It cuts back some of the fig leaves
https://www.usda.gov/about-food/food-safety/food-loss-and-wa...
> food waste is estimated at ... 133 billion pounds ... in 2010.
USA population in 2010 was 311M. 133B / 311M = 427 pounds per person.
I sincerely doubt the average consumer throws away 427 pounds of fresh food in a year.
I'd believe 0.5lbs/day/person in my household - cook enough for everyone to have seconds, but most of the time it's tossed (sometimes after some time spent in the fridge/freezer hoping for a reheat); stuff bought but inedible (chicken bones, etc)..
I'd believe similar in the distribution pipeline (just look at how much stuff are in the discounted aisle just about to fall off sell-by date + obviously moldy goods), and I'd believe similar in the production pipeline.
Now the notion of "cook fresh every day" is a thing (rather than reheats), we try to do keep leftovers but eventually we run out of space for them.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/237141/us-obesity-by-ann...
The current situation will be the new normal for at least the next several years. Chicken hasn't risen nearly as much, just moderately more than inflation, perhaps because of a shift of demand away from beef.
There also seems to be greater price discrimination going on with beef than previously, with larger spreads between, e.g., bulk ground vs vacuum packed ground vs whole cuts.
I used to eat high quality fish every week, now it’s beans and cheaper cuts of chicken. And we make good money, but our wages have gone down since 2022 when adjusted for inflation.
But I need to push back on something.*2
The claim that everything is real is too broad and I'd urge caution in making such a blanket assumption. It would be epistemically reckless of me to agree here. It is also possible that the pattern you are seeing is simply a result of users absorbing the vernacular of LLMs. And calling it poetry is not supported by the actual content and I don't think that framing is accurate.*3
1. How every reply begins now.
2. How every assertion is handled now, even if agreed
3. Feigned obtuseness, or missing the point
How'd I do?
I hate how it's everywhere now. Even my coworkers speak like this.
Edit: There are three ways to address this......
We know that people buy more when they are hungry. They also buy more when the smells of food are in the store (the other benefit of rotisserie chicken).
https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2025/04/ozempic-addic...
Is the 12% from another source?
[1] https://foodlore.blog/glp1-ozempic-effect-food-industry/
Seems pretty straightforward. They increased their price to try and make up for losses, which in turn mean less people purchasing, which they responded to by increasing prices. A lovely little circle.
Maybe some economists should investigate how prices effects demand, could be groundbreaking.
How much does 7% of the population spending 4% less on groceries impact the numbers in the original article?
My sedentary, calorie dense, UberEats-at-2am 5000 calorie lifestyle isn't why I'm fat -- it's the "seed oils".
https://www.usatoday.com/story/grocery/2026/07/08/walmart-ro...
doesn't surprise me that people are trying to get their dollars to stretch further by buying in bulk, planning ahead more consciously, etc.
We simply stopped buying food in the grocery store across the street: Amazon fresh on many positions can be like 50% cheaper.
Another quote that springs to mind is "Corporations behave like they're annoyed that they have to go through you to get to your money". The pandemic was a catalyst for a change in attitude by American corporations who were afraid to raise prices. That fear is now gone. Every aspect of corporations now are dedicated to raising prices and the easiest thing to raise prices on is things with inelastic demand. Food, housing, electricity. It's the entire basis of private equity, which seeks "pricing power". That's just another way of saying "inelastic demand".
All of this has been exacerbated by a pointless, unwinnable foreign war in Iran at the behest of a foreign state (ie Israel). The only thing thus far that has prevented a global economic collapse is China [1] but that is about to bite because the US SPR is about to hit the effective minimum [2]. And now the issue isn't going to be crude oil but shortages of refined petroleum products, particularly diesel. You can see this by looking at the 3-2-1 Crack Spread [3], which itself is also going to get worse because of the destruction of an estimated 40% of Russia's refining capacity, which has already resulted in halting diesel exports.
Diesel prices are a huge factor in inflation [4]. Another lagging issue here is that much of the crops planted in the northern hemisphere this year received less or no fertilizer because of the Iran war. That's likely to cause a famine impacting tens of millions of people and will further drive up food prices.
Rents keep going up. Food prices keep going up. Inflation keeps going up. The one thing that doesn't keep going up are wages. And people are rapidly running out of money to absorb it. And the American government that is inflicting this on not only the US but really the world, does not care.
[1]: https://www.indiatoday.in/business/story/china-oil-imports-i...
[2]: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-stocks-us-strate...
[3]: https://rbnenergy.com/market-data/3-2-1-crack-spread
[4]: https://realeconomy.rsmus.com/market-minute-diesel-trucking-...
I buy the highest quality, lowest cost stuff I can find.
There can be a positive story here maybe though:
- More doordash = less grocery
- More farmer's market = less grocery
- More home-grown = less grocery
Though TFA points out,
80% of Americans say they're still trying to spend less
28% are actively trying to cut back on groceries
56% are trading down to lower-priced brands
49% are simply buying fewer items,
44% are leaning harder on coupons and promotions
I think it's a legitimate concern, and just one of many problems. Couple that with inflation (yes, and rising costs self compounding), petrol problems, pressure on the dollar, income stagnation, loads of other fun things and the wondrous introduction of LLM magic into every orifice of society, where should we expect this all leads to?
I am always looking for reasons to let my inner optimist shine through. Help, anyone?
Edit: I expect I will be chastened by vegans for the following, but..
I no longer buy milk. Organic milk up from an astonishing ~$5 to an average of $7.50 per gallon now.
I do not buy much meat, but beef is no longer an option. Yeah, it was subsidized, but that doesn't mean it's getting more affordable.
But really, I can no longer afford fresh vegetables. And though I lean vegetarian, that is quickly becoming an unhealthy option.
Lack of market and spoilage makes it unavoidable. When I lived in farming communities there were massive piles where people dumped excess crops.
The kid might have ate 2 lbs of blueberries a week for six months, but surprise, they hate them now!
I can't count the number of half-full glasses of milk I've found in the last month, probably averaging 1 per day. Kids are extremely inefficient eaters unless it is covered in sugar or chocolate.
This one specifically has a good solution:
https://www.bain.com/insights/weight-loss-drug-users-spend-l...
I am however also more interested in how this affects other types of consumer behavior - and whether that is a factor in pullback on the economy (on top of other factors - energy, job market, trade restrictions).
jackyinger•1h ago
NuclearPM•1h ago