Disguising Price Increases(No Politics Please)

[karstopography]

@pepperhead212 HEB has 32oz of H2O2 for $1.

[pepperhead212]

@karstopography
There are no HEBs up here. And have they been reducing sizes of a lot of items like that?

[worth1]

@karstopography
There are no HEBs up here. And have they been reducing sizes of a lot of items like that?

Not really.
HEB cares for its customers.
One time someone stole my peppers off the checkout after I paid for them and they just told me to go get what I lost without any hassle.

[karstopography]

@karstopography
There are no HEBs up here. And have they been reducing sizes of a lot of items like that?

I haven’t bought Hydrogen Peroxide in years, but, funny, I bought a quart for a buck of 3% H2O2 yesterday. They had smaller sizes, but I didn’t notice the price on those. H2O2 is said to be good to kill spider mites on tomato leaves mixed 1/1 with water so that’s why I bought it. My one remaining Big Beef plant from spring has been fighting with spider mites and mostly losing. Since the plant has decided to set a few fall tomatoes, I decided to do something towards defending it.

Brand of Peroxide I bought is Degasa, made in Mexico. But, I don’t care where it was made. Has the usual fizz factor, I did notice that. This morning I misted a mixture of 16oz H2O2 and 16oz H2O on my two remaining tomato plants. Might repeat the misting deal in a week or so. A few November tomatoes seems like a fair trade for $1 of Peroxide.

Not sure on the sizes and shrinkage for HEB brand stuff.

[pepperhead212]

Update - I stopped by the Dollar Tree near me (I usually don't drive around this much, but I had a PC doctor's appointment early, and they wired in 2 prescriptions, which are right up from Dollar Tree, and were ready), and they had a stack of 5 boxes of 16 each H2O2 quarts (these were Swan brand), and absolutely none of the small ones on the shelves! I didn't get any more, but I know a lady that goes there much more than I do, and I'll have her watch it for me, to see if it seems to be depleting, like the other store. She'll take that as a challenge.

It was funny what happened there - when I saw all those quarts, and I started looking for those small ones, and didn't see any, I said something like "Wow! And it looks like those others aren't even here." A lady who worked there said something like "Were you looking for something in particular?" And with sort of a sheepish laugh, I said "Oh, you heard me talking to myself!" And I told her the story about the other store, and getting what seemed like the last 3 quarts, because of the small ones. And I said "In case you're wondering what I use all this peroxide for, it's for my garden." She immediately wanted to know more, and to shorten the story a little, I told he some of the things, and told her how to find more online, as far as the fungicide uses, spraying for some inects, and for seed soaking. Another guy was listening to us with interest, I could tell, and started talking with me, and he ended up buying 2 of them! I told them I wasn't getting any kickbacks for all I was saying about it! And I've had good success with the 3% stuff, despite some things saying it has some bad additives to it.

[bower]

Haha! Peroxide influencer, no less Great story.

It's a shame I don't live closer to the supermarket because if it was a little easier to shop every week, I doubt I would ever pay full price on anything!
Shocking specials they had in place leading up to Canadian thanksgiving (that's Monday).
The coffee which has shot up to $18 on special for $10. I bought FOUR. That's $32 saved. I might have to buy myself a treat! I was tempted to clear the shelf (there were two more of the fine grind kind I prefer) but they were already out of most kinds and I thought I should leave some for someone else. This is the kind of special I expect to see when the shop gets a new load of stock in and had to move their old inventory.
Scored a couple of jars of Hellman's at the old price of $5.49 (which is now regular $8.99). This is a real teaser because they have not been on special for months!
Bags of apples have gone to $10-12 a bag. Today every kind except the primo organic Gala apples was on for $4.84 a bag. I got Cortlands to make some baked things and Galas to eat.
In the meat section... huge pile of whole chickens at $5.49 a kilo. I spotted a wee chicken with a pricetag $5.38. Been awhile since I saw such a price on a bird, I had to buy it. Will be roasting this evening with some nice spuds I grew myself.
Those would be the 'lost leaders' for my store this week. The deals that get people in the door and buy their other groceries as well.
Meanwhile there was a lot of action around a roast beef special - I had a look in the cooler, many quite large roasts, pricetags in the $40-50 range.. Whoa. I guess that is for people who just gotta have beef, maybe a family gathering for large, but the kilo price is still very high IMO. All of the other chicken and pork was at least $11/kilo (regular price) and beef the cheapest around $18/kilo. Which seems nuts until you consider a bargain chunk of salmon at $23/kilo. Never a special there. I did buy one all the same to cut into 3 steaks, at a fraction of their cut steak price. We bears must have it from time to time.
I was also out of cheese and had to buy a few 400 g bars at the regular price of $6.49. No more cheese wars with the $5 and even $4 bars... yet. I am waiting to see those specials reappear.... why not.
Can of oil is the other item on my replenish list but still holding now at $27 and fully stocked, no one is buying perhaps. I can wait.
I also scored a bag of local vegs - small cabbage couple rutabaga and some gorgeous carrots, which I did not even look at or consider the price... priceless.

[Tormahto]

Haha! Peroxide influencer, no less Great story.

It's a shame I don't live closer to the supermarket because if it was a little easier to shop every week, I doubt I would ever pay full price on anything!
Shocking specials they had in place leading up to Canadian thanksgiving (that's Monday).
The coffee which has shot up to $18 on special for $10. I bought FOUR. That's $32 saved. I might have to buy myself a treat! I was tempted to clear the shelf (there were two more of the fine grind kind I prefer) but they were already out of most kinds and I thought I should leave some for someone else. This is the kind of special I expect to see when the shop gets a new load of stock in and had to move their old inventory.
Scored a couple of jars of Hellman's at the old price of $5.49 (which is now regular $8.99). This is a real teaser because they have not been on special for months!
Bags of apples have gone to $10-12 a bag. Today every kind except the primo organic Gala apples was on for $4.84 a bag. I got Cortlands to make some baked things and Galas to eat.
In the meat section... huge pile of whole chickens at $5.49 a kilo. I spotted a wee chicken with a pricetag $5.38. Been awhile since I saw such a price on a bird, I had to buy it. Will be roasting this evening with some nice spuds I grew myself.
Those would be the 'lost leaders' for my store this week. The deals that get people in the door and buy their other groceries as well.
Meanwhile there was a lot of action around a roast beef special - I had a look in the cooler, many quite large roasts, pricetags in the $40-50 range.. Whoa. I guess that is for people who just gotta have beef, maybe a family gathering for large, but the kilo price is still very high IMO. All of the other chicken and pork was at least $11/kilo (regular price) and beef the cheapest around $18/kilo. Which seems nuts until you consider a bargain chunk of salmon at $23/kilo. Never a special there. I did buy one all the same to cut into 3 steaks, at a fraction of their cut steak price. We bears must have it from time to time.
I was also out of cheese and had to buy a few 400 g bars at the regular price of $6.49. No more cheese wars with the $5 and even $4 bars... yet. I am waiting to see those specials reappear.... why not.
Can of oil is the other item on my replenish list but still holding now at $27 and fully stocked, no one is buying perhaps. I can wait.
I also scored a bag of local vegs - small cabbage couple rutabaga and some gorgeous carrots, which I did not even look at or consider the price... priceless.

Do they have the "pasteurized processed cheese food" up your way?

[karstopography]

https://www.newfoundlandgrocerystores.c ... 9606001_EA

Apparently, Cheez Whiz is available in Newfoundland.

[bower]

Do they have the "pasteurized processed cheese food" up your way?

Um.... IDK??
Everything is pasteurized by law afaik, so that's a yes.
Processed cheese.. well there must be some.
Food... but is it?
Just kidding. There are slices of processed cheese somewhere in the aisle for sure, we never bought or et it, so I don't notice the price.
We have jars of Cheese Whiz here too, who doesn't love it, that's processed cheese for sure. Very expensive now though. Taste of 'we were kids'. I have been known to buy a jar every ten years or so on the whim.
I would think processed cheese slices would be more expensive too, than regular cheese? But IDK.

[bower]

@karstopography got it first. Cheeze whiz it izz!!

[pepperhead212]

I can't remember the last time I had Cheese Whiz! Or "American" cheese - one of those pasteurized products that is often "on sale" for $3.99/lb. Yet, Cracker Barrel cheeses, in 10 oz blocks, were often on sale for $1.99, and they used to have those paper coupons for $1.00 for those all the time! Yet people were still buying that American cheese, just because that's what they were used to, not because it tasted better!

[worth1]

I actually like kraft American cheese on my lunch sandwich with cotto salami and mayonnaise.
I keep it around the house myself as well.
No one has to be a pretentious cheese and wine snob all the time.

[bower]

We certainly loved Cheeze Whiz and ate it several ways, memorably melting on toast, or scooped into the hollow of celery stalks.
I had a craving for it a couple years ago and was bowled over by the price. iirc, around $9 a jar compared to similar size peanut butter closer to $4. I doubt that has changed with the latest pressure on prices!
There's nothing wrong with the slices either, but I never buy slices of any cheese... why pay someone else to do that. This is probably where we veered to other cheeses usually cheddar by the block, in my Mother's household too. They were pinching every penny.
I must admit I was a little disappointed when I finally bought some Cheez Whiz as a treat. I didn't love it as much as I remembered. Same goes for KD. I guess my tastes changed over time. My Mom always made mac and cheese from scratch, so KD was a novelty to us kids when we had it. But in reality, that homemade m/c with grated cheddar and a tin of plum tomatoes was way better.

[worth1]

Speaking of wine I bet the people thought I was a wino.
One guy was looking at them while I was in line.
One person one time actually asked about the stuff.
I was covered in dust from work with a bandana on my head.
My reply was I cooked with it.
Not looking like the stereotypecle snob chef and more like a person out of an apocalypse movie it caught her by surprise.
Stopped off yesterday and picked up a gallon of paisano a bottle each of port marsala and vermouth.
They were all marked down.

[Tormahto]

Do they have the "pasteurized processed cheese food" up your way?

Um.... IDK??
Everything is pasteurized by law afaik, so that's a yes.
Processed cheese.. well there must be some.
Food... but is it?
Just kidding. There are slices of processed cheese somewhere in the aisle for sure, we never bought or et it, so I don't notice the price.
We have jars of Cheese Whiz here too, who doesn't love it, that's processed cheese for sure. Very expensive now though. Taste of 'we were kids'. I have been known to buy a jar every ten years or so on the whim.
I would think processed cheese slices would be more expensive too, than regular cheese? But IDK.

Processed cheese FOOD.

In the States, processed cheese is 100% cheese, processed cheese food has a minimum requirement of being 51% cheese. It was sometimes sold at about .99/lb (individually wrapped slices) a few years ago, and came in "white" or "yellow". I'll leave it at that.

[karstopography]

There’s a category under “processed cheese food”, namely “processed cheese product” that is anything under 51% cheese.

[bower]

I was surprised to see an ad recently where "La Vache Qui Rit" or "Laughing Cow" product was described as "made with cheese". I always thought it WAS a kind of cheese, not just made with it. Humph.
Maybe that would be in the PrChFood category?

[Uncle_Feist]

Velveeta rocks!

[karstopography]

https://culturecheesemag.com/blog/real- ... t-welcome/

Cheesy terminology.

[Danny]

Cream cheese has doubled in price here, even for the store house brands. Almost 2 dollars now for an 8 ounce block. Pretty soon, cheaper to make it at home, like creme fraiche is now. Ricotta is still reasonable, for now.