The price of butter??

I am so glad you brought this subject up. It is shocking how much the cost of butter has risen – for no apparent reason. I am surprised more people haven’t commented on it. After buying one high priced pound of butter recently I decided I needed to find a cheaper way, so I bought some at Costco – a 4 lb. pre-pack for about $12.00. Then, the very next week my local grocery store had a special on my preferred brand and style – Land O Lakes quarter sticks – selling 2 lbs for $7.00 so I stocked up. If I die tomorrow people will think I am a butter hoarder!

So many groceries are priced so high I now have to pass on the purchase of some items I just tossed into the cart without thinking in the past. Avocados are $1.49 each. Recently, a pound of butter and two avocados cost me $10.00. We have reduced our milk consumption by 50% and may have to lower it more. Meat is twice the cost it was last summer. It is unbelievable the percent of increase many of these items have experience so quickly.

Another thing I can’t stand is when stores have a produce item with a big sign with the dollar price and then in itty bitty print it says “lb.” They set out pre-packed bags (like grapes or cherries, etc.) that actually weigh 3 or 4 lbs. so grab a bag and toss it in your cart it then it costs 4 times what you expected when you get to register. They count of fooling the customer. I want to trust the people I do business with – is that such an old fashioned concept?

I am newly retired and living on a smaller fixed income and it is eroding rapidly with the dramatic increases in the cost of food and gas (both for the car and heat) , etc. I don’t know how families do it these days….I am not sure how I am going to make it work.

I haven't paid particular attention to butter but have noticed much higher prices for meat. Yesterday at Wegman's my jaw dropped to see corned beef uncooked package priced at $25! I usually shop at a smaller locally owned market and pay $11 to $18 depending on the weight.

A half ham w/bone marked $35 and up as well as a hunk of beef that wasn't anything special. Glad I'm not raising a house full of kids/teenagers YIKE!

It's because dairy plants are putting their milk/cream into products they can sell faster than butter (which can be held in storage for longer). If the price of butter drops, they will have their high priced milk in a product that could potentially sell for less than it cost to make it. The good thing is (not for farmers) that the price of milk is expected to drop quite a bit for 2015 ($3-$4 per cwt).

So supply and demand, along with the price of raw milk is playing a role in this. Completely crazy that the butter market is over $3.00/lb. And that as of yesterday, barrels of cheese were trading for more than blocks were.

I've noticed the same thing.....hey, land of cows (California)...so they are advertising, it should be cheap there???

Just saw $2.75 a pound at Sam's....$2.98 a pound for store brand on coupon.

Land O Lakes...holy cow, can't afford that stuff.

I haven't noticed any change. Generally speaking, I will get my favorite brands when they are on sale - then I'll buy two pounds and have enough for many months. I was at the store on Monday and it was the same as usual.

My favorite brands are either Land O'Lakes, Tillamook, or Challenge. Almost always I find one of those on ad. Of course, since I wanted to get some on Monday none were, but they were at the usual regular price.

I pay 4.89 I think for trader Joes organic.butter. However, I do buy Strauss butter for certain things because it is the highest in butter fat. It is, gulp...8.95 a lb!

It is high priced here as well. Price was so high I actually bought a half gallon of heavy cream and made it myself. Believe it or not, it was cheaper

I always buy Kerrygold because it's grass fed. It's always been higher than regular butter.

I just bought Land O Lakes butter two days ago and it was $4.79 here in CO. I was thinking it had gone up also.