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Can't believe it. Two days ago I bought a dozen run-of-the-mill organic eggs for $4.07. Tonight they're $4.67. I could make a laundry list of food products I buy regularly that have taken similar price increases over the last six months. Where does it end--when we're all eating oatmeal and popcorn for dinner?
I'm not elderly and on a fixed income and I would never spend $4 on organic eggs. No, thank you. I'm eaten the normal kind for the last 53 years and I've lived to tell the tale. The kind I buy are about $1 a dozen. Sometimes, though the store that I shop at has promotions and they give some away.
Part of it is that I just don't buy the whole premise of the organic food people. I don't agree that our food supply is "toxic" and causing us cancer and dangerous disease. I'm not interested in reading pseudo-science articles from something that purports to be a "nutrition" or a "health" journal, so please no one post one.
All of us could stand to eat more vegetables and fruits and less meat. Probably all of us could stand to exercise more. However, that's where the real science ends when it comes to food and exercise.
The other part of my reasoning though is that organic foods are for people who can afford them. Its not a lifestyle that, IMO, the government or the taxpayers ought to be subsidizing. I agree if you spend $4 on a dozen eggs your monthly social security check probably doesn't go very far. You have the right to make choices. You don't have the right to expect the rest of us to subsidize ones that are not scientifically proven.
I'm not elderly and on a fixed income and I would never spend $4 on organic eggs. No, thank you. I'm eaten the normal kind for the last 53 years and I've lived to tell the tale. The kind I buy are about $1 a dozen. Sometimes, though the store that I shop at has promotions and they give some away.
Part of it is that I just don't buy the whole premise of the organic food people. I don't agree that our food supply is "toxic" and causing us cancer and dangerous disease. I'm not interested in reading pseudo-science articles from something that purports to be a "nutrition" or a "health" journal, so please no one post one.
All of us could stand to eat more vegetables and fruits and less meat. Probably all of us could stand to exercise more. However, that's where the real science ends when it comes to food and exercise.
The other part of my reasoning though is that organic foods are for people who can afford them. Its not a lifestyle that, IMO, the government or the taxpayers ought to be subsidizing. I agree if you spend $4 on a dozen eggs your monthly social security check probably doesn't go very far. You have the right to make choices. You don't have the right to expect the rest of us to subsidize ones that are not scientifically proven.
I'll only buy the eggs of free range chickens because I won't support the horrors of factory farming. I couldn't get to the farmers' market last week and now they're closed for the winter. The only free range eggs Walmart had the last time were organic at $5.12 per dozen. The taste is superb, but...
I'm not asking the government to subsidize my lifestyle. I am asking for my money at a reasonable rate of return; My money is all of the money I had to pay SS. Oh, my late wife had to pay it too. I'll make them a deal. Just give me back the money I paid with no interest. I can manage it far better than they did.
I'm 69 years old but not on a fixed income. I own a business and have rental income. Starting next year the SS I must pay won't count for anything. Thank heaven I don't pay it for rental income. Oh yeah, I pay more for Medicare Part B.
Last edited by Happy in Wyoming; 10-17-2012 at 06:39 AM..
I can't speak for all of Africa, but in Uganda there is NO variety in their diet. They eat the same things day after day year after year. Cases of diabetes is skyrocketing. They are all on a high carb diet and drink tea with tons of sugar in it..
A healthy diet must have lots of variety.
Actually, in the natural world you eat what is at hand and in season, not what is transported from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Many indigenous peoples of Africa eat their staple whole grain, millet, along with tubers (yams, etc). The cause of diabetes could well be the importation of stripped foods (and the cane sugar), powdered milk, etc. You probably mean variety among food groups rather than variety from foods not indigenous to a region.
So-called organic groceries are generally no better for you than their counterparts. In fact, in some cases they are not as good as the regular stuff. They may have mold, plant diseases, poor quality cleaning, and so forth. You are no more likely to die/get sick/get feeble-minded from eating regular foods than from eating expensive organic foods. The price has nothing to do with quality per se. If you want to eat organic foods, consider it part of your entertainment budget. If you don't have $4 to throw away on organic eggs, buy regular. You will survive.
I bumped the thread on frugal living to give people ideas of ways to cut their food budget. I truly believe most of us could cut back quite a bit if we had to. Not that we want to or intend to, but we could if we had to.
In another thread someone posted about how there are many seniors who haven't learned how to cook beyond opening a pouch of something that has been pre-made. I don't personally believe that--but if that's your situation then by all means the time has come to learn how to make a few basic, inexpensive foods.
Don't worry about making quiche or beef wellington--learn how to grill a hamburger, cook oatmeal, or make a simple tossed salad. Simple dishes cost less to make and are usually better for you since they don't have as many preservatives and you don't have to worry about things like how some exotic spice might affect you. Cut down on meat, desserts, and prepared foods, and your food budget is likely to go down.
I'm a huge fan of buying in bulk,dividing what I buy into small portions, and freezing or otherwise storing it. This is one reason I've never believed in micro housing or other such ideas. I shop sales, and when I see a good one I stock up on items I use regularly in a big way. And boy do I mean in a big way! I should take a photo sometime of how many things I buy when there's a good sale. For example, Costco recently had a good sale on Cheerios. We really like Cheerios and so I bought 12 Costco-sized boxes. It will probably last until March, and it means we've now got daily breakfast for two people for about a dollar.
The trick to this, though, is knowing what will store well, knowing what you actually will eat a lot of, parcelling it out immediately (so that you don't make supersized portions--this is an important step), and most of all, having a spare bedroom or large closet that you can use for storage.
So-called organic groceries are generally no better for you than their counterparts. In fact, in some cases they are not as good as the regular stuff. They may have mold, plant diseases, poor quality cleaning, and so forth. You are no more likely to die/get sick/get feeble-minded from eating regular foods than from eating expensive organic foods. The price has nothing to do with quality per se. If you want to eat organic foods, consider it part of your entertainment budget. If you don't have $4 to throw away on organic eggs, buy regular. You will survive.
A lot of truth to this, especially the part I bolded above. Trader Jo's Organic Peanut Butter was recalled for salmonella, for example. Also, I've read that organic food that comes from other countries is sometimes labeled "organic" but the only difference in the food is the label pasted on the crate. The food sometimes isn't organic at all or comes from a farm where the "organic" veggies are gown just a few feet away from the other food. Organic food can also come into contact with pesticides, etc. during the shipping process. This is another reason why, if you're gong to do the organic thing, you want to buy locally.
Around here there are stores with varying price ranges and varying selection of food products. During the last few years prices have gone up some, but I find that by picking and choosing from these stores, my grocery bills have remained fairly stable. I just make it a point to stop at the different stores throughout the week when I happen to be near them. One store, for example, always has their pricey whole grain breads on sale (2 for $3.00) early in the week as well as some other items..... later in the week they revert back to their regular prices. Another store has several fruits and vegetables at lower prices but their overall selection is a bit more limited than the others. Anyway, I feel fortunate that I have these stores where I can pick and choose the items I want at lower prices. That's the way I do my grocery shopping these days.
Gluten allergies and other side effects are just that and Gluten free food is just that Gluten free. So make your choice and pay or not pay for it. The point as it relates to this post is that many people have reactions to Lactose and Gluten. Living on SS alone and if it is the average amount or less absent other resources probably doesn't allow much room in the food budget to avoid Gluten and/or Lactose both of which are well documented to impact many people in a very negative way. So whether retired or not income and food store choices can have a very negative impact on your efforts to remain healthy. This can be especially important to seniors who are often put on restricted diets.
I love to cook and so I have always spent less on feeding myself and my family than my contemporaries. We rarely eat out. Since I have worked from home the last 20 + years, that has also made cooking at home more feasible, and has meant no office break lunches at restaurants or take-out. My one extravagance is good coffee.
There are ways to eat frugally, yet quite sumptiously, if one is inclined to make the effort.
Although I do take advantage of growing what I can (not much the last few years, sadly, for many reasons) and I do frequent the local farmer's market when I am at the mountain house, I only occasionally make an effort to seek out anything organic. To me, nothing is reliably organic unless I have grown it myself or know the farmer personally. We have an Earth Fare here in the small mountain town where I am right now and so I will run over there later this week and see what they have in the way of produce that looks appealing.
Beans and legumes are a wonderful way to stretch a budget, as are such things as cooking a chicken, saving the broth, making soup, chicken pie, chicken/pasta dishes . . . I buy meat on sale and freeze it and then use it in stews, soups . . . I have the butcher grind up various cuts for hamburger and make chili . . .
I make my own pumpkin spice lattes in the crockpot. Love Starbucks' pumpkin spice lattes so I adapted the recipe.
I make my own yogurt. I am going to make some cheeses this winter and see how that works out. I have made farmer's cheese so time to branch out to other types and see what I can successfully create.
It takes some planning, but even for folks living alone, making up casseroles, stews, soups in bulk and freezing them is a good method - and no cooking later!
There are many ways to eat well without spending a fortune.
This past Sunday evening, we grilled filet mignons wrapped in bacon. New potatoes. Romaine salad with roma tomatoes, onions, pistachios, feta cheese, cranberries and raspberry dressing. Baguettes. Easy peasy. We got the filet mignons at ALDI on sale for less than $2 a piece. I bought the potatoes in bulk; the romaine was on sale; roma tomatoes from farmer's market.. I keep pistachios, cranberries, feta cheese on hand. Merlot, $6/bottle.
I plated the meal on fine china; poured the wine into Waterford crystal. Hubby and I, son and his fiancee, sat down to a fine meal. It felt quite luxurious, actually.
Folks can eat well, yet inexpensively. Small things such as nice pottery bowls and linen napkins can make even chicken soup w/ croutons and salad feel special. Don't leave the fine crystal in the cabinet! Plan ahead and enjoy what you have prepared, even if eating alone.
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A lot of truth to this, especially the part I bolded above. Trader Jo's Organic Peanut Butter was recalled for salmonella, for example. Also, I've read that organic food that comes from other countries is sometimes labeled "organic" but the only difference in the food is the label pasted on the crate. The food sometimes isn't organic at all or comes from a farm where the "organic" veggies are gown just a few feet away from the other food. Organic food can also come into contact with pesticides, etc. during the shipping process. This is another reason why, if you're gong to do the organic thing, you want to buy locally.
