The USA - Am I Wrong???

[Robusto]

May I just ask for comments from US BOTL on this point?...

I'm just back from a week over in the States. The last time I was there was for a trip to New York in 2006.

Is it me but since then your everyday prices - groceries, burgers, meals out - seem to have really gone up in the last few years. This is dismissing the change in Dollar/Sterling exchange.

The Walmart cheese selection was priced insanely highly. (I'm just trying to think of what I pushed my cart past).

The only product that is still far cheaper seems to be petrol. My family over there still scream about how expensive gas is, and I just give an English look.

What's happened to you over there? Your costs of living seem to be on a par with British ones. In other words, bloody lucicrous.

I also got to listen to some of those talk radio channels when driving around. LORDEE you folk over there have done a quick volte-face on Obama!

Lob any thoughts in. I'm quite curious.

[moidoid]

The Walmart cheese selection was priced insanely highly. (I'm just trying to think of what I pushed my cart past).

Er, can I hazard a guess?

Monterey Jack, squeezy cheese and plastic cheese slices.

100 brands of these three items.

[rollzst]

I agree with you mate the prices in the US have definately gone up in the last few years. I was in Florida in July and i noticed a considerable increase in everyday prices such as eating out, supermarket food ect since the last time i went there. A small grocery trip to wallmart and it was nearly $90, more expensive than Tesco lol

[G-man]

Thats how the rich folk like it ! Expen$ive
They try to beat down the middle class without success .
So they try to take away the ability to eat out, vacation
just anything that mite make us feel human. Food prices
are through the roof along with health insurance .
So I'll have to agree with the UK brothers ,in the past couple a three
years prices have sky rocketed.

[jdawg]

You don't want to get me started on this topic, do you Bryan?

[TJCoro]

My Two Cents!




I hate it when politics creep into this once super-fine forum.






But that's just me... a stupid looking dawg smiley living large in the magical State of Mind, Mexico.


Puros and Politics no mix, right El Perro?

[Soulmanure]

Generally, inflation had been on a steady rise until last year, for obvious reasons, in which case it receded a bit. The dollar's been weak for quite a while now, so the prices are higher but the exchange rate has been well in your favor.

One of the interesting effects of the economic crisis is that Americans have a positive savings rate, on average, for the first time in years. It's a small percentage, like one or two, but it's not negative anymore. Perhaps something good came out of this after all?

[nicwing]

Er, can I hazard a guess?

Monterey Jack, squeezy cheese and plastic cheese slices.

100 brands of these three items.

You got there ahead of me Moid, chuckle.

What the F*** is squeezy cheeze about (rhetorical) it doesn't look like, taste like or smell like anything close to a cheesy comestible and it glows in the dark (seriously trust me!)

A friends claim to fame (while his wife was working for the US Peace corp in a pacific island) was smuggling in goats cheese in the diplomatic bag!!

Most Americans wouldn't know cheese if you hit them on the head with it.

[Lee Nub]

I've been going to florida each year for the last 7 years, and we have noticed the costs going up each year. we will still go no matter what, its our second home

[Boss Hog]

I've been going to florida each year for the last 7 years, and we have noticed the costs going up each year. we will still go no matter what, its our second home

Me too, I've been going to NY / Long Island every year for the past 10 years. Needless to say that it is a pricey place to stay at the best of times. However we dont care, were just happy to be there in the first place.

As for overpriced cheese in Walmart, I think nic's right, they wouldnt know cheese if it hit them on the head.
Maybe the overpriced food is the gov's way of dealing with the obesity epidemic they have, ie. Price the fat people out of the food market.

Let them eat cake!!!

[SeanP]

I noticed that prices of things in the US are subject to locality. Milk in Virginia is cheaper then milk in Washington state. Produce in Wisconsin is more expensive then Texas. Meat is generally inexpensive wherever you go. Also where you shop makes a real difference as different stores generally carry the same products but can greatly differ in prices.

Being a recent transplant I notice that it's a lot cheaper to dine out in the US then it is to dine out in the UK. At the stores produce, bread, milk and pantry goods are cheaper in the UK. But meat is much more expensive in the UK then the US. 50% more in some cases.

But cheese is a whole other ball game. I can get good cheese in the States from certain stores but that doesn't include Wal-Mart Then again, I go to Sainsburys here and find 10 varieties of cheddar but no blocks of mozzarella or swiss .

[rokkitsci]

China

What's happened to you over there? Your costs of living seem to be on a par with British ones. In other words, bloody lucicrous.

Lob any thoughts in. I'm quite curious.

China.

That's the problem.

EVERYTHING in the Land of the (formerly) Free and the Home of the (formerly) Brave (but now, the aggressor) is made in China. And there's so many o' them beggars to feed, that they gots to continuously raise their prices. So, since we United Statesians have forgotten how to make any products (much less quality ones) or grow our own food, we are forced to accept whatever price is set by the Chinese who just about own us lock, stock, and barrel.

hth

[Soulmanure]

China.

That's the problem.

EVERYTHING in the Land of the (formerly) Free and the Home of the (formerly) Brave (but now, the aggressor) is made in China. And there's so many o' them beggars to feed, that they gots to continuously raise their prices. So, since we United Statesians have forgotten how to make any products (much less quality ones) or grow our own food, we are forced to accept whatever price is set by the Chinese who just about own us lock, stock, and barrel.

hth

While I don't disagree that we are essentially being bankrolled by Chinese investment in the dollar (who, if it was to their liking, could topple us in a second), I don't think that warrants the use of a slur to describe the Chinese, nor do I think that explains food prices.

Our cheap meat, cereals, sodas and such are actually bankrolled by our own government's price controls of corn and soy--the latter are cheap because we subsidize our farmers, including corporate farmers, extensively. As well, food prices depend, as an earlier post pointed out, to a great deal on which state you live in and where you shop. If I go to Walmart, my food bill will be considerably cheaper than if I go to what my friends like to call Whole Paycheck (Whole Foods). I live in the Bay Area, and prices are higher all around, whereas if I lived in Indiana, they'd be relatively cheap. On the other hand, there's an incredibly variety of cheese out here in the Bay Area.

Then there's the whole question of what kind of food you buy--organic or non-organic, local or flown-in, etc....

[El Catador]

Sorry, I'm lost . . can you point me in the direction of the 'Kwik-e-mart . .? I need doughnuts! Ta.

[68TriShield]

The only products I notice going up in price are my NC cigars.