Monday, May 19, 2008

Inflation?

I don't know if it's me or if anyone else is feeling this. No one seems to be talking about it and certainly no one is bitching!

Over the last couple of months I realize that I've been spending a lot more $$$money$$$ on my groceries. Heck! I'm not one who uses a magnifying glass to compare prices, not because I have plenty of it (don't get me wrong). I'm just no good at handling $$$money$$$!

This feeling of spending more and getting less just gradually crept into my grocery expense account!! I used to get a whole trolley full, jam packed with groceries from Jusco 1U for RM200/=. Now! I can't even get that for RM300/=, it's ridiculous!

The most jarring price escalation that shook me up was two weeks ago, when I bought a 5kg bag of Calrose rice for my sushi. It was over RM30! I've alternately been using the Japanese Nishiki rice and paying about RM27 for 2.5kg. But Calrose rice! I used to be paying something like RM23 for a 5kg bag! There was a rice shortage scare last month and people were rushing to buy rice. I'm not one to get scared easily. I had an extra bag of rice which I bought from a previous grocery shopping trip. Out of curiosity, I went over to the rice section and found that most of the rice was gone. The available ones weren't the ones I usually buy so I didn't bother.
(Gohan)

I was grocery shopping again a couple of days ago and found my brand of rice available in the rice section. I had a mighty shock when I saw the price!! I used to pay RM29 -RM32 for a 10kg bag of rice. Now, it's gone up to RM47!!! Not only that, butter is at a ridiculous price and so is flour and milk, cheese too! I bake quite a bit and I use Anchor butter (formerly Fern) and it's priced at RM5.90 a block!

Maybe it's time to learn to shop prudently or just go on a diet! (not a justified reason). One more thing that I realize, I seem to be grocery shopping more often than I used to.

Perhaps I should keep my eyes open and start looking out for "SALES and PROMOS" and also start comparing prices between the hypermarkets and not shop for convenience. Sigh! Just imagine driving around from hypermarket to hypermarket to compare prices...*yawns* so tiring and the thought of it makes me feel lethargic already! Sigh!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh yes.. the prices of supermarket items have seemed to have shot up overnight. These days I have to resort to supermarkets' house brands and I try to buy my butter and baking stuff from the baking stores, where they are slightly cheaper :)

Bento Pet said...

Yozo: I do buy my butter from the baking stores too but sometimes @ Jusco, the prices are the same.

I am also resorting to house brands for detergents and non food items - they seem a little cheaper.

I cooked a curry dish tonight and as always cooked 2 cups of rice.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough because when #3 asked for more rice, there was none left as #1 and hubs had seconds already (every night we have left over rice).

Hubs said that maybe we should put the rice in the center as the main dish from now on! LOL!!!

Terri @ A Daily Obsession said...

i love Millel's parmasan cheese which goes for RM13 per 250 block, but in one week it went up to RM19!! Anchor butter is RM6.40 here. everything is priced higher here; it's always been like tt since forever n we r the state tt contributes the most oil revenue!

Bento Pet said...

terri: I know prices are always ridiculously more expensive in Sabah! My sis-in-law used to buy hoards of baby diapers from here to bring back to Sabah - I couldn't understand why and used to laugh at her. When I got married and lived with them during the festive period, I was shocked at the price differences!!

At least in KK you can get Anchor butter, in Sandakan where my in-laws are, their butter come in cans!

Totally agree about the oil revenue bit so it's ridiculous that the price disparity is happening, but this time the INFLATION is adding on the burden!!!

Rei said...

Same thing is happening here in S'pore. I have already switched to housebrands and avoid buying on impulse. Oh ya, I have also started to collect discount coupons. :p

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