Shopping for Non-US products

 

Some of you may not be aware that when Trump launched his trade war on Canada there has been a huge rebellion in Canada on travelling to the U.S. and buying U.S, products here. Some I know are disposing of their US real estate and refusing to travel through the US to countries elsewhere. Usually inconvenient but nevertheless adhered to.

Canada is not a flag-waving country nor into the jingoism that characterises some countries. But there's a fierce patriotism nevertheless.

I feel for my dear US friends who suffer from this embargo but they understand our rage. Tourism and exports have been massively affected in the US. Hotels and inns are shuttering and other businesses (Liquor, farms, etc.) similarly affected. 

We are their biggest trading partner and it must hurt.

Meanwhile our prime minister is trotting around completing trade agreements with other countries.

I offer you this:

Mandarins from Spain (along with orange juice) - a huge deficit for Florida.

Many of us now buy only  cereal made in Canada. Goodbye Kelloggs.

Ketchup made in Canada. Goodbye Heinz.

And these heavenly biscuits (cookies) made in Australia. Real chocolate, organic. Note most US"chocolate" is actually "chocolate flavoured" whatever the hell that is.

I'm also noticing that everything I buy is much tastier, more flavourful, less sugar. Shelves are clearly marked in grocery stores and on line. "Canadian Made or Canadian sourced.|"

But for my US readers, I wish you this for your Thanksgiving. Fervently. With love.

The Beginnings of Austerity?

I live alone. I am fortunate in that I no longer feed a family. I am watching the economy carefully as the prices on the grocery shelves continue to climb and wonder, albeit fleetingly, what accommodations I will have to make to my food budget in the coming years vs the ones I have started to make now.

My daughter finds it shameful I have to continue to work to maintain what we won't call a lifestyle but living. She knows I would prefer to be writing fulltime but I can't afford to do so. I do apply for grants (none achieved to date) and I am paid a little for the writing commissions I am getting. But this does not sustain me. I track all my expenses meticulously so that in any given year I can tell what I have spent on haircuts, or shoes, or lipstick (very, very little)and groceries. My savings erode a little every month in spite of all the efforts I make to supplement my government pension and earnings. Many in my age group here do not have savings. Of any kind. I wonder how they feel when they face the grocery shelves.

I made my first shopping accommodation this week as I looked at the price of my favourite coffee. It had gone from $9.99 a lb to $10.99 in a month. A 10% increase. My intention was to stock up about a 3 month supply (I freeze whole beans) due to commodity price escalation forecasts. My eye dropped to the shelf below, to Melitta Dark Roast which was retailing for $16.99 for a 2/lb bag of beans.

Regretfully, I chose the cheaper. I saved $10.00.

On Rambling Around the Grocery Store - AKA Mental Asylum - Tonight:

They were short and round and frazzled, this old couple. They stood in the middle of the cereal aisle which is 50 yards long and 4 yards high full of every kind of cereal imaginable. She was wringing her hands in between pushing her glasses up tight against her eyes as she spun around in total bewilderment.

“Oh Harold,” she said, “Harold, what are we going to do? What on earth do children eat these days?”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



“If you don’t shut up at once,” said Mama to the whining three year old girl in the grocery cart, “Daddy won’t share his jumbo bottle of Pepsi and his nachos and cheese with you tonight, isn’t that right Daddy? Now show her what she’ll be missing if she doesn’t shut right up.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I CAN SO tell the difference, listen to me,” yelled the man on the cell phone as he leaned over the meats in the delicatessen, “Will. You. Listen. To. Me. They come in round only. They don’t come square. I’m going to hang up on you if you don’t shut up and listen. They don’t come square. Do you want round? I said, do you want round? I’m hanging up NOW!” Click and an almighty “F***!”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“ Good Lord, “ I said to the woman ahead of me at the checkout. “Twelve pounds of cream cheese? It looks like you’re going to be doing some baking!”

“Well, I’m not bakin’, ” she said, “Not me. But I asked them all what they wanted for Christmas and they said cream cheese.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------