Remember when you could eat, drink, and be relatively merry? As the cost of living continues to soar, interest rates soar alongside, and the supply chain isn’t supplying much but expensive goods. That leaves most of us tightening our belts, both figuratively and literally. Most never thought they would long for the day when their guilty delights were not so guilty. Sacrifice is hard, especially regarding the things that make our tastebuds tingle. Unfortunately, the sad reality is that these 18 foods are slowly being eliminated from menus everywhere.
Cereal
Cereal used to be a staple on the breakfast table. Whether it was the sugar variety or the kind that gave you the energy to do Olympic feats like Wheaties, fortified goodness is now a game changer on your grocery bill. Even if you are the type that can be okay with generic, with so many other things on your must-list, cereal just isn’t cutting it.
Soda
A two-liter pop or soda used to cost just under a buck, but those days are behind us. Those who wouldn’t consider the oversized jugs that someone always forgot to refrigerate can't even afford them over the severely overpriced individual servings. The most ironic part? The smaller the size, the more costly it is. It’s funny how marketing changes our perspective, but even more so, how price makes it all impossible regardless of which canister it comes in.
Produce
Those over thirty can’t fathom a time when you could only get produce when it was in season. Not so long ago, you would only eat those things that could grow locally during specific seasons. Lately, it almost feels like we have hopped into a time machine because getting produce that isn’t growing in the area is out of control price-wise. Getting 6-8 servings of fruits and vegetables is a must. People have less to choose from daily due to the cost.
Doughnuts
There was a time when doughnuts were only for random Sunday mornings. Then, they became a daily drive-thru on the way to work. The cost of a dozen doughnuts used to be less than $9, but it has recently soared to over $20. The good news is that they aren’t good for you. Once more, sugar is something you can do without. But it is a shame to be forced to eat healthily due to money.
Candy Bars
Candy bars that line the checkout aisle are strategically placed right in the view of little kids who always ask for more. Where once they cost about fifty cents, they are now in the double-dollar range. It is a real shocker to pick up a snicker and find that you must snicker at the price. If you’ve heard a rash of crying kids at the checkout, you have candy bar prices to blame.
Eggs
Eggs used to be sold by the roadside in most places. If you haven’t bought your weekly dozen lately, you’ll have sticker shock to see that hard-boiled, scrambled, or sunny-side-up costs are no longer sunny. Eggs are one of those things that shot up so quickly that no one even saw it coming.
Crab Legs
Crab legs have been more delicacy because they tend to be coastal. The cost is out of control even in seaside towns where crabs appear to be in abundance. A good crab leg evening can cost hundreds of dollars, even when cooked at home. Although crabs are a vacation treat, there is no treat when you get handed a bill that ruins the fun of dinner.
Nuts
If you have read the nutritional news lately, you know nuts are the new panacea for goodness. Just when we find our love for them, the price gets switched up. Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and peanuts have gotten a new lease on price, which means that you might have to back off of them. Perhaps you can find a trail mix that contains the same nutrition without the high price tag.
Chicken Wings
Blame it on the popularity or the fact that there are only so many chickens to go around, but the cost of chicken wings has become uncontrollable. They are not a delicacy, but most can admit that no football game is the same without them. The good news is that football is over for a bit, and the cost is on a downward trend. That means, hopefully, they will come down in price so they can return to our appetizer table in time for the first fall kick-off. For now, the summer will be wingless for most.
Fast Food
According to statistics, over the past decade, fast food costs have grown at double the national inflation rate. There was a time when parents could feel good about stopping for fast food on the way home. It hasn’t ever been the beacon of health, but at least most could justify it being budget-friendly and easy. When a couple of happy meals returns your entire grocery budget for days, it might be time to forego the fast food and quickly opt for frozen in the air fryer.
Bread
As far back as the Great Depression, bread was the go-to substance to sustain, but it isn’t that it ever provided more than something to stop stomach rumblings. Now, however, it is not an option. Whether talking about bakery goods at your local grocery store or store-bought wonder bread, it is a wonder why three or four simple ingredients can cost so much.
Bacon
Bacon is one of those foods you would be hard-pressed to find someone who will pass on eating it. However, the cost of bacon has gone up by over 40% in the past year, and it can no longer be brought home or fried up in a pan—at least not regularly. Who thought a greasy, crisp piece of meat could be out of your price range?
Avocados
Just as everyone finally accepted that avocados are a fruit, it goes and overprices itself. Not only is it a superfood, but it is also super expensive. According to the numbers, avocados have increased costs by over 44%. For something that tends to brown before you can even get to it, it makes little sense to cut it up and spread it around.
Coffee
Ready for something to wake you up? Coffee consumption has gone up by over 76%, not just at Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts. Regular coffee that you have to brew at home by yourself has now become a delicacy. Although very few can or will give it up, it is going to put a dent in our morning and shopping routine.
Flour
Flour is one of those things that you probably have had in your pantry for years. Be ready to be stunned when the pantry runs dry. Flour has gone up over 5%, and although that might not seem like a lot when you consider it just flour, it puts everything into perspective. Nothing, and that means nothing, is safe from grocery rate hikes.
Frozen Dinners
Who didn’t grow up on frozen dinners or afford their way through college, popping them in and satiating their hunger? There was a time when frozen dinners cost under three dollars at most. Now, you can usually go to a restaurant and order an entree prepared for less or the same price. Forget the pot pie; there is no pie in the sky for cheap, heatable goodies.
Ice Cream
The cost of ice cream has gone up over 16% since 2016. However, most ice cream products have additions like costly candy bars or contain Gelato from Italy. The average Neapolitan, however, is no longer something you can put your spoon in and scoop away. Forget getting ice cream outside of the grocery store, too, as it's a small fortune just to take the kids for a stroll to the ice cream parlor.
Butter
Crab legs are nothing without butter and are too expensive anyway, but now it is too expensive to make anything better with butter. The cost of butter has increased by over 24.6% in the past year. Gone are the days when you could spread it on thick or at all. Cream cheese might be the cheaper alternative, but that isn’t inexpensive either.
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