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100% serious, actually used to be around $20 but it went up to $30-$35 since we started eating healthier. Using lots of fresh veggies from indoor and outdoor farmers markets helps A TON! I'm not sure if you are from the area but you can get so much fresh food from the Englishtown Auction (you have to be slightly careful here though, for every person selling cheap there is a person selling at or beyond grocery store price) and the Rt. 9 Farmers Market (same shopping center as Vitamin Shoppe, WOW!, Fashion Bug and Freehold Music) where you can get HUGE whole wheat rolls 3 or 4 for a dollar and they are absolutely delicious! Plus more fruits and veggies than you could ever imagine. Also coupons help, but we aren't as big on coupons as we used to be, since most coupons are on junk food. But my main suggestion would be farmers markets, you can get dinner for 4 for $10 easy, probably more around the $8 range (think Portabello Mushroom Sandwiches, Veggie Fajitas). Meat is what KILLS you, but we get the Perdue chickens once in a while when they are on sale. The only thing not included in this is beverages, since I get bottled water free where I work
After reading this I would definitely have to agree:
Monmouth on the other hand is just one big desolate shore community for the filthy rich only, with new money as its specialty, aside from the white trash areas around Keansburg and parts of Middletown and some ghetto areas along the shoreline. It has literally forced out all of its middle class over the last ten years. Overall it has everything that I hate: Lowlife new money jerks, materialism, insular miserable empty-lived narrow minded SNOBS. A club for elites for the most part, in short, the snob capital of NJ. I still have friends from Brookdale in Freehold and Howell, they are struggling to make ends meet with their jobs, with no savings and are just making every bill. They're planning on leaving. Even the Turnpike just HATES to go there.
What a complete load of nonsense.
Hmm. I moved down to Monmouth County from Bergen last year. I'm pretty sure I'm not filthy rich, but I didn't know I was white trash or ghetto, either. Thanks for the update on who I am!
Hmm. I moved down to Monmouth County from Bergen last year. I'm pretty sure I'm not filthy rich, but I didn't know I was white trash or ghetto, either. Thanks for the update on who I am!
hey, don't feel bad. i'm not republican, so apparently i'm a ghetto queen on welfare living in section 8, despite my continuous 20 year white collar employment, and high 5 figure overall tax bill every year.
Hmm. I moved down to Monmouth County from Bergen last year. I'm pretty sure I'm not filthy rich, but I didn't know I was white trash or ghetto, either. Thanks for the update on who I am!
I just want to make sure you read my post correctly - I was saying that the belief that Monmouth County is full of either rude, rich people or white trash was nonsense. I was agreeing with someone else who said to take what that poster said with a grain of salt. I love Monmouth County and I've met nothing but nice people since we moved there!!
I just want to make sure you read my post correctly - I was saying that the belief that Monmouth County is full of either rude, rich people or white trash was nonsense. I was agreeing with someone else who said to take what that poster said with a grain of salt. I love Monmouth County and I've met nothing but nice people since we moved there!!
May I ask what town you're in?
I grew up in Manalapan and was absolutely miserable there. Having grown up in the area, I'm sure my perception is different from someone who moved there during their adult/parent years. Ask your neighbors what they think of other areas throughout the state.
Like I have said, my impressions of Monmouth County are mostly from my experience growing up in Mpan and the surrounding area. As you get further away from Mpan and Marlboro, the snobby vibe kinda dies down, but it is still there throughout, to a lesser degree, and I really didn't realize that until I went away to college and met people from other areas throughout the state and realized how much more laid back and down to earth they seemed to be.
I live in Hazlet. I don't know anything about Manalapan, honestly and I'm definitely not familiar with all of Monmouth County. So I wouldn't declare the entire county to be a middle class paradise. So I found it kind of shocking that you would make such a terrible declaration about all of Monmouth County.
I live in Hazlet. I don't know anything about Manalapan, honestly and I'm definitely not familiar with all of Monmouth County. So I wouldn't declare the entire county to be a middle class paradise. So I found it kind of shocking that you would make such a terrible declaration about all of Monmouth County.
I'd take Hazlet over Mpan any day. Only problem with that area - Aberdeen, Matawan, Hazlet, Middletown, Belford etc. - is that it's real crowded and built out and lots of congestion along rts 35 and 36, which are of horrendous quality. Rt 36 especially. Everytime I've driven on that road I never know if I'm gonna go into another dimension, the directions keep switching, one minute I think I'm going north, then I find I'm going south or west etc. Had a friend from Brookdale who moved to Atlantic Highlands, took me forever to find their house and then it took me almost two hours to get home since I couldn't tell which direction on 36 I was heading in! Usually I'm great with directions, except don't make me drive 36!
Rt 35 is another story. It's not nearly as confusing, but some towns in that area have not a nice element along that road. We always referred to it as strip club blvd. Don't take offense but I always found the entire stretch of 35 along the bay area to be pretty dumpy, until you hit the bridge into Red Bank. I'll give you a few thumbs up for Hazlet: best decorated houses for Christmas in that area - Kingsbridge Ct I think it is off Poole Ave. And you have a fantastic China Buffet!
Hazlet is nothing like Manalapan though. NOTHING!!! Please do yourself a favor and stay there and don't go to Manalapan at any costs
The sad truth is though, there are MANY more towns in Monmouth Co that are like Mpan than those that are like Hazlet. I'm pretty sure I mentioned ALL of them above. Hazlet is definitely in the small minority.
Last edited by Whoelsebutcharles; 06-28-2010 at 09:31 PM..
I'd take Hazlet over Mpan any day. Only problem with that area - Aberdeen, Matawan, Hazlet, Middletown, Belford etc. - is that it's real crowded and built out and lots of congestion along rts 35 and 36, which are of horrendous quality. Rt 36 especially. Everytime I've driven on that road I never know if I'm gonna go into another dimension, the directions keep switching, one minute I think I'm going north, then I find I'm going south or west etc. Had a friend from Brookdale who moved to Atlantic Highlands, took me forever to find their house and then it took me almost two hours to get home since I couldn't tell which direction on 36 I was heading in! Usually I'm great with directions, except don't make me drive 36!
Rt 35 is another story. It's not nearly as confusing, but some towns in that area have not a nice element along that road. We always referred to it as strip club blvd. Don't take offense but I always found the entire stretch of 35 along the bay area to be pretty dumpy, until you hit the bridge into Red Bank. I'll give you a few thumbs up for Hazlet: best decorated houses for Christmas in that area - Kingsbridge Ct I think it is off Poole Ave. And you have a fantastic China Buffet!
Hazlet is nothing like Manalapan though. NOTHING!!! Please do yourself a favor and stay there and don't go to Manalapan at any costs
The sad truth is though, there are MANY more towns in Monmouth Co that are like Mpan than those that are like Hazlet. I'm pretty sure I mentioned ALL of them above. Hazlet is definitely in the small minority.
The section of 35 in Holmdel is nice..but otherwise I agree with you.
I have heard from someone else that they hated living in Manalapan, so I will stay put. lol. I don't love the look of 35 or 36 from the GSP exit to our house. After that they both improve greatly. Ok, you were a little harsh in your original post but I can see where you're coming from now.
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Don't take offense but I always found the entire stretch of 35 along the bay area to be pretty dumpy, until you hit the bridge into Red Bank. I'll give you a few thumbs up for Hazlet: best decorated houses for Christmas in that area - Kingsbridge Ct I think it is off Poole Ave. 
