How are you handling rising food and energy costs?

[DCLMP]

But we are producing more than we consume.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2020 America produced 18.4 million barrels of oil per day and consumed 18.12 million.



So if even more is extracted from US soil, than wouldn't that extra also go into the global market as a US export rather than being consumed here?

Demand was way down in 2020. Remember covid?

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Demand was way down in 2020. Remember covid?

It was true in 2021 as well.

In 2021, the United States exported about 8.63 million barrels per day (b/d) and imported about 8.47 million b/d of petroleum,1 making the United States an annual total petroleum net exporter for the second year in a row since at least 1949

In 2020 and 2021, annual total petroleum net imports were actually negative, the first years since since at least 1949.

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/imports-and-exports.php

 

[DCLMP]

We export our oil because the oil companies can sell it higher than selling to it's own fellow countrymen and import the oil we consume.

https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&t=6#:~:text=In 2021, the United States exported about 8.54 million b,gross petroleum exports in 2021.


So if we exported 8 million to other countries, produced 18 and consumed 18, that means we consumed only 10 of the 18 ourselves and imported the other 8 million.

When we were a net exporter were prices higher or lower? They were lower of course. Your theory is completely wrong.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

When we were a net exporter were prices higher or lower? They were lower of course. Your theory is completely wrong.

We've only been a net exporter the past 2 years.

 

[DCLMP]

It was true in 2021 as well.

In 2021, the United States exported about 8.63 million barrels per day (b/d) and imported about 8.47 million b/d of petroleum,1 making the United States an annual total petroleum net exporter for the second year in a row since at least 1949

In 2020 and 2021, annual total petroleum net imports were actually negative, the first years since since at least 1949.

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/imports-and-exports.php

In April of 2020 the price of oil went negative due to the over supply. That was when we were all in lock down.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

In April of 2020 the price of oil went negative due to the over supply. That was when we were all in lock down.

I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at?

 

[DCLMP]

I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at?

I'm not sure what your getting at....you realize oil is a globally traded commodity and there's a economic war going on... and a hot war in Ukraine.

 

[barkley]

I switched my big shopping from Costco to Sams. Costco at least in my area seems to have the biggest price increases. I’m not sure I’ll renew my Costco membership. I look for sales more.

i wish we had that option around here but costco is it. during the peak of the pandemic i did an online only bj's membership which was great but they no longer offer them.

that said-today i went to costco for the first time in months. my membership expired at the end of june so i purposely stocked up on what i needed and wanted to see how long i could hold out. by waiting at least 90 days post expiration my 'renewal' was dated from the date i paid for it (today) for a year vs. being backdated to the end of my prior membership (so according to the c/s person at costco instead of 7/22-7/23 it will be 11/22-12/31/23 since today was after the 1st of the month ) so basically-5 months free.

costco may not be the best prices but they do carry some items at a much lower bulk price then i can find elsewhere, and as i explained to dh when i came out to the car with my cart 'yeah, i know rotisserie chicken was not on our list but at the lost leader price for it i'm only paying $1 per finished cook pound (if i had more room in my freezer i would have bought more, broken them down and used them for a variety of entrees).

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I'm not sure what your getting at....you realize oil is a globally traded commodity and there's a economic war going on... and a hot war in Ukraine.

Yes, I do. I was responding to the idea that Kenny had about if companies drill more out of US soil it would reduce the cost for the US consumer, and that also Canada could somehow help us out too, even though Canada imports from the US. I think it is much more complex than that, and it sounds like some of the domestic oil produced in the US would actually be more expensive to consume here (due to refining capacity and technology) than it is to continue importing some portion of our oil.

 

[Suger Mag]

Although I am def. feeling the increased prices, my young adult son moved out, thus decreasing my grocery and take-out food costs by a (large) 1/4 ..... really helps, as now I am shopping for 3 and not 4 people.

 

[Colleen27]

4.59 for generic eggs here. I remember when 4.59 would get you a 48 pack.

I thought of this thread as I'm sitting here through yesterday's junk mail this morning - Kroger has an 18pk of large eggs on the cover of this week's sales flyer for 1.99.

 

[Tinks]

How are you handling rising food and energy costs?​

I'm voting.

 

[shh]

Most teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other public sector workers have seen very significant wage increases.

This couldn't be further from the truth in my area. Most government employees get a 2-3% cost of living increase tops. Federal employees got 2% last year. They may get 4% this year. Inflation is 10-25+%

 

[TwoMisfits]

This couldn't be further from the truth in my area. Most government employees get a 2-3% cost of living increase tops. Federal employees got 2% last year. They may get 4% this year. Inflation is 10-25+%

Public employees (and really any working salary employee) and families with multiple members get the most torched by high inflation. If you are buying food for 1 on one salary, it doesn't hurt much. If you're buying food for 5 on one salary, it's crushing.

And those folks don't get the social security COLA or the SNAP benefits that automatically increase with inflation (taking away even more of the pain for those people). It's truly a way to crush middle class middle aged people. No wonder Gen X is not happy with the way things are in recent polling.

 

[DCLMP]

Yes, I do. I was responding to the idea that Kenny had about if companies drill more out of US soil it would reduce the cost for the US consumer, and that also Canada could somehow help us out too, even though Canada imports from the US. I think it is much more complex than that, and it sounds like some of the domestic oil produced in the US would actually be more expensive to consume here (due to refining capacity and technology) than it is to continue importing some portion of our oil.

The world is definitely a complicated place right now.

 

[Colleen27]

Public employees (and really any working salary employee) and families with multiple members get the most torched by high inflation. If you are buying food for 1 on one salary, it doesn't hurt much. If you're buying food for 5 on one salary, it's crushing.

And those folks don't get the social security COLA or the SNAP benefits that automatically increase with inflation (taking away even more of the pain for those people). It's truly a way to crush middle class middle aged people. No wonder Gen X is not happy with the way things are in recent polling.

Any working people, really. At least most public employees get some COLA increases, though they're usually based on a low-average inflation rate rather than reflecting actual inflation. Right now, low-level jobs are seeing wage growth but that's just compressing the pay scale, not boosting everyone. DS is in a skilled position that used to pay 50% more than the base wage for unskilled new hires in his shop. Now it pays 30% more than base, and the higher base wage plus higher input costs are the excuse management is using for reducing the annual review raises for everyone so his raise this year was about 2% and may not happen at all in the coming year. DH is in a similar position with a contract that is negotiated every four years, most recently in 2019. We thought his last pay increase was reasonable, at about 12%, but after three years of insurance premium hikes he's bringing home the same amount as before the raise and it doesn't go nearly as far when we spend it. And there's no chance of another increase until fall of 2023.

It has always baffled me that social security recipients are the group held up as "people on a fixed income, hurt by rising costs" because they're practically the only group in this country who get actual COLA increases linked to factual measures of inflation rather than to some arbitrary number that is affordable/reasonable in the eyes of the organization cutting the checks.

 

[barkley]

This couldn't be further from the truth in my area. Most government employees get a 2-3% cost of living increase tops. Federal employees got 2% last year. They may get 4% this year. Inflation is 10-25+%

a good number of government employees are also still impacted from the last u.s. recession. my former employer followed the same path as many others and said that either concessions in pay and benefits would have to occur 'during these tough times' or staff would see involuntary unpaid furloughs or outright layoffs. i had retired at that point but still received updates showing the percentages of pay decreases that were negotiated, the already agreed to cost of living raises spanning several future years-eliminated, the shifting of much larger percentages of employee health care from the employer to the employee. the 'temporary measures' took hold and never changed. just for the heck of it i just went and looked at my former employer's h/r site-where we used to get a minimum raise of 2% per year (usual a bit better) simple math shows whatever salary reductions and lost raises ended up eliminating about 10 years of gains. then looking at current employee share of cost for healthcare i don't know how so many can afford to work there (maybe that's why retirements per their website are 'at historical highs'?).

going into the lower paying pubic sector public service jobs used to be lower pay but regular raises and good benefits and retirement offsetting it. now? i wouldn't recommend it, the numbers in the short and long term just don't work out.

 

[Darcy03231]

Luckily it's just DH and I, and we've been able to absorb the rising costs without dipping into savings.

For the last 5 years or so, we've gone to a different model of grocery shopping - - we go every day or two and only buy what we need. We've found it's cut way back on food waste. We prefer to eat mostly fresh food so this works well for us. We do keep some things in the freezer and pantry, but for the most part it's fresh meat, fruit, and vegetables. We meal plan around what's on sale that week. Since DH is retired and the grocery store is only about a mile from our house, it works for us.

We've always bundled up in the cold weather months and tried to keep the heat as low as possible. We're still locked in on an electric contract so our electricity costs have remained fairly stable. We have another 18 months to go on the contract. When I bought a new (to me) car three years ago I went with one that got high gas mileage, even though gas was cheaper then. I'm really glad I did that now (and didn't succumb to my desire for the Jeep Wrangler Sahara).

I really feel for the people who were living on the edge before the rising inflation.

 

[DLgal]

Eggs are outrageous due to the avian influenza outbreak earlier this year. Last year you could get eggs for $0.99/dozen at Target. Now you are lucky if you can find a dozen under $4.

I just bought 18 cage free large eggs at Target for $4.69.

Luckily it's just DH and I, and we've been able to absorb the rising costs without dipping into savings.

For the last 5 years or so, we've gone to a different model of grocery shopping - - we go every day or two and only buy what we need. We've found it's cut way back on food waste. We prefer to eat mostly fresh food so this works well for us. We do keep some things in the freezer and pantry, but for the most part it's fresh meat, fruit, and vegetables. We meal plan around what's on sale that week. Since DH is retired and the grocery store is only about a mile from our house, it works for us.

We've always bundled up in the cold weather months and tried to keep the heat as low as possible. We're still locked in on an electric contract so our electricity costs have remained fairly stable. We have another 18 months to go on the contract. When I bought a new (to me) car three years ago I went with one that got high gas mileage, even though gas was cheaper then. I'm really glad I did that now (and didn't succumb to my desire for the Jeep Wrangler Sahara).

I really feel for the people who were living on the edge before the rising inflation.

I do this too. It feels very European.

I am at *a* grocery store ( I rotate between 3) at least every 3 days, sometimes more often. I am finding that a lot of produce these days has a VERY short shelf life and also, we eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and have limited refrigerator space. I am constantly buying produce, cheese, yogurts, milk, eggs and bread. I'd rather go every few days and get what we need than try and plan out an entire week or more worth of stuff.

I did go to Target yesterday to take advantage of a special 10% Veterans day discount extended to military families/veterans. Stacked with my 5% Red Card discount, I stocked up on a lot of pantry items and household goods.

What I'd like is another refrigerator/freezer for the garage...

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

What I'd like is another refrigerator/freezer for the garage...

When we built our house there was an alcove in the garage that we specifically put in a GFCI plug in it, this was in addition to the one already required to be elsewhere in the garage by code. We got an old deep freezer from my husband's grandmother when she passed away and it really has helped. We put the chicken from Costco out there, the meat in 1lb amount (now we actually just do 1/2 lb increments it's easier for 2 people), random other frozen meals we've put together, etc.

The space allowed for us to put shelves above it so I like that we didn't do a full fridge/freezer out there but I can understand the usage of it. My in-laws have that in their garage and it's pretty common for people to do that around here but I just didn't want to take up the space at this time for that.

If you can wiggle one in your garage even just a deep freezer we've found it to be really helpful.