How Much Did You Pay for Milk Last Year?by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 31 Dec 2006 06:43 PM
Federal milk order market administrators collected data on milk price information for selected cities each month. They also averaged the milk prices for these selected cities to report on average prices for the year. The administrators used the most common brand based on shelf space and did not include prices for milk on sale, milk purchased with coupons or any other milk pricing promotions. While the prices are probably pretty close to what milk sold for in the selected cities, it doesn't take into account different retail pricing policies. In other words, a savvy and frugal shopper may have paid less. The complete report lists prices for both whole and 2% milk, but since families on average buy more whole milk, I'll just concentrate on that. The report reflects prices on one gallon jugs. The highest average milk price in 2006 was a whopping $4.10 in New Orleans, LA. Cincinnati, OH had the lowest average for the year at $2.68. Philadelphia, PA, my closest city, has an average yearly price of $3.12, which I would say is pretty accurate. That price is more than I would pay for the store brand at the large grocery store, but less than I would pay if I went over to the corner convenience store. In general, most milk prices in the selected cities were lower in December then they were for the previous January (2006). Detroit, MI is an exception to that. Their prices jumped up in May and stayed higher for the rest of the year. Here are some other average prices on the cost of a gallon jug of milk in 2006.
Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments  Valorie Delp (49340) 31 Dec 2006 05:59 PMBoo hoo, sniff, sniff. . .That's me crying over our milk. We spend approximately $36 per week on milk (7 of us. . .5 little kids). We managed to find it for an average of $2.70 per gallon last year but it recently went up to $3.00 per gallon. This is in NYC and we HUNT to compare milk prices!!! UGH!  Mary Ann Romans (26791) 31 Dec 2006 06:57 PMMy dad is visiting us today from NYC (where I was born and raised). He mentioned the milk hike to me. It seems like it was just raised not too long ago, doesn't it? Is all the milk you buy for drinking? One of the things I do is use reconstituted powdered milk for baking and cooking. I tried using it in pudding once and ugh! But it does help a little on our milk bill. Valorie Delp (49340) 31 Dec 2006 07:01 PMWell. . .I'm frugal but I am a stickler for using the good stuff in baked goods and cooking. I have used powdered milk in baked goods but I can tell the difference in texture and sometimes in taste too. However, with 18mos old twins--there is not a lot of baking happening so I have to say that 95% of it is for drinking. Mary Ann Romans (26791) 31 Dec 2006 07:06 PMAh. While I know families who do drink the powdered milk, I don't think my family would go for that. Kids do guzzle down the milk, don't they? How are the prices at the warehouse stores? Are they any better for you? Nola Redd (7081) 01 Jan 2007 02:33 PMI was shocked to see Atlanta's price, the best I've found at the grocery store was about $3.60 for whole milk. But my husband reminded me that BJs, a warehouse store, stayed pretty constant at about $2.50/gallon, which is where we picked ours up usually. That said, I was happy to see Philly so much lower now that we've moved! Mary Ann Romans (26791) 01 Jan 2007 02:49 PMWelcome to Philly! BJs is a great place for milk, as is suprisingly, Wawa, a convenience chain that you will see everywhere. Wawa has very fresh-tasting milk, too. jonesx6 (1606) 02 Jan 2007 03:31 PMOkay I have to tell you how much I am paying for a gallon of raw milk.....(drum roll please) lol $4.50!!! The price has went up over the past year b/c of gas prices. Laura jonesx6 (1606) 03 Jan 2007 09:39 AMMary Ann, Yes, I freeze my milk. I generally will buy 5 to 6 gallons at a time. I usually get about a month out of the 5 to 6 gallons. It depends if we have hot cocoa a lot or not. lol Laura Mary Ann Romans (26791) 03 Jan 2007 10:49 AMLaura, Mmm, hot cocoa. I love cocoa (as you can tell from a previous blog about it). Does the milk separate when it thaws, or is already seperated because it is raw milk? Also, I'm impressed that you get such a long use out of your milk!  Marily (836) 03 Jan 2007 02:13 PMYikes! In Arizona, I usually get milk on sale for $2 a gallon (including whole milk). VERY seldom, I have to pay as much as $3 a gallon. Mary Ann Romans (26791) 03 Jan 2007 03:06 PMMarilyn, that is a great price! Phoenix, AZ is listed at $3.56 on the report.  Andrea Hermitt (5472) 03 Jan 2007 04:08 PMI live near Atlanta and only buy organic skim milk which is $2.50 per half gallon. That would be $5.00 a gallon. I purchase at Costo a pack of 3 half gallons for about $4.00 which brings the price way down. Needless to say, we drink more water than milk. Mary Ann Romans (26791) 03 Jan 2007 04:36 PMOrganic milk is pretty high here in Pennsylvania, too, but not quite as bad as where you are. I think we pay about $3.80-$3.90, but I have to confess, I don't always go organic because of the price. Water is a big staple in our house, but we do go through lots of milk with two growing kids drinking it. jonesx6 (1606) 08 Jan 2007 05:26 AMMary Ann, The raw milk does separate after it has been frozen. I have found a way around it. I leave it on the counter and as it thaws I shake. I leave it out until it is room temperature and shake it every hour or so. I priced organic milk last night and it was over three dollars for a half a gallon. Yikes! Gasp!! Laura Mary Ann Romans (26791) 08 Jan 2007 05:50 AMLaura, Thanks for the info. I assume that you just shake it again before you use it? I guess I pictured lumpy milk. Smiles. With all of the crazy stuff I am starting to hear about regular store bought milk, I am considering all of our options. Community Tags cost, milk, prices Discuss this article
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Milk prices seem to be going up in states all across the nation. In 2006, states such as Pennsylvania, California and New York announced or proposed price increases. So how much did you actually pay for your milk? 
