Something I noticed while at the grocery store...

Control the food then you can control people.
I forgot who said that.

what a freaky looking fuck! And why does he sound like Adam Carolla and Norm MacDonald???

I have noticed this. Recipes from a couple years ago, now the cans and packages come in a size 1 or 2 oz smaller.

Also, the other day I bought a pound of butter for $3.78 (4 x 4oz cubes). The cubes seemed light so I weighed them all. They all weighed between 3.5 and 3.75 ounces in the wax paper. I put them all back in the cardboard box and weighed it and even with all the packaging it weighed less than 1#. This was from a brand I respect.

OP is one of the most attentive, courteous posters I've followed! Thank you!

Seeing this too. Ran into the wife of a broker at the Food Getto the other day.

If what you "noticed while at the grocery store" leads you to consider than America no longer has a middle-class and is about to totally collapse, then I commend you powers of observation.

What you might have seen, at least 10yrs ago, is that most sectors of the economy have been in contraction; aside from whatever "hot spot" like the dot.com bubble, and real-estate bubble was fostered to create mania and bring capital into arenas that could be manipulated and collapsed.

Maybe you failed to see that about 1996, The (non) Federal Reserve never before that time loaned money directly to member banks. Certificates of Deposit were issued by banks and rates were competitive. When "da fed" removed the need from members to pay for money, Gramma & Grampa could no longer make $5k per year on their 100K CD so they went into the stock and bond markets where they could be fleeced...


Plenty of people figured the Disneyland For Dummies would never close down and failed to invest in real assets or means that allow self-sufficiency. Few even know how to cook from scratch. Most families worked mom & dad like mules to keep the cars, clothes and other "must haves", but failed to grasp that they were missing the boat.

It has only been within the past 10yrs that most Americans came to see that there were no more Jobs For Life, unless you "work" in govt.

Figure that almost every American is on some kind of Federal Dole, even the top earners with Tax Breaks and write-offs for some big expenditures.

Govt has done a fine job of bribing everyone into making it too big to fail, and making citizens aware that if it does fail, they are doomed.

Much more going on than not being able to sell property and property taxes continuing to escalate...

Anyway, best of luck to all; and watch the prices and on-sale fluctuations, even coupons that are most valuable after the first three weeks of the month....

South Jersey checking in here..my local Shoprite is always crammed with food and other things, and it's a very good deal IF you shop the sales which i always do! Aldi's is good too, but you can get meat and some groceries much cheaper at Shoprite when it's on sale. Aldi's is great for banannas (always 39 cents a lb.), fancy european chocolates and cookies etc., and staples such as trash bags, food storage bags and so forth.Also frozen food. For the rest of what the Jersey lady said, she's pretty much on target, but i only recently started shopping at walmart, so i'll have to investigate what folks are saying about it.
By the way i've gotten SS for the past 4 years and at least since that time the people who have come on it no longer get their checks on the 1st of the month. You get your check on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th weds of the month, depending on your birth date. Mine is the 23rd, which really sucks because i'm getting it on the 4th weds for the PREVIOUS month! I'm surprised that no one picked up on that--guess most of you are young uns.

That's a heinous act these days!
I don't see how anyone could live with their selves, doing something like that.
But , then again, I also quit the job at the Nursing home when they sat us down and told us we had to attend to 'paid patients first'..always. No matter if there was a State Paid patient that was in greater need..it was cut and dry. The people they were getting the most out of, they attended to first.
It was disgusting!

True that...about people not 'investing wisely'

Changing dates on food packages?!!!!
That's a fuckin' crime!
What part of the country you in, because if they are changing dates on packages of meat, it has to be stopped!
That's dangerous as Hell, can make people violently ill!

I've never minded it...I kind of feel better, living that way.
I was raised with the whole Recycle thing, saw Hippy's giving stuff away to others that needed it...reusing stuff.
It made sense to me, and still does.
I've always loved history and appreciated the past though....so I always felt I was holding a piece of history in my hands when it was something older.
It has always just 'felt more valuable' to me than the brand new shiney stuff.
Maybe it's the imprint of the other owners on it..makes it feel 'alive ' to me..

I've always liked to be able to save money too...it made me have to work less hours, so I could be a "Mom" to my son.
It was an easy trade.
I always had many years to spend 'aquire-ing stuff'...but I would never have another chance to be a Mom again...

Thanks with helping us with Florida...:)

I KNOW it's been bad there for a very long time.
It was in bad shape when I went to see my Mom, before she died, in 2006.
My Nephew moved from Fort Myers to Oklahoma just a bit over a year and a half ago, because Florida was in so much trouble...no work, houses sitting empty everywhere.
I can only imagine the horror show it must be now !

Lester, I have to say, I agree with you about the retailers not caring...they are trying to survive too, so they're just as desperate to hold on, in many cases..
I also agree with you about how there should be no sales tax on the stuff purchased by Foodstamp holders.
It makes a Hell of a lot of Common Sense!
Bad part is...because the system has become so corrupt, it will never happen.
Too many deals already been made...they won't give it up without a fight now that they have it in their hands.
I'd be like trying to take the last porkchop bone away from a pack of starving Hyenas!

Walmart meats are packaged air tight then filled with pure CO2....I don't buy it, but my neighbor bought a pack of ground beef, and forgot it in the back of the fridge for TWO WEEKS...it was still BRIGHT RED! Ewwwww!

I'm from central Louisiana and I've noticed shortages of canned food products at several of the larger grocery chains in my area.

I teach at a neighborhood high school in an area of the city considered to be "middle class". This group of kids makes up a silent poverty I'm starting to see. The estimates from my colleagues run around 25% of these kids are going without food. The number seems trivial but many of these working parents are NOT asking for help (free/ reduced lunches and such) and going without instead. It's a pride thing I suppose. I bought a kid lunch the other day because he didn't have any money.

LOL...at the first part.
But I hear ya.
I consume more game than I do actual store bought meat these days...and I always am respectful, and thank the animal for giving me it's life so that me and my family can live.
It dosen't suffer either, it dies a swift death...just suddenly 'lights out'.

It was just an easy thing for me to notice, because it used to always be so full.
Meat is a good indicator of how much $ a family has...
To see 'wealthy' people buying bargain meat is very telling.

Wow...about what's happening up North from me.
I knew you guys were having problems too...a lot of protestors back during the Olympic Games, people upset about lack of money, housing.
But, I didn't realize that things had gotten to where they were sending kids out with cans collecting money.
That sounds very dire...:(

Just out of hope...Are you sure them kids weren't 'hustling' you?
It would be better to find out they were, ya know?

Yes, you can buy stuff new at markdowns at K-Mart cheaper than the Thrift store. Goodwill and Sal Army are way high now.

LOL...I kinda thought about Adam too!
I just didn't watch the screen anymore, just listened so I wouldn't be distracted by the thought.. :P
It has good info on it though!

Awwww...gonna make me blush.
I just feel like it's rude to start a conversation then just walk away from it.
Maybe it's a 'Southern thing"...LOL
Thanks for the nice compliment and the bump...:)

What State are you in, if you don't mind me asking?

I've been watching Lester.
I agree it's been in a freefall for the past decade...and no one has wanted to hear it when I've told them these things.
I saw it happening, because I worked for myself, as a sign painter, and when my customer base kept dwindling...there was no one gonna tell me it was all, "alright' and I was just imagining it was that bad.
I truly have seen this thing unfolding.
The middle class got killed a couple of years ago...now it's just nails in the coffin.
What has me so concerned now, is that the bigger 'small business people' are starting to feel the same crush as all the rest, the middle class and the poor.
If these peeps lose it all...they are talking the few still working "middle class" people down with them, and then....there is nothing on the 'ladder' between poor, and Ultra Wealthy, people.

I wonder what else was in there besides just the CO2, because it sure sounds suspect to me too...I wouldn't have eaten it, no matter how fresh it 'appeared' to be!

...for Louisiana peeps

Thanks for sharing your info with us... :)
That's awful about the kids... :(
The lil ones , I am very worried about.
Besides the not having money for food thing, if that isn't bad enough...a lot of people with kids are just 'snapping' these days.
There was a woman here where I live, that had a nice 'outward' looking life...but in reality, she was losing everything and felt like she was a 'bad mother' because she could not support her kids.
So she took a gun and shot the 2 kids, then herself.
Been seeing so much more of that here within the past 3 years.
So many lil ones that can't defend themselves...parents snapping..everyone ending up dead.... :(

I also live in a very"affluent" area and rely on "affluent" clients for my income. We have always lived within our means and I was always amazed at the incredible display of wealth and sense of entitlement here. Everyone was living like rock stars and I couldn't imagine where all of this money was coming from. Fast forward to now...apparently they didn't really have money, they had lines of credit. They were for a time making a lot of money but they were spending every cent and more. Funny to me how people still refer to these people as affluent, or wealthy or rich...to me they were greedy, pretentious and just plain STUPID. They were at the heart of our economic woes. You can still call them affluent if you would like...are wealthy people who are crying about how they can't afford to pay the electric bill for their 5,000 sq ft homes, so they have to pull their kids out of the $20,000. Kindergarten and file bankruptcy on maxed out credit cards tat they used to buy designer accessories and cosmetics still affluent?

Hey South Jersey, thanks for chiming in... :)
It's good to know that it isn't just around the first of the month in other places.
Here in Ky, it's pretty much set up for the beginning of the month.
My ex was on disability , and his stuff always came around the first...and so does my Dad's.
I've never asked them if they intentionally picked the first of the month though...so, maybe I should ask them about it.

LOL..about eveyone on here being a 'young un'.
I'm 44 so I don't think I quite fit there...maybe somewhere inbetween ..
So, at least we know there are 2 on the thread that are over 40... not 'young uns' anymore... ;)

I hear lots of stories where I work. A few of us run some after school programs to give the kids something to do. Many of the students don't want to leave at the end of the day. It's not that they are in abusive situations though. Many of them have to go home where there is no electricity and little food.

We have to check electric bills to verify residency. The number of overdue notices is jaw dropping. I'd say 75% of the bills I checked were seriously overdue...

What state?, if you don't mind...here dosen't tell me alot..US is a big place...LOL

There are many that are like you said...they were greedy and overspent, spent money they didn't have.
But that isn't the ones I'm talking about...
I'm talking about 'old money' people...not Yuppies, or Yuppie wanna be's.
These are people that have had money most of their lives, and weren't stupid with it.
The economy has taken it's toll on them too...and their families are losing business' that have been around thru a couple of generations.
That's what has me so concerned...it's not a good sign when these people are buying meat out of the 'mark down bin', because their money is so tight.
It is a huge sign of just how bad things truly are when ya start seeing that.

That's just some mind numbing info there... I don't think most Americans realize just how bad things are these days...or maybe they are just now waking to the reality of it.
I know before this thread, I had no idea it has gotten this bad for some...
Like the poster that told me about the people waiting at the Garbage Dump, so they can have 'first pick' of the stuff that hit the 'donation bin'...
The poster that told me about people walking around eating food in stores, because they can't afford to pay for it, feeding their babies in the isles with 'stolen food'.
It sounds like some third world country, or something.
Never would anyone have believed even 5 years ago, that things were going to turn so dire, so quickly....I know I sure didn't
I knew there was a crash coming, because I saw the small business' closing, having such a hard time...but I didn't think it would be like it's turning out to be.
Like another poster said...so much of it is being 'kept from view'...because of the foodstamp cards....we aren't seeing these hungry people in breadlines anymore, so we don't realize how many of them there are!
It really is just hard to wrap the brain around it all.

i just got back from a grocery store.
generic milk is still $2.60 here (texas gulf coast.)

the organic stuff is way more..i don't remember the price.

i know it is $3.00+ in arkansas. (have some roots there)

i only look for the marked down meat really late on a sunday.
that seems to be the time to look here.

cheerz

Not really....I simply rob people like yourself after they've done their shopping.....makes things SO much easier....

"The number of Americans receiving federal aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, soared to a record 40.8 million in May, according to government data released shortly before the Senate voted to cut billions from the food stamps budget."

[link to www.foxnews.com]

That's more than TEN PERCENT of Americans!