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Need a loan very soon!

Hi everyone, just came back from my natural store where I bought some fruits and vegetables and quite honestly I am shocked! Is it me or prices just hit the roof over the past few days/weeks? Is it the same where you live? I am from Canada and I have noticed some items over the past few days more than doubled in price…is it normal to you?

I know, I know… oil prices have been soaring lately but not doubled nor tripled! If things don’t change soon I will need to go to my bank manager and politely ask for a loan to buy my weekly dose of greens :-)! Or maybe I should convert back to SAD and eat down the corner where they serve you these huge burgers with huge fries portions and a soft drink of your choice for 4.99cad….that is exactly the price I’ve just seen for a red pepper…isn’t it crazy?

Hell no, never SAD again, I’d rather embark on a water only fasting and see what happens, maybe this is the opportunity I was looking for to do some serious detox :-).

Comments

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    don’t you have any local markets. i find the prices are a lot better in my area from local farms. the grocery store is getting exhorbitant!

  • Forgot to mention that I eat organic whenever possible and unfortunately there aren’t many grocery stores or local markets offering organic produce.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    I don’t know if my health food store stocks a lot of local produce, or if they’re just trying desperately to keep customers coming, but they have kept their prices on organic produce fairly low, while the grocery store’s non-organic produce keeps getting more expensive… Still only $1.99 for a red bell pepper (non-organic), but last summer they were only 99 cents. I have started buying a lot of whatever produce is on sale and filling in occasionally with the things I like that are more expensive. My health food store has organic mangoes right now for 99 cents each! I live in Utah, so I know those aren’t local :) heehee

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    And yes, diesel fuel is close to $5.00 per gallon here now – I believe that is at least double the price it was last year. It’s not just the price of delivery, either – Most farmerss rely on gas or diesel-powered equipment/machines to do a lot of their work.

  • I never want to be the bearer of bad news, BUT…I have heard that these new prices are permanent. (I live in Florida, and it has gotten ridiculous here, too!) Most of the problem is oil, of course, and a little is due to ethanol, but a lot of the problem is that people are EXPECTING to pay more because of the “recession.” If customers are expecting to pay more, then the stores are going to charge more. I’m sure Canada is suffering because of the economic issues we’re having in the U.S. :-( I don’t have a solution, unfortunately, but when I move I will be willing to pay more in rent for a place with a small garden space so I can grow most of my own food – I’m sure it will more than pay for itself in the long run! Good luck!!!

  • TomsMomTomsMom Raw Newbie

    The enormous food price increases come from sheer greed, from people running to take advantage of oil hikes. There is no reason for the increases I am seeing; they are far and beyond an increase in the price of fuels. People are just bad.

  • FeeFee Raw Master

    “And yes, diesel fuel is close to $5.00 per gallon here now

  • I know, we really don’t have the “right” to complain too much in North America, when I look at fuel prices in Europe sometimes I wonder how they cope with it. I know one thing for sure, today I am going to shop for a good bike, I have been contemplating buying a racing bike for a while and today is the day!

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Yeah, sorry to all the Europeans – My mom was complaining about gasoline being $4 a gallon here last weekend, and I told her there are places in Europe where it was $4 a liter (or more) a few years ago – can’t imagine how much it is now! I really feel fortunate. I’m also thinking of buying a bike & building some of those muscles again – I have been on a bike only maybe two or three times in the last 15 years – yikes!

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    i am buying almost all my produce from the farmer’s markets. prices are only a little less but more of the money goes to the farmer’s hands. it doesn’t save me as much but at least the money i spend goes to those who deserve it. I really don’t feel like paying a truck driver’s salary. We are also riding bikes and walking a lot more. I have the luxury of good health and time to do that so I think I should.

    melaverde, as I mentioned in the “why i don’t buy organic” thread, can you check with the farmers who are not organic to see if they just can’t afford the certification? because a lot of farmers around here are like that. they are pesticide-free but can’t afford the 1000 dollars to get certified.

  • rawpatiencerawpatience Raw Newbie

    I buy mostly from farmers markets when the produce starts rolling in, but frankly it’s middle of June and Oregon has had a very slow start to summer so Strawberries are all I can get right now. I expect we will have access to much more variety in the coming weeks, but I am wondering what most of you do in the winter. I was thinking of buying extra and freezing and dehydrating as much as possible but I don’t have that much storage space.

  • Thank you all for your nice comments, seems like we all are experiencing similar issues.

    bitt: To be honest I haven’t investigated the issue. I would not be surprised to find out that even up here in Canada we have a similar burocratic issue regarding certifications.

    kindaraw: Here in the winter there isn’t really much local produce. Some farmers have heated greenhouses but not many. We rely on imports from the US and South America mostly.

  • It sure makes starting my own garden more appealing. I have the space but not necessarily the time. Being single, I have enough to do with a full time job and a house to look after. Maybe I will do a few pots on the patio with greens and tomatoes. I also have 2 apple trees which will be getting some attention this year.

  • RawVoiceRawVoice Raw Newbie

    Here where I live in So Cal, gas prices for super unleaded are about $4.80 a gallon. I saw a story about Spanish truck drivers who are paying $9.00 a gallon.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    kindaraw – I buy lots of fruit in the summer & freeze it for use in the winter, or I make fruit leather, and I don’t buy local in the winter cuz it’s Utah – except there is one Utah company that grows microgreens, sunflower greens & pea greens year-round, and they’re sold at the health food store here, so I guess I do buy a LITTLE local stuff. I sprout a lot in winter, too, to get really fresh stuff. Dried stuff doesn’t take a whole lot of space, & in the winter I don’t have much else in the freezer besides fruit.

  • i’m having the same problem. i just started a new job after not working for two months, so right i’m living off of the very very last of my student loan $ (approx. $100) until i get my first paycheck, which will be another three weeks (!). so right now i’m living off of the cheapest, longest-lasting produce that i can find (unfortunately can’t afford organic at the moment). totally agree that local produce is the way to go… many varieties of greens, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, etc. i’d also suggest sprouting. it’s cheap, and the yummy end result is high in many essential nutrients. hopefully this fuel/oil crisis doesn’t last much longer… like you, i can’t really afford to eat RAW with such high prices on the products that used to be affordable.

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    last night i had kind of a breakdown. i am trying to do the best for the environment and my health but it has just gotten so expensive. some produce prices are 1/3 more than they used to be and this is not good for the budget. i really want to eat organic and eat a variety but it is getting pretty pricey. any tips on saving on a raw diet are appreciated.

    oh and i already sprout my own sprouts and grow my own herbs in containers.

  • there is also a huge problem with flooding in the midwest many farms/produce are sitting underwater right now which is also causing prices to spike.

  • sweetpeasweetpea Raw Newbie

    Make smoothies instead of eating fruit, it will cut your bill.

    www.rawlifestyle.co.uk

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    um, but what do you recommend putting in the smoothies instead of fruit? we use greens but add fruit to them.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    bitt – I think sweetpea means because a lot of people don’t chew food well enough to get all we can from it, so smoothies make more of the nutrition available to our bodies than if we just ate the fruit & greens whole.

  • RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

    Hey, you wouldn’t believe it. My local organic food store is so desperate that the manager actually follows us around – whenever we go there. I swear she’s always 3 yards behind me wherever I walk ever since I took two apple cider samples (I know, it’s crazy). And that happened 6 months ago and she still follows us around. She charged us 1 dollar for a plastic knife one day, and ever since we never go back excpet Sunday (she doesn’t work on sunday). We shop at another organic market, and even buy nonorganic papayas (can’t get them elsewhere, we are in love with papayas lately) at the Giant.

    to bitt: As far as organic goes, you don’t need to buy organic fruits that have thick tough skin. Since all plants absorb pesticides through the stem, buy nonorganic fruits that have tough skin around the stem, such as papayas. Citrus fruits cannot absorb pesticides either. This will make it so you don’t have to buy mostly organic fruit, but your right, I do try to get organic fruit when possible. Fresh figs, my all time favorite fruit, are darn expensive. The nonorganic ones are just as expensive as the organic one, $1 each.

    Also, you can buy fruit trees that will give an excellent crop in the next 6-12 months. I know it may seem like a long time away, but you will really benefit when the trees give fruit. You can buy fig trees at your organic market, or order a HUGE variety of trees online. I think it will make your backyard beautiful, no? Who doesn’t want their yards blooming with colorful fresh fruits in the spring? No kidding, you might even be able to get a table and say “fresh fruit for sale” and make a profit off of them, if you are desperate. If you live in an apartment or condo and don’t have land to plant trees, like me, go to the woods nearby and plant away. No one will know. Last year I planted watermelons and canteloupes and other melons in the woods and didn’t have a problem.

    Here’s the website for fruit trees:

  • RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

    http://www.willisorchards.com

    and http://www.groworganic.com

    The fruit trees may seem expensive, but you get an amazing return.

    After planting the melons, I recently saw a post from We Like It Raw about the benefits of planting your own fruit, and depeding on where you live, you may even be able to plant bananas, papayas, guavas, etc.

    If you plant some trees now many fruit trees are hardy and can go through the winter fine, and you will have an excellent result next spring. If you live in California, you have the greatest advantage because of the year-round high temperature which allows you to plant exotic fruits, but you can plant elsewhere too, like me, I’m in Maryland.

    here’s the website to the we like it raw article:

    http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2008/05/star…

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