I went to Walmart today to check on the normal stuff I pick-up every year during their back to school sales, and I've noticed that things are going up. Glue use to be $0.20 but now is $0.30. Three pronged pocket folders were $0.10 and are now $0.18. They did have spiral notebooks for $0.10 each so I bought 30 of them. That price didn't change so that is NICE. Anyhow...anyone else notice things going up this year?
We don't have things on sale in our area yet - school just got out two weeks ago and doesn't start up until Labor Day, so no sale ads yet. I'm hoping Staples does penny sales again!
Hmmm...does that mean we as teachers will end up spending more because parents will spend less? My guess is...most likely!
Wholesale food costs have gone up an average of 7.4% ... which is the single largest price increase we've see in the food service industry within the last 25 years. You may expect to see price increases in the school cafeteria and/or attached restaurant if your high school has a culinary arts department. Cafeteria managers are especially worried because the Feds haven't increased the amount they're paying for subsidized or free meals ... meaning that the overall cost has to be passed on. Prices are going up and portion sizes or food quality will be going down as managers will have to do more with less. Retail prices have gone up even higher than wholesale prices. The average retail increase for the first quarter of 2008 was 8%. A 5-pound bag of flour showed the largest biggest retail price increase, up 69 cents to $2.39. Cheddar cheese went up 61 cents to $4.71 per pound. Corn oil went up 58 cents to $3.01 per 32-oz. container. Eggs went up 55 cents to $2.16. Whole fryer chicken went up 9 cents to $1.37 per pound. Ground chuck went up 4 cents to $2.73 per pound. You can expect prices for poultry, eggs, dairy products, and beef to continue rising. The flooding in the Mid-West has destroyed 20% of our corn crop. Corn prices were already up due to ethanol production and although rising prices may force ranchers to slaughter herds to save costs ... thereby resulting in a temporary decrease in the price of beef ... consumers will eventually be paying top prices as the cost of feeding livestock goes up.
Not to mention the rice rations. I think that at Sam's Club you are limited to buying two bags of rice per visit. Food prices will probably go up even more with the flooding in the midwest. All that crop damage. Think of all the products that use corn! I know that my grocery store bills are much more than what they used to be I am thankful that I don't have to drive much this summer. Honestly, I don't know how I would afford it. My raise this coming year will end up being a little more than $100 per pay check. That'll be just enough to cover one tank of gas...that is if it doesn't go up anymore I never really thought that I would be effected by this economy. But I increasingly find myself choosing which bills to pay with each paycheck. What can wait another week? I've really had to start budgeting in ways that I didn't before.
Hopefully there will be lower prices on the school supplies as we get closer to the start of school. It seems like sometimes they only have a few "specials" to get you in the door and hope that you will just pay the higher price for glue (or whatever) instead of driving all over to other stores for a better price.
Prices are just going up all over the place. I did see the glue at 30 cents and the spiral notebooks at 10 cents. Nothing else is really on sale yet, so I have to be patient. Like Chef Dave mentioned, the prices for lunch are probably going to raise for most people. Our school will be effected next year....breakfast used to be free for all students. Starting this coming year it will be 75 cents for regular price, 40 for reduced, and free for kids on free lunch program. Lunch used to be 1.35 for regular, now it will be 1.75, reduced will be 70 cents (I think) and free for those on free lunch program. The worst is the jump in price if an adult wants to get a lunch. It was 2.50 this past year, it will jump to 3.75 for next year.
It's just frustrating to me. Unfortunately, my raise won't be enough to cover the costs of the rising prices so I'll have to be selective on what I purchase for my classroom. I normally spend several hundred dollars each year, but I can't do that this year. I have to budget my oney to make sure ends meet here at home first. It's depressing...I like buying things that my kids might need because I hate the fact that they have to go without.
That's really irritating. I get $300 a year to spend on the class and there are certain things I buy myself because it will be cheaper to buy it from Walmart and I can spend the school money on something else. Crayons, scissors, and glue come to mind as items I purchase every year. Most of my kids will have all of this stuff, buy I like to keep a supply in my class-they can't say they left it in their locker!
