OK - I need EVERYONE on this WOE to stop doing it now, please. This is the only way that I can see to counteract the price gouging going on due to all of us low-carbers.

Here's what I am talking about, in reference to two common items we buy weekly (or every other week) from Super Walmart (or did).

Dean's Heavy Whipping Cream - 1 quart
Feb. 21 - $2.66
March 14 - $3.18
April 2 - $4.07
April 27 -$4.07 (still)

Gwaltney Bacon - 3 lb. package

Feb. 21 - $7.64
Feb. 28 - $7.98
March 14 - $8.54
April 2 - $8.87
April 27 - $9.36

When I got to the bacon, there was a big sign with changeable numbers (like you see in the commercial) over the bacon showing the price to be $8.87. However, below the bacon, attached to the actual bin, was a small, yellow tag that said $9.36. Luckily, there was an employee 50 feet away with a price gun and I asked her to tell me the correct price. She said that it WAS $9.36 and the "big" sign was incorrect. She then proceeded to flip over the numbers to the "new", higher price. Funny, it looks like the smiley-face Zorro guy on the TV ads does that the other way.

Anyway, I passed on the bacon, although it is my FAVORITE and bought some cheaper 1 lb. packages. *sigh* Guess I just needed to rant as it seems that every time we go there lately, prices have gone up and up - and the price for the cream is friggin RIDICULOUS!

They have cheaper cream, but they are ALL "ultra-pasteurized" and I don't like that type, for various reasons. The one I prefer (Deans) is the only one they sell that isn't ultra-pasteurized. And WalMart's brand cream is TO BE AVOIDED at all costs - it contains MILK.

This isn't the only two items we have noticed these big jumps on. There are others, but I didn't want to list them here. Maybe someone else can chime in with things they have noticed. And don't EVEN get me started on beef prices - WOW.

Thanks for listening. I feel better now. :-)

NOW - everyone - change to WW, Slimfast, TrimSpa - ANYTHING. Please. But stop buying so much cream and bacon - I need the prices to FALL.

JFF

I was afraid this would happen. Higher demand = higher prices. Sad but true. :-(

I didn't know that about the Wal-Mart brand heavy cream. It's the kind I usually buy! I used to buy Oscar Meyer bacon, but have switched to the generic or Hormel when Wal-Mart runs it on sale for $2.50 a pound. The Wal-Mart brand (low sodium) is actually quite good, in my opinion.

However, I wouldn't recommend buying beef from Super Wal-Mart. I've never found good quality beef there.

Heavy whipping cream is $5.96 at our super walmart.

4 lbs of butter at costco shot up from $5.99 to $9.76 at our costco.

What a shame

It's like cigarettes, they could charge $20/pack and everyone who smokes would still buy them. Manufacturers KNOW people will buy the staples for Low-carb eating, so they can and will raise the prices as high as they like. Sounds like Wal-Mart is not that cheap, try other stores, like Costco or other grocers in your area. Farmers Markets are great in the spring/summer too.

I buy the Atkins bars, only have them twice a week, but boy, what a price difference in stores! I've seem them as low as $1.99 to $3.50 each depending on the store, so I finally had my brother buy them from the Commissary at the AF Base, they're $1.25 each for a case, saves me a LOT of money.

When I first started, I made a list of staples, went to 6 different stores and priced everything out, finding which store worked best. Not everyone is as greedy as Wal-Mart.

LL

Another good place to get low carb items at good prices (if you have one in your area) is GFS Marketplace (Gordon Food Services). It's especially good if 2 or more people in the family are low carbing. I

I have checked most every major grocer in our area for a competing product or lower price on these items without any success. I can't seem to find the quarts of NON ultra-pasteurized cream anywhere. WalMart is the only one that has the quarts - everyone else sells half-pints. Also, no Costco's around here.

Wicky - and I thought we had it bad with our cream price?!?! Wow - I can't believe that you guys pay $5.96! Are you sure that isn't for 2 quarts?

JFF

My butter was 4.99 this week that's a crazy price jump.

There's reasons behind the dairy increases that don't have necessarily everything to do with low carb. However, that doesn't help the prices either!

I guess I'd be willing to pay a higher price if I could FIND some of the items in my Super Wal-Mart!! But every week all of my brand of bacon (we like the extra thick cut bacon -- I think it's Hormel) and the macadamia nuts are GONE by the time I get there on Saturday morning!!

But I've noticed that the same people who hog all of the bacon and nuts are buying those crappy low-carb bars and those ice creams loaded with sugar alcohols too so they'll give up soon and my items will be available again.

Jeannie

I'm currently not buying butter because of this. The store brand was 4.99 this week. I don't think so. Good thing I can make the guys garlic bread with olive oil, at least I know that's always been expensive and it's going up simply because of demand.

Cream has also gotten outrageous, so I buy the smallest one I can, but it's still $1.15 a pint.

Thank goodness there are always specials on cheese and meat or I might have to consider weight watchers.

A Quart of Heavy Cream is about $2.76 around here. But, that's Great Value [Wal-Mart] Brand, which is only one of 2 brands they carry here. The other, I don't remember the name off-hand, but its not that much more. The milk is not a big issue. I don't understand why some folks think Atkins prohibits ALL milk. He clearly allows Half-and-Half which is half milk. I would guess, they use Milk to standardize the Fat content to 35% [which is what Heavy Cream is.] I'd be more worried about all those chemicals most folks can't pronounce that appear on the ingredients list than the small amount of milk.

BTW, Cream is made from Milk as is Cheese. Cream is the High Fat layer that seperates under certain conditions, leaving behind Skim [Nonfat Milk.] Cheese is made from the Curd which is also primarily Fat and Protein, which seperates from the Milk under certain conditions. For example, adding Vinegar while heating Milk will seperate the Hi-Fat/Hi-Protein/Low-Carb Curds from the Nonfat/Low-Protein/Hi-Carb Whey.

The Gwaltney Bacon is 2-Something per Pound around here if I remember correctly. The only sizes they have here are 12 ounces and 16 ounces. Cheese, Milk, and Cream don't seem to have gone up. But, strangely Butter has gone up $1/pound. That's the odd one since Butter is derived from Cream which is derived from Milk. Since neither of those two went up, why did Butter increase so much ???

I absolutely refuse to shop at Wal Mart for various reasons. The best place I have found to buy dairy products is from a local dairy chain here in Oregon called Dairy Mart. They are sort of like a 7-11 type store, but they are run by a local dairy and carry only fresh, local dairy products. Most everything is WAY cheaper there, fresher, and better quality. Even if price crept up, I would keep paying it because the cream is so much fresher and better tasting. Check around for a local dairy marketer in your area.

Just a suggestion, but I've been finding slab bacon at the deli for $1.99/lb, which is cheaper than the cheapest bacon in packages. I think there are 12 slices per pound (about), and it doesn't shrink to half it's size when cooked. I buy a few lbs at a time and freeze them.