American Food Shortages and Skyrocketing Prices: Is this true?

Dear Folks,

Sometimes we watch YT vids and we can’t tell what might be reflective of the true state of affairs in our home countries, and what might be just fabrication in order to get views.

For example:

Here is a guy, Mike Bordenaro, who is shouting from the rooftops about dire food shortages and exploding food prices in America, these days.

Is this true?

Is America really this expensive, these days?

If so, then….

We ain’t NEVER going back.

Still…what is the truth?

How would we really know without returning to America, or some other “home country”, just in case you are not American?

Also, if the American situation is actually this dire, then China must be TEN-times better, at the moment, even with China’s own challenges.

If this is true:  Then, this is a real shocker. How could things have ever devolved and spiralled down so radically, ….since I was last in the USA….when Bill Clinton was elected?

Any good and insightful thoughts?

Best regards,

Gamma

Note:  Thankfully, I have an utter disliking for American breakfast cereal, if it costs, according to this vid, about 8USD for a small box.

And, who does not know by now.....American breakfast cereal is basically just garbage in a cardboard box, and they still charge you for it?

Edited June 15Jun 15 by GammaGlobulin

food is plentiful and cheap, although the fab sweet corn at 5 for a buck sold out fast,

7 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

food is plentiful and cheap, although the fab sweet corn at 5 for a buck sold out fast,

So then...

The linked video, meaning the information in the linked video, is, basically. and in your view....

Garbage?

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

American Food Shortages and Skyrocketing Prices: Is this true?

Dear Folks,

Sometimes we watch YT vids and we can’t tell what might be reflective of the true state of affairs in our home countries, and what might be just fabrication in order to get views.

For example:

Here is a guy, Mike Bordenaro, who is shouting from the rooftops about dire food shortages and exploding food prices in America, these days.

Is this true?

Is America really this expensive, these days?

If so, then….

We ain’t NEVER going back.

Still…what is the truth?

How would we really know without returning to America, or some other “home country”, just in case you are not American?

Also, if the American situation is actually this dire, then China must be TEN-times better, at the moment, even with China’s own challenges.

If this is true:  Then, this is a real shocker. How could things have ever devolved and spiralled down so radically, ….since I was last in the USA….when Bill Clinton was elected?

Any good and insightful thoughts?

Best regards,

Gamma

Note:  Thankfully, I have an utter disliking for American breakfast cereal, if it costs, according to this vid, about 8USD for a small box.

And, who does not know by now.....American breakfast cereal is basically just garbage in a cardboard box, and they still charge you for it?

I'm posting from the USA. No food storages. Prices are about the same. Some of the items I buy are down. Gas is down about $1 from last month.

No food shortages, but food prices are way over the top due to tariffs and cost of fuel to transport.

To say the food prices are about the same is complete B.S.

12oz bag of coffee I used to get at $5.99 is now $10.99.

Loaf of Orowheat bread I used to get at $3.59 is now $5.49

My big 2lb Quaker Oats old fashion cut was $4.99 now $6.49

My N.Y. steaks bone in, used to be $12.99 a lb, now $19.99

The MAGA types will always come up with an alternative reality to cover for their guru. Ridiculous.

Off to Costco to get a giant bag of coffee to try and save there.

4 hours ago, Priorexpat said:

Loaf of Orowheat bread I used to get at $3.59 is now $5.49

Historical Price Progression

• Early 2000s: A 1-lb loaf of premium bread averaged about $1.99.

• 2010s: Average costs for similar loaves rose to $2.99 - $3.99.

• 2021: Oroweat varieties hovered at a base price of $3.69 - $5.09 per loaf.

• 2022–2024: Following a surge in manufacturing and ingredient costs, base prices jumped by roughly 15% to 18%, pushing regular prices to the $5.99 mark at major grocers like Safeway and

The costs soared under JoeFlation.

4 hours ago, Priorexpat said:

To say the food prices are about the same is complete B.S.

It depends on what timeline you look at.

2 hours ago, TedG said:

Historical Price Progression

• Early 2000s: A 1-lb loaf of premium bread averaged about $1.99.

• 2010s: Average costs for similar loaves rose to $2.99 - $3.99.

• 2021: Oroweat varieties hovered at a base price of $3.69 - $5.09 per loaf.

• 2022–2024: Following a surge in manufacturing and ingredient costs, base prices jumped by roughly 15% to 18%, pushing regular prices to the $5.99 mark at major grocers like Safeway and

The costs soared under JoeFlation.

Then, perhaps, what this YouTuber's vid is saying is actually NOT garbage after all.

He stated that a box of cereal has risen in price dramatically, and that a pound of ground beef has skyrocketed.

He is saying that due to dramatic price increases people are not able to buy food they once could afford, and this is causing "food shortages" for families who are not in the upper-middle class.

IF this is actually true, then his video, and what he states is true, and not garbage.

And, if true, then it is far better to not be in the USA, today, especially on the west coast, it would seem.

Also, if true, then what is happening on the emigration front?

Are people still dying to emigrate to the USA?

Or, are they, in fact, deciding to leave?

It might be worthwhile to compare prices of basic food items between the years 2000 and today.

Or, even 1992, the year Bill Clinton was elected and now.

Compared to that time, then today, the USA seems much less liveable.

3 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Then, perhaps, what this YouTuber's vid is saying is actually NOT garbage after all.

He stated that a box of cereal has risen in price dramatically, and that a pound of ground beef has skyrocketed.

I hope the price of cereal continues to rise because it’s not good for one’s health.

I watch a YT cooking healthy channel, and he makes things, and posts ingredients & prices (USA) and everything is usually cheaper than TH, or around same price at least, rarely something more expensive.

And he doesn't shop at inexpensive stores. Balance quality with price. Eating in is not expensive in USA. Ordering delivery is silly priced, as a lot of his YTs are comparison, can he make better, cheaper and as fast as ordering something.

Some of the delivery fees & mandatory tips applied are just silly high and double the cost sometimes.

Edited June 16Jun 16 by KhunLA

7 hours ago, Priorexpat said:

No food shortages, but food prices are way over the top due to tariffs and cost of fuel to transport.

To say the food prices are about the same is complete B.S.

12oz bag of coffee I used to get at $5.99 is now $10.99.

Loaf of Orowheat bread I used to get at $3.59 is now $5.49

My big 2lb Quaker Oats old fashion cut was $4.99 now $6.49

My N.Y. steaks bone in, used to be $12.99 a lb, now $19.99

The MAGA types will always come up with an alternative reality to cover for their guru. Ridiculous.

Off to Costco to get a giant bag of coffee to try and save there.

The data does not support your claim. The total value for the cost of Groceries on an annual basis May on May is reported as 2.7%. The Bureau of Labour Statistics has the following inflation data;

• Fruits and Vegetables: +6.1%

• Nonalcoholic Beverages (including Coffee/Tea): +5.8%

• Other Food at Home: +2.0%

• Cereals and Bakery Products: +1.9%

• Meats, Poultry, Fish, and Eggs: +1.8%

• Dairy and Related Products: -1.0%

  https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm

 This is hardly way over the top. I am no fan of tariffs, but they have had relatively little impact on US agricultural output.

The tariffs that apply to foreign imports of select items. Because the USA is practically self sufficient for food , it was insulated.

You do know that almost all of the US fertilizer imports are tariff free don't you? And don't try saying farm Mexican or Canadian sourced equipment was subject to tariffs, because the USMCA still says what can be tariffed.

Prices went up for 3 reasons;

-Labour wage adjustments. (Are you going to demand that workers not receive wage increases?)

- Fuel costs. (Yes, it impacted the cost of logistics.)

-Profit margins of large quasi monopoly wholesale food distributors and retailers. (Shareholders want better returns.)

2.7% is not a particularly large increase. Yes, it is slightly higher than the Biden period, but well below historic highs.

Bet you would have had conniptions 20 years ago.

Year	Ave	Year	Ave	Year	Ave
1968	3.5	1987	4.1	2006	2.4
1969	5.1	1988	4.1	2007	4
1970	5.7	1989	5.8	2008	5.5
1971	3.1	1990	5.8	2009	1.8
1972	4.2	1991	2.9	2010	0.8
1973	14.5	1992	1.2	2011	3.7
1974	14.3	1993	2.2	2012	2.6
1975	8.5	1994	2.4	2013	1.4
1976	3	1995	2.8	2014	2.4
1977	6.3	1996	3.3	2015	1.9
1978	9.9	1997	2.6	2016	0.3
1979	11	1998	2.2	2017	0.9
1980	8.6	1999	2.1	2018	1.4
1981	7.8	2000	2.3	2019	1.9
1982	4.1	2001	3.2	2020	3.4
1983	2.1	2002	1.8	2021	3.9
1984	3.8	2003	2.2	2022	9.9
1985	2.3	2004	3.4	2023	5.8
1986	3.2	2005	2.4	2024	2.3
				2025	2.8

Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Food in U.S. city average, all urban consumers, not seasonally adjusted. CPI-All Urban Consumers.

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Then, perhaps, what this YouTuber's vid is saying is actually NOT garbage after all.

He stated that a box of cereal has risen in price dramatically, and that a pound of ground beef has skyrocketed.

He is saying that due to dramatic price increases people are not able to buy food they once could afford, and this is causing "food shortages" for families who are not in the upper-middle class.

IF this is actually true, then his video, and what he states is true, and not garbage.

And, if true, then it is far better to not be in the USA, today, especially on the west coast, it would seem.

Also, if true, then what is happening on the emigration front?

Are people still dying to emigrate to the USA?

Or, are they, in fact, deciding to leave?

It might be worthwhile to compare prices of basic food items between the years 2000 and today.

Or, even 1992, the year Bill Clinton was elected and now.

Compared to that time, then today, the USA seems much less liveable.

You can look at prices over time on this link.

https://www.bls.gov/charts/consumer-price-index/consumer-price-index-average-price-data.htm

May inflation rate in US was 4.2%

https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/inflation-cpi

Edited June 16Jun 16 by ronnie50

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

It might be worthwhile to compare prices of basic food items between the years 2000 and today.

Or, even 1992, the year Bill Clinton was elected and now.

Compared to that time, then today, the USA seems much less liveable.

Items seemed more affordable in the 90s and 2000s, but we saw a significant spike in prices during COVID. I haven't eaten beef in years, so I didn't notice any price increases on that. However, some of the food items I buy have dropped in price this year. Pet food did increase.

I don’t eat much fast food, but I noticed that prices increased during COVID. For instance, when I stopped by a Subway while driving down the valley, I paid $14 for a footlong grilled chicken sub. This is one of the reasons I try to avoid eating out; it's just not a good value these days.

The people on this site complaining about food prices somehow did'nt notice the changes until January 2025. The USA is not a dystopia like the lefties want people to think. They are always whiny bitches when out of power.

Edited June 16Jun 16 by TedG

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Then, perhaps, what this YouTuber's vid is saying is actually NOT garbage after all.

He stated that a box of cereal has risen in price dramatically, and that a pound of ground beef has skyrocketed.

He is saying that due to dramatic price increases people are not able to buy food they once could afford, and this is causing "food shortages" for families who are not in the upper-middle class.

IF this is actually true, then his video, and what he states is true, and not garbage.

And, if true, then it is far better to not be in the USA, today, especially on the west coast, it would seem.

Also, if true, then what is happening on the emigration front?

Are people still dying to emigrate to the USA?

Or, are they, in fact, deciding to leave?

It might be worthwhile to compare prices of basic food items between the years 2000 and today.

Or, even 1992, the year Bill Clinton was elected and now.

Compared to that time, then today, the USA seems much less liveable.

Minimum wage has tripled since 2000. As an example now in Calif the shop rate for car repair is $150. hr, a jack of all trades handyman thinks he's worth $100. hr.

I'm a believer in the fact that Covid gave businesses the pass to gouge it's customers.

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

He stated that a box of cereal has risen in price dramatically, and that a pound of ground beef has skyrocketed.

A loaf of bread was probably $0.05 a hundred years ago and maybe $5 now, quite the inflation.

2 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

He is saying that due to dramatic price increases people are not able to buy food they once could afford, and this is causing "food shortages" for families who are not in the upper-middle class.

There is no food shortage in the US for poor folks, they have access to food stamps and food banks. Starvation and famine is nonexistent, there are fat people living on the streets for crying out loud.

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

The data does not support your claim. The total value for the cost of Groceries on an annual basis May on May is reported as 2.7%. The Bureau of Labour Statistics has the following inflation data;

• Fruits and Vegetables: +6.1%

• Nonalcoholic Beverages (including Coffee/Tea): +5.8%

• Other Food at Home: +2.0%

• Cereals and Bakery Products: +1.9%

• Meats, Poultry, Fish, and Eggs: +1.8%

• Dairy and Related Products: -1.0%

  https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm

 This is hardly way over the top. I am no fan of tariffs, but they have had relatively little impact on US agricultural output.

The tariffs that apply to foreign imports of select items. Because the USA is practically self sufficient for food , it was insulated.

You do know that almost all of the US fertilizer imports are tariff free don't you? And don't try saying farm Mexican or Canadian sourced equipment was subject to tariffs, because the USMCA still says what can be tariffed.

Prices went up for 3 reasons;

-Labour wage adjustments. (Are you going to demand that workers not receive wage increases?)

- Fuel costs. (Yes, it impacted the cost of logistics.)

-Profit margins of large quasi monopoly wholesale food distributors and retailers. (Shareholders want better returns.)

2.7% is not a particularly large increase. Yes, it is slightly higher than the Biden period, but well below historic highs.

Bet you would have had conniptions 20 years ago.

Year	Ave	Year	Ave	Year	Ave
1968	3.5	1987	4.1	2006	2.4
1969	5.1	1988	4.1	2007	4
1970	5.7	1989	5.8	2008	5.5
1971	3.1	1990	5.8	2009	1.8
1972	4.2	1991	2.9	2010	0.8
1973	14.5	1992	1.2	2011	3.7
1974	14.3	1993	2.2	2012	2.6
1975	8.5	1994	2.4	2013	1.4
1976	3	1995	2.8	2014	2.4
1977	6.3	1996	3.3	2015	1.9
1978	9.9	1997	2.6	2016	0.3
1979	11	1998	2.2	2017	0.9
1980	8.6	1999	2.1	2018	1.4
1981	7.8	2000	2.3	2019	1.9
1982	4.1	2001	3.2	2020	3.4
1983	2.1	2002	1.8	2021	3.9
1984	3.8	2003	2.2	2022	9.9
1985	2.3	2004	3.4	2023	5.8
1986	3.2	2005	2.4	2024	2.3
				2025	2.8

Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Food in U.S. city average, all urban consumers, not seasonally adjusted. CPI-All Urban Consumers.

Didn't they fire the real people working at the BLS and replace them with Trump sycophants? Hardly a reliable source for data any more.

Yikes

18 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

American Food Shortages and Skyrocketing Prices: Is this true?

Dear Folks,

Sometimes we watch YT vids and we can’t tell what might be reflective of the true state of affairs in our home countries, and what might be just fabrication in order to get views.

For example:

Here is a guy, Mike Bordenaro, who is shouting from the rooftops about dire food shortages and exploding food prices in America, these days.

Is this true?

Is America really this expensive, these days?

If so, then….

We ain’t NEVER going back.

Still…what is the truth?

How would we really know without returning to America, or some other “home country”, just in case you are not American?

Also, if the American situation is actually this dire, then China must be TEN-times better, at the moment, even with China’s own challenges.

If this is true:  Then, this is a real shocker. How could things have ever devolved and spiralled down so radically, ….since I was last in the USA….when Bill Clinton was elected?

Any good and insightful thoughts?

Best regards,

Gamma

Note:  Thankfully, I have an utter disliking for American breakfast cereal, if it costs, according to this vid, about 8USD for a small box.

And, who does not know by now.....American breakfast cereal is basically just garbage in a cardboard box, and they still charge you for it?

Why the big gaps in your posts?

Is it while you are thinking about the next load of crap you are going to type?

5 hours ago, TedG said:

Items seemed more affordable in the 90s and 2000s, but we saw a significant spike in prices during COVID. I haven't eaten beef in years, so I didn't notice any price increases on that. However, some of the food items I buy have dropped in price this year. Pet food did increase.

I don’t eat much fast food, but I noticed that prices increased during COVID. For instance, when I stopped by a Subway while driving down the valley, I paid $14 for a footlong grilled chicken sub. This is one of the reasons I try to avoid eating out; it's just not a good value these days.

The people on this site complaining about food prices somehow did'nt notice the changes until January 2025. The USA is not a dystopia like the lefties want people to think. They are always whiny bitches when out of power.

I don't eat beef either, not since I moved to Asia in 1979.

But, if we look at these prices for the normal ground beef available at Costco and other retailers, the price rise since 2000 is truly astounding....ASTOUNDING....!!!!!

So, the question is: Why don't Americans just REVOLT? They did this in France, did they not, when the price of CAKE went through the roof?

Seriously....!!!!

I would never return to the USA when prices CONTINUE to rapidly rise, according to Google, and according to the VID that I posted.

So, as I say, maybe this YOUTUBER is actually speaking the truth.

If he were not speaking the truth, then the comments would call him out on it.

But, apparently, from reading his comments on YouTube, his opinions, and his facts, seem to be very much on target.

Truly, the situation is CRAZY.....

I do not care, because I stopped living in Ameria a very long time ago.

I was there for a year in 1992, and then....

I promised everyone that if Clinton were elected, I would leave....

So I DID.

Now, Clinton is in the USA, becasue he can afford the price of beef, and I am in Asia, where I can afford the price of pork.

5 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Minimum wage has tripled since 2000. As an example now in Calif the shop rate for car repair is $150. hr, a jack of all trades handyman thinks he's worth $100. hr.

I'm a believer in the fact that Covid gave businesses the pass to gouge it's customers.

What is the going rate for a shrink, because this seems like a growth industry in the USA.....

5 hours ago, novacova said:

A loaf of bread was probably $0.05 a hundred years ago and maybe $5 now, quite the inflation.

There is no food shortage in the US for poor folks, they have access to food stamps and food banks. Starvation and famine is nonexistent, there are fat people living on the streets for crying out loud.

The fat people on the streets are fat because they do not move.

They do not move from their spot on the street, lest some other fat person steals their place.

5 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

May inflation rate in US was 4.2%

https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/inflation-cpi

So then, things are getting even worse in the USA, and not better.

Things are going in the opposite way from the way they should be heading.

I will say, though, that I really do not notice inflation much in Thailand.

I am pretty much not affected in any way, besides maybe higher electric bills, but even here the increase in electric power is negligible compared to what is happening to power bills in the USA, if we can believe recent reports of the impact of gigantic Data Centers.

Eight years ago, a can of tuna, and I use tuna to measure everything, including inflastion, increased from about 35 Baht per can to 48 Baht per can.

This might be due to increased fuel costs for the fishing fleet, and IDK.

So: 2014 the price for a can was about 34 Baht, I think. And today, the price for the same product is 48 or 49 Baht.

I don't really keep track of food price increases here in Thailand because.....it is not like I am paying USD8.00 for a pound of beef, or nothing...

6 hours ago, TedG said:

You can look at prices over time on this link.

https://www.bls.gov/charts/consumer-price-index/consumer-price-index-average-price-data.htm

So, as we can see, the price increases for the cheaper ground beef is like this:

And, it is the higher quality food price increases that counts most.

We do not care if the price of sugar and HFCS high fructose corn syrup is helping to skew the REAL cost of QUALITY food down.

The Government Figures are pretty much scammy, because they are intentionally misleading.

The figures favors those with money and lobbyists, trying to put lipstick on pigs.

And, PIGS THEY ARE, by the way.

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I would never return to the USA when prices CONTINUE to rapidly rise, according to Google, and according to the VID that I posted.

I thought you were moving to China?

8 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

I thought you were moving to China?

You are correct.

And, if you check the USA inflation rate, and skyrocketing food prices, my upcoming move to China makes the most sense.

3 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

You are correct.

And, if you check the USA inflation rate, and skyrocketing food prices, my upcoming move to China makes the most sense.

You have my full support. Off you go.

19 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

I thought you were moving to China?

Concerning my impending move to China....HERE IS WHY......!!!!!

This YouTuber seems to be a real wingnut NUTJOB, just the type of human being I HATE, and VERY LOW IQ, too, OBVIOUSLY....

Still, this addresses the question of food availability, and prices which are super low in China, compared to prices in the USA.

So, yes.

One can eat SUPER WELL in China, either cooking oneself, or just buying great food from the many well-maintained market stalls, which are NOT street stalls, Thailand Style, by any means.

China is an amazing country, culture, and People...and so I love it there.

I just hope I do not meet up with any geeky pussies like this Farang youtuber in China, and I rarely do.

In fact, I think he is not really an OldChina Ham.

I think he is lurking out in other countries, mostly, because his Chinese is non-existent....

So, hold your nose, and watch the vid, in case you want to see the state of food markets in China....as of this date....

The vid just popped up, for no reason. Who knows why.....I will try to ban this guy in the future, just because I do not like his geeky opinionated creepiness....

9 hours ago, temuFarang said:

I hope the price of cereal continues to rise because it’s not good for one’s health.

Since when? Sugary cereals are not the only kind of cereal available. And what about "old fashioned" oatmeal?

9 hours ago, temuFarang said:

I hope the price of cereal continues to rise because it’s not good for one’s health.

People have to consider also, the minimum wage has doubled, if not more in many areas.

Food is the least of folks problems, as the housing market is the real killer.

Off Topic costs ... If you don't qualify for Medicare/Aid, then healthcare is also silly priced. The only 2 economic issues that keep from even thinking about returning to USA. Medicare not too bad, unless like me, haven't had Plan B for 20+ yrs, so would be expensive to start again.

Under Medicare, if having health issues, then it is usually cheaper than TH, having surgery or procedures performed. I've compared some procedures that I've had done here with USA pricing, (endo/colon scope, cataract, CT Scan, Ultrasound) and if done via Medicare, much cheaper than TH private or even govt hospitals, IF, you self insure as I do. Pharmacy is usually much cheaper in TH.

Edited June 16Jun 16 by KhunLA