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Please don't take this wrong, but I make spagetti at least once a week. Can you break it down for me how it is four dollars for four servings? Does that include garlic bread and cheese? Is there sausage in that or are we just talking about a plain sauce with no meat? How much is a serving? Is that one little spoonful of sauce on that spagetti? I like extra sauce and bread.Is this sauce made from a jar? I am just curious because mine probably costs a little more, but at this point I am not giving up on the meat, sausage or cheese. I don't get food stamps either.
I know people that are older, say in there 70s and 80s and live like that. They but cheap cuts of meat, water things down, don't eat a lot, and do without. The thing is most of these people like that all have money. I know a few that have huge bank accounts.I'm talking at least $500,000.00,to a couple million .I guess they are taking it with them. If you are that age you should enjoy yourself. I know that when they die, their children, who are now in their 60s they won't have any problems spending it, and they don't cut corners.
I can actually see it if you buy it like this, 2 jars of Ragu Old World Style Sauce at a $1.00 each,a box of no brand pasta, or a name brand on sale another dollar. There is a total of $3. That is for plain, straight out of the jar meatless sauce. If you want to add meat, say another $1.79 for the cheapest grade, just plain hamburger, throw in some onions, maybe mushrooms, another dollar. That's not my idea of spagetti sauce, but hey if you are poor that is what you are expected to eat. I guess it is a feast to someone in some third world country.
I can actually see it if you buy it like this, 2 jars of Ragu Old World Style Sauce at a $1.00 each,a box of no brand pasta, or a name brand on sale another dollar. There is a total of $3. That is for plain, straight out of the jar meatless sauce. If you want to add meat, say another $1.79 for the cheapest grade, just plain hamburger, throw in some onions, maybe mushrooms, another dollar. That's not my idea of spagetti sauce, but hey if you are poor that is what you are expected to eat. I guess it is a feast to someone in some third world country.
I wouldn't look down on it. Raise the level of meat to 90% lean, just don't use as much if you're on a very tight budget, and you've got a pretty good meal - probably a lot more nutritious than what a lot of people on low budgets or on food stamps eat most of the time.
Also, good point that someone mentioned - for the shut-ins and others who can't get out or don't cook for themselves. Schwans will be a more nutritious meal and they're likely to eat better than if they had to cook something themselves. People who live alone usually don't really eat properly.
I'm not actually looking down. I use Ragu myself, just don't use Old World style. I use the Chunky one with a pound of ground sirloin(get it on sale), three jars of the Ragu, a small can of tomato paste, medium can of Puree and two or three Italian sausages, some onions, garlic and seasoning. I then add an additional jar of water after rinsing all the jars, and cans and cook for at least six hours.That usually is good for three meals. But it don't cost six dollars.
I have used the other style, but it does'nt taste the same.I am sure though If I were really squeezed for the cash I would use it. You have to do a lot of things you don't want to if you can't afford it. Same with food. I have tried bargain, or no name brands and a lot of that stuff is not that good. A ot of the name brands are'nt that good anymore.
If I had a lot of money though, I would not worry about how much each meal I made cost.I would eat what I want and not worry about it.
Like I said I know millionaires who count their pennies. Thye are so cheap that they wont even throw out mayonaise. Have the same jar in fridge for a year. It was all seperated, she said it was fine, just stir it. This person also keeps eggs, condiments, neatetc, way past expiration dates.
The rest of the family know about it, and will not eat there. I guess it must not be all that bad she is 86, but I don't know how she don't get sick.
Not really. Cookies, candies, soft drinks, doughnuts, premium ice creams are not actually food -- the ice cream might have some nutrition but it isn't required by the body.
Food stamps need to be limited to real foods like rice, raw potatoes, a few inexpensive cuts of meat, cheap vegetables and fruit. No wonder our so-called poverty class is growing by leaps and bounds, why work hard for a living when the welfare lifestyle provides so much more.
No wonder the so-called poverty class in America is the most obese class of people in the world.
The poverty class in America is obese because, calorie for calorie, highly-processed foods are cheaper than whole foods. Why? Because food industry lobbyists are extremely effective at getting the American taxpayer to subsidize their businesses. How else could a twinkie, which has no fewer than 30 highly-processed ingredients and is individually packaged no less, be cheaper than a tomato shipped in season to your grocery from a local farm?
Taxing junk food (a battle going on in Colorado right now) and limiting the foods one can buy with food stamps isn't the answer, but allowing the processed food industry to sink or swim without the subsidies that allow them to produce and ship nutritionally-devoid crap all over the country for pennies might be a step in the right direction.
Last edited by formercalifornian; 02-08-2010 at 10:17 PM..
I can actually see it if you buy it like this, 2 jars of Ragu Old World Style Sauce at a $1.00 each,a box of no brand pasta, or a name brand on sale another dollar. There is a total of $3. That is for plain, straight out of the jar meatless sauce. If you want to add meat, say another $1.79 for the cheapest grade, just plain hamburger, throw in some onions, maybe mushrooms, another dollar. That's not my idea of spagetti sauce, but hey if you are poor that is what you are expected to eat. I guess it is a feast to someone in some third world country.
Store I go to consistently has SOME brand of spaghetti sauce on sale, usually "buy one, get one free". Never the same brand from one week to the next.
I'll buy it and stock up on it, eat it plain with some kind of pasta, or on my pizzas, it's cheaper than buying tomato sauce, and it's already got spices in it of some sort. I often choose not to have meat, because it's never on sale, or has coupons for me to buy it. Meat's too expensive.
Regarding ground beef, I can't remember the last time I saw a package at the store that was less then $4... and that was the cheap stuff (80%). (Price Chopper, Shaws, etc. 05089 area) I suppose I could ask them to specially pack up a half pound for me but that's not a whole lot of meat, hardly worth bothering.
I can get ground round on occassion for $1.99. Most of the time it is ground chuck, which I drain anyway.Most of the time the round can be found for $2.99 on sale at Krogers onr Meijers. Sometimes the local meat market has it also.I do believe that finding it at that price will be getting fewer and further as time goes on.I am in Michigan.I will not buy plain hamburger.
I forgot I also put olive oil and in mushrooms in that sauce.
Imagine that - expensive delivered meals - and using food stamps. It seems it's only the working taxpayers who must tighten their belts.
The hard reality is people on food stamps get a very small amount ($100-$250 per month depending on how many children are i the household) and they have every incentive to make it stretch as far as possible so I doubt very many of them will be opting for a relatively expensive option like this. The few that do are probably disabled or so old they can't cook for themselves (due to being bed ridden or what not) so they're likely doing it out of necessity not choice.
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Scwanns
