If you’ve been to the supermarket lately, you’ve probably noticed a trend that you don’t like very much. No, I’m not talking about a new fad diet or shopping philosophy. Rather, I’m talking about prices – also known as inflation. The cost of buying groceries is increasing at an alarming rate, and many people are struggling to keep up. In an attempt to shed some light on this, a new trend on X, formerly known as Twitter, has people sharing pictures of their grocery haul with the total cost included. Rather than garnering sympathy over the cost, however, these posts are getting a lot of negative backlash primarily over what people are choosing to buy.
Posting Groceries Trend Receiving Surprising Backlash
A new trend on the social media platform X has users posting a photo of the groceries that they purchase, accompanied by the total price tag of that haul. The purpose of this trend is to highlight the rising cost of groceries as inflation continues to make living increasingly unaffordable around the world. The cost of groceries is one of the most noticeable increases from inflation, and pretty much everyone agrees that the price of food has reached absolutely ludicrous levels. That being said, this is generally not the feedback that these grocery posts have been receiving. Rather, people are doling out critiques on what people are buying, not how much it cost.
Where’s The Fresh Produce?
One of the biggest critiques that X users are commenting on is that many of these pictures show a heavy reliance on processed foods, with little to no fresh items in sight. Particularly, they are seeing people spending money on things that, in this economy, seem to be quite a waste. One user posted their haul, writing that it had cost them $200 in total. In the photo you can see items such as chicken nuggets, popsicles, and most notably, seven different jugs of juice. (1)
$200 https://t.co/CEaAVmeG0H pic.twitter.com/MxR1NDTmuC
— ✨ LIGHTS KAMERA ACTION ✨ (@KamNoScams) September 28, 2023
“That’s $45 worth of ‘juice,’” one user commented. Another user replied, saying that “Wasting $200 like this is crazy.”. The general consensus, looking at what people were buying, was that people were wasting a lot of money on processed foods and pre-packaged foods. For example, even in the hauls that did include fruits and vegetables, they were often prepackaged. For example, buying pre-washed bagged lettuce instead of just a regular head of lettuce, or buying squash cubes that were pre-peeled and cut instead of buying a squash and doing it yourself. There also seemed to be the trend of people purchasing fruits that were not in season, such as different kinds of berries, which will inevitably be more expensive.
Read: Inflationary year was a great one for grocery chains, report finds
Needless Purchases
One user posted their groceries for the week. The photo included a caption saying: I present to you: $200 worth of groceries in Ireland. At first glance, it looks like a standard grocery trip. One user, however, was quick to point out one major difference here: The exorbitant amount of honey they had purchased. Many people were asking what on Earth anyone does with 20 bottles of honey. It just seems entirely unnecessary. Many users started questioning the posts, wondering how truthful they were or if they were just “bait”. (2)
I present to you: $200 of groceries in Ireland pic.twitter.com/0a25m0Nwh9
— gaut (@0xgaut) September 30, 2023
Let’s Not Get Distracted
While yes, these posts have highlighted that the grocery items people choose to spend their money on are questionable, the original purpose still stands. Regardless of the groceries people are buying, the fact is that the prices of each item are still way higher than they have ever been, with no sign of slowing down or decreasing. One user commented about this, reminding people to not get distracted by what is in other people’s carts and instead focus on the real problem at hand: Inflation.
“everyone is replying that ur making ‘bad decisions’ and not focusing on the fact that EITHER WAY, the price on these things is RIDICULOUS. like yes or no?!” they wrote.
Of course, there are ways that people can save on groceries. Focusing on fresh foods, vegetarian sources of protein like lentils and beans, and less expensive carbohydrates such as potatoes and rice will help you save. Not only that, but you will be healthier because of it. Shop as in-season as you can and save processed goodies as occasional treats, not weekly purchases. Though we can’t necessarily control the rising cost of groceries, we can control which items we spend our money on. Choose items that will stretch your dollar and help you eat healthier in the process.
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