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Dear Sir,

Can someone please explain to me the reasoning behind the cost of food in Bermuda - especially the items sold by the biggest grocery stores?

Admittedly, the cost of operating business here is high. But does that justify charging 99 cents for one lemon? You used to get three for that price - what happened? Red peppers go for $5.99 a pound.

Junk food is a rare treat in my house, thank goodness, because it's not cheap. I don't understand is why a large bag of Humpty Dumpty Corn Curls can vary in price from $3.70 in one store to $5.70 at another.

It's bad enough that store owners get to charge what they like without price controls. What's sad is that they don't seem to pay any price for outright greed.

From what I can tell, shopping for groceries has become a dreaded journey for a growing number of Bermudians, who complain that they are spending more and getting less for their money with pay cheques that are not covering their costs.

Most notably the costs for room and board and food, which we all need to survive.

What's the solution? A Consumer Affairs Bureau with legislative teeth would certainly help and price controls would be an asset to those of us whose pay cheques are not as fat as those who are obviously not bothered by the cost of living in this country.

In my house, we plant as much as we can grow in our own back yard, and do our best to shop wholesale for the rest.

Maybe if the big stores dropped some of those full page ads for specials, the savings could be reflected in even more special prices.

As soon as I find a cost effective way to ship in my own food, I'll do it, because as the old timers say, 'right is right, and wrong is no man's right'.

Ceola Wilson

Southampton[[In-content Ad]]

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