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Been buying a few items at Aldi. Price of Cherub tomatoes was $2.48-$2.49 per 10-oz package before Aug 1. Price today (Aug 2), the price is $2.65. Fun part: Walmart price before Aug 1 was also $2.48-$2.49. Now, Walmart price (same Cherub tomatoes) is $3.27.

Probably stating the obvious here but prices can vary greatly depending on the store. I was single for many decades but now my wife does the shopping and hits a variety of stores (Sams, Costco, Winco, Safeway, Frys, Walmart) depending on the week or need. She was showing me the price for this one brand of salad dressing and it ranged from $2.50 to $6 depending on the store.

When I was a single guy my biggest things was mostly to stay in the 15 item or less line and if I saw something that I used that was on sale, I would stock up on it, but the thought of going to a number of stores wasn't in my plans.

I've never been to Aldi's although we have one fairly close but the last time I was out, it didn't open until after some of the other stores.

prices can vary greatly depending on the store.

Yes, I know (LOL). I have been a low-cost buyer for decades. Used to shop two major grocery stores about a block apart. Both open 24 hrs/day (at that time, anyway). Did shopping at 10pm on Sat night at one store. Bought an early Sunday edition of the paper to get the ads for the next day/week (which was less than 2 hrs away). Then browse the ads. Once I saw that I wanted something on sale, I then shopped the next week's specials at both stores.

Now, I get everything delivered. I shop online, place orders, and get deliveries right to me via Instacart or store delivery. Need more freezer space to justify Amazon Fresh, as I mostly see some of their frozen items (Stouffers) are the lowest cost of even some sale prices. Used to buy more items from them, but Fresh raised free delivery to orders of $150+ not ME !!), so I dropped them. Eligibility for Fresh was included w/Prime for orders $35+, which I could do. But $150+ is just for large buyers (i.e. families buying groceries and getting free delivery). SNAP would fit into that market very nicely. Tipping the driver would be cheaper than having to go to the store and spending a lot of time shopping with kids--especially if they don't have a car.

via Instacart or store delivery


Aren't there fees with Instacart? Been quite some time since I got anything using Instacart.

Thanks.

Aren't there fees with Instacart?

Yes, the $99 annual fee plus a (say) $3/order fee (some are no fee). They also mark-up items at stores that will not give them a discount on orders. You pay one way or you pay another--but the customer always ends up paying. The idea is to pay to get what you want.

Instacart allows me to buy from any store on their list rather than have to go to each store and do my own shopping. Far cheaper than the $2k to $4k/yr cost of owning and maintaining a car, gas, and so on. Plus, I don't have any parking problems, tickets, tows, or worry about digging it out of the snow and so on.

I have three subscriptions for delivery: Instacart ($99), Walmart ($95), and Amazon Prime ($8/mo). All of which I can readily justify as being the lowest total cost vs alternatives (if there are any).

Used to have Shipt, but dropped it. Target management "went stupid" a year or more ago, so I dropped them. My primary use for Shipt was to buy from Target and have Shipt deliver.

Just checked Aldi and their prices are now higher due to the tariffs, but not much. Same tomatoes (Product of Mexico) is now $2.65 (was $2.48-$2.49). Iceberg lettuce now $2.39 was sub-$2.00 last time. So no major increases. Walmart was much higher ($3.25+) on same tomatoes. Lettuce competitive (didn't look at Walmart prices today).

Just got a Walmart delivery and nothing significant in terms of price changes this time. Will be watching both, as I buy specific items from each I can't get elsewhere (proprietary store brands).

"Same tomatoes (Product of Mexico) is now $2.65 (was $2.48-$2.49). Iceberg lettuce now $2.39 was sub-$2.00 last time"

definitely inflationary. In your example, tomato's up 6%, lettuce up 19%.
Americans are going to be feeling those tariffs and the deportation of ag workers.
Probably going higher on food products.

Trump is so proud of how much the Treasury is taking in via tariffs, he'll be crowing
non stop soon. His supporters will be doing backflips in their elation of paying more,
but no not really paying more, the foreigners pay the tariffs,lol. But the rest of us
will know we're getting screwed.

definitely inflationary. In your example, tomato's up 6%, lettuce up 19%.

Lettuce is up due to shortage and high demand.

Tomatoes are all tariff related, but may be covered by NAFTA 2--so minimal increase. 6% is ok, especially if the price fluctuates all year--with summer being lowest price due to volume output from Mexican fields (ripened in the field). US tomatoes are usually hothouse grown and turned red by using chemicals/gases to ripen them artificially quickly. Outside looks ripe but inside is nowhere ready for eating.

His supporters will be doing backflips in their elation of paying more,
but no not really paying more, the foreigners pay the tariffs,lol. But the rest of us
will know we're getting screwed.

We would have internationally screwed ourselves so much less by simply putting in a VAT.

IP

Trump is so proud of how much the Treasury is taking in via tariffs, he'll be crowing
non stop soon. His supporters will be doing backflips

One future problem is that “the government”, and I mean both parties, will become addicted to this “new” pot of money and will be loathe to eliminate it, even as it’s more deleterious effects become evident. Slowdown? Stimulus! Luckily we have these new tax receipts to help pay for it.

Tax increase? Not necessary! We have these new receipts to help pay for increasing costs.

Once you accept that tariffs are paid by “the other guy”, this is all found money. Then you have to convince people to stop taking it.

Bah.

Once you accept that tariffs are paid by “the other guy”, this is all found money.

Buy as few tariffed items as possible. Let the idiot right pay YOUR TAXES AND THEIR TAXES.

If you believe there will be a tax rebate, we have some bridges in Brooklyn for sale: All sold "as is, CASH ONLY".

Ultimately, what you are going to find, is that state/local taxes will have to rise if people want to replace the services no longer subsidized by the federal government. That puts local politicians in the hot seat when it comes to raising taxes. The challenge is that frequently cities are demographically different thana the overall population of their states which can cause the equivalent of financial gerrymandering.

Years ago, NYC set up an Off-Track Betting authority which set up city-owned booky parlors. The tracks were located in New York State, but outside of the City. The rates set for the video feeds from the tracks was calculated to drain any profits and send the funds to municipalities outside of the City. NYC OTB went into Chapter 9 bankruptcy (When a municipality no longer can pay its bills - including to my company).

I think you'll find that, though NYC taxes pay for over half of the State's budget, those living outside pf the City couldn't give a fig for what was happening in the City.

We now have a Democratic mayoral candidate in a city which generally elects the Democrat, who thinks that NYC's working class deserves free buses, no rent increases, child care paid for by the City and so on - all paid for by the rich oligarchs who live there. While I'm far from being an oligarch, I have put off buying an apartment and am trying to decide what other state (or country) meets my requirements.

Jeff

Tax increase? Not necessary! We have these new receipts to help pay for increasing costs.

And once again, tariffs are taxes, albeit a regressive one.

Pete

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