I was talking about groceries with a friend over in England a few nights ago. Apparently my pasta prices are 4x hers. And that’s just the store brand dry noodles. If I found the cheapest deal I used to see from various places, it’d still be 2x. I’d need a pound of noodles for $0.49 to even be in the ballpark.
If a simple item like that is casually 4x more expensive, I’m sure everything else is also up there. I’ve been lucky that my income allows me to be a single family income provider and have money left over to throw around wherever I want, but just finding this out the other day really left a deep impression of just how sorry of a state things are in over here.
Yeah it’s always surprising when I hear Americans say that eating healthy is more expensive that eating fast food / eating unhealthy.
When I was veggie and just eating vegetables I could buy a week’s worth of food for about £10 a Kilogram of carrots was about 50p potatoes were 60p/kg brocoli and salad item were a little bit under £1/kg
Then as you said basic things like pasta is pretty cheap, I used to get 1kg of pasta for 30p and then a jar of tomato pasta sauce for 60p and that could last me 3 meals.
Additionally, going out to eat has many hidden costs, like liquor tax in some cities on an already overpriced drink. Soda or Iced tea is $2.50 or more. Now add tax and tip and your $7 cheeseburger & coke is $25.
It’s not for everyone, but my family has been enrolling in CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) produce. It’s cheaper and local. Granted, I’ll get 3 eggplants in a box one week and I need to get creative to be able to use it, but that’s part of the fun. I’ve expanded my produce repertoire 5-fold and now know how to cook fennel.
I was talking about groceries with a friend over in England a few nights ago. Apparently my pasta prices are 4x hers. And that’s just the store brand dry noodles. If I found the cheapest deal I used to see from various places, it’d still be 2x. I’d need a pound of noodles for $0.49 to even be in the ballpark.
If a simple item like that is casually 4x more expensive, I’m sure everything else is also up there. I’ve been lucky that my income allows me to be a single family income provider and have money left over to throw around wherever I want, but just finding this out the other day really left a deep impression of just how sorry of a state things are in over here.
Yeah it’s always surprising when I hear Americans say that eating healthy is more expensive that eating fast food / eating unhealthy.
When I was veggie and just eating vegetables I could buy a week’s worth of food for about £10 a Kilogram of carrots was about 50p potatoes were 60p/kg brocoli and salad item were a little bit under £1/kg
Then as you said basic things like pasta is pretty cheap, I used to get 1kg of pasta for 30p and then a jar of tomato pasta sauce for 60p and that could last me 3 meals.
“10 pounds a kilogram” is a funny phrase out of context
Some folks don’t have access to fresh groceries like that. Food deserts are a major issue in the states.
Additionally, going out to eat has many hidden costs, like liquor tax in some cities on an already overpriced drink. Soda or Iced tea is $2.50 or more. Now add tax and tip and your $7 cheeseburger & coke is $25.
It’s not for everyone, but my family has been enrolling in CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) produce. It’s cheaper and local. Granted, I’ll get 3 eggplants in a box one week and I need to get creative to be able to use it, but that’s part of the fun. I’ve expanded my produce repertoire 5-fold and now know how to cook fennel.
I’m assuming that’s the bulb. What about the stalk?
Put them in a salad maybe? I usually buy just the bulbs…
devour indeed. I also had a recipe for fennel lemonade that I made with the tops.