I went to go buy apples yesterday for my breakfasts and I just got 5 to last me a few days. Not organic or fancy flavor or anything. I guess I hadn’t paid attention to the sign, because when I went to go ring them up, the total was 17 dollars and change.
I was shocked. I had to call over the cashier at self-checkout and have them remove it, they freaked out too. They had no idea it had gotten that expensive that quickly.
And i’m struggling because of it. I can’t afford basic necessities. I’m eating oatmeal and beans every day, with some cheap snacks like crackers with cheese.
But what the hell am I (we) supposed to do? I have no idea what I can do to make this easier. I’m an adult well into my 20s having to live with my parents, with no ability to move out in the near future because all my money is going toward bills/groceries/rent. I’m basically breaking even each month.
I’m just depressed about it all. I know i’m not the only one, but it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.
Edit: the store was safeway, I’m in california. The bag was pre-packaged but in a tote rather than a bag you have to cut open. It is not a store I shop at regularly.
Edit 2: I’ve decided to believe that this was most likely a pricing error, based on everyone else’s answers. It seems like the most logical, (hopefully) non-intentional answer as to why they were so absurdly expensive.
The complaint about not being able to afford life still stands, but it won’t be caused by my future experiences with apples that’s for sure.
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Holy crap, what kind of apples? I just got a bag of like 8 apples for $9.
Cost around 3€/kg in Spain.
Hear me out… “real good steel cut oats maple brown sugar” and a 1/2 cup of wylers wild blueberries mixed in… my everyday breakfast.
It is not apple season. that is in the fall. We are going to soon be in berry season and currently we are at the end of citrus season
I paid $21.xx for 8 sumo oranges. They used to be 99 cents a pound. Now they are $3.99 a lb.
$3.40/ apple is wild. I heard that grocery prices just doubled but I haven’t seen evidence of that. Prices did go up say from $3.99 to $4.49 at my neighborhood store. I don’t know what’s going to happen.
But where did you go shopping
Merca 🇺🇸
I understand and emphasize with you. My retirement lost $100k last week
Wow… that is insane I am so sorry…
Apparently china is the largest apple growers in the world by a long shot- Apple production by country
but also like someone else said it’s not apple season rn
Depends upon where you live, perhaps. Such as I live in Midwest in suburbs of a major metro. January 2024 I was across Cali for a week and basically everything was at the very least 10% more expensive than it is by me easily past 15% often times.
My wife buys fruit, I don’t often but I do cook nearly everything I eat and haven’t seen much of a price on groceries aside eggs over the last year or two, but generally a bit higher. I probably average less than $10 a day on food most the time
Where are you shopping erewhon?
IDK how I’m going to survive the inflation much longer. An employee whose only job is to help people with this kind of stuff freaked out? Don’t let them get to you.
I go through the grocery ads and apps diligently to each week, and meal plan from there, what I will get and eat for that week. Things on sale are key. I spend less than $50 a week on groceries. It is also like a game to me, because I am always trying to save more than I spend (was able to last week, but fell a few dollars short this week)
What the fuck are these prices 😳 If someone in the UK bought 8 apples for £13 they would be freshly picked from the tree at an organic farm. Regardless, I would still have them committed to the crazy house 🙃
It’ll trickle down at any moment
well … how did you like them apples?
That seems kinda nuts. I just looked on insta cart which is always high and gala apples were 79 cents at target and honey crisp were 1.02 at Shaws
This is in the northeast.
Stick to things that are in season, will be cheaper.
I live in one of the highest cost of living places in the US and I’ve only seen prices like that at high end grocery places and farmers markets.
I was buying strawberries a few months ago and they rang up at 14.99! It’s absurd that fruit is so expensive.
Were they cosmic crisps? Those ones are expensive
That is utterly ludicrous.
Actually that is completely and totally effed up.
The most bizar thing is you didn’t walk away, and actually paid that price
I got pink lady apples yesterday for .97 lb. Not on sale at by nearby store. I usually have one in the morning with nut butter.
I just checked my local Safeway. 3lb Bag of Fuji apples $4.99. What kind of organic golden imported apples are you buying?
Apples are not in season! Only way you’re getting a fresh apple right now is from a plane or boat.
Buy oranges, bananas, or we should see early season strawberries come in cheap pretty shortly.
That’s insane. They’re like 0.79 each where I live, for Organic.
And it’s just a start for americans with the tariffs… say thank you to your president!
Trader Joe’s, no apple was over $1.19 each in SoCal.
this is why I have started to use the self check out because I never paid too much attention before and now I know that roll of foil is 10 bucks. I have given up and accept that I am in a recession even if the pundits hesitate to say the economy is in one
I literally saw a 3lb bag for like $7 at Trader Joe’s
A whole bag of fuji apples at the store usually costs me like 4 dollars.
I just paid $4 for a massive bag from Walmart
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Where are you?
You guys are winning so much in the US, I’m jealous.
I buy a bag of 7-8 big apples (around 2 kg) regularly every week for 3.50 EUR.
How much were they per pound?! That’s crazy! Fuji apples near me are priced the same as all the others at $2.49/ lb.
Ok but, was this a full size grocery store or more like a convenience store?
That’s wild, I got a 3 pound bag of gala apples today for $1.99
I’ve been going to Costco for fruits and the local organic farmer for tomatoes and greens. I can get a 5 lb bag of cosmic crisp apples for like $6, berries for the toddler are the cheapest there as well. I spend most of our money on food, we don’t spend much on anything else.
It’s not going to get better for us. It may for the rich because as businesses fold and foreclosures happen the real estate will be cheap for them…it’s like thrift store shopping. They can afford the food already or they can afford to leave. It’s important to call your representatives every single day and protest this shit.
That’s insane, I just got 5 lbs of cosmic crisp apples for $8 at Meijer yesterday.
My guess is someone priced them in their system incorrectly, probably entered what should have been per pound as per apple.
What kind of apples do you get? I shop for my fruit at Jewel (Illinois) store. And they always have sales for fruit. 3LB bag of apples for 3$. Or I got honey crisp apples for $1 a pound on sale. 5 giants apples came out to like 2.5 lbs. So 2.5$? I think you need to find a better store to go to. Aldi is in like every state
That’s crazy!! I usually buy organic cosmic apples- 4 for $5.99 they are huge!! I can split one apple with two kids lol and myself. If you have a Costco or Sam’s membership or a friend who has one see if they can get you some apples that way if you just give them the cash
Why are they so expensive???? I just looked at our local grocery store’s website and it’s $1/fuji apple or you can get a 5lb bag for $4.99, but there’s a coupon right now for $2.99. I live in Chicago for reference.
The fuck is an organic apple?
Are you in Alaska?
Price mistake?
People forget that fruits and vegetables have seasonality and sales. You don’t have to buy apples if it’s $17 for 5, you can buy other fruits and wait for prices that makes sense. Cherries is something I love to eat, but I don’t buy them out of session for $10/lb, I buy them in season for 3-4.
Lol… I just bought 4 apples for 75 pesos in playa del carmen. How the hell do 4 apples go from under a dollar to almost 17 bucks on a trip north?
Getting rid of the fruit migrant workers are going to cost.
Don’t worry! We all need to collectively suffer to the point of homelessness and desperation for our Presidential Lord and Savior!
Hahahahahahahahahahahhahahhaha
Tired of winning yet America?
Ok, that’s shocking. Non-organic Honey crisp apples were on sale for .99 per pound at my little town grocery store last week. Those must have been some fancy pants apples. I hope that’s a fluke and not a sign of what’s to come.
“California”
This really makes me miss the old apple tree we had in the backyard. I swear the deer and other animals got drunk off the rotting fruit after it fell and sat.
€1 for 6 Granny Smiths In a grocery store in Ireland – Dunnes Stores
I bought a 5 pound bag of pink lady apples for $4, and a 5 pound bag of cosmic crisp for $6
Are you saying 5 tote bags of apples was $17 or 5 apples? If it was 5 apples then someone labels them wrong. Live in Oceanside California and shop at Trader Joe’s and have never seen apples anywhere near that pricing.
I just checked their website… did you get the golden delicious apples? They’re by far the most expensive at about $5/lb
That’s 2-3x as much as every other apple they have
They sell bags of organic apples at BJs that have about 8-9 apples for under $4. You have to live by your means and be smart about where you’re shopping you might have to give up Safeway if you can no longer afford it.
We are all going to have to pay attention to EVERY price
I order Walmart delivery often. I needed to buy Greek salad dressing. ONE of the offerings was a bottle of Greek salad dressing “imported from Canada” for $19.70.
I selected a different one at a lower price.
I would guess those apples are also imported. But, so far, there are other choices.
Where are you shopping?
Local HEB in Austin is $2.99 for a 3lb bag of gala apples and $4.17 for a 3lb bag of large granny Smith apples
I bought a 4lb bag of organic apples at Costco in NorCal and there were more than 5 and they only cost 10.99.
Safeway is the most expensive chain in my rural area but I agree with others who say it might be a price error.
Definitely sounds like an error. I’m in California also and the Safeway near me has 3lb bags of Gala and Fuji apples for $5.
Did you get apple pears (Asian pears)? Those things are fucking awesome and expensive.
If you’re struggling financially, pay attention to prices. Shop on a budget. And it’s OKAY to go to food shelves/pantries to get food. That’s what they’re there for – people struggling to get food!
I bought two apples. They were 4.55. I feel your pain.
What’s a Banana? Like 10 dollars?
Something was wrong with the machine or something? It weighed them when it should have scanned a barcode? I buy apples every week (i love apples and PB) and I’d shit my pants right there. Where you at whole foods? I haven’t noticed any price increases where I am YET.
My bay area safeway’s apples are nowhere near that expensive………
How?
I just wanted to give you a little comparison, because every price I see here sounds super insane for me that apples In Poland are for ~1$ for a KG (around 3-4 basic apples), 2$ for fancy ones …
It would be cheaper for you to use Instacart to shop the cheapest overall grocery cart. You could save $10 on the apples alone.
I went to Aldi today. Got a bag of Cosmic Crisp apples for less than $4.00.
Did you get Honeycrisp? They are wonderful but quite expensive.
Typically I’m paying close to $2.50 an apple for normal apples. Live in California so HCOL…but it bothers me every time!
Where did you buy these? I see a bag of 4 for $4 at Sprouts.
I got a bag of 5-6 for $6 at Safeway in Oregon.
That would have been 5 dollars in a self checkout.
Be angry. Accept that your founding fathers messed up when they wrote a constitution that relies on the president not wanting to be a king to prevent it from happening. They gave the president too much power.
Self checkout code 4011, apples costaround 0.25 a lb.
I’m in California and no apples are not $17. Check your receipt
We ought to start stealing
I have been buying my apples around 6 dollars for 3 lb.
I just bought 6 lbs for $6.
I just got a bag for 4 dollars – pink ladies. I dont know where you’re going or what youre doing but whaaaaat?
$17? where do you live? an island far away from the mainland?
$18!!!?! Holy shit
Question from someone living in Wisconsin, what the hell is going on in California? It got more expensive up here too but DAMN it didn’t get THAT bad!
Red delicious apples near me are $1.79/pound
I just checked my nicer grocery store app and can get 3lb of Gala for 2.99 and 8lb for 7.99. I bet Aldi is less.
If you were buying individual apples over pre-bagged, they’re always more expensive.
Ok, in the second paragraph, and I had to stop to comment. Since when is cheese a cheap snack?
I did some sumo oranges that were ‘on sale’ and looking rough, about a month ago. I looked at the tag, and it was like 2.50. So I go oh cool 2.50/lb is reasonable, and these oranges are bomb, I’ll take 5. I get to the checkout and lo and behold, 2.50 EACH. I about died >!I still bought them tho, half out of embarrassment, half out of I wanted my damn oranges!<
If you are near a Trader Joe’s, we have been doing chia seed pudding (1/4 water, 1/4 TJ chia seeds, 1/4 milk, mixed together and put in a container in the fridge overnight), TJ sunflower seeds, TJ dried wild blueberries, TJ hemp hearts, with honey. You can make it overnight before bed, wake up and have breakfast, and it just those 4 small bags should last you about 8-10 morning breakfasts.
I just bought two Galas for $1.17.
I mean, it is Safeway, and their prices are higher. The last time I lived near Safeway, the only real alternative was Grocery Outlet. Had no real choice about shopping there.
Side note, my step daughter calls Grocery Outlet the used food store. It tracked
I got a 3.5# bag of apples this week for $7. Unfortunately the quality was poor (not apple season after all). Maybe try some frozen fruit or something in season?
Was this at a gas station or something?
4lbs of apples at Costco for $5 in Northern CA.
At Wal-Mart (SoCal), a 3lb bag of fresh gala apples is $3.56
Eat the rich.
Here in Texas I pay $5 for three pounds or $6 for five pounds, depending on type
if you in CA try and go to an Aldi
Wow that’s crazy I got a bag for $6 a couple of weeks ago. Grown in Canada for sale in Canada -I guess that’s going to continue to make a huge difference
Welp, time to go back to avocado toasts, it’s cheaper! /s
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