processed foods are more expensive than cooking by scratch. I do like the pouch foods for bugging out and car emergency kits, however.
Cans of Great Value pulled pork in barbecue sauce were $3.48 in December and $3.92 in February. Yesterday they were $4.12. That’s an 18 percent price jump in less than 100 days and a 5 percent jump in less than a month. That’s also about $5.50 per pound, which is high. The roast beef is a better buy at $3.74.
The jars of pasta sauce I bought for 88 cents in February had jumped to $1.40, an increase of 59 percent. Makes me wish I had bought more than six. When you see a price that seems to be too good to be true, jump on it.
Future Projections
What makes these numbers worse is if you extrapolate them out to the end of the year. If their current rate of inflation holds, we could be looking at $2 per side dish pouch and over $6 per can by year-end. Monthly price rises are frightening enough; I’d hate to get to where they go up weekly or daily.
Seeing these price jumps made be doubly glad I had purchased the two cases of chili the other day. I only bought four cans of meat this visit.
Meanwhile, the government is trying to tell us that inflation is 7.9 percent over the past year. I believe that as much as I believe the rising prices are Putin’s fault, which is to say, not at all.
Packed Store Shelves
I have to admit, the shelves at my local Walmart were quite full. While the canned ham I had purchased on prior occasions was sold out, they had plenty of chicken, Spam and turkey. The empty pasta shelves from my last visits were better stocked, as were some of the frozen foods. There seemed to be depth on many of the shelves, not just one or two items in front. There were plenty of of baking supplies, and a surprising amount of cat food.
One of the biggest surprises was almost an entire row of shelves that held canning jars and canning accessories. They had regular mouth lids, but you needed to buy rings and lids to get the wide mouth kind. Still, there were hundreds of pint jars in stock and a good number of quarts. There were also lots of jelly and other small canning jars, and three different types of pectin.
Walmart Purchase Limits
Speaking of Walmart, I wanted to call your attention to the video below in which Patara reports some Walmart stores in Maryland and Virginia have a limit of 175 or 200 items per purchase. While this is unlikely to affect most customers, someone with a large family or who makes only a few trips to town each year could run into that upper limit. I know there are days when I have bought 48 cans of cat food, and we have only one cat.
If you have or want to have a homestead, I recommend you subscribe to her channel.
You’ll note that she talks about panic buying. According to this article, which originally appeared in the Washington Post, panic buying of food and cooking oils is already taking place in the Middle East.
If you enjoyed this article, you might like How to Prepare for the Coming Wheat Shortage.
I own a large freeze drier, which I operate 24/7 for 15 months now. Each load I do 15 pounds (MAX) of food, and I can dry 6 loads a week. I say this because I have been shopping in large enough quantities to keep my freeze drier running 24/7, so I have seen the prices jumping first hand. Last year to this year was pretty steady rises, but recently it’s taken off. I have the same experience as you in the last 100 days. It’s been shocking , and makes me think of James Wesley Rawles’ books.
However, as noteworthy as it is to me, I can’t get anyone in my orbit to prep a single can of soup. They still dismiss it with whatever excuse they grab first.
Orwell was spot on when describing the proletariat masses, they want to be left asleep. They prefer not to think critically.
We screwed
We don’t have a freeze drier, but my friend Karl got one recently. I’ve suggested the focus on meat, cheese and other proteins. The Alaskan prepper had a video recently where he got frozen meatballs and frozen chicken breast strips at Costco and freeze dried them. I thought that was a great idea.
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