Author Topic: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day  (Read 4790 times)

Parizade

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Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« on: May 09, 2016, 09:22:02 AM »

lizzzi

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Re: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2016, 02:46:16 PM »
Interesting article to read, because she pretty much described our diet at home.  : D

Parizade

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Re: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2016, 05:18:21 AM »
LOL, me too lizzzi. I never bothered to break it down into unit costs though, so I think whoever wrote this article is pretty badass.

Johnez

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Re: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2016, 04:20:45 PM »
This is actually a great article. Honestly sounds like it came out of these blog/forum pages. Nicely detailed cost analysis, tho I must say buying 50 lbs of oats may be a bit much.

elaine amj

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Re: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2016, 04:55:25 PM »
Nice breakdown


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Parizade

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Re: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2016, 11:31:42 AM »
I question using 1 oz of milk though. First, she doesn't say if she's using fluid ounces or actual weight. One fluid ounce would only be 2 tablespoons of milk, not enough for a bowl of oatmeal in my opinion. One ounce by weight is not much better. I use a full cup of milk with my oatmeal (and no water, I cook it in milk).

Still a good article

lizzzi

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Re: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2016, 12:17:29 PM »
I use a half-cup (4 oz.) of milk to make my oatmeal. Buy the milk at Aldi.

Gunny

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Re: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2016, 06:56:44 AM »
We are a family of three and my wife feeds us for 360.00 per month and that includes personal hygiene items.  She is a master of the crockpot and her soups and stews are to die for.  We eat lots of legumes, mostly beans, at least two nights a week.  We eat oatmeal or eggs for breakfast.   She buys a staple of certain veggies (carrots! greens! squashes) and fruit (apples are our go to) and only buys organic for the dirty dozen.  We do augment our diet with venison which I harvest during deer season and represents almost all of the "red meat" we consume.  We find if you buy real food and cook it yourself, it's actually much cheaper than prepackaged. 

Kaybee

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Re: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2016, 08:38:31 AM »
As others have mentioned, this is probably pretty much the meal plan for many of us already but it must seem earth-shattering to the average non-Mustachian.

My grocery bill recently jumped due to a change in my diet.  I'm having to learn how to use different ingredients and new techniques.  Unfortunately, it takes longer for me to acquire those skills than most others because my work takes me away from home/kitchen access.  That being said, even a few months in, my grocery bills are starting to go back down.

Now, not that I want to start a HUGE debate but do you think the disappearance of "home economics" classes has affected the way people grocery shop?  I'm 35 so we had home ec for 2 years in middle school before it disappeared from the curriculum.  My mother was never much of a homemaker and it was actually those classes that taught me basic kitchen skills/practices (pancakes don't need to come from a box?!?, roasting a chicken is easy AND can be used as the basis of several meals???).  Yes, there are still foodies in my generation but I know a LOT of people who buy mostly convenience foods because that's what they were raised on.  The idea of cooking from scratch doesn't really exist for them so it's safe to assume they likely won't pass on scratch-cooking to any offspring they might have.  I'm not glorifying the days of when Mom stayed at home and had a 3 course meal waiting on the table when Dad came home from work but it does seem that those basic skills aren't as common anymore and likely makes people think they *need* convenience foods.  Thoughts?

MandalayVA

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Re: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2016, 08:53:27 AM »
Now, not that I want to start a HUGE debate but do you think the disappearance of "home economics" classes has affected the way people grocery shop?  I'm 35 so we had home ec for 2 years in middle school before it disappeared from the curriculum.  My mother was never much of a homemaker and it was actually those classes that taught me basic kitchen skills/practices (pancakes don't need to come from a box?!?, roasting a chicken is easy AND can be used as the basis of several meals???).  Yes, there are still foodies in my generation but I know a LOT of people who buy mostly convenience foods because that's what they were raised on.  The idea of cooking from scratch doesn't really exist for them so it's safe to assume they likely won't pass on scratch-cooking to any offspring they might have.  I'm not glorifying the days of when Mom stayed at home and had a 3 course meal waiting on the table when Dad came home from work but it does seem that those basic skills aren't as common anymore and likely makes people think they *need* convenience foods.  Thoughts?

I learned cooking basics from my mom and took home ec in high school in the early eighties--in fact I still use a beef bourguignon recipe I learned in that class thirty-five years later.  In college I used to cook regularly for a bunch of people who were brought up on convenience foods, and these were kids from nice middle class and upper middle class homes.  I remember one guy being absolutely shocked that gravy and spaghetti sauce could be made and not have to come out of jars.  Nowadays it's even worse.  When there are complaints about people eating "too much meat" I suggest that they go to their local supermarket and check out what kind of meat is in people's carts.  It's not steaks and pork chops.  It's chicken nuggets and hot dogs and frozen meals.

Kaybee

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Re: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2016, 09:39:45 AM »
I remember one guy being absolutely shocked that gravy and spaghetti sauce could be made and not have to come out of jars.

EXACTLY!  A friend of mine recently moved into a new place with her BF and once they were set up they invited those who had helped during the move over for a "home-cooked meal" as their housewarming.  She served frozen pre-seasoned "grilled" chicken breasts, garlic bread (packaged that way at the bakery with garlic spread and cheese already on it) and steam-in-the-bag veggies.  As the food was served, her BF jokingly told people not to get used to nice meals like this at their place because "food has gotten so expensive".  They're lovely people, very sweet and I don't mean to speak ill of them but it probably never occurred to either of them that ALL of that food could've been purchased for much less and prepared at home.  They're not stupid, I just don't think many of my friends (mid twenties to late thirties, I don't want to generalize so much to say a "generation") actually know how to *really* cook....which leads to expensive convenience foods and meals out to socialize being accepted as normal.

MandalayVA

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Re: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2016, 10:35:50 AM »
I'll disagree with you about the steam-in-the-bag vegetables.  The brand names like Green Giant may cost more, but (at least around here) many supermarkets have their own brand of steamable vegetables which are equivalent in price to the regular bags of frozen vegetables.  That's my idea of convenience food, heh heh.  Cook in the bag, recycle it, no dish to wash!  But yes, pre-seasoned frozen chicken is ridiculous.  What's even more laughable are the pre-measured spice mixes I see now, with little amounts segregated on a bubble board.  There's a new invention called MEASURING SPOONS.  You can even go to Whole Foods' bulk section and measure out exactly what you need for much cheaper.  Oy.

dougules

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Re: Article: How to Eat for Less Than $6 a Day
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2016, 10:56:46 AM »
This may be a nitpick, but why is she buying fresh herbs?  Any cook worth their salt with even just a condo balcony should grow their own herbs.  It will save you money since fresh herbs have a high mark up, but more important is flavor.