How much does good food cost?

IsabellaGiano

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I feel like we're the only ones reading our comments, and everyone else is too busy feeling good about not spending crap tons of money.

I'd like to not spend crap tons of money. Do you know how many cute dresses I could have bought instead of spending money on fruit?!
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I believe you, why not?

May I ask why, in your opinion, food is so expensive at your place?
Some Canadian said that there the food is expensive for long winter, or for the transportation costs, what about Hawaii?

Really just asking out of curiosity!

For example, what about fish? Sorry for my ignorance...

Cathalain

In my opinion, it doesn't cost any more to eat healthy. Eating clean can be expensive, organic food does cost more. But eating healthy can be cost effective, eat foods that are in season, look for sales, use a crock pot for less expensive cuts of meat. I am eating far healthier than I used to, and my grocery bill has barely changed at all.

That's because of where you live...

I feel like we're the only ones reading our comments, and everyone else is too busy feeling good about not spending crap tons of money.

Not really. I recall chiming in about this discussion on another thread where I pointed out that many urban areas suffer the problem of "food deserts". It's really easy not to spend craptons of money on food - if you can get to the places that have good prices. Otherwise, you're stuck paying 3 dollars for an apple, or 3 dollars on that kid's meal from Mickey D's. People who don't have access to decent supermarkets don't have a lot of choices to make, I'm thinking.

I'm lucky I have a car or I'd have the same dilemma.

ModoVincere

if you have a little dirt and a green thumb, it can be pretty cheap.
A couple tomato plants, some pepper plants, some onions, cucumbers, beans, and greens of some type. All pretty easy to grow. Just need the space for them.

mycupyourcake

Hi-de-ho there neighbors! I think I may just be the friend in question that Isabella is referring to. My comment was originally around why I usually buy canned fruits rather than their unprocessed counterparts. An example would be unsweetened applesauce vs. a whole apple. I can buy six servings of the applesauce for less than the price of one apple.

More to the subject of the thread... I was watching a documentary (I know you can't always trust them because most of them do have an agenda) but they did an experiment where they gave a family a set amount of money to go shop at a grocery store's produce department and then again to shop at a fast food restaurant. The results were pretty mind blowing if you are judging by quantity (what will keep a family full) versus quality (what is best for them.)

Apples at my local grocery store are $3 and up a pound depending on if you go generic or one of the specialty variants. The main issue is how big they are. They are huge. If I buy one for each weekday it ends up being close to 10 dollars... for one snack.

I hear you on those honey crisp apples. They are as big as a cat's head, well almost. I just cut up 60 grams of one and there is still about 3/4 of it left. I'm lucky in that my kids will come home and gobble the rest up and I will not have to eat 300 calories in apple to not feel guilty about the cost and kids in china starving.....

Achrya

I feel like we're the only ones reading our comments, and everyone else is too busy feeling good about not spending crap tons of money.

I'd like to not spend crap tons of money. Do you know how many cute dresses I could have bought instead of spending money on fruit?!

I believe you, why not?

May I ask why, in your opinion, food is so expensive at your place?
Some Canadian said that there the food is expensive for long winter, or for the transportation costs, what about Hawaii?

Really just asking out of curiosity!

For example, what about fish? Sorry for my ignorance...

Because it's an island. Land is limited, so local things are limited and very expensive. Things that are shipped in have transport costs attached to them.

Fish is about the same here as it is anywhere else, assuming it's locally caught. No more expensive than other places, but certainly no cheaper.

SezxyStef

I feel like we're the only ones reading our comments, and everyone else is too busy feeling good about not spending crap tons of money.

I'd like to not spend crap tons of money. Do you know how many cute dresses I could have bought instead of spending money on fruit?!

I believe you, why not?

May I ask why, in your opinion, food is so expensive at your place?
Some Canadian said that there the food is expensive for long winter, or for the transportation costs, what about Hawaii?

Really just asking out of curiosity!

For example, what about fish? Sorry for my ignorance...

I live in NB Canada where the fish is plentiful too...

if I buy fresh fish (salmon) 2 small steaks are probably 15$....a bag of shrimp (frozen) that will last me a week is almost 20$ if it's not on sale...

I can't go to a farmers market and get fresh fruit here from November till June (late june NB strawberries come out)

I am at the mercy of 2 grocery stores...or I can drive 2hours to costco and that quality is well...sketchy...our walmart has a grocery shelf so we can't buy fresh produce there etc...

I suspect Hawaii has the same issues with the transportation...as much as eastern Canada has...what isn't native there has to be shipped in...

And in Canada we have a milk board that keeps our Milk prices high, along with the poultry I suspect. I refuse to buy that chicken that is bulk frozen and full of water unless it's going in a salad or on the BBq...it's just gross.

Rocbola

Eating healthy is CHEAPER than eating poorly. Rice and beans are incredibly cheap. Vegetables are free for half of the year, due to gardening. Fruit can be pricey off season, but it's cheap in the summer. In America, we are spoiled. We have such great distribution networks bringing produce from South and Central America. Our produce is some of the least expensive in the world.

Around here, a fruit tree costs about $25US. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Eating healthy is not cheaper than eating crap. Fresh fruit and vegetables, when not from your garden, cost a lot more than cheetos and mac and cheese. I just bought 3 large Mt. Rainier something something crisp apples and they were over 8 dollars. They are not organic but they are still firm and juicy. We live in Northern Virginia and I must say that food prices here are higher than I have seen in other parts of the country.

When i was eating crap, i wasn't getting the chips and noodle dishes. I ate a lot of meat, which is expensive.

mycupyourcake

I was reading an article about the culinary scene and the farm to table movement hitting Hawaiian restaurants now. The author asked the chef why Hawaii is so late to the game and he pointed out that while Hawaii has amazing weather for growing things, the land is so expensive that farmers can not afford to farm it. I imagine that fish there might be quite expensive as the general cost of living is and that drives up the price of locally harvested food as well.

SezxyStef

if you have a little dirt and a green thumb, it can be pretty cheap.
A couple tomato plants, some pepper plants, some onions, cucumbers, beans, and greens of some type. All pretty easy to grow. Just need the space for them.

haha yup that does me from August to sept and I do pickle/can what I can...

There is still 6 feet of snow on the ground on my garden....winter here is long and hard...the 2months July and August we get for a "good" growing season does help but veggies are the least of my worries, I buy frozen...which is cheaper and better nutrition than the "fresh" at the store...

IsabellaGiano

I feel like we're the only ones reading our comments, and everyone else is too busy feeling good about not spending crap tons of money.

I'd like to not spend crap tons of money. Do you know how many cute dresses I could have bought instead of spending money on fruit?!

I believe you, why not?

May I ask why, in your opinion, food is so expensive at your place?
Some Canadian said that there the food is expensive for long winter, or for the transportation costs, what about Hawaii?

Really just asking out of curiosity!

For example, what about fish? Sorry for my ignorance...

Because it's an island. Land is limited, so local things are limited and very expensive. Things that are shipped in have transport costs attached to them.

Fish is about the same here as it is anywhere else, assuming it's locally caught. No more expensive than other places, but certainly no cheaper.

In Italy sellers have to specify the origin of products, and yes, usually our so called "zero chilometers" products are cheaper... anyway, we still see a lot of stuff from -more or less- every place in the world.
From Europe most of the stuff travels by tir, from Africa or south America through ship -I think-
Travel costs and intermediate costs (from the producer to the mediator to the small grocery sellers to the buyer ) are reeeeeally the greater part of the final costs.

Anyway, the food is still affordable

IsabellaGiano

I feel like we're the only ones reading our comments, and everyone else is too busy feeling good about not spending crap tons of money.

I'd like to not spend crap tons of money. Do you know how many cute dresses I could have bought instead of spending money on fruit?!

I believe you, why not?

May I ask why, in your opinion, food is so expensive at your place?
Some Canadian said that there the food is expensive for long winter, or for the transportation costs, what about Hawaii?

Really just asking out of curiosity!

For example, what about fish? Sorry for my ignorance...

Because it's an island. Land is limited, so local things are limited and very expensive. Things that are shipped in have transport costs attached to them.

Fish is about the same here as it is anywhere else, assuming it's locally caught. No more expensive than other places, but certainly no cheaper.

In Italy sellers have to specify the origin of products, and yes, usually our so called "zero chilometers" products are cheaper... anyway, we still see a lot of stuff from -more or less- every place in the world.
From Europe most of the stuff travels by tir, from Africa or south America through ship -I think-
Travel costs and intermediate costs (from the producer to the mediator to the small grocery sellers to the buyer ) are reeeeeally the greater part of the final costs.

Anyway, the food is still affordable

I mean, fortunately is still affordable...
I didn't mean I don't believe you!

mycupyourcake

Eating healthy is CHEAPER than eating poorly. Rice and beans are incredibly cheap. Vegetables are free for half of the year, due to gardening. Fruit can be pricey off season, but it's cheap in the summer. In America, we are spoiled. We have such great distribution networks bringing produce from South and Central America. Our produce is some of the least expensive in the world.

Around here, a fruit tree costs about $25US. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Eating healthy is not cheaper than eating crap. Fresh fruit and vegetables, when not from your garden, cost a lot more than cheetos and mac and cheese. I just bought 3 large Mt. Rainier something something crisp apples and they were over 8 dollars. They are not organic but they are still firm and juicy. We live in Northern Virginia and I must say that food prices here are higher than I have seen in other parts of the country.

When i was eating crap, i wasn't getting the chips and noodle dishes. I ate a lot of meat, which is expensive.

Some people would say that eating meat and fruit and veggies is healthy. What did your average meat heavy dinner look like? I have been meaning to add in dhal and veggie shak days to bring our bill down but lately have been on a seafood kick.

Achrya

I was reading an article about the culinary scene and the farm to table movement hitting Hawaiian restaurants now. The author asked the chef why Hawaii is so late to the game and he pointed out that while Hawaii has amazing weather for growing things, the land is so expensive that farmers can not afford to farm it. I imagine that fish there might be quite expensive as the general cost of living is and that drives up the price of locally harvested food as well.

Basically this. What farmers have to charge for their food just to make a profit is...well, I don't buy local either. Let's leave that at that.

I think even my pineapple comes from somewhere else.

Lwillis1234

it's just me and my 2 year old girl. I spend about 30 dollars a week/$120-$200 dollars a month for our food. I buy lots of meat and vegs! I also get WIC so that covers cereal cheese and milk..etc..

BusyRaeNOTBusty

if you have a little dirt and a green thumb, it can be pretty cheap.
A couple tomato plants, some pepper plants, some onions, cucumbers, beans, and greens of some type. All pretty easy to grow. Just need the space for them.

My dog ate all my tomatoes, my cucumbers never made it past flowers and the green beans were nasty and grainy. I apparently do not have a green thumb. The parsley did well though.

peleroja

I live in a landlocked part of Canada and food is expensive. Everything takes a long time to ship, we're nowhere near an ocean, and the growing season is so short that just about everything has to be imported. All of those things can add up like crazy. Even the farmer's markets sell stuff grown in greenhouses, which are more expensive to operate than a patch of land...

However, eating well is worth it for me, so whatever it costs is what I pay. I do make an effort to shop cheaply - I buy my produce at a discount fruit-and-vegetable-only market, try to avoid expensive convenience stuff, and buy what I can at the least expensive grocery stores. But I prefer meat that's organic/free range/grass fed/etc so I just pay for it. But it's worth it to me to do that. Seafood is the killer though. We love it but we don't love paying $11-12 for two salmon filets, you know? Sigh.

I bet I spend about $500/month on groceries for two people, easily. I'm lucky that I can afford it, but I'd kind of hate to live where I live if I couldn't spend this kind of money. I'd be eating a lot of frozen vegetables and frozen Costco chicken thighs, I think.

ModoVincere

if you have a little dirt and a green thumb, it can be pretty cheap.
A couple tomato plants, some pepper plants, some onions, cucumbers, beans, and greens of some type. All pretty easy to grow. Just need the space for them.

My dog ate all my tomatoes, my cucumbers never made it past flowers and the green beans were nasty and grainy. I apparently do not have a green thumb. The parsley did well though.

Squirrels ate all mine last year....so I ate the squirrels.

Pirate_chick

I buy frozen chicken breast, frozen lean ground beef, twice a month, sometimes I will will get Shrimp at costco runs about $50 for all three items. Also , I get two loves of bread at costco for $3, that will last us about a month So $53 plus tax I have meat and bread for a month. I buy fresh produce,milk, eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc bi-weekly since it spoils quickly. Depending on what I get my bill is normally $30-$50 for twice a month depending on what I need and if I buy snacks like 100 calorie packs. It's just my daughter and me. so I guess I spend $150-$200 on groceries a month.

Bernadette60614

I've found that good food may cost a little more initially but you don't eat as much so it lasts longer...so overall, it ends up a break even (or maybe even less!)

For example, I buy a 2.2 lb canister of protein powder for our a.m. breakfast smoothie which is under 30 dollars on Amazon subscribe and save. It lasts us a month (both adults have a smoothie each a.m.) and I'm not hungry till a mid-morning snack (usually a banana and a few almonds) at 10 a.m.

A packaged pastry might cost less, but 30 minutes later, I'm hungry again.

We don't do a lot of organic, other than milk for the kid and apples (which he loves). We do masses of house brand frozen vegetables, e.g. broccoli and make them tasty with spices.

I think sometimes people think good food has to be locally grown, organic. I like "good enough" food which is produce I can afford to buy and eat in abundance, popcorn kernels which we pop in an $8.00 device we got on Amazon for about 25 cents for a ton of popcorn et al.

I think a lot of us have busy schedules which does allow much cooking from scratch..so while a huge container of Quaker Oats might cost less than some boxes of Total cereal..the Total is pour and go.

jenmom2myboys

Buy the fruits and veggies that are on sale. Giant just had 5lb bags of apples for 3.99 last week. I stocked up and keep them in the fridge. Buy the large bags of red and green peppers instead of individual ones. You just have to look for deals.

A 5lb bag of apples where I live is about 7 dollars, on sale. There are no large bags of peppers (there are small bags of the small sweet ones though.).

But I suppose I'm just not looking hard enough for the deals. It's totally not a matter of location or anything!

I never said anything about your location, so there is no need for an attitude. I am in PA, there are many grocery stores and I dont spend a lot of money.