OLTL Discussion Group -- WHY?!?! (call me board hog today, I don't care)

OLTL Discussion Group

Topic: WHY?!?! (call me board hog today, I don't care)

Topic Posted by: Gail M
Date Posted: Wed May 7 15:35:03 2008
Additional Comments: Why are red peppers so much more expensive than green ones? I paid $2.38 for ONE red pepper recently at WalMart. I love the taste they give in fahitas or dishes like that. I needed one for a salad I'm making this afternoon for the m/d banquet tonight, and there were NONE. Maybe they're just grown in CA? Whatever, I can't believe the price of them or anything else any more.

Posted by: Shirla .

Date posted: Thu May 8 16:15:10 2008
Message:

Because they are prettier???

Is Rusty gonna tell us the answer tomorrow???

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I really prefer the taste of them in some dishes. And gma bats had the answers to the color question. I have had the orange and yellow ones, but have never purchased either. At the current prices, looks like I WON'T be either. Gail

Posted by: starfish
Date posted: Thu May 8 10:21:37 2008
Message:
Sometimes I think they charge those prices just because they CAN ie because folks still buy them no matter what the price. If we'd let those $2 peppers and $3 cartons of eggs sit in the store until they spoil, the store would take a loss, then maybe someone would get the message.
There are some things we have no choice on, like gasoline, postage stamps, utility bills. If they price-gouge us on these essentials, there's not much we can do. But we can choose to buy the reasonably priced food, or wait for sales or clip coupons and thus avoid the overpriced items. These are just my opinions here, but judging by how little I spend and still eat well, I think i may be on to something.

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ITA starfish. I made my salad for the salad dinner last night sans the red pepper. However, I will splurge for one when we have fahitas because it really makes the dish imo. And if it is an occasional luxury item, I don't mind as much. Gail

Posted by: Grandma b@s
Date posted: Thu May 8 8:22:19 2008
Message:

I think the price difference IS ridiculous. BUT, there IS a difference between red and green bell peppers. (The ones they have in stores anyway) They are actually different varieties. And the yellow and orange ones are usually even MORE than the RED ones. There are even ''chocolate'' varieties (mature peppers are a chocolate color), purple ones, etc, and the COLORED ones develop their color fairly early unlike the green ones that TURN red when riper. I'm sure they don't grow as many of the colored ones either. I do like the colored ones better, they have a much sweeter and less bitter flavor. Every now and then the store will sell them 2 for a dollar and then I get a bunch of them and make stuffed peppers (stuffed red peppers taste better too!) Of course, they'll probably have a sale on them soon because it's ABOUT that season here.

Oh, and I got avocados just the other day for $.25 each... I think it's funny now that I can buy a WATERMELON for less than I can buy a pepper! And Tomatoes! Thank goodness they are coming into season now. I bought ONE LARGE tomatoe a few weeks ago that cost nearly $4.. but now the price is back down to under $1/lb.. gotta compete with local growers (although I prefer the homegrown ones myself). One of the FAMILY type grocery stores around here actually gets produce from local growers and I like to get produce from them in those times. The fruits and veggies may not be as PRETTY as the ones that come from the huge farms, etc, but they sure taste better.

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Well, thanks for saving me the trouble of reseaching the whole pepper deal. I definitely prefer the taste of the red ones now that I've been buying them. Oh well. I suppose I will just use them when I make fahitas because they're way too expensive to just put in a salad, etc. The recipe I made last night is a corn salad with purple onion, green pepper, red pepper, and orange cheese. Then you add a cup of mayo and top with chili-cheese fritos. Everyone loves it! My dish didn't have a speck left in it. Anyway, I left out the red pepper. :-( Gail

Posted by: Weezer
Date posted: Thu May 8 4:20:50 2008
Message:

I had fallen asleep on the couch watching 27 dresses .....for the second time.... back to back, because I liked it so much.

I got up to go crawl into bed. On the way to the stairway, I passed the computer and decided to stop for a minute to just check my email.

Then I went to the internet for a just a second....and found nothing good and certainly no warm fuzzies.

On a lark, I came here and OMG You guys adverbed me. I am so so glad I stopped in here......

I needed adverbed today in the worst sort of way.

I LOVE the redbox, btw. I just got around to doing it for the first time. I am so much in love with my dvr (let me count the ways) that I can barely stand to stick a dvd in to watch any more.

Hey Doopy here are some free codes to try. I know for sure that Doopy uses the redbox. Anyone else?

ALVIN14
TAXES
DVDONME
NOFOOL
BREAKROOM
MCSKLLT308
LUCKY30
REDBOX
SHOP
RZ94P4X
FREEDVD

This will be a great experiment. I wonder if the codes are nationwide...let's find out!!!!

The reason that red peppers cost more, IMHO, is because red peppers are just green peppers that have stayed on the plant longer - which means it took longer to produce it and it has a shorter shelf life. You would think that you would see colored peppers in the bargain bin in the produce section more often - but, I have to say, I don't think I ever have.

Speaking of bargain produce - You know those bags of soon to be brown bananas they have in the store? I have been weighing them lately (I seriously need a hobby) and find that, pound for pound, they arn't that great of a bargain.

Groceries I have down and it still takes my breath away. That old midweek $30.00 'quick little run in' trip is now a pinching and watching and scrimp session that costs $50.00 quickly approaching $60.

I did great at the grocery store yesterday. I was actually ticked with myself for I bought not a single thing that I did not have a coupon of some kind for. My bill, before coupon, was $125.58 and 58.02 afterwards. Before you oooo and awww - there was not a whole lot of meal food in there.

For one....I had 8 small bags of catfood and had 8 free bag coupons for them - so right there was $15.00 on and $15.00 off.

I was thinking in the grocery store yesterday that we are going to have to live differently now that food is so expensive. I am going to have to be one of those people that looks in my fridge to see what produce is about to go bad so that I can plan my meals around what I need to use up. The days of letting potatoes, a cucumber or a bag of lettuce go bad are over.

What is killing me is - the tiny little luxuries in life are now budget breakers. I went to Dairy Queen to get Mudd's tradional Dairy Queen birthday cake yesterday (Mudd turned 17 yesterday.). I ususally get a large (10 inch round) one and let him eat cake for a few days. Not at $31.00 he wasn't. I got a SMALL (8 inch) cake and it was $21.00. Holy quacamole. I warned him - next year I might be making him a birthday cake.

Dave and I were out early last Sunday and decided to stop at McD's to get a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee for the ride home - $14.00.

and speaking of Fast food!!!

I was starving while out running errands last week and didn't want to go into the grocery hungry. Went to A&W got

ONE regular ole kraut dog AND ONE small rootbeer, with a meager tip. $4.50.

and why does gas increase in 20 cent jumps?

and one revolation - stopping a gas pump on an even dollar - it can not be done any more. It's imposserous.

And one last thing - I am having the oddest American Idol experience this year. This is the first year I am not religiously watching and it's a totally different experience from out of the box. The people that I thought would be in the final - have mostly gone. I DVR'd Hell's Kitchen the other day and AI was finishing when the picture came on - I was shocked who was still standing. Of all the girls - I would never have picked HER to still be there. Seriously?

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What's a redbox? bbb

now that I am awake and it's not the middle of the night - I realize that I was VERBED....Weezer

She that red machine there in that picture - that is our VIDEO STORE. I swear to GOD. You slide in your debit or credit card - then chose what movie you want from the screen - type in a few things on a keyboard that comes up on the screen. At somepoint you have to swear your not a minor and you movies come out. It charges your credit/debit card a buck a day. THE BEST thing about it is - you dont have to return it to the same machine. Any redbox machine will do - Weez

You are definitely da woman when it comes to couponing! I really ought to see if/how much we could get the Sunday paper for. It may not even be possible like it was in FL because we're in a small town. I saw the previews for 27 Dresses and thought it looked cute. I will now rent it (or DVR it - and btw my DVR would be the LAST gadget I'd get rid of. I love that thing to pieces!) Never even heard of a red box. But I'm out in the sticks. My grocery store is WalMart and a run-down smaller store here with rickety carts that are nasty. Yuck!

I had to pick myself up offa the floor that Mudd is 17! Seems like just yesterday we were seeing Lucy's prom dress. Yipes! I hope I haven't forgotten anything. When you get in here to the reply box ya wonder. OH! You were tawkin' prices. My favorite subject lately. OMG on what some things are now. AND if a red pepper is a green one that has been on the vine longer, what about the yeller and orange ones?? I may have to research this whole deal. :-) Gail

OMG! The $14.00 for the McDs is the worst story of over-pricing I've heard of yet! Gail

The higher the circulation of the newspaper - the better the coupons. So get whatever BIG city paper you can get. Mudd will be a senior in high school next year. I have a picture that I actually posted on this board once a long time ago because it looks like there is a UFO in the background - little boy....no more. - Weez

Well, if that is the case, the Kansas City paper would be BY FAR the biggest. But it's also much further away from us than Wichita or Tulsa. Wonder if that matters when subscribing. Nah, they probably just order so many. ?? I really need to investigate and get one at this rate. I don't want to pay two bucks for a paper we won't read to MAYbe get some coups. Gail

Posted by: Fed Up
Date posted: Thu May 8 3:19:44 2008
Message:
I call them red green peppers. Does that help?

I HATE Walmart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Well, since WalMart is our ONLY store (besides some little ones that sell gifts, sporting goods, etc.) it is a necessary evil for me. There were THREE grocery stores here when they came in and now there is one really old one that looks and smells dirty to me and makes Wally World look good. :-( Gail

Posted by: Tori
Date posted: Wed May 7 23:26:10 2008
Message:

I've always wondered that...the yellow/orange peppers are more expensive too. Heck, even the green peppers are a lot higher now...I used to buy them all the time just to have on hand, now I only buy them for certain recipes.

A trip to the grocery store is one expensive venture. I try to use some coupons...I'm trying, but I have a lot to learn about couponing. I'll keep at it.

Do we really need so many choices? I can remember when I was a kid...the full line grocery was about the size of today's QuikTrip or 7-11. Then the grocery store started growing and adding things other than groceries. Now, it's mega stores and open 24 hours a day. Why???????

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I just loved our little grocery store in Tiny Town, IA! I could go through the whole place within a short period of time and they had just about everything you had to have. Of course, their variety wasn't as much, but I loved the size of it. Also REALLY miss the Ben Franklin store! That place was like the old time five and dime! Gail

Posted by: bink
Date posted: Wed May 7 23:22:24 2008
Message:

The last month or so ... everytime I've been to the grocery store I've about fainted and died at the price of food. I come out of there with less and less.

Like Doopy said below, I've Weezer'd up.

If a recipe calls for a red pepper, I close my eyes and pretend it's red. Green and red are a little bit close in color, a little bit close in taste. Not really, but we're pretending.

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We quit taking the Sunday paper in FL and I bought one from the store a few weeks ago to get some coupons and the danged paper was two bucks. No workee. I need to call and see if we can get just the Sunday paper delivered from Wichita or Kansas City. Our local daily paper carries the headlines, etc. so we don't need two of them. But I really need to start using coups again. ANYthing to help with these exorbitant prices! Gail

Posted by: mags
Date posted: Wed May 7 21:07:05 2008
Message:

I guess I'm lucky then because Tom and I don't like peppers. We both pick them out of salads. I went to the store today and got some groceries. I could hardly believe the total when it was all rung up.

I did get the Ped Egg! It works great. I'm already in love with it! LOL - I forgot to look to see if we needed REAL eggs.

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I decided to go out to WalMart after the banquet tonight so I wouldn't have to even leave home tomorrow. I've had something to do every day for five days and am looking forward to being a slug tomorrow except for the usual household stuffs. Anyway, I forgot to look for the ped egg. :-( Is it with the foot stuff? Gail

I have wanted to know how that worked - I have already decided I am going to buy one for myself with a bbb coupon - next time I get over that way. OMG mags - I found the most different croc.. (It's inside.) I wanted something more officey to wear to work. It's like butt-ah. Weez

I GOT MY PED EGG TOO! getting used to it, I likes it a lot!! (shirla)

Posted by: Doopy
Date posted: Wed May 7 21:01:17 2008
Message:

I had no idea there was a difference, as I don't buy them. But the day of the 74c avocado at WalMart seems to have passed. I think they're 1.26 now. And my Kroger hasn't had Braeburn apples the last 3 weeks. WTH? I wonder if they're cutting back on the number of varieties, since everything is going up.

I Weezered myself up some coupons the other day and took them with me. Saved a few bucks, and see no reason to continue throwing them out as I have for so long. It's simply throwing money away.

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I can't understand why your WalMart doesn't have good Braeburns. Mine are always good from there. I do know not all WalMarts carry the same things. For instance, none of the stores in KS carry the kind of dry cat food we buy so I have to make a special stop in OK or MO for it. Irks me to death. I have mentioned it to the guy that stocks the shelves, but wonder if I said something to the manager if it'd work. Sophie is still eating Science Diet (wet AND dry.) Little Princess! Gail

Do you have an Aldi's - avocados are .49 there this week - but PUNEY - you have to buy two but, cheaper than my regular grocery. - Weezer

I have an Aldi's but I don't like it, Weezer. What is wrong with me???? I am using fast food coupons for when we come home from work late and don't feel like cooking. :) shirlalalalalala!

I agree - the tiredest looking produce ever. We love these frozen TURKEY MIGNON they have - $5.99 a bag - great on the grill. From freezer to grill to table. People rave about their produce - puney and tired most of the time - Weezer

Posted by: SuzyB
Date posted: Wed May 7 16:15:12 2008
Message:
You board hog you! LOL!!!!

Tell me about it! I can't believe the rising cost of groceries just in the last few weeks. I went grocery shopping earlier today, spent $80 and didn't even buy meat. I may have to think about becoming a vegetarian!

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:-Þ I told the lady checking me out when I saw the price of hot dog buns ($2.28) the other day that I was going to quit complaining about it because it doesn't do any good. But I'll bet I won't. Heh Gail