Are they telling us the truth?

[ironsides]

In the U.S. 20/2/10 the following items are selling for:

Mahi-Mahi fillet $5.99lb
Haddock fillet $ $7.99lb
Fresh Grouper fillet $9.99lb
Tuna Steaks $7.99lb
Tilapia fillet $1.99lb
N.Y. Strip Steaks $3.49lb whole or half boneless
Italian sausage $1.99lb

If the items are cheaper in Canada then the difference in our dollars is meaningful, if not is it just brokers talking to manipulate the stock markets.

 

[taxslave]

I think you are just being ripped by your store.

 

[VanIsle]

I think you are just being ripped by your store.

I don't have a conversion chart with me but if I am remembering right, right now, my store is selling Top sirloin steaks (guaranteed tender) for $2.99 a pound. Sale ends today. Lots of good meat buys on right now including chicken breasts. It's a good two for one week but as I said - it ends today at store closing.

 

[Ron in Regina]

To effectively compare Apples to Apples in this discussion, first the
measurement of Weight has to be converted from Lbs to KG's or
Grams, and then the exchange rate on the currency has to be
accounted for. Then account for various taxes and such....

If you want to compare extremes, compare the price of cheese in
Canada to that found in the USA. Then Fuel, then Booze, then
Tobacco products, then...then...then....

 

[ironsides]

Just wondering how prices compare, they seem about the same. Should have also said in Florida.

 

[Bar Sinister]

In general food prices are cheaper in the US. That is not surprising for several reasons.
First, the US is still the largest market in the world and volume buying helps.
Second, the US is better placed than Canada regarding transport - it is closer to Latin America and so on.
Third, the US has a huge climate advantage over Canada. Its growing season is much longer and has higher temperatures.

 

[countryboy]

In general food prices are cheaper in the US. That is not surprising for several reasons.
First, the US is still the largest market in the world and volume buying helps.
Second, the US is better placed than Canada regarding transport - it is closer to Latin America and so on.
Third, the US has a huge climate advantage over Canada. Its growing season is much longer and has higher temperatures.

Fourth, there are some fairly generous farm subsidies in the U.S.
Fifth, certain items are not as regulated ("marketing boards") in the U.S.

 

[Liberalman]

During the mad cow crises in Canada beef was selling for a higher price but the farmer was getting a low price for their herd so the middle man was making big Canadian dollars

 

[Dixie Cup]

But the middleman has always has made the money - it's the producers and consumers who lose.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Cost of living in Canada is in general higher than that in USA. I remember reading somewhere that it is about 20% higher. That means that the equitable exchange rate would be around 80 cents to the US dollar.

Just as Canadian dollar was undervalued at 60 cents, it is overvalued at present. Canada is one of the best places in the world to live; its quality of life is consistently higher than that in USA. But lower cost of living is not an advantage to Canada; cost of living is higher here (though it is considerably lower than that in most of Europe).

In addition to food items being more expensive, the biggest difference is that in USA the interest payments on the mortgage are tax deductible; in Canada they are not (though through creative accounting one can get around it).

 

[ironsides]

I was just trying to find out if our so called deflated dollar is real or not. The only way is to see what others pay for similar items. We really haven't felt any effects of this so called deflated dollar yet. But didn't figure in transportation costs which vary even in the U.S. because of similar reasons between the country. In the U.S. farmers are paid for not growing anything, at least we used to.

 

[ironsides]

Cost of living in Canada is in general higher than that in USA. I remember reading somewhere that it is about 20% higher. That means that the equitable exchange rate would be around 80 cents to the US dollar.

Just as Canadian dollar was undervalued at 60 cents, it is overvalued at present. Canada is one of the best places in the world to live; its quality of life is consistently higher than that in USA. But lower cost of living is not an advantage to Canada; cost of living is higher here (though it is considerably lower than that in most of Europe).

In addition to food items being more expensive, the biggest difference is that in USA the interest payments on the mortgage are tax deductible; in Canada they are not (though through creative accounting one can get around it).

Food brought in markets are not taxed. Most taxes in the U.S. are tax deductible including home mortgages, auto loans etc. Not thru creative accounting, it always has been. Your the ones getting robbed in this instance. When we pay a tax on a item it is only supposed to be once, not supposed to have a tax upon a tax. (We do)

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Food brought in markets are not taxed. Most taxes in the U.S. are tax deductible including home mortgages, auto loans etc. Not thru creative accounting, it always has been. Your the ones getting robbed in this instance. When we pay a tax on a item it is only supposed to be once, not supposed to have a tax upon a tax. (We do)

I think you misunderstood my comment. My comment about creative accounting applied to Canada, not to USA. In Canada the interest payments on the mortgage are not deductible, but through creative accounting they can be made deductible.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Incidentally, ironsides, we were discussing a while back as to whether American system is broken (on another thread, I forget which one). There is a poll published by CNN today, which says that 86% Americans think that the government is broken.

 

[ironsides]

Incidentally, ironsides, we were discussing a while back as to whether American system is broken (on another thread, I forget which one). There is a poll published by CNN today, which says that 86% Americans think that the government is broken.

I saw that article. I have no argument as to whether the government is broken or not, I just cannot blame anyone political party for it. It is both of them, they got so set in their ways that they think they rule by some sort of royal mandate. The U.S. citizen fell into line with what we were being told that we lost control of our politicians. Just kept voting for the same people over and over again.