Peanut butter sales?

Mominator · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 26, 2008 Posts: 106 Location: FL

I read in a book eons ago about peanut butter sales being a litmus test for the economy. I did some searches and I couldn't find much about peanut butter sales (other than they are up 9%).
Is someone in here skilled enough to find a nice chart for me. I like charts and absolute numbers more than generic 9%'s--though that 9% did confirm what I was thinking anyway.

Thanks in advance Smile

_________________
~Laura

"If you weren't smart enough to plan ahead then Doom on you!" ~Dodo bird

Alanintx · Coal Joined: May 20, 2008 Posts: 15

No chart, no graph, no insider tips regarding the peanut butter trade.

But when I was in college, my professor who taught me marcoeconomics said he liked to use the "white dress shirt" index. Tracking the sales of white men's dress shirts back in the day was what he thought was a good inicator of the health of the American economy.

Not much of an index any more, I guess.

Armageddon · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:27 pm Post subject: Re: Peanut butter sales?

My economics professor told me to track condom sales for a measuring stick regarding the health of the economy. When times are bad, people stay home and have sex more. I wonder how trojan stocks are doing right now ?

smallpoxgirl · Moderator Joined: Nov 08, 2004 Posts: 5647

Concerned · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Sep 23, 2004 Posts: 1531

This thread reminds me of Life of Brian where they interperet the sandal as a sign for various things.

Economics is not a science, never was never will be way too much politics involved. Besides when you let it run as a "free market" it ends up totally borked.
_________________
"Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box."
-Italian Proverb

MrBill · Expert Joined: Sep 15, 2005 Posts: 5366 Location: Eurasia

One should not confuse economic theory(s) with the economy. Nor economics with political interference in the economy.

Peanut butter is a lower cost substitute for meat as it is rich in protein. Therefore, as the price of meat rises you should see more consumers switching to peanut butter. But also children in general may like peanut butter more than say fresh vegetables that also help stretch the family's food budget.
_________________
The organized state is a wonderful invention whereby everyone can live at someone else's expense.

efarmer · Heavy Crude Joined: Mar 17, 2006 Posts: 485

Armageddon, a fatal flaw in your condom financial index is
that when times are tough, Saran Wrap is substituted for
the premium latex products as an austerity measure.
(It is however not ribbed for her pleasure.)

Peanut butter and Kool Aid instead of soda are a good
indicator I believe, (grew up in a grocery store family biz).

We lost Elvis too soon, what a time he would have now,
stylishly gobbling peanut butter and banana sandwiches,
and being able to snap up dozens of CRT type color TV's
at garage sales to blast into oblivion whenever the talking
head went naughty in the wee hours of the morning.

Being frugal, I have come up with my own Elvis paradigm,
I am down with the PB and banana sandwich but instead
shoot my LCD screen with a water pistol while watching
Fox News for little stimulative snippets of yellow journalism.
My aim is true and I never miss Hannity, I am a fair and balanced
shot, and I have the cleanest screen in town.

topcat · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:26 pm Post subject: Re: Peanut butter sales?

If I had to pick a good measure of the economy, I would choose Domino's pizza, guessing that folks would buy frozen pizzas rather than order out for pizza.

BTW: The large number of orders being delivered to the Pentagon by Domino's was used to predict that 'something' was going to happen way back when the US did the first ME conflict.
_________________
"...the problem is today we have unknown unknowns."
Dominique Strauss-Kahn; IMF chief

MrBill · Expert Joined: Sep 15, 2005 Posts: 5366 Location: Eurasia

Pizza home delivery is probably a pretty good proxy for the health of the economy as it not only measures disposable wealth, but also the cost of food and fuel as well as how tight the labor market is.

Here's another: The Budweiser Index. Measure premium beer sales (or wine) to the sale of bargain brand beers. Bubba's always going to drink, but what suds he grabs for will reflect his optimism or pessimism. Also, whether he drinks at home or at a bar.
_________________
The organized state is a wonderful invention whereby everyone can live at someone else's expense.

taizee · Tar Sands Joined: Jun 22, 2008 Posts: 52

oatmeal

and

poatatoes
_________________
formerly Taizy and Taizy8 - having problems with the cookies.

"wherever you go, there you are"

Concerned · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Sep 23, 2004 Posts: 1531

MrBill · Expert Joined: Sep 15, 2005 Posts: 5366 Location: Eurasia

An imprecise science in any case. But that is okay, two medical doctors can look at the same symptoms, and not only come up with a different diagnosis, but also perscribe two different cures. And in the end their patient dies anyway!

The great thing about knowledge is that it is acquired independently. My knowledge does not depend on your understanding of the subject nor on any third party's acknowledgement. Therefore, you are prefectly welcome to have your own opinions without impinging one little bit on what I know.

I am not usually a selfish person, but in the end the most important thing is that I understand what is going on in the economy at large. It is nice if I can share that insight, but it is not necessary. I come here to share points of view with others to help understand the peak oil issue(s). And to challenge my assumptions. But at the end of the day I go home by myself and make my own plans independently of what anyone else here thinks, says or does.

I believe in whatever works. So if new information came out that invalidated my previous point of view I would simply change my opinion. Nothing you have ever said has even caused me to pause for a millisecond to reconsider my core understanding of economics, finance, banking or anything else. So your lowly opinion of economics as an imperfect science is really just your own misunderstanding of what I already know. Your perception is not my reality.
_________________
The organized state is a wonderful invention whereby everyone can live at someone else's expense.

Armageddon · Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:07 am Post subject: Re: Peanut butter sales?

I have noticed restaurants in my area ( st. louis ) a little less crowded recently, and I don't mean McDonalds. Our local Outback steakhouse use to have a 45 min - 1 hour wait on Saturday nights, now there is not a wait at all.

mobil1 · Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:52 am Post subject: Re: Peanut butter sales?

I like the Big Mac indices for foreign exchange. Makes sense to me as a unit of exchange.

What's the price of oil in Big Macs for US, Canada, Chine, Europe etc ?

Triffin · Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 10:14 am Post subject: Re: Peanut butter sales?

Here's the USO:MCD ratio ..

http://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=USO:MCD&p=D&yr=0&mn=3&dy=0&id=p19146217326

ie Long Oil / Short Big Macs Surprised

)

Triff ..