Soaring Gas Prices Digs Deep into Family Budgets

Beloit native Laurie Schreiber is checking grocery ads much more closely these days for the best bargains. South Beloit resident Anthony Range has changed his driving habits and rarely fills his truck’s gas tank.

Beloit Clark service station owner Raj Patel hears first hand how high gas
prices are and how they are impacting everyday people at the pump and elsewhere.

“It’s extremely high right now and the trend is to keep going higher,” Range said, as he put gas in his truck at the Beloit Clark station on Broad Street. “There’s no more joy driving. It’s just from point A to point B. You’ve got the gas prices combined with the food and utility prices and we need help.”

The far-reaching effects of rising gas prices are becoming clear across the Stateline Area as residents dig deeper into their pockets to pay for their everyday needs, including gas.

To further Range’s point about high food prices, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, the price of food rose 3.6 percent in February, the largest single month increase in 34 years. A good portion of that increase can be attributed to gas prices which now sit about $1 higher than this time last year

The average person or family is paying $1,100 more annually for gas based on today’s gas prices and fuel use of 1,100 gallons of gas per year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. And businesses are in no way escaping the pain at the pump.

For some perspective on how high gas prices are and what their impact is, last year at this time the average price of a gallon of gas was $2.88 in Wisconsin. As of Wednesday, it was $3.97, $3.87 nationally and over $4 a gallon in Illinois. A month ago, it was $3.58, according to Pam Moen, spokesperson for Wisconsin’s AAA Madison office.

http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2011/04/29/news/local_news/news2901.txt

You're Paying More for Gas and Food-Ouch!

News Report. You know as baby boomers, we know so many people that are really feeling the crunch. This is getting absolutely insane. When we talk about the potential of saving money, making money, and getting all your groceries with Gift Cards, we are not kidding. It is so great to go shopping and to pull out our gift cards instead of our debit or credit card. 

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Have a blessed day,
Donna/AKA Nana

TAMPA - As the price at the pump continues to rise there's another necessity out there making customers cringe at the register.

"At the grocery store, especially poultry products, the eggs the milk, all of that has increased tremendously," said shopper Nancy Cooley.

Economists say food prices are up nearly seven percent.

Combine that with the high price at the pump and that means the combined costs of food and gas are eating up 15% of Americans total income. That's three percent higher than 2009 at the height of the recession.

Americans are certainly feeling the pinch.

"It's getting so bad that I had to go to work and right now I went for bankruptcy today," said Joanne Oshea of Spring Hill.

"I've noticed in the meat it's gone up extremely high," said Tom Frain of Clearwater.

Economists believe the rise in prices may signal another recession...

The prospect of that has economy weary Americans bracing for the worst.

"We don't know where things are going," said Frain.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/sun_coast/rising_costs_at_pump_grocery_store042311

Killer Combo of High Gas, Food Prices at Key Tipping Point - CNBC

This year food prices have climbed 6.5 percent since the beginning of early January, according to Consumer Growth Partners.

"The combined increase in the necessities of food and energy creates a harsh double whammy for already stressed consumers," Johnson said. The last time this happened was in the recession that lasted from 1973 to 1975.

Johnson estimates that food and energy eat up about 15 percent of consumer spending at today's prices, compared with about 12.7 percent two years ago.

Killer Combo of High Gas, Food Prices at Key Tipping Point - CNBC

Soaring price of food!

Angry about your big grocery bill?

Chew on this: Our already high food prices are expected to climb even more this year, from 3.5 percent more for chicken to 8 percent more for beef and veal.

Blame soaring gas prices, rising costs for commodities like corn and wheat, and a bigger global demand for a smaller food supply. They're all pushing our food bills to unprecedented highs, with no immediate relief on the horizon.

Local grocers and shoppers say they can't remember when so many foods were this expensive.

"Everything has gone up," sighed Burt Saltzman, chairman of Dave's Supermarkets, tossing up his hands. "Every day, we get a list of new increases" on top of what's already still pricey.

"Tomatoes have never been this high. They're $3 a pound and usually this time of year they're $1.79 or $1.99.

"Asparagus is high, onions are high, peppers are high. Cucumbers were like $30 for a box of 24, more than twice what they were before. In all my life, I've never seen cucumbers that high."

'The most significant across-the-board increases I've seen in my life.'

Tom Heinen, co-president of Heinen's Fine Foods, said that without a doubt, "these are the most significant across-the-board increases I've seen in my life."

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/04/prices_graphic.html

Gas Prices Continue to Soar! No End in Sight...

Gas prices continue to soar: MyFoxBOSTON.com

Slash those costs or even totally eliminate them as thousands of people have already done in the last 8 months. and there's NO coupon clipping either which is very time consuming. Visit www.slashfoodbills.com
and get THE answer to all these financial woes. We're doing it and you can, too. And, we'll help you.

Have a great day,
Stephen & Donna

Food Prices and Gasoline Affect Household Budgets

The Labor Department said that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.5 percent in March, matching a 0.5 percent rise in February. Gasoline and food prices accounted for almost three-quarters of the increase, but outside of those two areas, prices remained subdued. In the last 12 months, the index has increased 2.7 percent.

The core index, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.1 percent in March, compared with a 0.2 percent rise in February. The core index rose 1.2 percent in the last 12 months.

With the rise in food prices and gasoline now averaging $3.82 for a gallon of regular unleaded, inflationary pressures are likely to continue to affect household budgets in the short term, economists said. “So if you don’t eat or drive a car, you are feeling little inflation,” the chief economist for PNC Financial Services, Stuart Hoffman, said."

Wow, who can live without eating or driving a car or truck? We are all feeling inflation!

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

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/f/food_prices/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier

Here's another bit of news:

"Gasoline jumped 5.6 percent last month and has risen nearly 28 percent in the past year. Consumers paid an average price of $3.81 a gallon nationwide on Friday according to the travel group AAA.

Food prices rose 0.8 percent last month, the largest increase in almost three years. Prices for fruits and vegetables, dairy products, chicken and beef all increased. Coffee costs rose 3.5 percent.

Manufacturers, food processors and other producers are facing higher costs for oil, grains and other commodities..."

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Food-and-gas-costs-push-apf-3561812738.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=1&asset=&ccode=

You don't have to feel helpless. Allow us to show you a way out of all this financial chaos.
Call us today. 501-802-2440

Stephen
www.slashfoodbills.com

In Chicago Area, Energy Prices Rose 5.8% Since February

Higher gas and food prices pushed overall consumer prices up 0.8 percent in the Chicago metropolitan area in March from February, the Labor Department said Friday.

Nationally, prices rose 0.5 percent, matching February’s increase, the largest since the recession ended in June 2009, and raising concerns that higher gas prices could put the brakes on the economic recovery.

In the Chicago area, year-over-year prices rose 2.3 percent, and nationally they rose 2.7 percent.

Energy prices rose 5.8 percent since February in the Chicago area following a 3.1 percent rise that month. Gasoline prices jumped 9.4 percent. Overall energy costs were 13.7 percent higher than March 2010.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/4848104-420/hikes-in-gas-food-prices-lower-recovery-expectations.html.

Don't be a victim anymore... You really can slash your food and gas costs or even totally eliminate them: www.slashfoodbills.com . Do call us. Help yourself and help others-Pay it forward. 

Take care, & God bless,
Donna

Record-high Gasoline Prices Are Causing Financial Hardship for Everyone!

More than half of Americans say record-high gasoline prices are causing them financial hardship, and three in 10 say it is a "serious" hardship, up significantly in the last few years and a potential hazard to broader consumer confidence.

In a new ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll, 54 percent say recent price increases in gasoline have caused financial hardship in their households — about as many as said so two years ago.

But the difficulty is now deeper: 31 percent say they are experiencing "serious" hardship, up from 20 percent in spring 2002, and 17 percent in 2001.

An Energy Department survey says pump prices now average $1.81 a gallon — an all-time high, up 22 percent in just the last four months. No respite is in the offing; the department reports that "conditions are likely to remain volatile through the summer."

Surging Food Prices

And gasoline prices aren't the only prices rising. Food prices are surging: Over the past 12 months, eggs are up 33 percent, beef's up 13 percent, chocolate's at a 17-year high, and — just in time for summer — ice-cream prices are expected to be 20 percent to 30 percent higher.

The Labor Department today reported that the Producer Price Index was up 0.5 percent in March, including a 1.5 percent rise in food prices, the biggest increase since October.

Americans' overall economic concerns have eased somewhat in recent months, and, though still weak, consumer confidence has improved from its recent lows. But rising gas prices are a threat: The public's buying intentions, a component of consumer confidence, have been sensitive to high pump prices in the past.

Indeed in an ABCNEWS/Money magazine poll this week, just 36 percent call it a good time to buy things, three points below average and down seven points since February.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Hybrid/story?id=86057&page=1

If there were any doubt about rising costs for food and gas, this article should solidify the verdict.  Costs are rising and there is no end in sight. There is an answer, however.

What if you could receive $200 Walmart gift cards over and over again that can be used for gas, groceries, and goods at Walmart and Sam's Club and $100 plus checks just for sharing an amazing opportunity with others and helping them to do the same. Would that make a difference in your family's monthly budget? It has in ours.

Call us to find out more and to get our webinar schedule. Discover the answer to these rising costs that is so simple almost anyone can do this, even your grandmother. I know, because that's what I am.

Have a blessed day,

Donna, AKA "Nana"
501-802-2441
www.slashfoodbills.com

Food Costs Have Risen 2.9 Percent!

While the overall inflation rate affects what consumers pay for goods and services, economists and investors usually pay more attention to the core rate. It strips out the often-volatile food and energy categories and tends to give a better idea of inflationary trends.

Yet the main consumer inflation number has been flashing warning signs for months as food and energy costs, led by gasoline, trek higher.

The soaring price of petroleum, as demonstrated by higher costs of fuel at the gas pump, is behind the bulk of the increase in consumer prices. The energy index climbed 3.5 percent in March, and it has soared 23.7 percent over the past nine months.

The average cost of a gallon of gas nationwide has jumped about 75 cents so far in 2011, including a 20-cent increase in just the past two weeks. As a result, the gas index has risen 14.4 percent over the last three months.

Food costs rose 0.8 percent last month as prices increased for a broad range of goods found in the grocery. What's more, the government's "food at home" index shot up 1.1 percent last month for the largest increase in almost three years.

In the past 12 months, food costs have risen 2.9 percent, the fastest pace since April 2009. The increase has been driven by rising prices of key agricultural crops such as corn and wheat. Higher global demand and major crop failures are largely to blame, economists say.

http://staugustine.com/national-news/2011-04-15/consumers-feel-pinch-pricier-gas-and-food

You can do something about the soaring costs. Visit www.slashfoodbills.com, and call us. You will get excited!

Talk with you soon.  --- Stephen

Consumer's Are Feeling the Pinch

(AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are paying more for food and gas, a trend that threatens to slow the economy at a crucial time.
So far, the spike in such necessities hasn't stopped businesses from stepping up hiring or slowed factory production, which rose in March for the ninth straight month. Still, higher gas prices have led some economists to lower their forecasts for growth for the January-March quarter...

Consumer prices rose 0.5 percent last month, the Labor Department said Friday. Nearly all of the gains came from pricier gas and food...

But most of the extra $1,000 to $2,000 per person is filling the gas tank. The national average for a gallon was $3.82 on Friday — nearly $1 more than a year ago. In five states, the average price is exceeding $4 a gallon...

Rising inflation will likely cut consumer spending growth to half its pace in the previous quarter....

Oil has soared 28 percent to about $109 a barrel since Middle East turmoil spread to Libya in mid-February. If unrest stops spreading and Americans buy less fuel, oil and gas prices could decline...

Joe Olivo, who owns Perfect Printing Inc., based in Moorestown, N.J., says his suppliers are raising the cost of ink and other items 10 percent this month, the biggest monthly increase he can remember in the 23 years he's been in business. He's also paying more for shipping due to fuel surcharges. But so far, he estimates he can only pass on about a third of the higher costs to his clients. Suppliers "are hinting that there may be more (price increases) down the road," he said. "That's really my big concern."

AP Business Writers Anne D'Innocenzio in New York and Daniel Wagner contributed from Washington to this report...

Read the entire story here: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOQxj9YvbfBk6uRM3N1gRkI7aY3Q?docId=ff23c74b31694717af16b036cb9a9689

Gas Prices Going UP: What's a Family to Do?

Price of Gas Is Soaring!!

Gas prices are rising!!!