Massachusetts family of 6 lives off $4/wk for food
- Thread starter Masamune
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Hmm, the power of coupons I guess. My mom has always done this and I've seen her get grocery bills down to sub dollar amounts. But the woman in this video seems to spend a lot of time finding loads of coupons to make the bill just a few cents. I don't know if there are many coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables though, most seem for boxed stuff. But maybe this can be applied to our small selection of healthy foods. I know you can buy coupons on ebay, but that might be defeating the purpose. Still, really interesting video, that woman deserves some applause.
:P
:P
H
Hildegarda
Guest
I have a hard time using coupons because there's never any for the things I want to buy. I buy mostly vegetables, "scratch" and healthy food.
I have found that to be true. Coupons only exist for foodless foods. You won't find coupons for broccoli or spinach or organic chicken. However, sometimes you can find those things on special. And farmers markets are good, but at least in my opinion, not particularly cheap. It costs real money to raise real food.
It does amaze me that a box of 24 Debbie cakes sells for the same price as one head or organic lettuce, and that an organic chicken is $18 and a commercially raised chicken is $3.50. In my opinion, if you look at organic meat and produce, that is what food should cost, based on costs of production. If you look at what standard commercial food costs that is simply a reflection of government subsidies at work.
I have found recently that food across the board seems to be getting cheaper. I'm not sure if this is manipulation or an actual response to the market.
I feed five people and we can live on less than $50 a week. However, that looks like a lot of rice and beans and deer meat. I usually buy a lot of tomatoes and stuff to make salsa and I make tortillas. I buy potatoes and stuff to make corn bread. Eggs are good protein with good fat and cheaper than meat. But a dozen good eggs is now running close to $4. I buy greens at the farmers market. And I buy apples and oranges and bananas. I do buy organic apples. As far as organic I can't afford to buy everything so I just buy the worst offenders organic.
We hardly ever eat sweets. It's a big treat for the kids if I bring home ice cream or make a pie.
So, that's how poor people used to eat...before Debbie cakes. And though I'm sure I could bring home a bunch of garbage food for a lot less, I'll pass. We're poor so we just eat less food. But it is real food at least. Some weeks I just eat whatever my kids leave on their plates. That and a cup of coffee and one cigarette and I'm good. Poverty really acts to encourage moderation in all things.
I've looked into WIC and all they really offer is a bunch of crap milk and cheese and junk cereal. I'd rather fast.
Now to get Food Stamps or Family assistance all of your children have to be current on their vaccinations..so I'll pass there too.
In my opinion most of the food at the store, and certainly a majority of the food available to poor people is designed specifically to kill us off. Just look at Indian people on the Res...Fry bread and Spam...dying like flies from diabetes and heart disease. And they tell us it's because we smoke too much
theos
The Living Force
Kila said:In my opinion most of the food at the store, and certainly a majority of the food available to poor people is designed specifically to kill us off. Just look at Indian people on the Res...Fry bread and Spam...dying like flies from diabetes and heart disease. And they tell us it's because we smoke too much
I agree. It's the same in poor, black neighborhoods. I drive around and all I see are rib/chicken/pizza joints, liquor and convenience stores and not a decent grocery store in sight -- unless you count low-end places like Save-a-Lot and Aldi's which in my opinion are crap. Is it any wonder that blacks suffer higher rates of illness and obesity?
CorkyC
The Force is Strong With This One
3D Student said:
True that. I really enjoyed your post as well Kila.
I feed myself, my wife and my son for something like $80. I've been taking it upon myself to do the grocery shopping of late, and I go after I get off work in the wee hours of the morning. I've found that if you go on a Tuesday night, you can get a lot of really good deals. They tend to put all of their produce on sale at the beginning of the week to get rid of it before the next shipment comes. So I'm always in there buying up all their lemons and tomatoes. :P
I always hit the bakery (even though I know I'm not supposed to) cause I can usually find some good pastries that they have to get rid of too. Once I found 4 apple fritters for like $1.25! (I remember I was pretty thrilled about it at the time). ;)
I also wish I could afford to eat more organic foods, but it's just SO expensive. Me and the lady tried it when she was pregnant, and we'd go into the Whole Foods and spend like $150-$200. Once the little one arrived, that was just out of the question.
Kila said:
I try to embrace my poverty. It tends to keep me focused on the bigger picture, something I feel like I'd be completely oblivious to if I was better off financially.
Yeah. WIC is only good if you like cheese or apple juice. ;)
I wish I liked beans more. I could save so much money if I could bring myself to eat them. I dunno what it is with me and beans. I guess it was too much of that "beans beans good for your heart, the more you eat..." when I was growing up. :P
Personally, I hate beans. And if we ever have any more money then I'll never even stand next to a bean again. I can almost stand them if they are swimming in salsa.
I'm certain my kids in adulthood will never eat beans or oatmeal or deer meat again if they can help it.
Today, we are off to granmas, and they are super excited about the food. They'll be 50 people there so between us all there will be an obscene amount of food. We are bringing a pumpkin and apple pie and some potatoes for tomorrow for breakfast. Somebody killed some turkey so we'll have that with dumplings, and I know a ham is showing up, and I even think some buffalo tounge which for us is like best of the best. Then granma Gail being from the res in South Carolina will make oyster stew. Lots of corn and succatash too. And I'm sure a bunch of cookies and pastries that my kids will absolutely die from excitement over.
OzRich
Jedi
Odyssey said:Kila said:In my opinion most of the food at the store, and certainly a majority of the food available to poor people is designed specifically to kill us off. Just look at Indian people on the Res...Fry bread and Spam...dying like flies from diabetes and heart disease. And they tell us it's because we smoke too much
I agree. It's the same in poor, black neighborhoods. I drive around and all I see are rib/chicken/pizza joints, liquor and convenience stores and not a decent grocery store in sight -- unless you count low-end places like Save-a-Lot and Aldi's which in my opinion are crap. Is it any wonder that blacks suffer higher rates of illness and obesity?
How true !
Some time ago (about 10 -12 years maybe) myself and a friend of mine, who was just finishing biochemistry at the uni, were looking into what are the chemicals and additives in food, household products, personal care products ect. We went through dozens of products from supermarket and checked their possible impact on cells in our bodies. What we found then was absolutely shocking ! We determined, that in the supermarket, there is almost nothing for human consumption or use.
I saw once couple of buddhist monks walking along the aisles of local store. Judging from their puzzled faces, I thought that they must have just come off the plane from Tibet. They didn't buy anything...
When Laura, in the introduction to EE, was talking about poisoned world we live in - I was just nodding my head saying: oh yes, I know.
It is very tragic. What's more tragic is how majority of people don't connect their physical and mental problems with what they eat and use.
Today I use only couple of natural products for my household needs, and food wise I get everything from local food co-op or grow myself.
Since I eat very little meat (occasional fish or chicken) my dog cost me more than myself. Beans, buckwheat, kefir and greens from garden are my staple diet.
