Will Food Prices Skyrocket Soon (U.S.)?
Posted by neuroticpossum@reddit | collapse | View on Reddit | 84 comments
No, I'm not talking like paying $0.10 more for a box of pasta or price changes years from now. I'm talking $8lb for chicken breast, 2x prices for rice, price increases across the board like we've seen for beef and coffee and within the next few months.
I'm a bus driver and planned on using my small bonus to stock up on staples as summer comes around. But I'm wondering if I need to stock up even more as food becomes even more expensive – if it can even reach the store.
Thought about this because I keep reading about the war in Iran and farmers on the brink of economic collapse – as in they're so broke they can't even afford to transport crops or livestock.
holytoledo42@reddit
I think people need to know about antidepressant protracted withdrawal syndrome and withdrawal injuries in case antidepressants become scarce.
Antidepressants can cause long-term side effects that persist after you quit them, like PSSD (post-ssri sexual dysfunction), emotional blunting, tinnitus, and anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure). They can also cause long-term damage if you quit them cold turkey or taper too quickly. However, withdrawal injuries can also occur when tapering slowly under the supervision of a doctor. This long-term damage is called protracted withdrawal syndrome (PWS)/post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS).
Symptoms of antidepressant PWS can include brain fog, anhedonia, akathisia (feeling of inner restlessness), severe insomnia, central nervous system hypersensitivity, tinnitus, severe depression, severe anxiety, panic attacks, PSSD (genital numbness and erectile dysfunction), and many other awful symptoms that can last for years or even be permanent.
Despite antidepressants being widely prescribed and antidepressant PWS being a hellish condition, no one seems to talk about it. Most people believe that antidepressants are completely safe and that antidepressant withdrawal can't cause injuries.
nothankeww@reddit
this is a very good point
Along with all the other meds that suddenly won’t be available
50million@reddit
I've been buying cans of stuff from the dollar stores.
TruckerBiscuit@reddit
The screwworm fly that had been successfully contained in Central America by a government program is now in the US. The program was dissolved by DOGE.
People think beef is expensive now. Wait until half of the US herd is made inedible because of a preventable pest.
Groovychick1978@reddit
I'm not hoarding, but I am increasing my dry stock for sure. An extra bag of beans, lentil, or rice, maybe a few canned meats, dry milk, etc. every shopping visit. And I have a huge garden this year.
Icy-Medicine-495@reddit
I to went huge with the garden and planted a bunch of fruit trees, berries, and grapes. Nothing like a big garden to make you feel a little less stressed about the world's turmoil.
old-legs-623@reddit
Retired and went huge in 2008. Things did not turn out as badly then as I expected, but I got in a decade of microfarming that I would not have traded for anything in the world. Good exercise, anyway.
HuckleberryPee@reddit
Wow, very nice! Would you tell me what sort of stuff you've been growing these past years?
It looks like maybe some grapes in bottom right but I can't quite tell.
Icy-Medicine-495@reddit
Very nice. Everyones garden and flowerbeds always look so much prettier than mine.
old-legs-623@reddit
Persevere! Not all my efforts looked like that ...
stasi_a@reddit
Desperate and well-armed neighbors say Hi
Icy-Medicine-495@reddit
I am better armed than them. I am the prepper/gun nut that homesteads. I realize I am not immune to bullets but I refuse to do nothing just because someone might come take it.
neuroticpossum@reddit (OP)
As a pescetarian lentils and rice are key for me
Necessary_Sea_7127@reddit
Quinoa is really easy to grow too
keithfoco70@reddit
They are skyrocketing as I type. Prices are inching up weekly in my area. I just went shopping tonight and noticed quite a few of my usual items were 25-75 cents higher than just a couple
Weeks ago.
GusherBrush@reddit
If you have the means to, start a garden. Get into canning.
I have over 40 varieties of fruits and vegetables growing and have stocked up on shelf stable grains like oats and rice. The fruit trees I planted a couple years ago are surprisingly doing well.
My neighbors have chickens, and we trade eggs for produce.
ArugulaAcrobatic4018@reddit
tiresome.
Ree_For_Thee@reddit
I feel like this is bad advice lol. It's always going to be way more efficient to make food at scale, meaning it's very likely just not worth your time to do it yourself (unless maybe potatoes).
Just buying the stuff you need might feel like "too easy", but it really is a way better use of your time and money.
neuroticpossum@reddit (OP)
I work 2 jobs and agree
videogamegrandma@reddit
It's like planting a salad bar in my backyard unless I can save up enough to fence it off or use a greenhouse. Deer, possums, racoons, rabbits... I never get anything but vegetables with bites taken out of them. Who knew deer love to eat roses?
ArugulaAcrobatic4018@reddit
No.
BigHeadDeadass@reddit
Well considering farmers didn't seed and fertilizer is at an all time high, coupled with general sterile soil, I'd wager on the side of yes
Discombobulated-Emu8@reddit
I’m hoarding rice cause we can’t grow it here and I love rice
Some_Pineapple_1847@reddit
I thought rice grew in California
sherilaugh@reddit
A few things are going to affect food prices. 1) tariffs on potash. 2) Hormuz not letting urea through. 3) Ukraine still at war. 4) Hormuz not letting oil through. 5) strong El Nin year. I expect prices will be HORRIBLE by fall.
mick_au@reddit
I buy extra dry food that has long shelf life, meat and things I don’t bother with as i have a rifle and good store of bullets, I figure the power will go out if shit hits that particular fan. But, we keep about 6 weeks of food in the freezer as well.
m0loch@reddit
Stocking up on non-perishable food makes a lot of sense if you're preparing for extended disruptions in supply chains due to things like earthquakes, fires, floods and the like. It doesn't really go too far in the case of financial disaster or full-on collapse of supply chains due to shortages which may have been caused by skyrocketing fertilizer or fuel costs or the inability to grow crops due to depleted soil, or fires, or floods, or droughts, or it's just too fuckin' hot for things to grow.
Tractors, garden/farm implements, knowledge, community, water collection and re-use infrastructure or possibly drainage are all things worth investing in if you hope to avoid starvation on longer timelines than a week or a month.
LowOne11@reddit
Also, when temps just decide to drop below freezing from 50°F nights to two nights at 28°F, drop heavy snow on top of drought-starved trees and crops… not good.
CountryRoads2020@reddit
Soon? Every time I go to the store they are up!
Dano4178@reddit
this is as cheap as it will ever be again, so stock up.
nohopeforhomosapiens@reddit
The rice I have been buying (a medium priced rice) has gone up to over $70 a 40 lb bag, twice the cost from 4 years ago. Swapped to cheaper rice, haven't opened it yet. Buy up. Things are not going to get cheaper.
anotherdamnscorpio@reddit
Arkansas is the #1 rice producer in the country. I read an article yesterday how the fertilizer hike screwed them and a lot of them are switching to soy and other less nitrogen intensive crops this year.
nohopeforhomosapiens@reddit
Correct. My dad is a farmer in Arkansas.
YellowCabbageCollard@reddit
I hate the word "hoarding". If someone else can have tens of thousands or millions of dollars in the bank, invested in stocks or real estate...there is no way you can store so much food it ever counts as "hoarding". Any food you buy that you will eat and pay less for now vs paying more later is just you being wise with your money in my opinion. That's also just investing. You are investing in your pantry and your future grocery budget.
It's some stupid propaganda to guilt trip normal average people that they are hoarding if they store food but never say a bloody thing about real hoarding by the wealthy and elite. Even squirrels store food for the winter. Basically every last thing that exists out there right is now is going to get more expensive due to this stupid war. And for most Americans the grocery budget is kind of a big deal. You need to eat. You know it's going to cost more. Store food without the slightest guilt because you are investing in yourself and your pantry. Because, yeah, food is absolutely going to get more expensive. All of it is just due to increase costs of oil and packaging. Then add in increased costs of fertilizer and a wicked drought.
Be wise like the squirrels, man. Ignore the media who tells you it's all good and you are just a "hoarder" or a "panican". You know it's coming.
BB4lyfe3000@reddit
I struggle with the hoarder label. I want to save items that could help if shtf. Like take out containers make great mini greenhouses. Yogurt containers for seed starting, old clothes for fabric etc. My husband thinks I'm overthinking everything.
TexasChick2021@reddit
Well put!
Autocannibal-Horse@reddit
this has already happened over the last few months/year in NJ, USA. My groceries literally cost twice as much now.
neuroticpossum@reddit (OP)
I've felt the same and my shopping list has become more basic.
uwotm8_8@reddit
It’s probably going to happen again
Autocannibal-Horse@reddit
No doubt! I'm ready... but, I'm also worried.
Rough_Community_1439@reddit
Yes. Farmers got royally screwed last year. And gouged this year on fertilizer pricing this year with that Iran bs. A lot of ingredients needed to make fertilizer are stuck on the other side of the world. Plus you got the high gas prices and thin profit margins that farmers have causing them to skip fertilizer spreading this year.
echardcore@reddit
Good things from the garden.
chickey23@reddit
I mean, I always keep a few months of rice and beans around just in case. And paper products. And anything non-perishable - I buy shampoo once every five years when I see a sale.
pocketgravel@reddit
I do the same plus I own a bidet. I use 1/10th the amount of toilet paper
WanderingWino@reddit
Literally do not understand why people still don’t have them in the USA.
YellowCabbageCollard@reddit
I got one and loved it. But I kept getting infections. Then I ran across some discussions from others getting infections using a bidet. That tubing really isn't clean and you aren't able to clean it. We removed the bidet and the infections disappeared never to return. I miss the bidet and the nice warm water though.
Away-Slide7889@reddit
Get a bodna/lota at a South Asian or Middle Eastern market. It looks like a plastic teapot. Then all you need is some nice color coded hand towels and the warm water from the sink.
Total_Examination297@reddit
Like anything, ya gotta clean it. Just did mine, ran bleach water through it etc
pocketgravel@reddit
I've gotten into the weirdest arguments with people over it too. I managed to get my last job to install one and they used it and loved it, but didn't get one themselves after? It's objectively the best way to clean oneself even if it didn't save you a ton of money on TP over the lifetime of the bidet.
Peripatetictyl@reddit
And 100x the fun!
/s, butt as a fellow bidet owner, I agree
DisturbedAlchemyArt@reddit
As a fellow butt owner I agree!
chickey23@reddit
Yup, one crate of toilet paper every few years. Two, in case of supply disruption. After that, it is just an investment.
NaplesSun_86@reddit
When this iran thing started people on cnbc said if it goes on longer than two months then things will be impcted economically here.
Monsur_Ausuhnom@reddit
It's very likely and most are sleepwalking, obsessing on things that don't matter in the grand scheme of things. There is really no performative social theater to interact in if the basic necessities are no longer operating correctly, though strangely at the same time some might choose to buckle down on that perpetual obedience now at delusional levels and ironically use reason to rationalize the truth of what is actually happening by making excuses to continue that lifestyle. This is just the next wave of things, easily preventable. I expect nothing to change.
floryhawk@reddit
I bet rice will be hard to find soon. I believe the supply chain for that is already under extreme pressure.
Dinohoff@reddit
I got a standing pantry cabinet and freezer chest so I can buy extra when preferred items are on sale. It’s helped control grocery costs.
Darkest_Elemental@reddit
Cant speak for US, but here in Canada what cost me 200$ /week a year ago now costs me closer to 400$/week. Been watching the prices creep and creep, if we are being hit, I have to assume you will be too.
atdirtbagger@reddit
Always ready for a year or more for us two and a friend or three. Find a copy of the Alpha Strategy good for inflation and collapse.
frontofthewagon@reddit
Yes. Prices will much higher. The whole agriculture industry relies on oil. Fertilizer, fuel for tilling, planting, harvesting shipping the product multiple times.
videogamegrandma@reddit
I have a freezer I stock up when frozen food goes on sale.
Bert1701@reddit
Within reason, it never hurts to stock up. Prices rarely go down after going up so if nothing else you can insulate against the increases for a bit. I wouldn't overextend but if you can afford to buy two of something instead of one then there's likely little harm in doing so.
Cultural-Answer-321@reddit
Prices NEVER go down.
Cultural-Answer-321@reddit
You mean again, right? Like the recent 30-50% increases we've just seen?
Yes. Or was this a trick question?
More_Farm_7442@reddit
I went to the grocery today (Kroger). It seemed like everything was up again. I know for sure a lot of categories of food were up in price. Produce is crazy expensive. All that MAHA bs about not eating ultra processed food? Hell the healthy junk is too expensive. Let me have some enjoyment while I eat my candy bar and cup cake.
bipolarearthovershot@reddit
Buddy I just spent 270 dollars on groceries and that might last me a week…it’s already fucking bad
datdudermont23@reddit
I just planted a bunch of olive trees. Cant wait to get eaten me some olives.
Sinister_Crayon@reddit
It's difficult to say for sure if prices will go up, but they certainly won't come down. That's just the nature of the beast.
Simply put there are still lots of levers that can be used to artificially "ground" pricing temporarily and I can guarantee particularly in the run-up to the midterms that the government will use every one they can. This is pretty typical during an election year. Now, a lot of those levers were also used last year which makes this next 6 months or so all the more interesting. It's not that these levers can only be used once, but each time you use them the effect is less than the last and they need to be let to "rest" for a while between uses.
For my part I've always kept enough dry and frozen foods around to feed me and my partner for at least a month if not more. We're both inclined that way anyway. We try to restock when money is flush, and use when money is tight. The last few months have been the latter unfortunately but we're hoping this next 60 days will be better so we can start restocking.
It won't hurt to stock up... just don't get mad at yourself if you don't see prices spike as quickly or as much as you feared... once the prices do go up they won't ever come back down again.
canisdirusarctos@reddit
We already pay $13/lb for chicken breast where I live.
Thumperclick@reddit
Tomatoes are $6.30 i/ lb n my town. No fresh pico de gallo for me till i can grow some
kitty60s@reddit
It’s difficult to predict what the prices will be like in 3, 6 or 12 months time but I assume they are going to continue to increase by double digit percentages.
So I would stock up on staples you use regularly if you can afford to. I started expanding my pantry and stocking my freezer a couple weeks after the war broke out and I continue to keep it topped up.
I did the same thing just before the pandemic and didn’t have to deal with the long grocery lines or any shortages.
Gingorthedestroyer@reddit
You must have seen a Canadian grocery flyer. There are whole chickens here for $22. A bag of Doritos $6. $7.40 a gallon of regular gasoline.
Someones_Dream_Guy@reddit
Buddy, you live in capitalism. Of course they will skyrocket. And you're going to like getting blamed for it.
harbourhunter@reddit
Nope
whereismysideoffun@reddit
This is why I forage, farm, and fish. Collapse will never be instant unless it's due to mutual assured destruction nuclear bombs. There will be ever increasing austerity until total collapse.
My current goal is to be so redundant on getting my own food that I can get all of my calories/nutrition for the year from ten different sources. I'm almost there. I have it from five. That said, I can get a considerable amount from 10 or more other sources. I do not know how I will die, but I know it will not be from starving to death.
I expect food prices later in the year to be much much higher.
sundancer2788@reddit
Probably not that high, apparently there's some ships getting thru. Tbh, it'll end once the people push back enough.
TimberBiscuits@reddit
FYI, protein powder is often much cheaper than buying meat.
CindyinEastTexas@reddit
Food prices have been skyrocketing already.
However, to answer your question, yes. Food prices are going to go up even more.
ms_dizzy@reddit
peanut butter. 50% of the fertilizer used for peanut crop goes through Hormuz. This is peak application season.
You might not notice a problem until winter or next spring? So make sure you wait and get the best expiration date possible.
3cansammy@reddit
Yes, stock up what your wallet and space allows for.
We're considering food a good investment right now. Every grocery trip we get an extra pallet of something.
Tinyberzerker@reddit
Never hurts to stock up when stuff goes on sale. I bought a deep freeze and it's been great. I was out of work for 8 months and my extra food was very helpful.
Icy-Medicine-495@reddit
Stock up now on the stuff you will eat before it expires. There is no reason not to. 99.999% chance it wont be cheaper in the near future than it is right now.
Lailokos@reddit
It's not just the price of oil/gas that'll keep rising even if there's peace (given how many actual refineries/ports have been damaged), it's also the record el nino threatening. Just a simple scenario comparison, last 2 big el nino's each caused several trillion damages worth of damage. The 1970s oil shocks each caused GDP recessions, which were trillion dollar hits too. Now we have *both* threatening at the same time. It might take a while, so plan longer term, but there's no reason to think everything will be just fine either. We have history here, and both are trending toward big.
GreenHeretic@reddit
Apparently strong El Niño years bring weaker hurricane seasons but stronger typhoon season in the Pacific. This could make staples like rice more expensive but also on top of that fuel prices down the entire supply chain are going to impact it too. From tractors to transport trucks, ships, etc. It wouldn't hurt to stock up on what you can. I really think this will get way worse before it gets better.
lueckestman@reddit
Stocking up is always a good idea. But I dont think about prices like they go up and down. They just go up. Sometimes faster than usual.