The rising cost of food

While everyone continues to freak out about the insane gas prices, and rightfully so, I’ve got a bone to pick with another essential item that costs way too much; groceries.

Groceries have become out of control with the prices in my opinion. This is something that isn’t just in this area either, when I was living in Toronto it was just as bad, if not worse. If you want to cook nice food for yourself, even if you look for the best deals on items, it’s going to cost you probably around $25 to $30 per meal in most cases.

Unless you’re cooking Kraft Dinner, but you get my point. Eating a healthy and home-cooked diet is becoming increasingly difficult to afford.

Obviously a lot of blame for the high prices has to fall on the state of the national and global economy, which is still recovering after the COVID-19 recession. That’s also why the solution isn’t as simple as a large scale raising of wages to accommodate for the rising cost of living.

A lot of companies are just starting to get back on their feet, and I’m sure wouldn’t be thrilled about the idea of raising wages by lets say three per cent across the board.

To be honest, I’m not an economist, so I really don’t have a solution for the problem. All I know is that cost of living continues to get worse and worse, and I fear the people who feel it the most are the younger generation.

It’s getting harder and harder for young people who often have student debt and work on entry level salaries, to be able to save any money or plan for their futures because, well, most of their paycheque is going to living expenses.

It’s a growing problem that I really have no answer for.

Now, full disclosure, I’m in no way the smartest person on earth with saving money, and I’m sure in my own case there are ways to be cutting grocery costs that I’m not doing. This isn’t just a personal opinion though, I’ve talked to a couple people around town that feel the same way; that the cost of food has gotten really bad.

Here’s hoping that as we move farther and farther away from the disaster of 2020, it comes back down to earth a little bit.