I just made my monthly grocery run to Walmart today and saw that prices continue to increase markedly. A 24 ounce loaf of wheat bread is now at $1.38, up about 40 cents from last year. Not surprising, as wheat prices are at a record high. Other products that include grains are also up. Frozen waffles are at $1.08 a box, up from 89 cents. You cannot get cans of soup for less than 60 cents any longer. Walmart does have a good price on milk at $2.75 per gallon, which is considerably less than elsewhere. Bags and boxes of cereal look like they have gone up at least a quarter in the last few months as well. I now buy the store brand of most every product if one is available as there is usually a savings of at least 20 %, usually more. I did not purchase any product that was not a store brand today, but I will not in the case of mayonnaise, catsup, or jam as the store brand is of a markedly lower quality than the national brand in regard to these specific products. Even the store brand of biscuits is good enough to not ante up the extra money for the Pillsbury line, although there is not the full selection. Often if a store brand is not available, I will choose to forgo purchasing a product and just go without. My goal is to make it on about $60 to $75 per month on groceries, but these rising prices are making it more difficult to stick to that objective, so it will result in more consumption of cheaper foods and less good and healthy foods in order to avoid spending money that I cannot afford to spend.http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/articles/2008/03/09/surging_costs_of_groceries_hit_home/
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