2012 and Planet X News Blog

Besides gas prices that topped $4.50 per gallon over the summer, people have been most worried about food prices.  That is because, on the average, people spend three times as much of their hard-earned salary on food than they do on gas.  For example, if you buy food and refuel once a week, chances are that you paid as much as $100.00 to feed that gas guzzling SUV, but as much as $300.00 to feed your growing family.  That’s not per month.  That’s per week!

Surging costs of groceries hit home

By Robert Gavin
Globe Staff / March 9, 2008

American families, already pinched by soaring energy costs, are taking another big hit to household budgets as food prices increase at the fastest rate since 1990.

After nearly two decades of low food inflation, prices for staples such as bread, milk, eggs, and flour are rising sharply, surging in the past year at double-digit rates, according to the Labor Department. Milk prices, for example, increased 26 percent over the year. Egg prices jumped 40 percent.

Escalating food costs could present a greater problem than soaring oil prices for the national economy because the average household spends three times as much for food as for gasoline. Food accounts for about 13 percent of household spending compared with about 4 percent for gas.

That was 2008, at least until recently.  When I went to the store earlier today, I saw news that was both good and troubling at the same time.  Beef ribs.  Beef ribs were selling for $0.89 per pound, down from $1.19 per pound a week ago.  But that’s good, you say. So what was the troubling news? 

It was this: The ribs were in the center of the meat counter refrigerator with the wide sides facing the customer.  Most meat is placed in the refrigerator by the narrowest sides.  That is, the narrow sides face the customer so that they can fit in more meat for a fuller appearance and better cooling, but not tonight.  Bare paper was in front of and behind the stack of ribs.  The refrigerator had bare paper showing.  Is this a sign of things to come?  Is the predicted food shortage to come upon us this soon?

Catch you on the Backside!

Janice Manning
2012 and Planet X Bulletin