and they say eating healthy costs more??

24

Replies

  • upgetupgetup
    upgetupgetup Posts: 749 Member
    That list would run ~$25 where I am.

    I remember those prices too vividly. I lived elsewhere for a bunch of years, and it took me a while to get over sticker shock when I came back. (The mental arithmetic felt different in a different currency, somehow.)
  • BridgeKiki
    BridgeKiki Posts: 48
    Where do you go you buy 1 lb. of chicken for 98 cents?
  • BridgeKiki
    BridgeKiki Posts: 48
    Totally agree. Data, BS
  • paleirishmother
    paleirishmother Posts: 242
    $6.39?
  • JediMomof3
    JediMomof3 Posts: 29 Member
    I live in the middle of California's Central Valley and I can't find those prices here at either the Supermarkets or the local Farmer's Markets. Corn at the Farmer's Markets around here goes for at least a dollar an ear. That chicken is around seven dollars. Grapes are almost always 2.99 a pound at least. Going organic is even more crazy expensive, at least twice the price of non-organic! I'm lucky if I can find things on sale or if I can find a coupon for the food. We don't eat junk very often but the graphics aren't true!
  • tachyon_master
    tachyon_master Posts: 226 Member
    Chicken costs $17/kg where I live. Bananas cost $10/kg. A loaf of bread is $5.

    What fantasy land do these people think we live in?

    Sorry, but my food budget has effectively DOUBLED since I started eating more healthy.
  • lightdiva1
    lightdiva1 Posts: 935 Member
    Um, I don't know where ya'll live but even in my small town bananas cost more than a bag of chips. Fresh fruit and veggies are more expensive than junk food. My husband and I went from a junk food diet to clean eating two month ago and yes, we save money by not buying soda, but our grocery bill is actually higher now, than it was when we ate junk.

    We buy a bag of boneless skinless chicken that lasts about 2 days and that alone costs 10 dollars. Add in all the fruit and veggies and we spend about 600 dollars a month on food now, all clean and all healthy. There are 4 of us, (we have two children) but we were spending about 400 a month before eating clean.
  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
    If you are trying to make an important point, don't BS.

    This. And it's a stupid comparison anyway because noone would buy a box of coke as a meal. Where I am (Tokyo) it is MUCH cheaper to eat convenience foods rather than healthy whole foods. To say otherwise is lying - unless of course you start factoring in health and environmental costs.
  • laurynwithawhy
    laurynwithawhy Posts: 385 Member
    I definitely can't speak for other countries, but Americans, where are you shopping? Of course if you go to your local Giant, Publix, Wegmans, (insert expensive local grocery store here) prices are going to be through the roof. I am not trying to be mean or accuse, but have you guys complaining read local sale flyers lately? Gone online to look for deals and coupons? Walmart usually has chicken for around a dollar a pound, so does Aldi and Bj's (although you have to buy in bulk). You won't be able to get organic for these prices but you can get decent quality healthy food. I do 75% of my grocery shopping at Walmart in Pennsylvania and I can tell you these prices are 100% accurate (except for the grapes, those are 2.44 a pound, but they aren't in season either.)

    Look around. Check flyers. Check farmers markets. Check mass merchandisers instead of the local grocery stores. Get a club card and buy stuff in bulk if it's financially feasible. If you have an Aldi or a Save A Lot go there (hey, they are ghetto but the prices are worth it). Sometimes it might cost a little in gas, or you might have to buy more in bulk, but it's your health and it's worth it. If you want something you'll find a way, if not you'll find an excuse.
  • Keysted
    Keysted Posts: 21 Member
    My grocery bill has definitely gone up since my husband and I started eating healthier. I try to stick to sale items and plan my meals around them but it's not always possible.
  • bbriscoe13
    bbriscoe13 Posts: 175 Member
    It really does. My husband and I spend around $200 at the grocery store every week. We eat a TON of fresh veggies and they cost A LOT and we eat a ot of chicken/ground turkey and that also costs a lot. I try to stock up on boneless skinless chicken when it's 1.99/pound but ground turkey is like 6.99/pound. I'm sure there are ways for us to lower our grocery bill, but I haven;t found any. I even tried cuponing for a bit and I have a hard time finding them for healthy food, and I refuse to go to every grocery store in town just to save 20 cents.
  • silverainn
    silverainn Posts: 49
    Coupons aren't common where I live, and usually for junk food, things like frozen pizza. Shops advertise deals through post, but again, it's usually meat (which I don't eat) and junk food. There are unfortunately no large wholesale-type shops, only local grocery stores, and a couple of immigrant shops downtown.. the prices don't vary much between shops. No farmers' markets (there would have to be farmland for that!), no bulk buying. You can buy berries and a few other things from stalls downtown in late summer, but it's definitely not cheaper. Some of the shops in the biggest cities have bulk prices, but they're usually far from public transport (and a lot of people my age don't own cars), and there's nothing like that in my city anyway.

    Here are some sample sales from a recent mailing:
    chicken - 108/kg ($19), bacon - 250/kg ($44), smoked salmon - 233/kg ($41)
    meat cakes - 68/kg ($12), boxed tex-mex 40% off (can make a meal under $10), frozen pizza 40% off (under $8)
    cookies - 3 for 2, ice cream 40% off, sodas - 5 for 3 (most of these items are pretty cheap vs calories)
    plums - 40/kg ($7), small mango 15 ($2.60)

    The fruit on sale is decently priced, but often bad quality (very unripe, or already rotten). The only vegetable listed is asparagus, at 67/kg ($11.70). And these are sales. Several studies have been done, and concluded it's about 40% more expensive to eat healthy here than to eat "normal" food.. and that's similar to what we've experienced in comparing food costs with friends, possibly more like 50% since we've moved to a smaller city. We eat as healthy as we can afford as students, but have to give up things like a social life and hobbies for it :)

    I realize cost of living is different where I live, but it's still a huge obstacle for people on a limited budget (like students).
  • loic901
    loic901 Posts: 32 Member
    lol 98 cent/ pound of chicken breast? wtf
    544083_508346685873622_2018718844_n.jpg


    banana 69cent/ pound ( when on special ) here
    chicken breast 3,49/pound ( when on special ) here
  • ashleab37
    ashleab37 Posts: 575 Member
    This is hilarious.

    I choose to eat healthy, but it does NOT help my wallet.
  • Bronx_Montgomery
    Bronx_Montgomery Posts: 2,284 Member
    Errrrr where do you go shopping. I have never seen Chicken breast to be 98 cents a pound.
  • cgarand
    cgarand Posts: 541 Member
    I'm so lucky that I live in a place where we have access to an abundance of fresh fruits and veggies year round. And, I live in the country so there are always farmers markets and I can go down the street and pick my own apples and berries or buy raw milk. Plus, I garden.

    It makes me sad to see that people live in food deserts. It makes me want to load up a truck with fresh produce and bring it to them. Frozen fruit and veggies are pretty healthy though, I hope that they can at least get that!
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,470 Member
    It's interesting how these things differ. I tried to price up the "healthy" foods in the UK at Tesco, and even doing my best to take advantage of multibuys, "value" ranges and special offers, it came to over £10 (about $15?). I couldn't find the taquitos, but an 8-pack of sausage rolls (for instance) is £1.19 ($1.81).
  • curvynblonde
    curvynblonde Posts: 170 Member
    Where I live, there is no such thing as a pound of chicken breast for $0.98, or bananas for $0.48! Actually none of those prices would be right except the bread, and I don't eat bread.
  • Sqeekyjojo
    Sqeekyjojo Posts: 704 Member
    There is no way you could buy that in Australia for that price.

    Or the UK. The chicken would be a minimum of 8.49/ lb or 12.99/ kg.
  • Kamile69
    Kamile69 Posts: 87
    Definitely depends on where you live. Here, something similar to the top picture would be around (the equivalent of) $10, while the bottom picture would be $40+.
    I have to agree, a pound of chicken here is definately more. I'd be looking at $15-20.
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    I wish whole foods were that cheap in the Washington DC area.
  • Rachlmale
    Rachlmale Posts: 640 Member
    You could do a comparison here of anything and turn it around:

    £1 pizza x 2
    £1 burgers x 4
    £0.5 chocolate bar
    £0.5 bag of crisps

    v

    £2 punnet of strawberries.
    £1 cucumber

    It completely depends on what you spend your money on; some things are cheaper or more expensive on both sides of the scale.
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
    I see people here in the UK going to Iceland (frozen store where most things are like £2 pizza etc), and their trollies are piled high. Then I go to a normal supermarket and probably may less for more and healthier foods :/

    I buy frozen sweetcorn and things I don't use as much, and freeze bread as there's no way I can eat a whole loaf in a few days.

    I spend £15-£30 a week on food on average for one person. Last week I spent £33 getting olive oil, toilet rolls and things I don't need to get every week, and this week I'll only pay about £15 for veggies, salad and pasta sauce.
  • blably
    blably Posts: 490 Member
    god if things would be that cheap i would be a millionare...seriously. i spend around 1000€month for food (/for 3, sometimes 4 persons)
  • JennNH12
    JennNH12 Posts: 56
    If more people would learn to grow food the price would no longer be a point. I can spend .98cents-$2.75 for a pack of seeds and grow an entire Summers worth of food and STILL have enough to can and preserve for over the Winter.
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    In Houston,TX, on a good week i can probably come close to the prices OP shows. I just bought a three pound pckage of chicken breasts for $1.98, and a seeven pound package of chicken drumsticks for $3.98.

    But i can get that package of taquitos, on sale for about $2.50 ....for me, junk food at supermarket vs "good" food is breakeven $ wise, but healthwise -- priceless.
  • ForABetterMe89
    ForABetterMe89 Posts: 196
    OK...idk where you live, BUT I cannot buy chicken that cheap anywhere around here. To get chicken breast around here I'm spending more the the $6.something the entire bundle cost!. For someone who just started buying more fresh fruits and veggies along with more chicken, my grocery bill has increased by at least $40 every time I go. I get the same amount of food, ditched a lot of food I was buying. For me, where I live, it is most definitely more expensive. Its hard on one income since I stay at home with my baby.
  • ElloSweetie
    ElloSweetie Posts: 56 Member
    Would be a more effective post if the food prices were anywhere near reality.
    But I still eat the healthy shiz.
  • Rays_Wife
    Rays_Wife Posts: 1,173 Member
    544083_508346685873622_2018718844_n.jpg

    This would cost me about $18.50 in my area :laugh:
  • Rays_Wife
    Rays_Wife Posts: 1,173 Member
    72631_508637315844559_1151545860_n.jpg

    Again...about $14 in my area :laugh:

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