PopSugar

Beer Prices May Go Up

YumSugar — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:48:11 -0800

Quick! Run out and stock up on beer!
Pretty soon gas prices won't be the only reason to think twice about another beer run. Turns out that the cost of barley is rising fast and an increase in barley prices could translate to an increase in beer prices too.

It also doesn't help that production numbers were already down, energy prices already up, and the cost of raw material (like aluminum) also up. In fact, several breweries have already raised prices due to the raw material costs, however, you might not have noticed since distributors have been eating the cost.

Those price increases aren't always felt in consumers' pocketbooks. Distributors and retailers frequently eat the costs themselves. But with prices shooting up quickly, that could soon change.

Bernstein Research analyst Robert van Brugge forecast that this year's barley price increases will impact brewers' cost of goods sold - or the cost of the raw materials used in production - by 1 to 2 percent in 2007.

The analyst said he believes brewers will be forced to pass along some of that increase this year to consumers.

So run out and stock up! It's recommended that most canned beer should be consumed within 3 months of bottling. However some strong ales can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 months. Now, I'm not saying you can't drink it after 3 months, but it's definitely going to taste better if you drink it before.

Source: Forbes

Cost of 4-Bedroom Homes in the Most and Least Pricey Cities

SavvySugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:32:16 -0700

Homes are one category where you cannot judge the cost by its cover. Housing prices vary wildly depending on geography - the same chunk of change can buy a 1,000 square-foot condo in one part of the country or a 5,200 spacious home in another area.

The 2009 Coldwell Banker Home Price Comparison Index was released this week, and it's an "apples-to-apples" comparison of the prices around the nation for 2,200-square-foot, four-bedroom, two-and-one-half bath, single-family homes. See a side-by-side cost comparison of the 10 most and least affordable cities below.

Location	Price	Location	Price
La Jolla, CA	$2,125,000	Grayling, MI	$112,675
Beverly Hills, CA	$1,981,750	Akron, OH	$121,885
Greenwich, CT	$1,519,250	Fayetteville, NC	$130,875
Palo Alto, CA	$1,489,726	Canton, OH	$131,867
Santa Monica, CA	$1,460,912	Detroit, MI	$132,000

See five more comparisons when you read more.

Location	Price	Location	Price
San Francisco, CA	$1,363,250	Arlington, TX	$138,775
Boston, MA	$1,337,578	Macon, GA	$139,007
Newport Beach, CA	$1,315,505	Eau Claire, WI	$141,270
Palos Verdes, CA	$1,237,041	Port Charlotte, FL	$142,750
San Mateo, CA	$1,090,000	Wichita, KS	$144,625

This Just In: Cost Plus World Market Celebrates 50 Years

CasaSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:30:22 -0700

Cost Plus World Market is kicking off a weekend of in-store events and shopping today at its flagship San Francisco store (2552 Taylor Street) to benefit local schools, in celebration of its 50th anniversary, running through Sunday, Oct, 26. Those of you in the Bay Area who stop by will enjoy live entertainment, product giveaways, food and drink samplings, winemaker bottle signings, henna painting, and more. There will also be a live broadcast of KGO-AM’s Gene Burns of “Dining Around With Gene Burns” from the store from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Chef Ryan Scott of Top Chef Season Four will host a cooking demonstration. While it sounds like a great weekend, and I certainly want to attend, I was actually more intrigued to learn about the history of the store. To hear how Cost Plus World Market came to be, read more.

In 1958, SF businessman William Amthor began selling rattan baskets and furniture he'd picked up during his regular travels to Asia and Europe along San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, a popular tourist destination and still-functioning wharf. The locals loved his imports and their affordable prices, and he soon opened the first Cost Plus World Market store (today still the flagship store) in San Francisco, naming it after his affordable pricing strategy: cost plus 10 percent. By the '60s and '70s, the store had become an eclectic mix of international products like Spanish pottery, African mosquito netting, Indonesian collectibles, and French coffee presses. And, in the 1960s, Cost Plus was the first to introduce the Papasan Chair, an iconic furniture design which is still popular with students 40 years later. Today, the retailer has a chain of nearly 300 stores, with inventory from well over 70 countries.
Source

Despite Other Rising Food Costs, Dairy Prices Have Fallen

YumSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:15:12 -0800

From rising avocado prices to the McDonald's Dollar Menu falling on hard times, over the last year, every section of the food industry has paid the price of cost increases. One segment of the food world, however, seems to have taken an opposite turn.

Prices of dairy products have seen a downward trend, as the weakening global economy has caused demand to decrease for US exports like milk. This decline has hurt certain sectors, such as dairy farmers and cheese producers: The value of cheese has dropped 40 percent over the last month. On the other hand, quite a few companies have seen the silver lining of falling dairy prices. Companies like Kraft Foods and Hershey's, and chain stores such as Domino's Pizza and Starbucks Coffee expect higher costs to be offset by favorable prices of milk and cheese.

While Kraft and other companies wouldn't comment on future price cuts, the plummeting value of dairy could trickle down to the consumer segment. Does it come as a relief to hear that at least one aspect of the food industry is seeing cost decreases?

Source

Facing Increased Costs, Girl Scouts Downsize Cookie Boxes

YumSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:00:08 -0800

It's always seemed a little too effortless to finish off a box of Girl Scout cookies, but if they are a little easier to dust off this year, it's not just in your head. To offset the cost increases of cookie ingredients, Girl Scouts of the USA made the decision to shrink its cookie boxes by a centimeter, package fewer cookies into boxes of Thin Mints, Do-si-dos, and Tagalongs, and reduce the size of its Lemon Chalet Crèmes. According to the organization, the cost of flour rose by 30 percent, assorted cooking oils by 40 percent, and cocoa by at least 20 percent. The company felt this was the best method of dealing with increasing raw material prices. Alternatively, Girl Scouts could have used cheaper ingredients, or raised cookie prices from their current price of $3.50 per box.

This doesn't come as a surprise to me, since last year producers began rolling out shrunken products in reaction to the price of food on the rise. I'm secretly a bit excited - for once, the downsized box may be enough for me to stop short of a stomachache.

How do you feel about this news? Does it affect your decision to buy the cookies?

Source

Cut Costs, Not Nutrition: Part One

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0700

In this time of economic hardships, it's getting harder and harder to put healthy foods on the table every day. It's tempting to just hit the dollar menu at your local fast food stop, but there are simple ways that you can cut costs and still eat healthy. Reuters has consulted with Holly Scherer, a registered dietician at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, for a few ways to cut costs but not nutrition. Here are highlights:

Eating in season is one key way to cut your food bill.
Local co-operatives where you trade money or labor in order to reap the benefits of a larger community garden or local farm are another option for fresh fruits and vegetables.
You can save money by planting your own produce and herbs.
When fresh options are too expensive or unavailable, consider frozen and canned fruits and vegetables.

What about the most expensive part of your grocery bill? Protein. There are ways to cut costs there too so read more.

Try simply eating less meat with your meals.
Though the price of eggs has increased, they are still a cheaper source of protein than meat. Beans are another option for adding protein to meals at a low cost.
Less expensive cuts are often less tender, which makes them good choices for meals like stews and casseroles.
Watch for sales so you can purchase preferred cuts at a discount and freeze them for later use.
Buying chicken breasts with the bone and skin on and filleting and skinning them yourself will also save money because the price per pound is lower.

Source

How Costs Vary Across the US

SavvySugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:30:50 -0800

We can use cost of living calculators to determine approximately how far our salaries will take us in another city, but it's more difficult to put a number on the nickels and dimes of daily living expenses. Forbes surveyed cities across the US and used its findings to name which cities pay the most and least for certain costs. Unsurprisingly, New York, NY appears as the priciest city for several expenses. Do any of these numbers surprise you?

Expense	Cheapest	Priciest
Monthly Rent (2 bdrm)	Charlotte, NC: $666	New York, NY: $3,500
Monthly Home Mortgage	Dallas, TX: $967	New York, NY: $5,831
Monthly Energy Bills	Seattle, WA: $119	New York, NY: $362.28
Monthly Landline Bill	Los Angeles, CA: $19	Boston, MA: $38.45

See the rest of the chart when you read more.

Expense	Cheapest	Priciest
Half Gallon of Milk	Cincinnati, OH: $1.67	Sacramento, CA: $2.97
Head of Lettuce	San Antonio, TX: $0.93	New York, NY: $1.99
Loaf of Bread	San Antonio, TX: $0.79	New York, NY: $2.68
11.5 oz. Can of Coffee	San Antonio, TX: $3.08	San Francisco, CA: $5.91
Boys' Jeans	Indianapolis, IN: $13.97	Boston, MA: $37.19
Men's Haircut	Indianapolis, IN: $9.20	St. Paul, MN: $24.40

Source

How Money Are You: New York Living

SavvySugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:30:41 -0800

New York City is notorious for being the most expensive place to live in the US. Just visiting the city makes it clear that most things cost more, but it doesn't offer a real indication of how much residents spend to live in the Big Apple. How much do you know about New York living? Take the quiz!

Source

Take the quiz

Cost Evaluation of Fitness Equipment

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:45:00 -0800

If you're looking to add some fitness equipment into your life but are not sure whether or not to do it at home or go the gym route, bankrate.com has evaluated the cost of some common equipment to help you along in your decision.

Here's a good list to get you started:

Jump-rope: Most will run between $10 to $40.
Workout-related books: Most will run between $7 and $50.
Fitness tapes/DVDs: Most will run between $5 and $30.
Joining a walking or running group: Often free or minimal cost to become a member, and many welcome nonmember participation.
Walking/running: The price of a good pair of shoes usually starts around $50.
Health club membership: The average is $34 per month or $408 per year, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association. For commercial clubs, the median is closer to $54 per month, according to the association.
Workout with a personal trainer: About $47 per session on average, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association.
Home treadmill (new): Most will run between $100 and $4,000. The more accessories, the more it's likely to cost.
Elliptical machine:. Most elliptical machines cost between $170 and $1,800.
Stairs: Free. And it's easy to work into your daily routine.

Source

Tips for Cutting the Cost of Being Healthy

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Nothing is more frustrating than the high price of living a healthy lifestyle -- It's just expensive. I have always told myself that the benefits outweigh the cost any day and that I just need to suck it up and move on.

That was until I came across these brilliant tips from iVillage.com on how to cut the cost of healthy foods:

Build flexibility into your diet. Healthy eating becomes more affordable when you bend your diet to fit what is on sale. Planning to buy pea pods only to find that fresh green beans are 50 percent off? It makes sense (and cents) to choose the beans and adjust the meal.
Look for coupons, sales and clearance items. Always keep an eye out for coupons, sales or other specials that can help stretch your budget. Two-for-one offers result in big savings if you enjoy one of the items now and freeze (or store) the other for later. Some supermarkets also slash prices on fresh foods that are nearing the end of their shelf life. Bananas may go on sale as their skins begin to turn even though they are still ripe and delicious. Certain stores also offer discounts on food products for people with frequent shopper cards.

There are a lot more tips, read more

Buy dried beans and peas. Dried beans and peas are just as nutritious as the fresh or canned varieties. While they take longer to prepare, you get a greater volume of chickpeas or kidney beans per dollar when buying the dried variety compared to canned or fresh. Beans and peas also help boost dietary fiber content.
Compare the prices of different brands. Do you typically buy fresh mushrooms sold by Company A? Don’t be afraid to defect over to Company B if you discover a coupon or sale. Also, purchasing store-brand (or “generic”) products almost always will save you money over buying brand-name competitors. This often is true even when you have a coupon for the brand-name product.
Buy in bulk. This usually can result in significant savings. However, it’s important to avoid being penny-wise and pound-foolish. Don’t buy a tub of yogurt if you won’t finish it before the spoilage date. Otherwise, you’ll just end up tossing half the tub – along with your savings – into the garbage.
Buy fruits and vegetables in season. Fresh fruits and vegetables are one of life’s true joys, a product that actually goes down in price as the quality goes up. Produce that is in season is almost always tastier and cheaper at the peak of the harvest. So, try to buy apples between September and May, oranges from November to June and cucumbers from May to August. If an item is not in season, it is often cheaper to purchase frozen or canned versions of the food. Just keep in mind that canned fruits may be higher in sugar, just as canned vegetables often have high sodium content. If you buy canned products, look for those canned in water or with low-sugar or low-sodium alternatives.
Cut back on meals in restaurants and purchasing convenience foods. We often fret over the cost of buying healthy foods, but think nothing of spending $5 each week on espresso and pastries at a favorite coffee shop. How many of us balk at the price of out-of-season tomatoes, only to drop $40 or more each month ordering take-out lunches? Cutting back on these costs can free up money to be spent on healthier alternatives. Skip the coffee shop and brew your own java. Or, make your own turkey sandwich for a fraction of what the deli charges.