of groceries to last? just curious.

But we have a good sized pantry and a small drop freezer. So it may be yogurt and fruit for the first few days, then pancakes or waffles the next. Dinner, have a big bag of rice and beans, bought some El Pato so I can change the rice into Mexican rice, have plenty of Tapatio and one pack of chicken breasts should last us awhile for Chicken Burritos.

I grew up poor as did my wife, so we know how to make things strech. Sure, I've toured Europe, Egypt, etc. eaten at some really fine places, but once I was unemployed, reverted to poor mode instantly. Won't be unemployed for much longer, I put my self through college (even had family members try to sabotage it), now I'm getting some licensing that will get me a job for the time being while working on my teaching credential.

we add in some foraged foods - yucca pods, nopales, lemonberry sumac, apples, beauty berries, plums, wild onion etc when the opportunity arises.

I do as many sales and coupons and markdowns as possible - but since the first thing I have to do is exclude comestibles I am allergic to, that isn't always possible. Sigh.

An Amish lady was ahead of me. Her bill was $550.00. She peeled off 6 100 dollar bills.

and for how long.

That's how I was raised, and that's how I lived for decades as a single, working mom. Shopping the specials and reading the unit pricing has been second nature to me forever. I didn't just buy the dried beans, I bought the cheapest dried beans. I have no doubt I'll get through the rising mess.

...and hard times come back, you know exactly what to do.

I knew of one couple who fell on hard times, wife was hit with cancer, his income wasn't enough to support everything, etc. So they moved into a hotel with weekly rates. Did not get any government services, too proud and worried what others would say about them. Good fucking grief. I went straight to the services, why not? I've been paying into them since I was 16. That's what its there for! Shit happens and you need at times a little help to get you over the hump. No one ever wants to stay on government support, it isn't much, red tape will drive you crazy, etc.

I am back in school now, but i have a nursing license and that will pay for what i need until I finish my doctorate. I take pride in overcoming adversity, and being able to relate to my patients.

no one should feel shame requesting assistance......seems like it's the "pro-life christian" crowd who love to judge people, make them feel bad about it

She feels its a poverty mondset. I just enjoy trying to recall the best price that isnt out of the way. And with groceries working to get basic staples down where the quality isnt large. One ssue is to avoid south eastern american rice as it can have arsnic. Bringing lunch most days and even bringing a meal on a long journey helps.

my parents were like that - Depression era survivor and WWII survivor - and yes, I picked up a lot of their habits (not all of them)

My Dad grew up poor born in 1931. He was a fully retired Army Lt Colonel though he took lowest survivor amount, he passed 6 moths after his masters in urban planning. His thesis became the template for the precurser law to the American Disability Act. He took his medical construction experience to create standards for inpatient care for the developementally disabled. My Mom went to grad school in her 50s and worked as a high school librarian to age 74. Been low financially a few times in the aughts but pulled through those times. I just really keep an eye on prices, as a dollar saved is kind of like a tax free dollar earned. In NJ the gas all comes from the refineries, just with different detegergants added.

I helped with family financial stuff when I was a teenager and my dad was hospitalized for a year - we lived off his savings, and it always stuck with me, wondering what would have happened if there had been no savings

Aldi, Aldi ALDI!!!!

We used to shop at Meijer here in West Michigan which is a huge grocery chain and we were at about $240ish per week for 3 of us. My son eats like a tank and so we made the switch to Aldi about 2 years ago on a friends recommendation. We are now at about $175 per week. Just have to bag your own groceries. Love it.

Joe retired awhile ago.

not impressed by a lot of their merch

Trader Joes started in southern ca. Joe sold it to to one of the Albrecht brothers just not the one who owns Aldi in the states. Joe has passed and so has the Albrecht brother and his son, the grandchildren inherited it in a trust. Trader Joes is still run by corporate offices in Monrovia, California. Trader Joes is not part of Aldi.

Been that way for years.

I was there yesterday at my local Aldi in southern Florida.

Prices are up on some items, but not like what I hear going around.

The store brands in some instances are far better quality.

Crav'n brand grahams are 1/2 the price of Nabisco. Woodmans in WI. has store brands that are good. Oatmeal has doubled in just a few years. I had to give up Quaker oats for a store brand 1/2 the price

Stew Leonards.

I see that tab on a regular basis and we have an app.

Busted before skimming off of the food carts they had throughout the store. I think his one of his sons got busted also. Reagan gave Stew Sr a medal of some sort before all that happened.

I’ve been to the Norwalk, Danbury. And Yonkers stores.

The thing that was fucked up is Stew was making a ton of money with the Norwalk and Danbury store that he had no need to skim money.

I wasnt a fan, but I wasn't shopping too intensely.

The other store is Raleys, much more expensive. I think their "organic" produce section is bigger than the one that isn't. But if you look at thier add, digital coupons, etc. sometimes it makes more sense to go to them for certain items. Thankfully, the two are just across the street from each other.

I don't shop at stores where you have to be a member. Usually a clerk will scan discounts from a flyer if you are not in the club.

Penny wise and pound foolish. Not only for buying specialty brands - but for not using the loyalty app that would have made them cheaper.

Loyalty brands don't help when i am on the road. I take a bin of food when i go on a trip.

Most work instantaneously.

You do have to decide whether selling your shopping information in exchange for discounts is worth it . . . but they work almost as well on the road as they do at home.

Chips, crackers, soda, cookies etc. will add so much to your bill. Those used to be the “cheap” food items but something switched five years ago and they’ve never lowered the price without some sort of special deal.

avoid the aisles.

Good job, Lays and Nabisco.

No way I’m paying $6-10 for a bag/ box that is half empty and has cheaper ingredients than before. I noticed most of what’s in the frozen aisle can no longer even be called ice cream legally because they’ve changed the recipes.

I drink Pepsi products. One of the local chain stores has 6 packs of 16 ounce bottles for $4.99 most of the time. Sometimes they'll have it at $3.99.
What I find most interesting is that people will pick up those 6 packs of 16 ounce bottles, when 5 feet further down the aisle are 6 packs of 24 ounce bottles for $3.99.

Or, another chain store has jars of Skippy peanut butter on sale--2 40 ounce jars wrapped together for $14.99. Right next to that, they have single 40 ounce jars for $6.99. Even the checkers don't understand it!!!

so I got used to keeping protein at a minimum. Fortunately for me, I like beans and am perfectly happy with beans, bean burgers, loaves, soups, stews, spreads....you get the idea. I'm not back to beans yet. In fact, I'm still able to buy some processed stuff that's bad for me (except at my age, who cares?) and which I've been able to enjoy on my inherited income.

I wonder how many people that poor guy was feeding, I see bills like that when someone comes through from one of the reservations and you know s/he is probably shopping for a bunch of elderly folks. If he was buying tobacco and/or alcohol, that could have jacked the cost up, also. Or if there were half a dozen cans of coffee. Because of his stupid blanket tariff on Mexico, friesh veg are also through the roof.

I don't know what families are expected to do, especially the ones with botttomless pit teenaged boys in the house. You know that arse Johnson is never going to allow a minimum wage hike proposed on the floor of the House, let alone get one passed.