It's still the economy, stupid, and it's personal

Last week, I blogged about Slick Willie's famous phrase, how it's true at the grocery store as well as the gas pump, and in the case of the grocery store, Warmonger Joe and Team Blue don't want to discuss that.

Well, it is personal now.

I'm single with no kids, and for my part of the world, going by median, at least, if not mean, I'm somewhere round right in the middle of income levels. So, I don't have to go without food. 

But, it's getting worse. Stats confirm; food inflation, based on August numbers, is at more than 11% year-over-year.

And, it's not just the prices itself, it's being out.

Friday evening, I was at Kroger. Shopper's card, digital coupons, and all. 

$1 off the small size Country Crock? Great. But, out.

$1 off 25-ounce house brand olive oil? But, out.

A coupon earlier this month for 10 percent off all house brand items? But, out on some things I wanted, like the large-size box of generic Triscuits. Both times I was at Kroger, multiple stores, before it expired. And still out of them this last time.

Kroger stupidity compounded the first two issues by making both coupons a "use 5 times." On stuff like this, Kroger national corporate looks like it's basically phoning it in.

And, on other things, like their generic DiGiornios? The increased prices about 10 percent during the worst of COVID. I accept that. But hiking stuff 50-60 percent or more in the last year? No. So, Kroger, I stopped buying those. Even with coupons, Tom Thumb's and Wally World's house brands are both cheaper.

Speaking of? Wally doesn't do digital coupons that I'm aware of. But, it did have the 1-pound Country Crocks. As pricey as Kroger's pre-coupon version, so I passed.

But ... and I hate to sound like an inflation horder ... but ...

While it's not as good as the newer fake butters?

I bought a big tub of old-time margarine. Wally doesn't have a house brand, just like Kroger canned its house brand of fake butter. (I didn't go by either Aldi or Winco on Friday.)

Imperial margarine. Crown me. (Old enough to remember that?)

And, because a lot of spikes and scarcities are oils-and-fats based? Even though I had bought a bottle less than a month ago, I bought another bottle of canola oil.

Thanks, Joe, from the bottom of my Kroger. (And, I need to stop clipping digital coupons on items that I know it won't make a diff, like the pizzas.)

Update from my first column: As far as Thanksgiving turkey shortages, if a Butterball spox is claiming that there shouldn't be any turkey shortage? If another report is expecting price hikes of nearly 25 percent? Expect prices to go up even more, and yes, there might be a shortage.