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Show ,,iL Food costs virtually steady Reco Part 2 Food Prices . . , ,MI r,,:. lkH Copyright, 1981 IPli f The Iron County Record Mfe i'V' Th'8 art'c,e 's tne seC0l,d i" a series I -I'i? examining the cost of living in Iron County. 'W-W I raps? The three-part series runs quarterly in the Rp&fW!:'" Iron County Record. Today's story looks at ii4J, Cedar City grocery prices, comparing them I I with the prices three months ago. . VrV, By BRUCE LEE J&kJfrmm'S. I Record Assoc. Editor - a 1 I seems to be a truism that food prices I I are raP'dly rising. However, as the old wJ3'L commercial said, all truisms are not necessarily true. A survey of grocery stores 'hk. showed that, actually, Cedar City food k ':fflfe prices have dropped an average 0.4 percent II VWm ovec e months. !V I Y$Mij That small percentage doesn't translate ifSJJt'plf into much of a savings-only 26 cents on a jpr shopping bill that averaged a total of yp $71.94 but at least it is a drop. (See the II complete listings and comparisons of the prices on page A3.) f fV",Nv I ne survev was taken Thursday by the I fn I ron bounty Record staff. All four Cedar I I 'ty grocery stores Albertson's, Keith's ; Of the four Cedar City stores included in the Record's quarterly survey, three of them had a decrease in the total price over three months ago. The other one increased by 25 cents. The cost of many of the items included in the survey changed very little. Many prices decreased a few cents; while some increased in-creased a penny or two. However, there were exceptions. The price of an 18 ounce jar of peanut butter in the four stores increased an average of 56 cents. Tomatos, a seasonal item, increased by 65 cents a pound. On the other hand, an 8-ounce chicken pie dropped an average of 16.5 cents; while the price of a 12-ounce can of orange juice dropped 36.5 cents over the three-month period. Some of the differences between individual in-dividual items at the various stores were caused by sales. Others weren't. Another truism that has been shown to be sometimes false by the survey was that a bundle of money could be saved by shopping one store instead of another. On a list of groceries totaling over $70, a shopper could save only $2.09 between the highest of the four stores and the lowest. However, that savings is a little greater, than it was three months ago. The quarterly survey at that time showed that only $1.28 could be saved between the stores. Also, a shopper could save a little money by shopping sales and by shopping for specific items at the store with the best price. But there was no pattern to the types of savings that could be made at each store; thus the time and amount of gas spent for such selective shopping would probably eat up whatever savings there may be. , -j-j sec FOOD on pag A3 Westside, Lin's Thriftway and Safeway were included in the survey of 55 common grocery items. Where possible the same brands of each item were compared in all four stores. Where this was not possible, similar brands were surveyed. Always the same size or quantity of the item was used. were surveyed. Always the same size or shopper could save only $2.09 between the quantity of the item was used. highest of the four stores and the lowest. w,, However, that savings is a little greater. 1 . than it was three months ago. The quarterly II x 1 ui.i i L 9 survey at that time showed that only $1.28 II I) I MW could be saved between the stores. I VJi' 1 iKsQppr Also, a shopper could save a little money l- . --Sj0W-' 'iy by shopping sales and by shopping for Ml W fl II II I II W&jttil specific items at the store with the best I II Mif''s. price. -"V WS But there was no pattern to the types of i-WNv I I aXS-S savings that could be made at each store; f I J liIUijLJLJL MWy thus the time and amount of gas spent for I II .fffiftiWiT " '""rrt 'v such selective shopping would probably eat I J - "S S.' fTlB uP whatever savings there may be. |