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Rising food prices have varying impact
Photo by Aaron Burnett
Kyle Barth, from south of Holly, said his family has made some minor changes to its grocery list as food prices have risen more than four percent over the last year.
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LAMAR—Food prices seem to be on the rise. In 2007, the consumer price index (CPI) for food rose four percent, the largest annual increase since 1990.
In 2008, the CPI is forecasted to increase four and a half percent to five and a half percent.
The higher food prices are the result of increased energy and commodity prices according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The higher prices appear to have been the result of a confluence of several factors, including a higher worldwide food demand, weather related production problems, increased use of commodities to produce biofuels, increased U.S. agricultural exports and a weaker dollar.
Locally, price increases have seemed to have inspired more thrift among some shoppers.
“I just hunt for bargains more,” said longtime Lamar resident Mary Weimer. “You don’t take it for granted that any one store is going to be lower just because they are lower on one item. You have to do a little hunting.”
“To a certain extent I use the specials, the sale bills that come out in the paper,” added Gerti Williams.
“I notice that the groceries are higher, but I just don’t buy very many groceries as compared to a family,” said Williams. “I just don’t see how families can do it.”
Others though, don’t seem to be overly bothered by the rising prices. E.M Cooper, a former business owner in Lamar, and a resident of the municipality since 1946, said he feels that when the current prices are compared as a percentage of an individual’s income, prices may actually be lower now then when he was a young man. “Bread was a dime a loaf, but when you only made 20 cents an hour it’s not any more now them it was then,” said Cooper. He added that while rising prices would surely affect individuals on fixed incomes, he felt families and individuals working were probably fairly well off. “Just because a guy can’t go out and buy himself a new boat doesn’t mean that he’s bad off,” concluded Cooper.
For at least some families though, rising food and fuel prices have changed spending habits. Kyle Barth, who lives south of Holly in Kansas near the state line, said Monday while grocery shopping in Lamar, that his family has cut out some of the more frivolous items from the shopping list. He added he thought that they have not had to drastically alter shopping habits as food prices have increased. “We have to get food,” said Barth. “We’re buying less of junker food and more of the stuff to make meals.”
Barth added that while he only recently began handling some of the family shopping, prices appear significantly higher than he remembered. “It seems like things have doubled,” said Barth.
Even as rising food costs begin to carve out a larger portion of the average American’s overall income, individuals in the U.S only spent 9.8 percent of their disposable income on food. The percentage of the disposable income in the U.S spent on food steadily decreased from about a quarter of an individual’s income in the 1930s to less the 20 percent by the mid 1950s and about 10 percent by the 1990s. The percentage has remained relatively unchanged since 2000.
When compared to other countries, the U.S. has one of the lowest rates of percentage of income for food costs. Canada, with one of the closest rates to the U.S. spends 11.7 percent of its disposable income on food according to the economic research service of the USDA. The U.S.’s neighbor to the south, Mexico, spends 26.6 percent. The United Kingdom spends 16.4 percent while some developing countries such as Indonesia spend 50.6 percent on food.
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Posted by Carny on August 6, 2008 at 6:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Poor, poor choice of photos. I'm glad to see that beer is not a frivolous item. I want this guy's cookbook if he's buying a 24-pack of Coor's Lite to "make meals" with.
Posted by gaius on August 7, 2008 at 8:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Again its the middle class thats going to take this in the pants...
Just the other day while shopping with my meager list I saw a woman I know from previous contacts at W**M***(with several kids running hell bent around the store tearing the place apart) with two carts full of groceries. I would have to estimate that one cart was full of meats and brand names, the other with soda, junk food, ect.
Needless to say my temper when through the roof when the bill was totalled and this woman paid for it all with her QUEST card. Yes, welfare paid for all this good food while I had to pay for mine with my limited cash (and my labors...) I know this woman does not have a job, but then again she needed her rest after she loaded her groceries and all her kids into her new Tahoe SUV.
So it seems those who don't work get the rewards in this country. When is the middle class going to say enough, stop the welfare for these bumbs and give us who work a break so we can sustain our families....
Posted by tristar12 on August 7, 2008 at 9:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Amen Gaius! Amen! Carny...nice catch on the photo. I didn't catch that earlier. lol.
Posted by wtf on August 7, 2008 at 10:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Way to go Carny and Gaius. I agree 110% with the statements you both made. It's a sad day in America when you wish you didn't have a good job so you could get assistance from our government with food so you can drive a new car. I feel this is a huge matter that the government needs to look at. We all work hard for our money and these people don't have to at all. Yeah what is the nutritional value in beer anyway?
Posted by Carny on August 7, 2008 at 2:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To clarify, I didn't mean to suggest the guy in the photo doesn't work or uses government food programs. I don't know if he does or not. I only meant that you shouldn't gripe about how higher food prices are affecting your budget if you aren't adjusting your buying habits and priorities accordingly. Thanks for the compliments, though.
Posted by Aaronb on August 8, 2008 at 12:59 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by gaius on August 9, 2008 at 12:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
WTF,
Don't waste your breath trying to tell the government that the welfare system is broken and needs to be looked at. I believe they (the government) are just happy with millions of people being stuck on the welfare "teat", its called control of the masses. The Romans use to give the poor bread to keep them from revolt. Today we give out Medicade cards and QUEST cards!!!
Also, look at the welfare being a generational thing, parents teach their children, and so on. Its rampant here in Prowers County, families making a living on welfare. Its most frustrating when these "people" use and abuse welfare, and then have the money for the necessities in life, such as a expensive stereo for your new car, spinners for your wheels, and the all valuable cell phone.
So keep your jobs middle class America, million on welfare depend on you!!!
P.S. Beer has great nutritional value, high in carbs. Thats why its called "liquid bread".
Posted by gaius on August 9, 2008 at 2:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
All,
Sorry...its "Medicaid"...my bad!!!
Posted by educator on August 15, 2008 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ding Ding. Believe it or not, educator agrees with all of you. Mark the date and time:)
These programs should be used as needed, not as a means of income.
Paycheck to paycheck is the new middle class, which is turning very quickly into the lower class or upper-middle lower class in a sociological stratus.
I've used the system once while between jobs, but didn't bleed the account and it was only for a month.
I wish that I could live on such programs, drive nice vehicles with rims and systems, live in free housing or pay $30 a month for rent, and not have to worry about family planning or expenses involved with having another child. There is no point in talking about birth control with these groups.
A limit on numbers of children, based on income should be implemented. I'm sure that my daughter will see such in her lifetime, if not mine?
I take nothing away from the hard working person that definitely needs the extra support. The drug dealers and lazy fools that take advantage of every system available, including college aid as a means of income, makes me sick. That money will never be paid back, just increasing our interest rates for those of us that actually do want to move forward in our lives.
This is touchy, because most of you are thinking of immigrants, but this goes across all racial lines. It is only in our part of the state where one can point a finger at a majority. But, the gap isn't as big as we assume, possibly equal?
Posted by Carny on August 15, 2008 at 6:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ah, educator. I knew there was common ground here somewhere.
You are right in that you can't accuse one ethnic group of sucking up more than others - I too think abuse of these programs is shared by all. Workers' comp, disability, medicaid, food stamps, student financial aide - I don't know that we can accuse one ethnic background of more abuse than others. I know people who collect welfare payments in more than one state - appalling! I would like to see more crack-downs on abuse of these systems.
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