Beverage of Choice vs Cost

With the ongoing inflation in the states prices from US made products will continue to rise.  A lot of items are twice what they were 2 years ago.

johncroy wrote:

With the ongoing inflation in the states prices from US made products will continue to rise.  A lot of items are twice what they were 2 years ago.

When Trump became president he said he will take home jobs from abroad, which scared Filipinos related to Call centers and such.
Back then I predicted - if that will happen - prices will go up much at things made abroad before, which I suppouse Americans wouldnt like.

Did jobs get moved back to USA in any amount?

If compared to some more years back prices at FOOD have gone up much (at least in Sweden) by rather much farmland in the WORLD were switched to grow ENERGY at so it became less land left for food production.  Less supply = prices go up to ballance the demand.

I suppouse covid have had effect at prices too.

Enzyte Bob wrote:

The trip before this I bought cheap paper towels trying to save money, they were awful, so back to my Bounty Paper Towels at 1799.75 php, ouch !

Check out swedish dish towels they work great and will save you a bundle. Hopefully others will be able to chime in with their experience.

I used to clean everything with paper towels in the USA, now  I just let my girlfriend's relatives clean the house. They use the cheap cloths sold by Badjaos. I buy cheap napkins for meals.

I used to buy USA products at Lander's, but it was expensive. I liked Costco in the USA because it was cheaper to buy in bulk. THAT IS NOT LANDERS, which is a super market for the affluent. Even though I am well off I can't justify paying premium prices for so-so products that can be found at Walmart/Costco in the USA.

marioph wrote:

I buy cheap napkins for meals.

My definition of Cheap Filipino Napkins: One sheet of toilet paper folded in half.

Bob stop!! Too funny

Why need napkins for meals??  I havent needed any since I were toddler   

coach53 wrote:

Why need napkins for meals??  I havent needed any since I were toddler   

To wipe your mouth silly boy.

Since I have a low-grade caffeine addiction I guess I should comment on this one. Thanks Bob. Good coffee is going up in cost, like everything else it seems. Wars, supply-chain delays, etc. are sited as reasons for increases.

(Personally, I blame the increasing number of call-center agents doing night shifts, hanging around Starbucks trying to stay sharp. As a gateway drug, they start them on sweet, mocha, bubble drinks and they progress onto the hard stuff. Once they're hooked, that's it!)

There may be locally sourced coffee available. Once in Ozamis, Mindanao, friends offered me coffee from a home grown bush (roasted on a fry pan) , possibly Robusta, which was very drinkable. It was prepared in the gritty, Turkish-styled way -  boiled and then poured from the top of the beaker leaving the grounds in the bottom of the pot. Well...most of them.

Ironically, they apologized for the coffee, since they'd run out of sachets of Nescafe, explaining that the older generation used to drink it this way, inferring it was inferior to the packaged version. To my surprize it was pretty good and had enough of a caffeine hit to divert me from a withdrawal headache. (Or was I just desperate?). It's been years since I've been back that way, so don't know if it's still available. It seems this could be a profitable market, if someone cares to develop it.

I just read Alcoy south of Cebu City has a coffee plantation, since it's high enough above sea level. They grow 4 varieties, which is pretty cool.

Acceptable, at home for breakfast, I have a Krupp coffee machine that takes Nespresso-compatible pods, which you can get different brands in various grades and strengths. It's fun to use, easy and clean. I like the Lavazza Italian pods, which I import. Additionally, I've seen them on Lazada but not sure if they're original, but might be okay.

Still, that's nice and all, but nothing beats getting out for a walk to meet the expats in an ambient café. It's cheap compared to a meal, and adds quality and interest to my day.

gsturdee wrote:

Since I have a low-grade caffeine addiction I guess I should comment on this one.

<SNIP>
Thanks Bob. Good coffee is going up in cost, like everything else it seems. Wars, supply-chain delays, etc. are sited as reasons for increases.

Originally ground US coffee at S&R and Lander's was in the high 800 PHP's (3 pound can). As the price started to climb I bought various Fil coffee on Shopee looking for savings. Balancing flavor vs. cost, I now again purchase the US ground coffee.

One problem I have is our household is mostly adults who prefer the US ground coffee.
My wife likes Fil Nescafe Original. Also I tried the Nescafe, even using two pouches and it just doesn't do the job for me.

I use a 12 cup electric percolator, makes much better coffee than those Mr. Coffee type of machines. I also have another new in box percolator as backup.

"One problem I have is our household is mostly adults who prefer the US ground coffee.
My wife likes Fil Nescafe Original. Also I tried the Nescafe, even using two pouches and it just doesn't do the job for me."

I feel you, buddy!

Enzyte Bob wrote:

coach53 wrote:

Why need napkins for meals??  I havent needed any since I were toddler   

To wipe your mouth silly boy.

Cant you eat without make a mess silly old fart?   
(Although I believe  I am older than you.)

gsturdee wrote:

There may be locally sourced coffee available. Once in Ozamis, Mindanao, friends offered me coffee from a home grown bush (roasted on a fry pan) , possibly Robusta, which was very drinkable. It was prepared in the gritty, Turkish-styled way -  boiled and then poured from the top of the beaker leaving the grounds in the bottom of the pot. Well...most of them.

Ironically, they apologized for the coffee, since they'd run out of sachets of Nescafe, explaining that the older generation used to drink it this way, inferring it was inferior to the packaged version. To my surprize it was pretty good and had enough of a caffeine hit to divert me from a withdrawal headache. (Or was I just desperate?). It's been years since I've been back that way, so don't know if it's still available. It seems this could be a profitable market, if someone cares to develop it.

I just read Alcoy south of Cebu City has a coffee plantation, since it's high enough above sea level. They grow 4 varieties, which is pretty cool..

Some years ago there were "specialists"  (=in reality paid promotors) recomending farmers at least at Mindanao to start growing coffee  - but as normal in the Philippines the farmers dont get paid as much as they were told, which made them switch to a new crop.  (There have been such "specialists" kind of scams with palmoil and spraying of mango too in the Philippines.)   There have been talk about coffee at Palawan too, but I dont know if any have started there.

I see, that makes sense, if a coffee crop is non-viable then it won't progress.

Philippines always amazed me how fertile it was, like discarding a tomato seed in the back garden, after a shower of rain, sprouted into a small bush. Saying that, I tried several different tropical plants at our place in Banatayn Island, which grew but didn't pollinate - like a promising loquat tree that never fruited.

gsturdee wrote:

I see, that makes sense, if a coffee crop is non-viable then it won't progress.

In the cases I talked about it was the "specialists" and the manufactorers, who I suppouse hired them or made an official to do so, who screwed up.
Mostly they just paid less to fartmers than they had fooled them to believe,
mango spraying make the farmer earn more a SHORT while, but make the trees exhausted and even die so in the long run the farmers earn LESS, only the sprayers - and the "Specialists" earn better by it
but the worst case I know of was when they fooled farmers to switch to Palm oil promised to get their crops cold with good profit to a palm oil manufactory, which would be built close and in time to when the first planted would get crop 5-6 years after planting  When the new planted after the farmers got told that, start geting crops, the manufactory wasnt built yet!!!  The raw material to palm oil get destroyed if not processing soon and the transport costs are to high and take to long time to sell to elsewhere, so the harvests became worthless by the manufactorer company didnt make their part!!!  Same/related owner at palm oil manufactory at Agusan, Mindanao missbehaved much there too but some less.  I dont know the situation now, but Palm oil farming seem dieing at Palawan because many Paim oil crop farmers try to sell their lands.

gsturdee wrote:

Philippines always amazed me how fertile it was, like discarding a tomato seed in the back garden, after a shower of rain, sprouted into a small bush. Saying that, I tried several different tropical plants at our place in Banatayn Island, which grew but didn't pollinate - like a promising loquat tree that never fruited.

Yes.  Not all soils, different soils is a science, but in average very goid growing by the climate if handled ok.  So its very remarkable there are so much land not in use after forests are cut down, many owners do nothing with the land after!!! So much land get covered by cogoin grass, which cows dont eat, so a huge waste of land!!!   

"Mostly they just paid less to farmers than they had fooled them to believe,
mango spraying make the farmer earn more a SHORT while, but make the trees exhausted and even die so in the long run the farmers earn LESS, only the sprayers - and the "Specialists" earn better by it
but the worst case I know of was when they fooled farmers to switch to Palm oil promised to get their crops cold with good profit to a palm oil manufactory, which would be built close and in time to when the first planted would get crop 5-6 years after planting  When the new planted after the farmers got told that, start geting crops, the manufactory wasnt built yet!!! "

Sad, shameful. Corporate seed companies have been doing something similar for years, hybridizing seeds into mono-season, round-up ready crops, ensuring repeat yearly business. On top of that they promote extravagant loans, forever burdening farmers with debt obligations for years to come. As usual the farmer loses.

Be thankful. No toilet paper in China 7 years ago. Had to carry my own tissue.

I was doing business there with the CCP and experienced some weird shit. After 3,5 months,  I was climbing the walls, wondering what was missing. Overnight, I stayed at this Resort/Hotel. Huge place with no one on my floor. Twilight zone.

Anyways, I was taking a piss looking out my bathroom window, and saw a bird. The first bird I had seen in over 3 months.

Love your country.

Wow! I mega dose on coffee before I train hard, and feel your desperation. I'm sure you will find a solution. I live in Australia, and I'm sure you get a result. Try eBay Australia, contact a supplier directly, and get them to ship it (at a price). Why don't you go to a cafe' in the Philippines, and source the beans?

Not that I train, but I understand it's a thing now - timely use of high-dose caffeine, for energy release and metabolic stimulation.

Agree with you about attending cafes to source. Sometimes they have an imported selection worth investigating. It's interesting to try new flavors once in a while, especially if the vendor can describe the characteristics and background - like wine or whisky tasting (?). I guess that takes us back to the price challenge.

I lone my coffee.

I quote:

"What is the famous coffee in the Philippines?
Philippine Liberica is known locally as Barako/Baraco, a coffee bean that produces a distinctively robust and powerful cup. The bigger cherries and beans are a staple in the Philippine coffee scene, primarily grown in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite."

Daytripper wrote:

What is the famous coffee in the Philippines?
Philippine Liberica is known locally as Barako/Baraco, a coffee bean that produces a distinctively robust and powerful cup. The bigger cherries and beans are a staple in the Philippine coffee scene, primarily grown in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite."

Interesting, I'll try to score some Barako. Sounds worth a try. Right now I don't have a coffee machine, but could get one I guess, if I could source the coffee.

I was curious to try the "civet coffee". It's the one whereby the coffee fruits are eaten by tree climbing rodents, being undigested the beans (seeds) are pooped out. These are collected, cleaned and then coffee is made from them. It's said that the digestive process improves the characteristics of the coffee.

Being a couple of boutique Korean cafes in Cebu City before the lockdowns, I had to try a cup of this civet coffee. First, it was really expensive, about Php 600 for one expresso-style shot. I savored every sip, searching for some unique characteristic.

Verdict: Tastes just like regular coffee to me. But hey, now I know...

I reckon a coffee always tastes better after a debauched evening. Lol

Yes indeed. It gets rid of the fishy taste too..

I had a coffee tree until I cut it down to build my terrace, my wife said her dad use to get the beans to make his coffee, the price of coffee especially Nescafé is going to change if they boycott Russia I don't know if it will go up or down but it will change

Yup..."Kopi luwak" which is made from coffee beans plucked from the civets feces (a cat like crature); then supposedly *cleaned up (*how well is anyones guess) & finally sold as the world's most expensive coffee.
With this covid pandemic still raging  & news articles now reporting the virus could have passed fm the civet cat...I think I'd rather stay safe both my money/health and stick to the local Barako coffee or Batangas coffee.
Again OMO.

My family here gives me different local coffees. Current is a Pahimis blend from Amadeo and I always have either Folgers or Dunkin on hand if I get a bad batch of beans.