The Cost of Everything

          A few days ago I required more space in my freezer so I pulled out 14 lb. of raspberries to make wine. Then I checked my sugar supply and determined the wine would require more than I had on hand so off to town I went. I popped into my usual grocery store, headed to the baking supply isle and reached for a 10 kg bag of sugar. Then I noticed the price - $25.99! I called my husband over. “Look at that!” I said. “Can you believe it?” I was shocked and somewhat angry. 

I need sugar for wine, for cooking, for canning. The bees’ survival is dependant on feeding sugar water at this time of year. SUGAR IS A BASIC STAPLE for heaven’s sake! It was almost $10 per bag less the last time I bought it, and that was not long ago. I carried the bag of sugar around in my cart with a few other items for a bit then gave my head a shake, returned everything to the shelf and walked out. 

We decided to drive north to another community. There the price of sugar was $9 less. Three days later I went to my more usual shopping community to the south west. There sugar was $12.99 for a 10 kg bag. I also needed canning jars. Price variation from store to store for same brand regular pints was from $12.99/dozen to $20.99. 

I guess the moral of this story is Buyer Beware. It seems some stores are taking advantage of those of us unwilling or unable to shop around.

Why do grocery prices vary so drastically from store to store? I understand sales/purchasing volume plays a role, but I’m not talking about convenience stores here, I’m talking about large chain stores. How do stores determine their prices?

I don’t know how people are managing these days with rising prices and interest rates while wages and pensions remain the same. I don’t claim to understand economics, but raising the base interest rate to curb inflation, in the wake of the Covid measures that destroyed many small businesses and from which many others are still struggling to recover, seems to contribute to the problem rather than relieve it. It raises the cost of everything, from production to distribution to retail - including the basic necessities. Once raised, prices rarely come back down.

When one person or group loses another gains. There is always someone ready to take advantage of another’s misfortune. It’s common sense - follow the money. While the majority of us struggle to maintain our standard of living in this fiscal climate, there are others lining their pockets. 

Mary Lynn Tipton