03-16-2021, 09:06 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-17-2021, 06:41 AM by CardBoardBox.
Edit Reason: addemum Mango
)
Today's installment is about food and prices.
Buying stuff at one of the 2 markets in town (leaving out the Chinese vendors cause I would not have nice things to say) helps the large WR Grace company, or at the "green building" Quality Traders is the cheapest way to survive in Negril. You can do better in Sav and MoBay but let's skip that here.
Worth your time as a tour, there is "sticker shock" at the prices compared to home, but everything comes in by boat. $8 for a $3 jar of peanut butter (not to be brought in in your carry-on) can give you a hearty lunch with grape JAM (IF U can find in on the shelf) and a loaf of bread (J$230.)
But everything is going up, up, up. A quart of cooking oil (4 is cheaper than a gallon!) used to be in the $J235 range and last year was over J$400. By now, it's gotta be higher. $$ conversion does account for some of this but only some. If you're staying with friends, it is so easy to spend J$5000 without batting an eye.
Back in PA, hot dogs which used to be $2 and now they've reached $4. Everything is going up and I'm at a loss to explain why beyond estimated coronavirus expenses.
When you are on the island, remember the small vendors. Be they walking around or have a stall somewhere, selling fruits or shoes, at least these people are out there trying to survive.
Personally I like to watch for a little before hand for I remember decades ago there was "dual pricing" and while understandable, it never sat well, except with the sugar cane vendor who had large and small stalks, I paid for large and got a small. I laughed and he smiled back.
This all began with a UK story about Pringles (99 to 1.49 here) which jumped from 2 quid to 3, blaming the recent MSRP jump due to product cost.
I'd love to end this post with a major positive note of being adventurous and helpful but can only promise those words will "soon come."
-quote-
Not just pringles have any one noticed at supermarkets one week Maynard wine gums £1 following week £ 1.65
Club biscuits £1 one week £1 50 next
Utterly Butterly £1 at Iceland £1 90 a one stop
**********wednesday addendum***********
Since it's food, and since it's almost the month of May, May is MANGO month in Negril. If you've never had one off the tree, U don't know the pleasure of eating a mango (which has a pit too big to smuggle home in your butt.)
So if you've gotten your 2 shots and fly down in May, "eat good."
Buying stuff at one of the 2 markets in town (leaving out the Chinese vendors cause I would not have nice things to say) helps the large WR Grace company, or at the "green building" Quality Traders is the cheapest way to survive in Negril. You can do better in Sav and MoBay but let's skip that here.
Worth your time as a tour, there is "sticker shock" at the prices compared to home, but everything comes in by boat. $8 for a $3 jar of peanut butter (not to be brought in in your carry-on) can give you a hearty lunch with grape JAM (IF U can find in on the shelf) and a loaf of bread (J$230.)
But everything is going up, up, up. A quart of cooking oil (4 is cheaper than a gallon!) used to be in the $J235 range and last year was over J$400. By now, it's gotta be higher. $$ conversion does account for some of this but only some. If you're staying with friends, it is so easy to spend J$5000 without batting an eye.
Back in PA, hot dogs which used to be $2 and now they've reached $4. Everything is going up and I'm at a loss to explain why beyond estimated coronavirus expenses.
When you are on the island, remember the small vendors. Be they walking around or have a stall somewhere, selling fruits or shoes, at least these people are out there trying to survive.
Personally I like to watch for a little before hand for I remember decades ago there was "dual pricing" and while understandable, it never sat well, except with the sugar cane vendor who had large and small stalks, I paid for large and got a small. I laughed and he smiled back.
This all began with a UK story about Pringles (99 to 1.49 here) which jumped from 2 quid to 3, blaming the recent MSRP jump due to product cost.
I'd love to end this post with a major positive note of being adventurous and helpful but can only promise those words will "soon come."
-quote-
Not just pringles have any one noticed at supermarkets one week Maynard wine gums £1 following week £ 1.65
Club biscuits £1 one week £1 50 next
Utterly Butterly £1 at Iceland £1 90 a one stop
**********wednesday addendum***********
Since it's food, and since it's almost the month of May, May is MANGO month in Negril. If you've never had one off the tree, U don't know the pleasure of eating a mango (which has a pit too big to smuggle home in your butt.)
So if you've gotten your 2 shots and fly down in May, "eat good."