“They are still a bit high compared to pre-COVID, but not too bad.”
I just bought a dozen eggs for 96 cents, which is much cheaper than pre-covid.
I just bought cherries for 99 cents a pound, which is the cheapest price in decades.
It seems to me that you are cherry-picking (note the pun) your evidence. It’s fine to give up overpriced corporate junk.
No, I monitor our overall food budget. Those were just varying examples.
I partially agree on eggs, tho’ again I think the effect of more people with small flocks is helping keep prices low. It’s rather an atypical instance, compared to most food items. (In my family’s case, I rationalize the time spent on the small chicken flock as insurance, in case the New Madrid Fault does a 1811-12 replay and goes nuts for several months. It’s about due, and in a situation with most transport disrupted for months... I’m not an all out prepper, but the birdies could be a big help. Hopefully I wouldn’t have to shoot somebody to preserve them!!)
However, I cannot fathom the cherry prices you mention, unless it’s a local phenomenon.
Meats here (including chicken and most fish) are generally up 50% or more, according to the receipts I just went back through. That excludes the imported stuff my wife (Filipina) buys at a local “international store”, as she tends to “lose” the receipts because she knows I won’t like the prices of a lot of the specialty stuff she craves. So, I can’t comment to that. Same “not enough data” with Salmon, for her fish soups (which have a lot more veggies than fish in them), except I think wifey does sometimes buy Salmon @ Wally World — but I still don’t see the receipts.
Salmon filets themselves as a serving I’ve not had for years. $8 or more / lb. is way too unaffordable.