Disguising Price Increases(No Politics Please)

[worth1]

I noticed more package shrinkage today. Slivered almonds were the same price as last year, but the weight went from 10 oz to 8.5 oz. And, I bought the bulk roll of GV aluminum foil. The old roll was 285 ft, the new one 225 feet. I can't recall what I paid for the old one a few years ago. There's no way that I'm buying the uber expensive Reynolds brand. I'm perfectly fine wearing my generic tinfoil hat.

Me too, I get generic store brand everything in the OTC department for pennies on the dollar.

[karstopography]

I’m happy to say Aldi has Aluminum roasting pans for 95 cents. They are double that amount at HEB. 95 cents was the price at Aldi in 2020. Too late now for tomorrow, but anyone that does meat on indirect heat on a smoker or fries in quantity needs roasting pans.

[worth1]

Neighbors get breakfast from the Texas Grill in Bastrop on Sunday's.
He paid 6 dollars for a glass of milk.

[GoDawgs]

Neighbors get breakfast from the Texas Grill in Bastrop on Sunday's.
He paid 6 dollars for a glass of milk.

And they'll keep charging that as long as people keep paying it.

[bower]

The feast you could prepare at home for the price of a single meal in a restaurant has turned me off the experience of eating out for many years. Some high end restaurants can serve up taste delights I never imagined - as I have only experienced once or twice as a guest - and I suppose if you're wealthy enough it is worth the cash to experience the treat. But the majority of restaurants are not offering anything I couldn't do as well or better at home, and enough to feed a half dozen friends for the price of one plate. I prefer to put the time in and cook a special meal myself, and really feast it up for the same dollar!
Charging 6 bucks for an ordinary glass of milk is beyond a joke. For the privilege of having it poured and served to you.
And you better believe the server is not getting 5 bucks for their part in the 'creation' of this culinary magnificence.

[karstopography]

@worth1 Sounds like Bastrop has gotten too many crazy rich refugees from Austin or other affluent areas. How can you dress up a glass of milk to cost $6? Even the organic non-hormone treated milk is available for something like $6, a gallon. Even if they give you a full pint, that’s 8X costs, 20X for standard non-organic milk. Even fancy restaurants seldom mark up wine or beer over 4X costs.

[karstopography]

@Bower I’m mostly with you on restaurants. So many meals out I can remember weren’t even close to worth it. Mediocre food and service that costs an arm and a leg, no thank you. We eat out probably less than anyone else I know. I can’t stand going someplace for so-so food, indifferent service and a big price tag. I don’t know about Canadians, but Americans in general are terrible at service in restaurants. Obviously, there are plenty of exceptions, but most young Americans in most food service settings don’t seem to very good at focusing their attention on anything besides themselves, that’s been my recent experience.

The last great dine out was not on me, but was a birthday gift, and it was a fantastic time. The food was beyond comparison, the service fantastic, it was an experience. I’d save up the money from avoiding 20 indifferent dine out experiences to have one great experience once in a while.

Mexican food might be an exception. Not something we pull off at home all that well and there are affordable options nearby with very good service and a nice atmosphere. Once in a while, I like a plate of enchiladas or campechana de mariscos. There are a few other exceptions, but this microwave or frylator warmed up frozen Sysco food dressed with splashy advertising or low quality meats and not so fresh veggies like so many places get away with, along with the hateful service, no thank you. I can’t understand how so many restaurants out there still exist.

[brownrexx]

I don't even TRY to make good Mexican food. Soft tacos and quesadillas don't really count.

We have not been there since the pandemic started but we have a restaurant with only about 10 tables and it is run by Mexican Americans and the food if fabulous.

For non Mexican food we like to go out for breakfast more than we go out for dinner.

[karstopography]

One thing I do like in the restaurant industry is the trend to higher quality places that have counter service. You order at the counter, you later pick up your food once it is prepared at the counter. Sort of like a big chain fast food place, but with much more interesting and better quality offerings, better atmosphere, and at not such bad prices. There is no wait staff to contend with. You wait on yourself. Semi-fine dining or at least fresh and high quality food that isn’t so marked up. No balky service to clog up the works.

[Tormahto]

Neighbors get breakfast from the Texas Grill in Bastrop on Sunday's.
He paid 6 dollars for a glass of milk.

Was that in 120 wooden nickels?

[bower]

@karstopography fish and chips here is like mexican food in your area. There are restaurants that do it to perfection, and they aren't so overpriced that it isn't worth the occasional treat, even though prices have doubled since the cod moratorium. They also do takeout, so no need to pay extra to sit in (by tipping for service) if you don't want to.
Even one of our really fancy gourmet restaurants has (or had, pre-pandemic) a sit-down "bar" where you can buy an appetizer and a drink without the full monty multi-course table seated dining and its cost. It is not cheap of course, even to get an appetizer, but it is a great way to sample their amazing product without breaking the bank.
My first experience of really fine 'food as art and entertainment' dining was a 7 course taster's menu of mushrooms prepared especially for us as a thanks for helping the chefs to explore and identify edible mushrooms in their area. (My friend is an expert and brought me along to help, as her favorite truffle pig ) It was like nothing I'd ever experienced and really blew me away. Same friend later treated me to a dinner at the restaurant the same two opened in town. Again it was great, and probably worth the cost, but my humble budget does not have room for such extravagance. I do appreciate what they do is worth it though. And many people can afford it, why not? The level of talent and skill in those high end chefs is pretty amazing and they must start with something special even before they are trained. My SIL is another one, who has put some stunning meals in front of us. And my farmer friends DH also puts together the tastes in a way that is outstanding. They deserve a high end reward for what they do.
However this is not at all the same market as folks who just want a cooked meal because they're traveling or too tired to cook after working all day.
And no, I don't believe any of the real chefs I've met would even think of marking up a plain glass of milk for an easy dollar!

[Paulf]

I think the heading of this thread should read,"disgusting price Increases."

[brownrexx]

Hubby and I just stopped at a Sheetz convenience store. I bought a 1.25 oz. bag of chips that I thought should be 99 cents. It was actually $1.89. Ridiculous.

[pepperhead212]

You have to watch those prices closely! That's why I always add them up as I get them, and if it isn't close to what I came to in my head, I look closely at the tape.

I was surprised when I was at Lidl before TG, and the tortilla chips, which had gone up to $2.29, from $1.19 (those kind of things they hope we don't look at the prices on!), came back down to $0.89! That's what they had been there, and Aldi, for a long time, before they went up to $1.19. I guess a lot more people than me were leaving them on the shelves, and they realized that! But they had even more things incredibly cheap, the one I was most surprised at being the $1.40/lb butter.

The prices at that Mexican grocery/restaurant here in town, really hasn't gone up much, many of the things coming from Mexico, like the cheeses, are pretty much the same. Same thing at the Indian market, so there doesn't seem to be a shortage, or price gouging at those places.

[slugworth]

They are even messing with my parodi cigars.
I took one out of the box and it looked like a dried twig.
I've seen cat turds that were bigger.

[worth1]

Tamales have skyrocketed in price.
I think it's due to the new found popularity of them more than anything.
Almost 10 dollars for less than a dozen.
7 dollars or more for the wee ones.
All manner of foo foo choices to pick from.
They even have a person roaming the store selling hot Tamales get your red hot Tamales out of a cart.
Yelling this as they push it along.
Usually behind me and I almost jump out of my skin.

[GoDawgs]

Tamales have skyrocketed in price.
I think it's due to the new found popularity of them more than anything.

You know, I think making a batch would be a fun project. From all I've seen it's not hard, just time consuming. Being retired, time is something readily available. I already have masa harina and a steamer, Walmart sells the corn husks and there are a lot of filling recipes online. I could freeze the extras for quick lunches.

One of the Mexican ladies where I used to work would bring them in for the office Christmas pot luck lunch.

[Julianna]

@GoDawgs I make my own. I started with a recipe is found online called Grandma Salazar's Tamales and then I edited it to fit my needs. Since I am allergic to all mammal, I replaced the tallow or lard with olive oil and I just do chicken. I figured out some time saving hacks. I will sometimes boil a precooked rotisserie chicken or just straight frozen chicken breasts. The rotisserie chicken really cuts time. The breasts take a bit longer. I then freeze a bunch of uncooked tamales once assembled and take them out and steam at will. Takes a few hours in all once I started and most of that is the boiling of the chicken, so you can just do whatever during that time.

[GoDawgs]

@Julianna , thanks so much for that info! I'll look up that recipe.

[worth1]

The trick is to whip the masa and lard shortening or chicken fat until it floats in a glass of water.
Not totally necessary but it helps.
This is a good reason to save chicken fat if you're allergic to other things.
Yet another use for the stand mixer.