An update on prices

[moniss]

from my upper Midwest grocery store shopping yesterday. Eggs were just under $9.00 a dozen. Almost all of the cold meats in the deli were $10.00 per pound. Chicken breasts, the mass produced kind, were just under $5.00 per pound. Cheap generic soda crackers were $3.00 per box whereas they had always been priced around $2.00. I was too discouraged to look at the beef prices. Bread prices seemed to be up and all half way decent bread was pushing $5.00 or more for a loaf. The produce section looked thin for stock and run of the mill looking and I didn't look at pricing too much because looking at the big picture was making me woozy and I felt the need to lay down and nap it off.

Speaking of napping it off, I was still hunting around for decent weight percale flat sheets not in sets when I came across a search result that took me to Williams-Sonoma. I now may need a bi-carb and a visit from a Medicine Man in order to recover. The link to the web site showed not just a flat sheet but a whole set which was not what I wanted. However that wasn't what made me want to turn to the bi-carb. It was when I saw that you could buy that one set from Williams-Sonoma for $1,426.00. (Just in the time between when I wrote this and then went to copy the link the price increased to $1486.00) To be fair there are sites with flat percale sheets for around $25.00 on up but that is still a bit high for a single twin size cotton flat sheet as far as I'm concerned.

But suffice it to say I am a value/quality shopper and I will pay for quality but I'm not in for the gouging unless someone is going to kiss me and promise they'll never leave me. Fell for that too.

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/matouk-tailored-border-sheet-set

[SheltieLover]

1. I found a very nice sheet set from Target for under $50!

I've been avoiding buying from Target because of DEI, but needed sheets & couldn't find cotton! I do not want microfiber or other plastic to sleep on.

I tried Kohl's, Macy's & JC Penney, ghen Target. Score!

$1,400 for sheets is insane to me.

[moniss]

3. It's been getting tough

regarding textiles. I've commented about supply and pricing a few times over the last months. I really feel that I should be able to buy just a single cotton twin size flat percale sheet of decent quality for under $20.00 each. I haven't gone clothes shopping, other than work clothes, in awhile but even there it can be a price shock and the quality is down. I used to buy Red Kap work shirts because they were 100% cotton and they were made here in a union shop. I paid right around $35.00 each. Lasted forever too. Now Red Kap is offshore and the quality is down and the fabric is now a blend. I really wish I had long ago patronized the good seamstress that opened a shop near me. I would gladly have paid her to make some shirts for me but I thought the time and fittings would be too much hassle for me. Now I get the hassle of trying to find decently priced, quality product.

[LtTx]

10. Made to order clothing...

Is not inexpensive. I am a sewist and make almost everything for myself and my husband. About the only clothing I don't make is jeans. They are too time consuming. For a buttond down shirt you will need some where 1.5 to 2 yards of fabric and buttons, interfacing etc. I would conservatively price a good quality cotton at around 15.00 per yard. Then there's the time involved. Also a conservative estimate would be at least 4 hours. So material and time could easily run 100.00. Which is why I do not sew for any one other the family or for gifts.

And as a sewist I am bracing myself for increased prices due to tariffs.

[fierywoman]

2. FWIW Ikea has good prices on sheets, bedding, etc.

[moniss]

4. Thanks for that. I have

one not far from me but I never have gone.

[Katinfl]

5. IKEA is getting quite expensive., IMO.

The last few times I have been there I noticed their prices going up. Some things are simply not worth it. I can’t imagine what the tariffs are going to do to their inventory. I don’t believe anything in that store is made in the USA. BTW, their sheets are pretty good. I have 2 sets I use and they were bought years ago. Still holding up very well.

[fierywoman]

13. Yeah, I noticed that too. (Some things were NEVER worth it -- I speak from 35 years of experience!)

[Polybius]

6. It's probably a location thing

I just paid $3.99 for a dozen in ShopRite (a supermarket chain).

[moniss]

8. Yes it could be. I noticed this regional chain

has gone up on dairy prices as well. Milk in Wisconsin is cheaper than water sometimes and the store was pushing towards $4.00 per gallon which is up about 80 cents from their normal. On sale they always ran a gallon of store brand milk for $1.99 for a long time. Regular price was usually $2.79 or so.

[Polybius]

9. I'm in NYC

A lot of people think everything here is more expensive, but it isn't the case. Well, except for rent.

[obamanut2012]

12. Same

I live in Sacramento a HCOL, but food is much cheaper here than in many areas.

[Prairie_Seagull]

7. Price gouging. What is that?

[obamanut2012]

11. I paid $9.00 for 24 organic large eggs at Costco

$3.99 dozen organic at Trader Joe's, and Safeway has them for about $5.00 a dozen for pasture-raised. I am in NORCAL in a HCOL area.

[moniss]

14. Those are good prices

compared to where I am in Wisconsin.

[unc70]

15. 12ct eggs $1.97 at NC Harris Teeter

One of this week's advertised specials. Various other types of eggs are mostly $4-6 a dozen.

[moniss]

16. I think enough people shied away

from being gouged that some are staying away still and so some places have oversupply of a perishable item and so the prices drop in order to move it before it's too late. I used to know a guy who wholesaled meat around the country and much of it was he would get offered a great price on some loads but he had to find buyers quick because they were approaching a sell by date. One of the chains by me used to run weekend "specials" during the summer grilling season and it was mostly stuff that with a short time remaining on the sell by date.