A sgule against inflation at the grocery store

A magical auction for cheaper groceries

Prices are absolutely out of control at the grocery store. Why are Doritos (DORITOS!!!) close to $7??? 

Even if we can all live without Doritos (though what kind of life would that really be???) we do need to eat real food to live. But who can afford a a pound of chicken thighs for $20??? It's nuts. (No, actually, I can't afford nuts, either. Let's say it's bananas.)

I happened to be reading some Yiddish folklore sources on the holidays and I came across this sgule or charm/remedy against inflation. This practice was found during Simkhes Toyre at certain Hasidic courts, while the rebbe held his tish (holiday meal with his followers). Now, you may not be eating a meal at the rebbe's tish any time soon, but perhaps you can adapt it to your own holiday table. If you do, lemme know how it goes!

ליציטאציעס Auctions

“Litsitatsiyes” – in some Hasidic courts, while the rebbe is holding his “tish,” they conduct an auction of food products. But this is the opposite of other auctions. At a wink from the rebbe, a wealthy man stands up and announces: “a bushel of potatoes for sale!” Another cries out- “I bid 10 rubles.” “And I bid 9 rubles” - a second yells out; in the same way a third makes his bid, and a fourth bids even lower prices, until the rebbe agrees to sell. They go on to auction off vegetables, fruit, and wheat. This custom, they believe, is a sgule [charm or remedy] against inflation [yakres].