Comments on: $25 Grocery Challenge? http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/2009/02/23/25-grocery-challenge/ Cheap Eats Tue, 10 May 2011 03:14:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Holly http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/2009/02/23/25-grocery-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-58670 Holly Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:33:57 +0000 http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/?p=331#comment-58670 bingsy- He did say "groceries" not "total food cost" so that probably doesn't count meals out. I never really understood why people think inexpensive food can't be nutritious. Produce is cheap in season, or when it's on sale. I buy 4lb bags of apples for $1.49, and make spaghetti with meat sauce for about $2 a serving. Sure, mack and cheese is cheap and has little nutrional value, but add a can of tuna and some frozen peas, and then it covers 4 food groups. bingsy- He did say “groceries” not “total food cost” so that probably doesn’t count meals out.

I never really understood why people think inexpensive food can’t be nutritious. Produce is cheap in season, or when it’s on sale. I buy 4lb bags of apples for $1.49, and make spaghetti with meat sauce for about $2 a serving. Sure, mack and cheese is cheap and has little nutrional value, but add a can of tuna and some frozen peas, and then it covers 4 food groups.

]]> By: bingsy http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/2009/02/23/25-grocery-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-58654 bingsy Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:14:33 +0000 http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/?p=331#comment-58654 I think I'm the cynical one, because I refuse to believe that Pete only spends $50 a week on food and eats nutritiously. I suspect he either eats a nutritionally minimal diet or else a sodium laden processed food diet. I also suspect he is not including the money spent going out to eat. Maybe he's a farmer or gardner. That's the only way I can see that they spend that much. They definitely don't live in a major city. In college, when I was at my most willing to be frugal - mainly out of necessity, I spent $16 a week on food. My father was impressed, but truthfully I ate ramen, frozen burritos, processed spaghetti sauce packets with noodles, pot pies, fish sticks, and macaroni and cheese. Those things typically didn't require a lot of time for prep and cost a dollar or less. I know most of those items have doubled or tripled in price, so the $16 I was so proud of is now likely almost $50 a week. This is to eat like a college student. This is okay for young 'uns, but eventually one needs to eat a diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein to not keel over from heart disease, stroke or type II diabetes related ailments. The produce alone will likely cost more than the $25. I know the idea of people getting anything "free" that they have not earned is upsetting to people that work very hard at their jobs - as I do and I am sure Pete does as well, but if you want to be practical as far as federal spending then allowing people as much access to a healthy diet as possible is best for ALL of us. If people, of their own volition or not, cannot afford fresh and nutritious foods and instead buy processed or fast food to accommodate their need to eat, we will all pay in health care costs for them later. You can judge them or not, but it is better to keep all healthy in the first place. Don't even get me started on children and how they don't have any say in who their parents are and that they deserve nutritious and healthy food and how if we feed them correctly they may be able to learn better and have a better shot at not being in poverty as an adult. I think I’m the cynical one, because I refuse to believe that Pete only spends $50 a week on food and eats nutritiously. I suspect he either eats a nutritionally minimal diet or else a sodium laden processed food diet. I also suspect he is not including the money spent going out to eat. Maybe he’s a farmer or gardner. That’s the only way I can see that they spend that much. They definitely don’t live in a major city.

In college, when I was at my most willing to be frugal – mainly out of necessity, I spent $16 a week on food. My father was impressed, but truthfully I ate ramen, frozen burritos, processed spaghetti sauce packets with noodles, pot pies, fish sticks, and macaroni and cheese. Those things typically didn’t require a lot of time for prep and cost a dollar or less. I know most of those items have doubled or tripled in price, so the $16 I was so proud of is now likely almost $50 a week. This is to eat like a college student. This is okay for young ‘uns, but eventually one needs to eat a diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein to not keel over from heart disease, stroke or type II diabetes related ailments. The produce alone will likely cost more than the $25.

I know the idea of people getting anything “free” that they have not earned is upsetting to people that work very hard at their jobs – as I do and I am sure Pete does as well, but if you want to be practical as far as federal spending then allowing people as much access to a healthy diet as possible is best for ALL of us. If people, of their own volition or not, cannot afford fresh and nutritious foods and instead buy processed or fast food to accommodate their need to eat, we will all pay in health care costs for them later. You can judge them or not, but it is better to keep all healthy in the first place. Don’t even get me started on children and how they don’t have any say in who their parents are and that they deserve nutritious and healthy food and how if we feed them correctly they may be able to learn better and have a better shot at not being in poverty as an adult.

]]> By: Holly http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/2009/02/23/25-grocery-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-58646 Holly Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:25:21 +0000 http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/?p=331#comment-58646 I used to regularly spend $25 a week on groceries for just myself, but that was when I could go to the commissary at the local Air Force Base. It really depends on where you live how easily you can get buy on that little. I'm sure I'm probably spending more than that now, but I haven't been keeping track like I should. I know, I'm a bad cheapskate! I used to regularly spend $25 a week on groceries for just myself, but that was when I could go to the commissary at the local Air Force Base. It really depends on where you live how easily you can get buy on that little. I’m sure I’m probably spending more than that now, but I haven’t been keeping track like I should. I know, I’m a bad cheapskate!

]]> By: Cheap Eats Editor http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/2009/02/23/25-grocery-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-58638 Cheap Eats Editor Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:33:27 +0000 http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/?p=331#comment-58638 @cyn - I hadn't heard about Food Checkout Week before, thanks for letting me know about it. <a href="http://www.fb.org/index.php?fuseaction=events.foodweek" rel="nofollow">Here is a link is here for anyone interested</a>. Interestingly, I think they say that as of 2009, the timing of Farm Bureau’s Food Check-Out Week is not related to the date Americans have earned enough money to pay for their food for a year... @cyn – I hadn’t heard about Food Checkout Week before, thanks for letting me know about it. Here is a link is here for anyone interested. Interestingly, I think they say that as of 2009, the timing of Farm Bureau’s Food Check-Out Week is not related to the date Americans have earned enough money to pay for their food for a year…

]]> By: Cyn http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/2009/02/23/25-grocery-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-58636 Cyn Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:06:41 +0000 http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/?p=331#comment-58636 I read about 'checkout week' which is the week in the year that marks the time that you have earned on average the total amount you will spend on groceries for the year. This was February 6, which gave me about $60 a week for my family of 4 + 3 cats and a dog. I'm trying to make it work without eating dollar store food, but thankfully we love beans. I read about ‘checkout week’ which is the week in the year that marks the time that you have earned on average the total amount you will spend on groceries for the year. This was February 6, which gave me about $60 a week for my family of 4 + 3 cats and a dog.
I’m trying to make it work without eating dollar store food, but thankfully we love beans.

]]> By: Cheap Eats Editor http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/2009/02/23/25-grocery-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-58633 Cheap Eats Editor Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:24:42 +0000 http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/?p=331#comment-58633 @pete - that's true, I definitely wouldn't want to be on food stamps. I think it's great you've kept food spending down to $50 a week - see, I wish there were more people who were smart about spending like that ALL the time regardless of income. =) @pete – that’s true, I definitely wouldn’t want to be on food stamps. I think it’s great you’ve kept food spending down to $50 a week – see, I wish there were more people who were smart about spending like that ALL the time regardless of income. =)

]]> By: Pete http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/2009/02/23/25-grocery-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-58632 Pete Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:17:40 +0000 http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/?p=331#comment-58632 Well you're not supposed to want to stay on food stamps, it's supposed to suck. My wife and I make over $70k/yr and only spend about $50/wk on groceries (together) Well you’re not supposed to want to stay on food stamps, it’s supposed to suck.

My wife and I make over $70k/yr and only spend about $50/wk on groceries (together)

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