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This will sound strange, but I work at an aluminum foundry and we put red potatoes in the molten aluminum to release nitrogen. A few months ago I filled in for the purchasing manager while he was on medical leave an used to pick up 50 pound bags for $8.95 and a local store that sells bulk foods. I haven't had to do that for awhile, but recently I was in that store and noticed that the price of that bag of potatoes is now $19.95! I usually think of 'taters as a pretty cheap food but that's a significant jump. Has anyone else seen this?
Boyfriend wanted steak tonight, which is out of the usual budget, but a special occasion at his work had warranted a semi-splurge. So I stopped at the market on the way home from work...my total bill for 2 ribeyes, two baking potatoes, salad greens, and fresh mushrooms was more than a steak dinner for two out at one of KC's steakhouses. It was delicious, but it would have been cheaper to go out. And neither of us would have had to do dishes.
Location: where you sip the tea of the breasts of the spinsters of Utica
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Yeah, sometimes eating out at one of the cheaper restaurants or fast food joints is cheaper. You probably couldn't make some burgers like a Burger King double cheeseburger at home for $1 or whatever they're charging now. Nor fries, when you consider the labor involved.
Let's see, I have the ingredients for what you ate but a lot of was on sale. The ribeyes I got for $3 per lb, so that would have been $6. The baking potatoes would have been about 20 cents, the mixed organic salad greens with oil and balsamic vinegar dressing would have cost about $2 for two, and fresh mushrooms (which I don't have) would be about $2 if cooked in the steak juices, for a nice little pile per person. So that would have been about $10.20 for two. However it does take some knowledge and preparation to make the steaks as tasty as a steakhouse's, so there's something to be said for that. My ribeye was pretty good with simply broiling it, though.
Pizza is something you simply can't make at home the same as you can get from a good pizza parlor, there is a special flour and special pizza ovens, so even though it's more expensive eating out that's the only way to get it really good (yeah I know every gourmet type thinks they can make better pizza at home ...... but not so far to my taste).
Ethnic restaurants are often like that too, they can get fresh seasonings that we can't get, so it's worth eating out once in a while for a splurge.
But in general, it's much cheaper depending on current prices, and can be much healthier to cook at home.
It does depend on where one lives. I spent 30+ years on Kodiak Island in Alaska, and the only way we had fresh fish was to either catch it or know someone who did. None at all for sale in the grocery stores... once right before I left a friend from one of the villages sent me ~100 lbs of salmon so fresh it was still twitching. A week later I ran into him in one of the grocery stores and we saw frozen salmon - brought in from off island - for about 45.00 for one that was smaller than any he'd sent me. And in the early '90s we were paying 4.00/gal for milk that came fresh from the mainland, instead of being shipped frozen.
Every time I want to complain about prices in Chicagoland, I download the weekly flyer from this website:
It seems the prices just get higher especially meat in my area. This week's sale include Folger's coffee for $9.99 a can. A couple of months ago I bought it for $7.99 and stocked up...wish I'd bought more. Rib eyes are on sale this week for $5.99 a pound....usually $9.99 per pound. I used to buy Frozen Jumbo shrimp when they were BOGO. A couple of months ago a bag was about $11.00...this week they are almost $17.00 per bag I won't be buying shrimp for some time. My husband likes OM bacon and I've seen one pack of that as high as $6.79. Last year in FL I could get a pack for about $3.00.
I used to use the ICBINB butter Spray and it used to be under $2.00......now it's $3.99 for a little bottle. Mayo also went through the roof...good thing I don't buy it much.
The only thing that I can consistently find the same sale on is boneless chicken breast which I buy a lot. It can still be found for $1.99 per pound and sometimes $1.79 per pound.
Location: where you sip the tea of the breasts of the spinsters of Utica
8,297 posts, read 14,169,902 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainNJ
ethanol is the devil
Not here, the prices have been steady. Coffee and mayo have been the main devils affecting me.
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I won't be buying shrimp for some time. My husband likes OM bacon and I've seen one pack of that as high as $6.79. Last year in FL I could get a pack for about $3.00.
