I just got back from the grocery store

[Virginia Dawn]

I am managing to keep my weekly bill pretty regular, in spite of some of the prices going up. Every week I expect to find something different is increasing, but today I was flabbergasted. 1 quart of canola oil was $4.19 for the off brand, up to 4.59 for name brands. Why???

Last month I paid $2.79 for the same thing.

[beansprouts]

I'm almost out of olive oil.

I am dreading this...

[Canada_Mom]

I don't know if it's the same where you are, but here only the price of canola oil went up. Olive oil still costs the same as it did 6mos ago when we bought the last bottle of it.

[clwcain]

since it is very difficult to use olives to produce biofuels.

Perhaps a Canadian can correct me, but it was my impression that Canadian rapeseed oil (the source of canola oil) can also produce biofuel in the same way that corn in the US, Europe, and South America, and palm oils around the world (especially in African countries) are used.

[Virginia Dawn]

Corn oil was almost as high. I didn't check olive oil.

[Colleen]

Canola oil isn't your best bet as far as health is concerned; why not go with olive oil instead? It's not had such a sharp price increase.

[Debbi in Texas]

At the grocery store where I work, 48 oz of Wesson vegetable oil just incresed in price from 3.?? to 5.47. Also to go up was yogurt, frozen pizzas, canned vegetables, some cereal, and some cleaning supplies. And of course flour. Before the new shelf label was applied on the oil, there was already another 20 cent increase, but my boss didn't raise the price again.

[JFS in IL]

Go olive - I buy the large cans of extra-virgin and have been using it for everything for years - except sweet baked goods, where I prefer blander canola.
Olive oil - save $ and get the plain "pure" stuff for, say, frying - save the virgin and extra-virgin for more delicate stuff.

[Mrs Mungo]

I agree with clw, rapeseed is being transformed into bio-diesel, that's why the price is going up.

[mcconnellboys]

I just ran out of olive oil. The same size/brand bottle that I paid about $10 for last time I bought it is now $16!