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+--- Thread: Inflation In Puna (/showthread.php?tid=23964)
Inflation In Puna - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 08-03-2026
Just went out for lunch at a mid-level restaurant, not fast food, not high end.
The pizza was $4.00 more than last time.
The beer was $2.00 more. With tip and tax the beer was $11.00. One beer.* As a comparison, we just bought a 12 pack of Sapporo at Long’s for $14 I think.
Anyone else notice price increases like this around Puna or Hilo?
* in college, student frequented bars sold beer for 10 or 15 cents. That means 1 beer in 2026 costs the same as 100 beers in 1970. Let that sink in. Old people probably have something to do with the saying “crying in your beer.”
RE: Inflation In Puna - punikahakaiferret - 08-04-2026
I'm definitely seeing increases. We only shop once a week and I have seen consistent increases every week on items we regularly buy...anywhere from $.50 up to several dollars more within a week.
It is scary. Really scary.
Suffice it to say we don't eat out, ever. It's a splurge if we grab a bit of hot bar at the Natch or Malama.
RE: Inflation In Puna - Rob Tucker - 08-04-2026
Please correct me if I'm wrong but I have always considered the Natch or Malama Market to be the two most expensive sources of food in the state. True?/False?
RE: Inflation In Puna - randomq - 08-04-2026
Malama is crazy. The only thing I buy there is poke, which was average last time I went.
Yes, inflation is nuts. The only consolation is we have a lot of mediocre restaurants and can cook better at home. Just don't make any recipes with too many ingredients because everything costs more.
RE: Inflation In Puna - HiloJulie - 08-04-2026
Never really shopped that much at the Natch, but I've always looked at Malama as being NOT the place you would do your normal weekly or monthly shopping at, as if you do, as one apparently well-loved PunaWeb poster would extol "you one faka maga inbred faka kook."
On the other hand, as I was today, I had to go to Pahoa to take Barney in for his regular checkup and teeth cleaning and needed a loaf of bread and some milk. Far cheaper to just pay the 11 bucks each for the bread and the milk versus driving all the way to Keaau or Hilo.
But then, if you are buying wine at Malama regularly, the costs of anything is just something you don't need to worry about.
RE: Inflation In Puna - ChunksterK - 08-04-2026
"Please correct me if I'm wrong but I have always considered the Natch or Malama Market to be the two most expensive sources of food in the state. True?/False?" - Rob Tucker
Absolutely true! Malama uses the ghetto pricing model, and there are many places to buy healthy food for way less than the Natch.
RE: Inflation In Puna - Durian Fiend - 08-04-2026
(08-04-2026, 06:56 AM)ChunksterK Wrote: "Please correct me if I'm wrong but I have always considered the Natch or Malama Market to be the two most expensive sources of food in the state. True?/False?" - Rob Tucker
Absolutely true! Malama uses the ghetto pricing model, and there are many places to buy healthy food for way less than the Natch.
What stores carry the same products as "the Natch" for way less?
RE: Inflation In Puna - ChunksterK - 08-04-2026
While they certainly do not have every item one might find at the Natch, Target has a wide range of certified organic products. Safeway does as well, plus they have a decent amount of organic produce. Even Walmart has some certified organic products.
RE: Inflation In Puna - punikahakaiferret - 08-04-2026
Re: high (ridiculously so) prices at the Natch and Malama (and by extension, Foodland)...
We have only one vehicle and it's old. The significant otter drives it 35 miles/day roundtrip to work 5 days a week in the opposite direction of Hilo. Gas prices and wear and tear on the old vehicle are always a concern.
Sad to say, the last thing we want to do on days off is then have to drive to Hilo, and brave the traffic and crowds to shop there. (Not being people-people) ;-)
I have recently (in the past month) signed up and started getting grocery delivery from Target and Walmart, and it has been a *hugehugehuge* help, but we do still pick up some items locally, because we are those sorts of "natural-foods-crunchy-granola" types and so like to shop at the natural food stores. There are also a few items I can only find at the Natch and Malama, so that does take us there too, and yes they are both insanely expensive, so we minimize what we do buy there.
I appreciate the Natch for their bulk section and markdowns, and have scored some really good deals on markdowns at Malama. I'm pretty sure we spend a lot less than most folk on food, nonetheless, since we buy fresh, cook at home every day, and avoid pre-packaged convenience foods.
But it is a struggle, for sure. I feel for everyone having to stretch their food dollars.
RE: Inflation In Puna - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 08-04-2026
We have only one vehicle and it's old.
Sometimes we shop due to circumstances. When I lived on Maui many years ago our two options were Pukalani Foodland and Morihara store. Both had exorbitant prices. Once in the checkout line at Foodland I heard the clerk proudly tell the customer in front of me Pukalani was the highest profit Foodland in the state. It was a small size Foodland too.
They sold 100 coffee filters for $5.00. When Costco opened 500 coffee filters were under $2.00. It was worth the drive to Kahului. I never set foot in that Foodland again. The owner of Foodland had a house down the road from me in Kula at 4000’ elevation, he only used it for a week or two in summer when it was really hot.