# how much is too much for...



## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

... the food you buy? Most (if not all) of us grow something, but it's so very very hard to grow enough of everything a family needs (ok,ok... 'needs' should be replaced with 'would like'  ) I am pretty easygoing but I absolutely hate to get gouged, or see others pay a disproportionate amount of their income on food, not in such a country as this, where seeds can blow onto a field and grow without any care (and stir Monsanto's wrath  )! This thread is a response to the one on how much 'average' families across the globe pay per week for food; I'm listing items, costs, and how much consumed (even if we grow/raise it, I am using a comparitive priced item), feel free to do the same. :beercheer:

4 adults, 1 large dog, 4 small dogs, 1 cat (not everybody has exotic pets, or livestock, so I'll ignore them for now)
hamburger: $1.79/lb 3 lbs= $5.37
eggs: $0.99/dozen 3 dozen/week = $2.97
bacon: $2.39/lb 2lbs = $4.78
spaghetti: $0.79/lb 2 lbs = $1.58
spaghetti sauce: $0.99/jar 2 jars = $1.98
ham: $1.99/lb 1lb = $1.99
loaf of bread: $0.79 3 loaves = $2.37
canned veggies: $.49 14 = $6.86
peanut butter: $1.50 1 jar = $1.50
jelly: $1.00 1 jar = $1.00
lunchmeat (what's "on sale"): $2.99/lb 2 lbs = $5.98
turkey: $0.69/lb 15lbs = $10.35
cheerios: $1.50/box 2 boxes = $3
honey: $2/lb 1/2 lb = $1
milk: $2/gallon 2 gallons = $4
orange juice: $3/gallon 1 gallon = $3
prune juice: $2/jug 1 jug= $2
barbeque sauce: $6/gallon 1/2gallon=$3
hot dogs: $0.99 1 package = $0.99
buns: $0.79 1 package = $0.79
coffee: :dunno: $0.15/pot 7 pots = $1.05 :dunno:
bananas: $0.39/lb 3 lbs = $1.17
potatoes: $1.98/10lbs 5 lbs = $0.99
celery: $0.79/lb 1lb = $.079
soda-pop: $1/3 liter bottle 3 bottles = $3
kool-aid: $1/10 packets 10 packs = $1
pepsi: $5/case 1 case = $5
fruit (whatever's on sale): $0.99/lb 3 lbs = $2.97
cookies: $1.99/pkg 1 pkg = $1.99
lettuce: $1/head 1 head = $1
tomatoes: $1/lb 2lbs = $2
onions: $1/3lbs 2 lbs = $0.67
carrots $1/lb 2 lbs = $2
brownies: $1/box 1 box = $1
pet food: $10/week
chinese takeout: $10/week
subway OR taco bell OR church's chicken OR pizza hut: $10/week

so far at a whopping $88.74 for a typical week (and much of that I don't spend because of the garden(s) ) & not done yet...

...to be continued


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## FunnyFarm (Oct 26, 2011)

I think more than cost of food should be the consideration of where this food comes from. It seems in the US we've fallen into the trap of what's cheapest over what's good. I tend to think of things in terms of who it is I'm giving my money to. Sure I can go down to my local superstore and get a pound of 12yr old ground dairy cow for $1.79 a pound. This cow's origin is unknown to me but more likely than not was raised in horrible conditions and fed gmo grains. The alternative is going to the local butcher and pay $2.39 a pound for local raised beef. The customers of this butcher are all friends and neighbors so I can best see where my food comes from and the bonus is we keep our money supporting our local community rather than propping up corporate aggro business who cares only to make a buck rather than supply us with the best foods.


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

I agree with you Funnyfarm, homegrown is the best, but not all of us have access to homegrown. Our food bill adverages about $100 a week. That includes buying extra sales items to increase our preps, eating out, 1 large dog, 1 cat, 2 rabbits and 75 chickens.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

If I could pay 2.39/lb for local beef, I would in a heartbeat! Here it's over 3.50/lb for that 12 year old dairy cow, can't get local for less that 5.00/lb...


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## popcorn590 (Aug 29, 2010)

*People, Dogs, and Cats food supply*

We went from purchasing all our survival food, canned good and such from grocery stores, over the past five years to canning almost everything we eat. #1. When canning meats or meals with meats in them, the meat gets broken down so it is much easier to digest. #2. Before you can meats or meals you can taste the broth, you already canned, and other ingrediants you are canning. #3. You essentially know what you are putting in your food and eating. Canned goods are good for years if stored properly. How much food you have on hand depends a lot on where you are located. If you are in a very dry area at a high altitude, about 1500 or above, you can purchase a lot a dried food, flour, sugars, beans, etc, and they will keep good. I purchase the 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot, they seal really well, but make sure you also purchase the bucket opener or you will tear you finger apart opening them. I opened a bucket of flour we stored just over five years ago (with a bay leaf on top of the flour to discourage bugs), and made a great load of french bread. We also purchase none processed wheat that we can grind ourselves. Salt in another item many should have purchased before it went through the roof. In one month sea salt went from $6.92 per gallon to just about $13.00 per gallon. As for pets. Emergency food for pets can be Soy Beans cooked and mashed up, then bullion cube or beef broth poured into the mix, pieces of the chicken, beef, turkey, venison, or other animals that humans do not normally eat tendons, the silver area of venison, grisel, cusions between joints, etc., ground up and canned then added to the mix.
Unfortunately if you live in a humid area, you need to talk to others that are able to preserve and save food there. There are ways. You need to shop around for great deals. Purchasing ground beef in 20 lb packs can bring the price down. You can, can ground beef, but I rather make the meals, chili, sloppy joe, spoon burgers, hamburger soup, etc.
One other comment about nutricious food. During WWII wheat farmer is states were asked to grow lentils and peas, becasue those two items at the time gave more nutrician than others. We have dried letnils and peas on hand.
About all for this trip, hope this helps.


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## ladyhk13 (Nov 5, 2011)

Blob,
Wow, you sure have found some cheap prices! I thought our prices here in TN were good! Even and Sam's or Costco some of your prices can't be beat. I do like the idea of buying local if at all possible though but do realize that sometimes that isn't an option. We still go to the smaller grocery stores instead of Wally World for things and always look for the Made in the USA label too.


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## popcorn590 (Aug 29, 2010)

*Never enough food.*

You gotta really look hard for pricing. I also like to purchase locally and actually tell the locals, that if they can match the price of certain items, that includes the gas to and from and my time, it is worth it to purchase locally. Most businesses will accomidate you to make sales. Just count your time to and from (remember you time is money, unless you just enjoy the outing), the gas and the cost of the items. 
I have mentioned them before but also consider the "Gifts in a Jar", books. You can get them about pasta, soups and stews, etc. It is a wonderful way to have evergency meals essentially ready that day or the next, when all you have to add in some cases is water, or a can of tomatoes. Naturally the beans do have to hard or soft soak. We ended up with another gifts in a jar book that had soup and stews. They have creamed soups in them and I wondered how they got them creamy. They use coffee creamer for that. Once you put all the ingediants in the mason bottles or other types of bottles, you put the dry mixtures of herbs and seasonings in a baggy on top of them and just screw the top down. Easy to store and they are light to travel with.
Take care, Popcorn590


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## FunnyFarm (Oct 26, 2011)

Local foods are easier to find than most realize. A quick google search will find local farmers who are raising all sorts of things they'd love to sell to an individual before they have to send it to market.

Local Harvest / Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food
This is a good one lists farms all over the country, lists local contact info too.
The pricing on this site is bumped up a bit to cover the fees to list on the site but most of the farmers would love to draw some locals in to sell their goods to off farm.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Blob, you're getting better prices on most of the foods you listed than we can get out here! 

Fortunately we produce most of our own food, but I still keep an eye on prices and sales so I know where the best price is, and I stock up on things before I'm going to need them so I'm not roped into off-sale prices.

I got hungry reading your list!


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

ladyhk13 said:


> Blob,
> Wow, you sure have found some cheap prices! I thought our prices here in TN were good! Even and Sam's or Costco some of your prices can't be beat. I do like the idea of buying local if at all possible though but do realize that sometimes that isn't an option. We still go to the smaller grocery stores instead of Wally World for things and always look for the Made in the USA label too.


You have to watch that "Made in America" label at Wally World, my daughter works there and has found that made in america only means that the final assembly was in America. All the components/sub-assemblies/parts and pieces could be made in India, China or even worse yet, in Canada(just kidding).


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## partdeux (Aug 3, 2011)

Davarm said:


> You have to watch that "Made in America" label at Wally World, my daughter works there and has found that made in america only means that the final assembly was in America. All the components/sub-assemblies/parts and pieces could be made in India, China or even worse yet, in Canada(just kidding).


In the automotive world we run into that all the time. People love to say that Toyota has more domestic content than Ford...

Toyota has figured out how to scam the system. If they import all the components for an alternator, minus something like a grounding screw. Tier 2 supplier attaches the screw at a plant in the US, they can sell it to Toyota as North American content.

Now China is attempting to set up trade free zone in the US, in which they will only hire chinese workers, assembling chinese product, selling it in the US as US produced


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