I know rice and beans can get old really quickly, but... so much of food expense comes down to what you choose to buy. In my grocery store, pork has been super cheap, but bell peppers are crazy expensive. I buy the peppers anyway because they are a healthy, tasty option. When we consider food - especially if we are going to compare to 30 years ago - we have so many more, and more healthy options today than the past. I was in high school before I'd had anything other than velveta, cheddar, or generic "swiss" cheese. Why? I don't recall there being any other options at our grocery store - and my family was relatively well off compared to others. I've tried explaining the sugary, processed crap of the 1980s - white bread, oscar meyer bologna, kraft cheese, sugary drinks - to my kids and they sit in awe as they snack on their brie. Truly, the range of cuisines and types of food available to us today even in middle America is absolutely astounding - and unsustainable. You can't tell me it makes any sense at all that I can get tropical fruits in a middle America grocery store in the middle of winter.
> While commodities such as corn, wheat, coffee beans and chicken have gotten cheaper, prices for sugar, beef and french fries are still high or rising.
Are french fries a commodity?
For non-economists to try and understand the actual differences between rising supply costs vs. profit seeking (or "growth" by simply raising prices), weird metric mixing makes it harder.
From 1896 - 1971, a can of Cambell's 11oz Tomato Soup cost between 10-12¢
Yesterday, I purchased one (at Aldi Chattanooga) for $1.26
I’ve also noticed a lot of places with fewer employees running the whole place. There are shops I’ve casually walked into and left immediately due to the line. My time is worth something, and I consider making me wait as an extra hidden tax.