Something I noticed while at the grocery store...

Economy still seems okay in Arkansas for now. At least the high end restaurants are doing okay. I do buisness with them everyday.

Here in Canada, I've noticed that grocery stores have stopped marking down the meat by 50%, now it's only a 30% discount. It's like they all got together and decided this. Strange.

just fer shits and jiggles, go around the 'nicer' neighborhoods n' see who's hangin' their laundry up outside . .. that's MUCH more tellin' than your shoppin' 'habits.'

A couple of times a week, I just go to the local super market, get a cart, and just walk around and make myself a sandwich or two.

Eat it in the store, and then leave.

But that's just me.

I appreciate your honesty.
Are you doing it because you don't have the money to pay for what you are eating, or do you just like to do that?
I'm not trying to be mean when I ask....
LOL..My ex could not walk into a Kroger, without walking around drinking a chocolate milk, that he never paid for.
He told me he did it, because he felt like the 'store owed him' that chocolate milk, because they were so expensive on everything else.




I just find it fun to do.

i've noticed less 1/2 off sales,products disappearing that i'm used to always seeing,higher prices,and I just read about the troubles in Greece and food shortages there so I wanted to buy some long storage food just in case...I found a co. that is good and if you join before oct. 2o you can get FREE cases of food! You'll be a 'fonder',get a free 15.00 case of food,and for every 2 folks you sign up...you get another case of food...you can make an income from home also! I take care of my blind mom and need to get the mortgage in my name so I'm giving it a go...they are part of e-foodsdirect and they've been in the food biz for 25 years. check it out www.longstoragefoods.mysundanceglobal.com

I had to go shopping yesterday...something I don't do often, because I hate to shop...LOL
While I was there I noticed something very telling about the 'state of affairs' people are in these days.

I've always shopped very thriftily, and used to be able to find great deals in the 'mark down bin' in the meat section.
There used to be awsome cuts of meat that I could get for half the price, bring them home and put them in the freezer for later.
With me living in a 'wealthy area' ...it was not unusual for me to find whoe legs of Lamb, or a nice standing rib roast in there...beautiful steaks and chops.

Not anymore.
The past couple of times I've been there...it has been like a 'fight' to try and even see what is left to pick over...so many people there looking thru it.
They aren't just taking the very nice cuts of meat...they are cleaning the sucker out!
I've never seen this happen in this area before.
I'm in an area where houses start at $500,000, and end up in the several million dollar mark.

When it starts showing up in areas like this...people slashing costs, and families 'cleaning out the mark down bin"...they are starting to hurt as much as 'the middle class' people are.
That dosen't bode well for our Economy .
These are the people that own the business' that hire other people to work for them.
Also professional types like Neuro Surgeons, top Attorney's, ect.
If these people fall hard like the middle class has...I don't think there is anything that can be done to pull the Country up out of this Depression that we've sunk into so deep.
Because these people are the last in line to fall, before the Giants do...they are sort of like 'mini giants', and they provide a lot of people with jobs, or jobs are supported by their spending .( like the lawn service people, the housekeepers, private schools, interior designers, furniture makers, ect.).

Anyone else notice something like this happening in their area lately?

Indianapolis, Indiana are here.

Lots of home sales springing up in the neighborhood in the $250k and up area, but no one is selling anything.

We traveled to Texas this year and found nearly half of the billboards along the route were leasing. Anyone else notice lot's of blank billboards?

Lot's of empty office buildings but of course we build new ones instead of using the old ones.

Walked in Bob Evans on Sunday Morning at 11:00ish and was seated immediately. I always have to wait 15-20 minutes for a seat.

Everyone is asking for tons of big stuff on freecycle, cars, etc.

Empty parking spots in the fancy mall, last year you had to circle for a while.

My neighbors are still acting like there is no tomorrow buying expensive stuff like cars, invisible fences, furniture, etc. We buy used cars, freecycle, buy clothes when they are on sale at Kohls, and eat out once every two weeks or so.

Been a stay at home mom for years so had to be thrifty.Let me tell you the Escalades and Navigator moms are taking all my stuff from Goodwill and yard sales!The very same people who turned their noses up at me and my kids a few years ago are snatchin and grabbin at the thrift store sales like there is no tomorrow.I think they are worse off than we are cause they have such an expensive lifestyle to try and maintain.



I can't stand those little women in those huge Escalades and they are always wearing a visor and will never let you in front of them.

I know what you mean though. I've been a stay at home mom except for part time stuff anytime I could get it, and now I see those years of struggle as a blessing because our lifestyle really hasn't changed at all whereas for a lot of people who lived senselessly high on the hog, their fake wealthy evaporated and now they are having a very hard time lowering their standards.


Yeah alot of people are asking me now how I managed to stay home and when I tell them I haven't had a car payment with high insurance payments since 1985 they shut up cause they just aren't willing to give it up.


People are asses. If I ever have to drive my husband's '82 Toyota pickup (my dad's old truck, one owner!), people treat me like crap. It doesn't have power steering so it can take some time backing out of a parking spot. It's amazing how rude they are to me, but it's the price I pay to stay home with my kids. If someone wants to do that, they CAN. If we can do it on $12 an hour, a lot of those "how DO you do it" mothers can too.

My husband is like "if I saw a cute girl like you driving this truck, I would think "what a cool chick" but the reality is, people are total douches to me. They probably think, what is a girl looking like that driving THAT, what kind of LOSER must she be? It's terrible, good thing I am getting used to it and learning not to care. My kids will thank me someday.

In Idaho, businesses are closing right and left, especially food and decorating places. People still eat their steaks and most of the established places are doing fine. Local McDonald's is an absolute nightmare on Happy Meal Tuesdays (50% off). Everyone is looking for a bargain, that's for sure. Coupons are becoming VERY popular at restaurants.

Listen to the first couple of minutes of this Keiser Report where they talk about the new customer trend at WalMart.


Thanks for the video...:)

It's alarming to hear that!
But, I can see truth in it, even though I rarely ever shop there.
I have noticed more and more people with the 'food stamp' cards these days.
Never used to see those around here in my area.....but they are showing up now.
I had to wait inline behind a woman using 1 of those just the other day.

I know I had a very telling conversation with a check out guy a couple of months back...was complaining about how crowded it was. He told me I picked the wrong day to shop...because it is the day of the month that Seniors get their checks, and come in to shop on the 'Senior Discount Days"
So, old people are having to try and save as much as possible too...having to wait to shop, until the day the check is posted to their accounts, and they are being targeted by the stores....like a mini competition to see who can 'get their first of the month money '.


Used to work in a grocery store in Northern Ohio about 15 years ago when in high school and the first of the month traffic back then was unbearable. Then I was disgusted to see the people who always had one full cart of food to purchase with their food stamps and another full cart of beer and other garbage that they of course had the cash to pay for but could not purchase with food stamps. Always had a couple of kids wearing expensive clothes and we had to help carry their stuff to their cars that were of course new and more expensive than what my parents could afford because they refused to ever live off the system.

I imagine today it is a different story and there are plenty of people who are really only surviving off the system. Just as was indicated by the story mentioned in the clip, the modern day bread lines are at the grocery stores at the first of the month. Generally best to avoid grocery stores and banks the first couple of days of month to avoid the hassle and the emotional drain of witnessing the real state of our country today both economically and socially.


People like you are why I shop at night, so you don't watch me pay for some food with a foodstamp card then check out how my kids are clothed and decide right there on the spot that I am thieving freeloader. Wow. Some people have nicer cars because they can't get out of the loan. They just changed the laws about cars like last year, so 15 years ago no one would be getting foodstamps who had a nice car.

I happen to hunt for bargains on ebay when it comes to buying my kids' clothes. That just makes me a smart shopper, not someone defrauding the welfare system. I didn't ask for help for many years even though I qualified, but my kids need good nutrition and unfortunately that is very expensive in this country. Junk food is cheap. Also, if someone is on foodstamps, hard working people, they should not even be allowed to relax on a Sat night with a six pack or a bottle of wine? Seems a bit harsh!

Thanks guys for commenting...:)

It's good to hear that it isn't 'widespread' yet...that means that there is still hope for some sort of 'comeback'.

Sounds like your neighborhood is living in denial. It's all about "appearances" and the reality is those "wealthy" neighbors will "keep up with the Jonses'" even if it means EATING the Jonses'!

that's TOO Paleo fer me, thx anyways . However, eat the marrow if it comes up ..

I have been reading all the dire economic reports, following all the destruction of our economy, but while driving around everything still seems "normal". It wasn't adding up, it was surreal, until I considered Bridge, WIC whatever your state calls them, cards. We aren't seeing bread/soup lines because people are buying their own free food. They are keeping the desperation hidden by giving those hurting the money directly (and more of it than what those got during the first great depression.) People aren't seeing reality with their eyes thus many are still skeptical. When the help dries up, S will HTF very quickly. No matter what we do at this point, we will have doom here, the only thing we can control is how we choose to face it.

In Idaho, businesses are closing right and left, especially food and decorating places. People still eat their steaks and most of the established places are doing fine. Local McDonald's is an absolute nightmare on Happy Meal Tuesdays (50% off). Everyone is looking for a bargain, that's for sure. Coupons are becoming VERY popular at restaurants.

Ice Princess, you sound like an absolute gem. Keep doing what you're doing and ignore the iceholes. You'll be much better off than all of them in the long run. Blessigs to you and yours!

This weekend my company took us all out to dinner. We went to a high-end steak place that was packed. The parking areas around the shopping zone we were in were full of cars. My wife and I did some shopping over the weekend and everywhere I went was full of people.

Sometimes I feel like all this news of economic disaster is from another country...we just don't see it here.

I live in the DFW area.

If you have a grocery store called Save A Lot in your area, they are pretty good on their meats. Alot better than Wal-Mart and even Piggly Wiggly. Aldi is somewhat ok on their meats but, it's best to just get the staples and the canned stuff, fresh things, their milk is cheaper, plus you can get shredded cheese there alot cheaper,too.
But Mostly, I think pretty soon,people are gonna have to start learning how to use coupons and stretching every dime they can.

I noticed alot of the people here tend to try to live high on the hog becuz they think they have to keep up with the Joneses', but I got news for ya. You can lose everything overnight,too. I wouldn't want to have a house payment, a car payment, or high insurance right now for anything in the world. And thank God, my place and my car is pd off.

I've had to learn to live simply all my life. I can't say that I liked it, but it has taught me to be extremely careful when shopping for things.

I love to go shopping. Alot of folks don't. It's embarrassing to them because they will tell you they hate the crowds, they hate standing in line, they 'll look at what's in so and so's shopping cart,(like it's any of their business), and they feel bad if they can't buy what they want instead they have to get what they need. See?

I've seen people using debit cards in the checkout lines alot. Poor dummies. Trust in your money and down you go.
If can, I pay cash for everything.
I don't trust banks. But I know how to live as cheaply as possible, but I'll bet anyone here on GLP they can't do it.

Sorry, Woodsprite. I didn't even watch the video. I only read the post under it. I will watch it. I just hope to open some peoples' eyes to the fact that needing foodstamps is no way to live and a lot of people who may have had good jobs. nice cars and nice clothes suddenly find themselves out of work and needing the help, and maybe they don't sell the car because they hope their situation will turn around quickly. Maybe they can't sell it because they're underwater on it.

I know people who were once against foodstamps or any kind of government food assistance now checking into it for themselves or loved ones. I look forward to the day I won't need them. I do get a small amount, not nearly enough for even 2 weeks of groceries, however, I am extremely grateful for the help. I think someday I'll be in a very comfortable place and I know helping others is something I will be doing so I definitely plan to pay it forward.

Listen to the first couple of minutes of this Keiser Report where they talk about the new customer trend at WalMart.


Thanks for the video...:)

It's alarming to hear that!
But, I can see truth in it, even though I rarely ever shop there.
I have noticed more and more people with the 'food stamp' cards these days.
Never used to see those around here in my area.....but they are showing up now.
I had to wait inline behind a woman using 1 of those just the other day.

I know I had a very telling conversation with a check out guy a couple of months back...was complaining about how crowded it was. He told me I picked the wrong day to shop...because it is the day of the month that Seniors get their checks, and come in to shop on the 'Senior Discount Days"
So, old people are having to try and save as much as possible too...having to wait to shop, until the day the check is posted to their accounts, and they are being targeted by the stores....like a mini competition to see who can 'get their first of the month money '.


Used to work in a grocery store in Northern Ohio about 15 years ago when in high school and the first of the month traffic back then was unbearable. Then I was disgusted to see the people who always had one full cart of food to purchase with their food stamps and another full cart of beer and other garbage that they of course had the cash to pay for but could not purchase with food stamps. Always had a couple of kids wearing expensive clothes and we had to help carry their stuff to their cars that were of course new and more expensive than what my parents could afford because they refused to ever live off the system.

I imagine today it is a different story and there are plenty of people who are really only surviving off the system. Just as was indicated by the story mentioned in the clip, the modern day bread lines are at the grocery stores at the first of the month. Generally best to avoid grocery stores and banks the first couple of days of month to avoid the hassle and the emotional drain of witnessing the real state of our country today both economically and socially.


People like you are why I shop at night, so you don't watch me pay for some food with a foodstamp card then check out how my kids are clothed and decide right there on the spot that I am thieving freeloader. Wow. Some people have nicer cars because they can't get out of the loan. They just changed the laws about cars like last year, so 15 years ago no one would be getting foodstamps who had a nice car.

I happen to hunt for bargains on ebay when it comes to buying my kids' clothes. That just makes me a smart shopper, not someone defrauding the welfare system. I didn't ask for help for many years even though I qualified, but my kids need good nutrition and unfortunately that is very expensive in this country. Junk food is cheap. Also, if someone is on foodstamps, hard working people, they should not even be allowed to relax on a Sat night with a six pack or a bottle of wine? Seems a bit harsh!


I don't think he meant it the way you are taking it Princess.
That video is talking about how today, there are mothers waiting to buy milk for their babies, coming in and waiting until the clock strikes midnight so they can afford to be able to feed their kids.
He was saying that things are differant now than they were 15 years ago, and no longer is it just 'people living off the system'...it's desperate people that are starving, and can't help it.

If your family is one of those using a food stamp card...there is no shame in that.
Many, many are in the same place you are today.
It's starting to look like your family is becoming the 'norm', more than the exception.

Notice how empty the stores are at the end of the month? All the people on welfare & food stamps wait for the 1st for their cards to replenish.