Reports have been coming in from people all over the country that their food cost have been increasing. I too have noticed an increase in the cost of groceries over the past year!

I used to think it was just the place that I was shopping, so I changed up my grocery stores, not once, but three times! I constantly pour over the advertisements of local super markets and while some sale items are reasonable, the majority of them are still way off from a year ago and if they are not on sale? Forget about it.

$5.00 for a box of Kelloggs Apple Jacks that used to be $2.50, and $2.00 for a loaf of bread that used to cost anywhere from .88 cent to $1.00, and the cost of meat? Well that's just ridiculous! The last few weeks two of my main super markets have all but quit selling ground sirloin due to the cost of meat, instead they sell ground round at about the same price you used to buy the ground sirloin! Want a good tenderloin steak or any kind of meat for that matter? Yep... It will cost you on average 20-40% and even more if its a quality cut! Lunch meats are up, milk used to be $1.40 - $1.80 a gallon, now it's $2.50 on SALE! Entenmanns breakfast danishes used to be $2.50 now they are $5.00.... It just goes on and on!

Now they are saying that food cost will rise even more in 2011

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40966983/ns/business-bloomberg_businessweek/?gt1=43001

Paying more for gas is one thing... People can drive less, get jobs closer to home, take the bus or train or on nice days walk or cycle to work. You could also start driving your motorcycle and cut down on fuel cost... But to have a similar increase in food cost is something you are not going to get around... Everyone has to eat!

Many fast food places have been noted as claiming they will do away with their $1.00 menu, and many people have to wonder how some of them are making any money selling food at reduced prices right now. Sure if you super size and customize everything you could rack up big money at fast food joints but seriously! A regular taco is now almost $1.00 at Taco Bell!

And Restaurants!? Forget about it! Steak dinners from TGI Fridays are now over $20 for a sirloin. This is an entree that used to cost $12.00! I even had to pay $24 at TGI Fridays while in Ohio on vacation! All this for the same meal that cost $12.00 no more than a year ago! Add in the tip and the fact you can no longer smoke in a Restaurant and that's enough for us to quit eating out.

Don't get me wrong, we still keep full and we are not starving, but c'mon! WTF? The good ole Obama Administration and their desire to use our crops to grow gas fuel rather than edible corn to make bread and feed the livestock. Now our food supply is tied into the global market for gasoline and guess who is paying more!? You guessed it! The people buying fuel overseas! So meanwhile we get to pay more for food or go hungry. Sometime I think I should just swallow my pride and jump on the government food credit card bandwagon just because everyone else is, so why not me!?