Can You Afford to Eat?

DailyArtsyCrafter said:
Do you mean a planned community/city? Seems like developers were getting started with those a couple of decades ago.
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I do not. As is true of many suburbs ringing US cities, this area evolved post WWII. I'm 25-30 miles from downtown LA in a neighborhood developed in the mid 1950s. Most homes, mine included, have been extensively remodeled and expanded over the years. No HOAs or any of that nonsense.
 

StarSong said:
Bulk shopping saves a fortune,
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DailyArtsyCrafter said:
It can but singles have to be more careful doing it. Even frozen foods can't last indefinitely. Stuff lasts so long with me that I'm surprised at some of the expirations before I get around to using the foods. Of course, canned goods rarely expire before use but they sure add effort to moving/relocating if you've stockpiled.
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It's just the two of us, so I understand what you mean. Stock rotation is important regardless of household size. As is remembering who you are when you're grocery shopping. If you don't care for beets, don't buy them just because they're on sale.

Other than for stock rotation, I pay virtually zero attention to expiration dates. Food companies arbitrarily assign them, resulting in tremendous food waste. Until the 1970s there was no such thing as expiry dates on food. People verified food safety using their eyes, nose and common sense, discarding dented cans and whatever else seemed remotely iffy. Our species survived and thrived even before canning and refrigeration.

Just checked my pantry stock on items I know will be safe for many years, if not indefinitely, without serious degradation, never mind being dangerous to consume: sugar, molasses, salt, dry beans, vinegar, honey, rice and more. All have expiration dates well before it's appropriate (which in some of these cases, is never).

:LOL: How gullible can people be? Fully edible honey was found in Pharaoh's tombs, but I'm supposed to toss mine three years after purchase? Spare me.
 
Re the OP: Yes, I can. As of May (when my credit card bill (including food I purchased this month after the 6th) will be paid, my average food bill will be $165 a month. However, that includes stocking up on groceries. At this point, I could probably go a month or five weeks spending what I spent today ($14.88) or less for each of those weeks. All I'll need to pick up is almond milk, bread and close to the end of that month...frozen broccoli.

I don't buy red meat to cook in the house but might have a Wendy's or Burger KIng burger a couple of times a year. I don't eat that much poultry, except for turkey burgers every now and then. My son doesn't eat meat at all and we don't eat pork. I'm sure that saves me a lot of money. I buy frozen fish pieces for about $8.99 for three pounds. Again, don't eat those that often either.

I will not buy eggs again until the price comes down significantly. Instead, I'm using Kirkland (Costco brand) egg whites, which are the equivalent of paying about $2 for a dozen eggs. I've been buying them for years. Last Costco trip, I told my son to get two cases, which is twelve cartons, some of which I freeze. Needless to say, as a Costco shopper, much of what I buy is in bulk at very nice prices.
 
dusty said:
I grocery shopped this week and only bought the needed items. In this trip I needed no cleaning supplies or non food items. As usual eggs were high, but regular bread was a dollar more a loaf! Salmon was $25 a pound, haddock was $30 a pound. Coffee is way up at 16 a can.

If this continues I'll be priced out of the food market. What are the rest of you seeing? I live in central New York State for comparison. It will be interesting to see prices from all over.
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The prices around here (Pa) are not as high as NY, but YES food has gone up rapidly. Eggs approx $5/doz, Ground Beef $4.50/lb, Milk $3.97/gal, Fish range $7/b to $25/lb, Steak $17/lb, Tomatoes $2.99/lb, and bread can range from $2.99 to $5/loaf. I watch fliers for sales. I buy generic when I can.
---It might be time to start a garden.

I can remember going to the grocery store for mom. Bread was $0.10 back then. And to think how everyone complained when the price increased to $0.25/loaf. :whistle: I guess we will never see those days again.
 
I shop at a very popular local salvage grocer. I get amazing deals on food. Never had a bad item.

Example - they purchase big blocks of chicken breast (nuggets, tenders, filets) from Chickfila locally. Six pounds for six dollars. I break it down and pressure can it. BEST chicken ever. I use it for stews, chicken and dumplings, butter chicken.

And recently I purchased an 18lb tub of jalapeno cornbread mix. I froze it in muffin cups and zip lock bags. So so good. They have all sorts of goods. This week I bought a bottle of toffee coffee syrup, made in France, for $4.

Every time I shop there it is an adventure.
 
I agree that shopping can be an adventure. I haven't heard them recently, but there used to be 'experts' telling us how to economise when shopping. One 'rule' was to make a shopping list and stick strictly to that. This would make me shout at the radio / TV 'NO, No - that's wrong'.
Go with a list in mind, and there will be some things you must buy, but look out for bargains and be prepared to be flexible with your meal plans.

We don't have 'salvage' grocers but there are usually bargains to be had in the big stores. Not so long ago, we bought two frozen turkeys in Tesco for less than quarter price.
 
Capt Lightning said:
I agree that shopping can be an adventure. I haven't heard them recently, but there used to be 'experts' telling us how to economise when shopping. One 'rule' was to make a shopping list and stick strictly to that. This would make me shout at the radio / TV 'NO, No - that's wrong'.
Go with a list in mind, and there will be some things you must buy, but look out for bargains and be prepared to be flexible with your meal plans.

We don't have 'salvage' grocers but there are usually bargains to be had in the big stores. Not so long ago, we bought two frozen turkeys in Tesco for less than quarter price.
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Exactly Capt..that's always been my thoughts too ...
 
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No salvage or discounters within reasonable range but one very shabby Aldi. We enjoy a good meal and good wine. Life is too short for bad food and box wine. I enjoy to cook. Both of enjoy having company over. I am very flexible but will not budge on some items such as steak. Our largest budget item by far is food followed by SO's play dates.

Cat food is another no discussion item. Izzi is a picky eater and may not loose an ounce according to the vet.
 
Capt Lightning said:
Go with a list in mind, and there will be some things you must buy, but look out for bargains and be prepared to be flexible with your meal plans.
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hollydolly said:
Exactly Cat..that's always been my thoughts too ...
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Same for me. Shopping with an open mind helps remind us of foods that we enjoyed in the past but somehow slipped from our regular grocery list, or to try something new.

Yesterday the CC I use for groceries closed for the month. Because of this and other SF threads, I took the time to see how much I spent last month on groceries and regular household supplies. $327.58. Then checked my Costco CC for the same period. $322.51. I buy gasoline and other items Costco that fall out of this category, but for the sake of this exercise I'll assume it all falls under food, cleaning supplies, paper goods, etc.

$650/month in food and household supplies is probably about average for the two of us. We eat well but no meat or fish, very little dairy, and few processed or prepared foods (like frozen meals), so our groceries probably cost less than what most spend.
 
StarSong said:
Same for me. Shopping with an open mind helps remind us of foods that we enjoyed in the past but somehow slipped from our regular grocery list, or to try something new.

Yesterday the CC I use for groceries closed for the month. Because of this and other SF threads, I took the time to see how much I spent last month on groceries and regular household supplies. $327.58. Then checked my Costco CC for the same period. $322.51. I buy gasoline and other items Costco that fall out of this category, but for the sake of this exercise I'll assume it all falls under food, cleaning supplies, paper goods, etc.

$650/month in food and household supplies is probably about average for the two of us. We eat well but no meat or fish, very little dairy, and few processed or prepared foods (like frozen meals), so our groceries probably cost less than what most spend.
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wow, sorry Star but IMO that's huge cost for food with no meat, fish or little dairy... enormous in fact.. but that's your choice, I'm just stunned at how much that's costing..

I buy food for 2 because basically you can't buy for one here.. and I don't buy cheap food.. you know, low brands etc.. and I buy red meat.. dairy and fish... and my bill including petrol is approxmately £200 per month....however I don't buy cleaning items in that because I stocked up 2 or 3 years ago, with a massive amount of cleaning items, and I'm still using them...
 
StarSong said:
Same for me. Shopping with an open mind helps remind us of foods that we enjoyed in the past but somehow slipped from our regular grocery list, or to try something new.

Yesterday the CC I use for groceries closed for the month. Because of this and other SF threads, I took the time to see how much I spent last month on groceries and regular household supplies. $327.58. Then checked my Costco CC for the same period. $322.51. I buy gasoline and other items Costco that fall out of this category, but for the sake of this exercise I'll assume it all falls under food, cleaning supplies, paper goods, etc.

$650/month in food and household supplies is probably about average for the two of us. We eat well but no meat or fish, very little dairy, and few processed or prepared foods (like frozen meals), so our groceries probably cost less than what most spend.
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Out of that $650 can you say how much of it goes for food? Healthy, gourmet foods?
 
A few years ago I substituted cheaper items but my grocery bill still doubled. In the beginning of January I bought a year’s worth of paper products, cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc to keep my costs down. I also bought 4 months of coffee and a bunch of meat. Luckily I can still afford to buy groceries.
 
hollydolly said:
wow, sorry Star but IMO that's huge cost for food with no meat, fish or little dairy... enormous in fact.. but that's your choice, I'm just stunned at how much that's costing..

I buy food for 2 because basically you can't buy for one here.. and I don't buy cheap food.. you know, low brands etc.. and I buy red meat.. dairy and fish... and my bill including petrol is approxmately £200 per month....however I don't buy cleaning items in that because I stocked up 2 or 3 years ago, with a massive amount of cleaning items, and I'm still using them...
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Elsie said:
Out of that $650 can you say how much of it goes for food? Healthy, gourmet foods?
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As I said, it includes everything we bought at Costco. Can't recall exactly what was in last month's grab bag of Costco purchases. To satisfy my curiosity, I may track receipts over the next month or two to learn our average spending on food and household supplies like vitamins, TP and laundry detergent.

We eat healthy foods that wouldn't generally be classified as gourmet. (I never understood the attraction of truffles - my taste buds always ask me, "Why exactly are you eating perfume???")

DH & I mostly stick to a whole food, plant based diet with few added oils and fats. Lots of good quality produce, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. We drink almost no alcohol - maybe a couple of drinks a month. That said, we we do have a kegerator in the garage for impromptu and planned parties along with a well stocked liquor cabinet and wine rack.

Ours is an expensive household to run. Despite having no mortgage, car note or other loans, we spend a lot every year. It all adds up: property taxes, insurance, utilities, home repairs, vehicle expenses, food, household supplies, a fair number of parties, a few streaming services and other entertainment, several RV trips and at least one airplane/hotel travel vacation per year, plus charitable donations, generous gifts to our children and grands, etc.

Food is probably among the smallest offenders.

We could ratchet back our spending considerably, but there's been no need. We end each year in the black between our SS & business income (we still work part-time), and still have the energy and good health to enjoy all the above. The day will surely come when we lose interest in throwing big parties, RVing and other travel, but we're not there yet.
 
StarSong said:
As I said, it includes everything we bought at Costco. Can't recall exactly what was in last month's grab bag of Costco purchases. To satisfy my curiosity, I may track receipts over the next month or two to learn our average spending on food and household supplies like vitamins, TP and laundry detergent.

We eat healthy foods that wouldn't generally be classified as gourmet. (I never understood the attraction of truffles - my taste buds always ask me, "Why exactly are you eating perfume???")

DH & I mostly stick to a whole food, plant based diet with few added oils and fats. Lots of good quality produce, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. We drink almost no alcohol - maybe a couple of drinks a month. That said, we we do have a kegerator in the garage for impromptu and planned parties along with a well stocked liquor cabinet and wine rack.

Ours is an expensive household to run. Despite having no mortgage, car note or other loans, we spend a lot every year. It all adds up: property taxes, insurance, utilities, home repairs, vehicle expenses, food, household supplies, a fair number of parties, a few streaming services and other entertainment, several RV trips and at least one airplane/hotel travel vacation per year, plus charitable donations, generous gifts to our children and grands, etc.

Food is probably among the smallest offenders.

We could ratchet back our spending considerably, but there's been no need. We end each year in the black between our SS & business income (we still work part-time), and still have the energy and good health to enjoy all the above. The day will surely come when we lose interest in throwing big parties, RVing and other travel, but we're not there yet.
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Yes as I said before , it's your business what you spend... but I have all those bills too.... including a mortgage ..and a loan ..and a second home ..taxes insurances, car mintenance, tax and insurance ..household bills ...home repairs... water biills.. utility bills... and all of that from just ONE person..ME.. and from a very limited budget.
 
We all have bills of some sort . After years of relatively small increases, my council tax has just risen by £190 a year, and electricity costs have risen sharply too. The cost of heating oil varies wildly and is driven more by global events. We could cut back, but hey, we're in our 70's and we recon we deserve some fun. We're not going to give up the odd glass of sherry or a bottle of decent wine with Sunday dinner. I do, however, reserve a rib roast for very special occasions.
 
Capt Lightning said:
We all have bills of some sort . After years of relatively small increases, my council tax has just risen by £190 a year, and electricity costs have risen sharply too. The cost of heating oil varies wildly and is driven more by global events. We could cut back, but hey, we're in our 70's and we recon we deserve some fun. We're not going to give up the odd glass of sherry or a bottle of decent wine with Sunday dinner. I do, however, reserve a rib roast for very special occasions.
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yep council tax here was already high, but has now risen by 27 % ..shocking.. given that our roads are pot holed, we have to now pay seperately for refuse..the police don't do their job..... and so on.. what on earth are we paying council tax for..
 
Capt Lightning said:
We all have bills of some sort . After years of relatively small increases, my council tax has just risen by £190 a year, and electricity costs have risen sharply too. The cost of heating oil varies wildly and is driven more by global events. We could cut back, but hey, we're in our 70's and we recon we deserve some fun. We're not going to give up the odd glass of sherry or a bottle of decent wine with Sunday dinner. I do, however, reserve a rib roast for very special occasions.
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You make total sense to me.
We could save money on food. We could move to a smaller house in a not so nice area. But why? So someone gets a couple of dollars more one day?
What is "council tax"? Thank you.
 
Twostep said:
You make total sense to me.
We could save money on food. We could move to a smaller house in a not so nice area. But why? So someone gets a couple of dollars more one day?
What is "council tax"? Thank you.
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Council tax is a charge set by local government and is supposed to pay for things like refuse collection, public libraries, maintaining public parks and a host of other things etc.. The charge varies from area to area and is roughly based on property value - irrespective of how much you use the amenities.

In our area, the amount we pay includes fresh water supply, waste water and sewage disposal etc, but again this varies from area to area.
 
Capt Lightning said:
Council tax is a charge set by local government and is supposed to pay for things like refuse collection, public libraries, maintaining public parks and a host of other things etc.. The charge varies from area to area and is roughly based on property value - irrespective of how much you use the amenities.

In our area, the amount we pay includes fresh water supply, waste water and sewage disposal etc, but again this varies from area to area.
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yes in our area it doesn't include water.. that's a seperate bill...
 
My grocery bill 4 years ago was 200/month. A year ago it was 400 so I slashed it down to 300 by making some changes. I shop at the cheapest grocery store which is Winco.

I eat a small breakfast, big lunch and then a small snack in the evening. I do have friends over for dinner frequently. If I shopped at a more expensive store I could easily spend double.
 
hollydolly said:
wow, sorry Star but IMO that's huge cost for food with no meat, fish or little dairy... enormous in fact.. but that's your choice, I'm just stunned at how much that's costing..
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Based on the prices you’ve sometimes shown us for groceries in the UK, food is much cheaper there.
Wouldn’t want your electric bills though.
 

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