Cost of food rant
Replies
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Bumping for the PDF...0
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Long post, everyone...please bear with me if you wish to read it!
*laughs* No worries, MKEgal. I just very much enjoy helping others in areas that many do not think about, do not see a reason to assist, or just do not know how. It comes from working with my father since I was very young doing this kind of work with people who were dealing with drug/alcohol addiction. We had 15-20 people (men and women, with kids and without) living in a separate part of our home at one point. The experiences that we had with that particular group of people and many others over the years was positively perspective-altering. My mother would cook for them (they would help too when they were healthy enough), and my father would work with them concerning rehabilitation. Me and my sister had a lot of fun with the various people, and we learned things that would shape how we felt about drug/alcohol addictions and the people that had/have to contend with those addictions, people that had/have to contend with poverty, people that had "different" views in terms of religion or spiritual paths, and people that held different walks of life, whether their wage amounted to nothing or $1 million.
Food is something that I have seen talked about a lot on this site on my short 4-5 days here...I mean, it is one of the core components of what this site is about, after all. What I have also noticed is that, at times, many on MFP almost seem like they are trying to distance themselves from their food as if it is a bad thing, and just as many have openly stated that they are trying to distance themselves from their food emotionally and taking a purely physical relationship with their food. Some others get outright angry with their food because of the higher cost that they find with eating healthier, and still others are looking to get a better emotional and physical relationship with their food.
All of these views are interesting to see because this is one of the few places that we can come and see and hear directly from the sources directly outside of random moments of frustration at the grocery store, a friend or family member's comments here and there, or a weight loss support group.
Food is part of what it means to be human, and the various relationships that humanity as a whole and the individual has with food has always been something that has interested me. I mean, even myself...food in terms of cost does not frustrate me often, but it did the other day when i was shopping for someone who has a lot of trouble walking due to a knee injury at present. She prefers butter over margarine or oil and does not use much of it, but even the Walmart brand was almost $4.05 a pound and Horizon Farms was $6.49 per pound. Earlier this year, the Walmart brand had been $1.50 per pound with Horizon Farms being $2.00 per pound. It is all about cost of feed and operation for farmers/producers and companies, of course, and the farmers/producers at least are just as frustrated as we are as consumers.
There has been some great advice here in terms of how to shop smarter and easier to eat healthy, and it is nice for anyone looking to be able to come and be able to find tips that they may not have taken into account before.
Maerwhyn, one thing that might help with your motivation in the morning is doing things the night before. Overnight oatmeal and the granola are great for that if you want something hot/warm (put the granola and milk in the microwave for a few seconds if you want it to be kind of a loose, warm cereal. Smoothie kits are another great solution. Make up a kit in advance, put it in a container or bag, freeze, take out whenever you want it, toss it in the blender for a smoothie. You can put everything besides the milk/yogurt in the bag (fruits, veggies, sweetness, nuts, etc.). I say not the milk/yogurt only because it helps most blenders to have a bit of liquid to get everything moving and smooth. The smoothie kits can be a great mid-week or weekend project that the kids help with too.
Another suggestion? If your kids are old enough, get them to help you in the morning. Even most 2 1/2-3 year old can get something out of the pantry/refrigerator if you put it in an accessible place and show them where it is beforehand. All you would need to do then is put everything in the bowl and microwave then.
This was on short notice last night, but here is a website that demonstrates a more complete process for making granola: http://www.elizabethrider.com/easy-healthy-homemade-granola-recipe/
Overnight Oatmeal (no slow cooker required): http://www.buzzfeed.com/samimain/overnight-oats-recipes-to-restore-your-faith-in-breakfast#h436xo
For steel-cut oats: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/overnight-steel-cut-oats-favorite-way-to-eat-oatmeal/
Another Oatmeal variation: http://www.peanutbutterandpeppers.com/2013/01/23/individual-baked-oatmeal/
No nutrition information, unfortunately, but you can put it in as a recipe in MFP and see if it works for you depending on the portion size. The steel-cut oats recipe is really good. I have done it multiple times and it gives the best steel-cut oats that I do not have to stand around waiting to cook.
I hope that this helps.
Regards,
Rachel
Hi Rachel. Beautiful post! I want to be your friend, girl!0 -
Plant a garden. Even growing your most used vegetables in containers can mean a significant savings.
Gardens don't need to take up a lot of space if you choose your vegetables wisely. Many can be grown vertically along a fence or trellis. Get creative.0 -
Coupons are a mom's best friend! Also if you use Unsweetened Almond milk you save calories and a big surprise to me was it taste good in the cereal! So even the kiddos can have it, it will save a few calories for all of you and if it's a sugary cereal don't add sugar to it!0
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I've decided one of the hardest things about eating well isn't the time it takes or missing out on cake and cookies. It's having to choose between healthful food and cheap food. There are so many times at the grocery store where I'm comparing foods and have to take the less-good-for-me option because I can't afford the good stuff.
Beans, whether dry or canned, are very cheap & nutritious.
Brown rice.
Chicken, turkey, some cuts of beef or pork, some fish.
Fresh veggies & fruits. Even frozen or canned are OK nutrition-wise, and sometimes a better deal.
Eggs can be breakfast, a snack with lunch, or sliced on a salad for dinner.
And oatmeal doesn't take very long.
Add some nuts & chopped fruit (I love apples with cinnamon, and brown sugar or honey) & you have a healthy long-lasting dish that's great for cold weather.
Here are some recipes for slow-cooker oatmeal. Set it up before you go to bed, breakfast serves itself.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/search/index?search=slow+cooker+oatmeal
For hot weather, mix it into yogurt. If you do it the night before, it softens up; might want to add a little milk so it's not too thick.
Other than chocolate Chex (for a treat) I can't remember the last time I had breakfast cereal. Too many calories, not enough nutrition, and no, I wouldn't buy the sugared stuff.
My usual breakfast is a banana, whole wheat bread with peanut butter, and a glass of skim milk with a serving of Carnation instant breakfast.
Here's a cookbook which was put together specifically to show people on food stamps (SNAP) how to eat healthily and good on a very low budget ($4/day, which is about what SNAP allows people).
The photography is amazing... I want to eat most of these things!
https://8e81c55f4ebf03323905b57bf395473796067508.googledrive.com/host/0B2A2SnkA9YgxaHdzbEhGSmJOZDg/good-and-cheap.pdf
ALL of this.
Of course it varies by location, but I don't find healthy groceries to be more expensive at ALL - often the opposite in fact - unless you rely heavily on processed foods or go 100% organic or something like that.
We cook most of our meals from inexpensive staples and produce (fresh or frozen), so then we can round it out with things that are a bit pricier like seafood or hazelnut spread or the good yogurt...it works out in the end.
The only time I really think it is expensive to choose healthier options is sometimes in fast food restaurants. Sorry to stray from the topic of the post but the other day I went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch with a friend and my 12 pc grilled nugget and medium fruit cup set me back almost $9, you can get a lot of "regular" fast food for that price...like several meals' worth, honestly. Just another reason to steer clear of fast food places though :-)0 -
I haven't found the cost of healthier foods that prohibitive. At my market Special K was 2 for $5.00 and I had a $1.00 coupon, the same price as Frosted Flakes. I clip coupons for brands I like and also follow store circulars for deals and buy one get one free offers. I buy the barrel instant oatmeal instead of the packets and cook it in the microwave.I shopped for 4 adults (my husband and 2 grown sons) and my bill was $180.00, including toilet paper and some cleaning supplies. I saved over $20.00 this week using coupons.0
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I've decided one of the hardest things about eating well isn't the time it takes or missing out on cake and cookies. It's having to choose between healthful food and cheap food. There are so many times at the grocery store where I'm comparing foods and have to take the less-good-for-me option because I can't afford the good stuff.
Nope. I've been able to stay under budget easily while buying healthy food. (I think I'm currently getting $180/mo, and often have money left to carry over.)
Beans, whether dry or canned, are very cheap & nutritious.
Brown rice.
Chicken, turkey, some cuts of beef or pork, some fish.
Fresh veggies & fruits. Even frozen or canned are OK nutrition-wise, and sometimes a better deal.
Eggs can be breakfast, a snack with lunch, or sliced on a salad for dinner.
And oatmeal doesn't take very long.
Add some nuts & chopped fruit (I love apples with cinnamon, and brown sugar or honey) & you have a healthy long-lasting dish that's great for cold weather.
Here are some recipes for slow-cooker oatmeal. Set it up before you go to bed, breakfast serves itself.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/search/index?search=slow+cooker+oatmeal
For hot weather, mix it into yogurt. If you do it the night before, it softens up; might want to add a little milk so it's not too thick.
Other than chocolate Chex (for a treat) I can't remember the last time I had breakfast cereal. Too many calories, not enough nutrition, and no, I wouldn't buy the sugared stuff.
My usual breakfast is a banana, whole wheat bread with peanut butter, and a glass of skim milk with a serving of Carnation instant breakfast.
Here's a cookbook which was put together specifically to show people on food stamps (SNAP) how to eat healthily and good on a very low budget ($4/day, which is about what SNAP allows people).
The photography is amazing... I want to eat most of these things!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-09-19-cheap-eats-cookbook-696460
...I figured I'd just bold it and suggest many of the same items! Cereal is very very processed, Kashi just as much as others, there really isn't much in cereal that's nutritious. As shared above oatmeal is very low cost (buy in bulk also beans in bulk) and other complex carbs are beans, quinoa, barley, etc. So many foods that are healthy for our bodies ARE low cost because they aren't processed!
Do you have access to a garden? Or a Community Garden you can tend veggies in?
I hear often that good healthy food is more expensive than junk...... I simply don't agree.... sugar cereals, chips, cookies, boxes macaroni, boxed pretty much anything...... very expensive, not CHEAP!
The member above gave some great slow cooker ideas and a great list of how to eat well on a light budget.
Cheers for your new way of eating!:drinker: :flowerforyou:also trader joe's is my grocery savior.
YES, this!!! ^^ Absolutely this!:bigsmile: Plus it's a great place to get to know others and find out ways to do even more with your food/$$'s. Great place to trade recipes/ideas as well.0 -
That PDF is great. Just think simple, so you don't get overwhelmed and rely on unhealthy options very often.0
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I buy in bulk and cook in bulk. And rarely eat pre-made food like breakfast cereals.
Eggs can be made in a microwave, if you're pressed for time.0 -
I've decided one of the hardest things about eating well isn't the time it takes or missing out on cake and cookies. It's having to choose between healthful food and cheap food. There are so many times at the grocery store where I'm comparing foods and have to take the less-good-for-me option because I can't afford the good stuff. Especially breakfast cereals. I wish I could buy Special K or Kashi cereals because they taste so good, but they're too blinking expensive. My little ones love them too, and I feel terrible giving them sugary crap, but I'd spend half of my grocery budget just on breakfast if I bought the good stuff. I really should get up earlier in the morning and make oatmeal more often, but that gets really boring really fast. Anybody else sick of the compromise?
What about rolled oats and some fruit/cinnamon and a few nuts? I go to the bulk store and just get a big bag of rolled oats for a few dollars and if you "dress it up" right, it will keep you full.
I make a microwave oatmeal crisp at work when im hungry
1/3 cup rolled oats
cinnamon to taste (i use a 1/4 tsp or so)
1-2 TBSP Flax Seed
1 TBSP of any nut or seed butter you like
1/2 TBSP of butter
1/2 TBSP of pure maple syrup or honey or whichever liquid sweetener you like
Fruit of choice (I have tried apples, peaches, berries etc..)
put fruit first, then dry ingredients and then wet ingredients...nuke for 1 min..mix and re-nuke for 45 sec-1 min depending on your microwave0 -
I've decided one of the hardest things about eating well isn't the time it takes or missing out on cake and cookies. It's having to choose between healthful food and cheap food. There are so many times at the grocery store where I'm comparing foods and have to take the less-good-for-me option because I can't afford the good stuff. Especially breakfast cereals. I wish I could buy Special K or Kashi cereals because they taste so good, but they're too blinking expensive. My little ones love them too, and I feel terrible giving them sugary crap, but I'd spend half of my grocery budget just on breakfast if I bought the good stuff. I really should get up earlier in the morning and make oatmeal more often, but that gets really boring really fast. Anybody else sick of the compromise?
Ditch the boxed cereal and get some oats in bulk...better yet, start your morning off with eggs and maybe some in season fruit. Eggs are cheap...in season fruit is cheap...bulk oats are cheap.
Avoid foods MARKETED as healthy...and just eat more whole foods. Staple, whole foods are generally pretty cheap....
Here are some of my staples...
- Dried beans, either black beans or pinto...whatever we're in the mood for. I make a big batch of them every weekend to last me the week...dried beans are dirt cheap
- Potatoes
- Oats
- Eggs
- Brown Rice
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Onions
- Radishes
- Carrots
- Frozen Peas
- Meat/Poultry/Fish (I can always find sales)
Usually people have issues here when they are buying into "healthy" marketing gimmicks and pre-packaged "health food" rather than just eating naturally healthful foods. Our food costs have gone down quite a bit in the past couple off years eating more whole foods, eating out less, etc....0 -
I come upon this right after thinking maybe I should increase my grocery budget, which is difficult because as a single mom there isn't a lot of wiggle room in my budget. I was actually going to post asking for feedback on what people's grocery budget is. I made a list of some cheap dinners like sandwiches or eggs and biscuits. We don't have a Trader Joe's or even a health food store at all in my town. I buy a lot of stuff from Publix when it is BOGO. Especially cereal because I can get it for under $2 a box. Check out some of the coupon blogs. moneysavingmom.com, southernsavers.com, and crazycouponlady.com. Honestly 90% of my budget and healthy eating gets blown by buying fast food since we are always on the go. I'm committed to going the next 5 weeks without any eating out just to see how much better my food budget is at the end of the month.0
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thanks for the wonderful pdf!
I find that I spend less money eating healthy. When I go off of my meal prep grocery list I always spend more. My advice to you is to plan your meals according to what's in season. View all the sales paper for your local stores and plan your meals from the sales. Always seems to save me tons and if its an item I really enjoy and it freezes well I stock up on it before it goes out of season.0 -
I don't eat breakfast anymore, but I use to make overnight oatmeal. Mix oats with flavoured yoghurt and a little milk, refrigerate overnight. Next morning just add a fruit if you'd like. If you vary the yoghurt flavours it tastes different everytime.
I agree - overnight porridge is very nice and tastes sufficiently dessert-like for kids to love it and oats are cheap. I use plain yoghurt and add whatever fruit I can find - here frozen berries can be quite cheap when fresh are expensively out of season. I know children love sugary cereals but they may be developing a sweet tooth.0 -
Thank you, Great advice for everyone!0
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I've decided one of the hardest things about eating well isn't the time it takes or missing out on cake and cookies. It's having to choose between healthful food and cheap food. There are so many times at the grocery store where I'm comparing foods and have to take the less-good-for-me option because I can't afford the good stuff. Especially breakfast cereals. I wish I could buy Special K or Kashi cereals because they taste so good, but they're too blinking expensive. My little ones love them too, and I feel terrible giving them sugary crap, but I'd spend half of my grocery budget just on breakfast if I bought the good stuff. I really should get up earlier in the morning and make oatmeal more often, but that gets really boring really fast. Anybody else sick of the compromise?
I don't eat cereal....ever and never have, because the first time I went shopping for myself with my own money ( almost 50 years ago ) I figured out that cereal was expensive and had no real nutritional value. I eat eggs, left overs from healthy and nutritional meals from the night before and corn tortillas . As a treat I sometimes eat good (multi grain, heavy, home baked) bread with just butter and sometimes with home made jam for breakfast.0 -
I'm a retired foodie with time on my hands and a tight grip on my wallet. For me, writing about food and cooking is fun so I'm using my MFP blog to share ideas and shortcuts for healthy food.
For example, here's how to make great Greek yogurt from cheap supermarket yogurt at 2/3 the price: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/HeidiCooksSupper/view/bargain-greek-yogurt-hack-694810
I've also got a hobby cooking blog that has many recipes and ideas, some of them specifically about money saving cooking.
Here's a post that looks at how much cheaper cooking chicken on the bone is than buying boneless chicken: http://heidicookssupper.com/blog/2009/08/16/chicken-leg-quarters-true-or-false-economy/
Here's another on how to stock your spice cabinet "on the cheap"
http://heidicookssupper.com/blog/2009/03/06/travel-to-exotic-places-like-cincinnati-and-buy-spices/
I'd love to try to answer any questions or do research to try to figure more ideas like this out -- just give me a holler and set me going!0 -
need to read this later0
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When I was at my last job, I was on a really tight budget and made due with just shopping at Aldi and Dollar General Market.
Now with more income, I still shop at Aldi and can easily spend 60-70 dollars for HEALTHY food for a family of four. Fresh fruits and veggies (organic!), greek yogurt, cereals, milk, bread, lean meats, beans, EVERYTHING. (they have their own version of Kashi's Go Lean and Go Lean Crunch)
If you have the means to get to one, I highly recommend checking out an Aldi if there is one by you. All you need is to bring some bags (or buy some there) and take the time to check everything out!
Good luck!0 -
I've decided one of the hardest things about eating well isn't the time it takes or missing out on cake and cookies. It's having to choose between healthful food and cheap food. There are so many times at the grocery store where I'm comparing foods and have to take the less-good-for-me option because I can't afford the good stuff. Especially breakfast cereals. I wish I could buy Special K or Kashi cereals because they taste so good, but they're too blinking expensive. My little ones love them too, and I feel terrible giving them sugary crap, but I'd spend half of my grocery budget just on breakfast if I bought the good stuff. I really should get up earlier in the morning and make oatmeal more often, but that gets really boring really fast. Anybody else sick of the compromise?
I use coupons and shop sales. I never pay more than $1 a box for cereal. We have a huge stockpile of cereal. I paid .85 a box for Kashi early this summer. Check out the couponing websites. They spell out exactly where to get the coupons and how the deal works.0 -
The thing is, if you really like junk food, you can live on Little Debbies for about $2 a day.
That's $60 a month.
And it doesn't get any junkier than that.
For a time I was so poor, and apparently so sodium-deprived, that I ate a bag of sunflower seeds a day. $1.19 (of course that was in the 90's).
ETA for to be helpful: Check if there are any CSAs in your area. That's where you sign up with a local farm or farm group and pay a flat fee for a weekly box of whatever they're harvesting. They're usually a really good deal, although you'll generally get more bang for your buck in the summer and fall months. (Unless you want 20 squashes a week)0 -
I like to make legume and grain-centered soups and chilies. A vegetarian chili packed with kidney and black beans is very cheap to make (and you don't have to cook as many meals for the week). The same goes for curries and soups like barley soup or lentil soup. The spices can be expensive, but you can find some spices cheaply at the dollar store, Aldi, or (sometimes) Walmart.
For breakfast, you can buy the huge cannisters of oatmeal for usually under $3, and they last way longer than any cereal. I usually mash a banana or blueberries and mix it in with some cinnamon and sugar.
I also second everyone suggesting coupons, shopping around, and shopping at Aldi.0 -
I've gotten a PM saying that the link for that SNAP cookbook still doesn't work, even from the blog post.
:sigh:
If you can't open or download it yourself, PM me with your email & I'll send you the PDF which I downloaded.
This is a public document, doesn't belong to me, so I don't know why it wouldn't open for some of you.No one NEEDS (unless for medical reasons) to ingest thousands of thousands of calories a day
For a 133-lb person (small woman) that's 2000 calories.
A large man (200 lb) would have 3000.
http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/HB_web/calorie-counting-made-easy.htmno one has ever died for eating once a day (as we do)
This is the only site where I've ever seen people try to promote it as healthy.I've lost almost 91 pounds and husband around 50.
And it's surprising because usually men lose weight quicker & more easily than women.0 -
quaker 1-minute quick oats cost the same as other oatmeal, but you don't need to get up early to make it. it's cheap, filling and healthy, and tastes great with a variety of additions - my favorite is cinnamon and stevia, and i use milk instead of water.
rice is cheap and healthy, as is barley, lentils and dried beans. and there are those generic cereals, which cost a lot less than the major brands.0 -
I've gotten a PM saying that the link for that SNAP cookbook still doesn't work, even from the blog post.
:sigh:
If you can't open or download it yourself, PM me with your email & I'll send you the PDF which I downloaded.
This is a public document, doesn't belong to me, so I don't know why it wouldn't open for some of you.No one NEEDS (unless for medical reasons) to ingest thousands of thousands of calories a day
For a 133-lb person (small woman) that's 2000 calories.
A large man (200 lb) would have 3000.
http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/HB_web/calorie-counting-made-easy.htmno one has ever died for eating once a day (as we do)
This is the only site where I've ever seen people try to promote it as healthy.I've lost almost 91 pounds and husband around 50.
And it's surprising because usually men lose weight quicker & more easily than women.
SO thankful you've shared it, I work with many types of ppl that are always looking for enjoyable recipes, that are healthier and low cost. :flowerforyou:
Cheers to you MKEgal for finding and sharing!
Here's to everyone now being able to access it and sift through something that might work for you.0 -
Whew...long day...
I wanted to mention this this morning but forgot. For any who may be on SNAP, you can shop at most farmer's markets so be sure to check out that option! This is something that I find a lot of people do not know even though this change was made quite a few years ago. You can buy plants/seeds to grow your own food but also purchase produce. This can get you a better price and quality than in many grocery stores if you buy in bulk, but it is also a great way to support local farmers. Just make sure that you call and ask first because, not all farmer's markets have to participate in the program.
Regards,
RachelThe thing is, if you really like junk food, you can live on Little Debbies for about $2 a day.
That's $60 a month.
And it doesn't get any junkier than that.
For a time I was so poor, and apparently so sodium-deprived, that I ate a bag of sunflower seeds a day. $1.19 (of course that was in the 90's).
ETA for to be helpful: Check if there are any CSAs in your area. That's where you sign up with a local farm or farm group and pay a flat fee for a weekly box of whatever they're harvesting. They're usually a really good deal, although you'll generally get more bang for your buck in the summer and fall months. (Unless you want 20 squashes a week)0 -
Vegetables, meat, and butter are more expensive than boxed crap?
Hmmm. Ok.0 -
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OP - I feel your pain. The healthy bread I buy costs double what the cheap bread costs (I am super limited due to a food allergy). My family is also very picky and there are only certain "healthy" foods they will eat which means I pay more for the healthy stuff they like... I've been working on changing DH's eating preferences for quite some time & it's not working. The lean ground beef costs more than the fatty ground beef. Even the canned beans I have to buy cost more than the cheap/generic canned beans, Organic products cost more than "normal" products. Plus I have teenagers that just seem to never stop eating so we buy a lot of food. All the condiments and staples I buy cost more due to the food allergy... it is frustrating! I do shop all the sales for any food items I can eat & I go to multiple stores for the lowest prices, I look at the ads when meal planning - but I still spend SO much on food.0
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Aldi's or Save a Lot is also what I was gonna suggest. (though I find Save a Lot to have less of my favs). I do like to have cereal for breakfast sometimes and can get a myriad of kinds cheaper at Aldis. When I was at home I would go to Aldis first and then to a dept or grocery store for whatever I couldn't get there. I can't get to an Aldis where I'm living right now and it irks me when I know I'm spending almost twice as much on some items. I needed to get a good deal of groceries the other day & spent almost $80. Some of stuff that I needed wasn't even offered in generic at this dept store. If I coulda hit Aldis and this store I think I'd have spent $60 or under. I also bought a big bulk bag of cereal at Walmart recently. It was a really good deal. I'm still eating it 3 weeks later so I'm sick of the same kind but still it includes 29 servings.0
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