Food Budget - Page 2

monster · 11-08-2010, 04:00 PM

One would presume so. Makes little or no difference to us.

Tonight's meal:

Boeuf Bourguignonne variation

Beef: $3-4ish (hard to say -from freezer, part of larger purchase but we usually freeze in approx $3 portions. this one looked on the larger side, I never pay more than $3/lb becasue there's always a BOGOF or similar sale on some cut or other, so I stock up) Onion 25c bacon 50c mushrooms 75c, stock cubes and flour negligable, let's say 25c. half glass of wine, 50c spaghetti $1, Asparagus $1 butter for asparagus 20c.

total cost approx $8 for a nice meal for 5. This is probably towards the expensive end of our range.

jinx · 11-08-2010, 04:40 PM

You're splitting $1 of asparagus between 5 people?

monster · 11-08-2010, 08:05 PM

nah, three of us. but it was on sale too

we ended up eating the full $1.50 worth, though, because it wasn't worth leaving a little bit to go off, even though it was more than we would normally eat in one serving. Asparagus is really cheap in Michigan -99c/lb is not an uncommon sale price.

footfootfoot · 11-09-2010, 12:56 PM

Just stopped at the farmer on the way home ground beef 3.29 #

monster · 11-10-2010, 07:00 AM

last night was mac n cheese (using spiral pasta rather than mac) made from scratch, with peas (frozen). pre-swim meet meal -not exciting but does the trick. pasta 70c, milk 50c, cheese $1.70, cornstarch 10c peas 50c $3 total. Post swim meet they had seconds, then cereal total additional cost $1. Plus there is enough left over for my lunch, not sure if anyone else took some for theirs. So that more than makes up for yesterdays overage (and yesterday's leftovers were my lunch yesterday

)

monster · 11-10-2010, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

Just stopped at the farmer on the way home ground beef 3.29 #

that's a good price fresh from the farm. I'd pay that in order to support a local business and be confident of the quality. Unfortunately, the "local home business" option here is not so local, the price is nearer $10/lb because it's organic and I'm not so trusting of the supplier/their store. And it's on the other side of town and seriously inconvenient.

footfootfoot · 11-10-2010, 08:59 AM

Yeah, it's funny around here. There are so many farms and some of them try the whole $10/# boutique, grass-fed, humanely smothered with a soft feather pillow thing, but no one up here has the coin to buy that, so those folks truck their stuff to NYC to the farm markets. Down there, where people are so wowed by carharts and calloused hands and a few burlap bags and wooden bushel baskets they don't really blink at the price, I'm guessing they feel the mystique of authenticity.

Mostly up here the small time farmers are raising on such a small scale that they don't really need to go the route of agribiz. The stuff is probably a lot better than anything from applegate farms because they're only raising seven or eight beefers or four or five hogs. Half of my friends raise an animal or two for food and then one or two more to sell. Some years when we are more flush we'll buy a half pig or 1/4 beef and store it in the freezer. It's anywhere from 2.85 to 3.50 a pound packaged. I think it was 1.70 hanging weight, but I might be wrong.

Anyway, it's cheap and you can go pet the thing all year and feed it too if you want. It's pretty transparent.

monster · 11-10-2010, 09:30 AM

My junk mail today says fresh ground chuck is on sale at $1.79 this week. I may be stocking up if it really is the fresh and not the plastic tubes.

busterb · 11-10-2010, 05:52 PM

My sister must think I live in dire times. She sent me this. I offered to send photos of my pantry and freezer. But she's right. Because prices are going up after the COLA thing.
Dear old sis.
"I'm going to send you a check so you can stock up on groceries. Prices are going up more soon."
BTW. I just made Blueberry jam.

Aliantha · 11-10-2010, 06:12 PM

Chuck steak, or gravy beef or whatever you want to call it is near enough to $10/kg here which is roughly $5/pound I guess. I don't recall seeing it much cheaper than that for years.

Ground beef, no matter what quality is never any cheaper than that. In fact, the only way to get it at a reasonable price is to buy in bulk which is fine for most people I suppose, but not so good for old people living alone.

Groceries in general are just expensive here though. I'm pretty sure we've covered this before.

HungLikeJesus · 11-10-2010, 06:34 PM

If you buy in bulk and store it in a freezer, I wonder what the energy costs add to the total cost of meat.

monster · 11-10-2010, 08:11 PM

Depends if you're running the freezer anyway...... But freezers are not terrible energy-suckers because you don't open and close them all the time. We have two, one for longer term storage and one for things we might need several times a week. like ice cream

Jaydaan · 11-10-2010, 10:51 PM

Asparagus yesterday was $3.99/lb here. !!!!

But sliced roast beef was $1- $2 a package, and 1 1/2 packages ($3 ish) fed 4 of us quite large deef dips for dinner, with enough for one left over for a lunch today.

monster · 11-11-2010, 06:55 AM

If it's 3.99 it ain't going in the cart, that's for sure.

deef = bastard offspring of bull and doe? or cow and stag?

HungLikeJesus · 11-11-2010, 10:47 AM

There's a wide range in freezer efficiency, but it probably costs between $150 and $200 per year in electricity for a typical 16 to 20 cubic foot chest freezer.

11-08-2010, 04:00 PM	#16
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	One would presume so. Makes little or no difference to us. Tonight's meal: Boeuf Bourguignonne variation Beef: $3-4ish (hard to say -from freezer, part of larger purchase but we usually freeze in approx $3 portions. this one looked on the larger side, I never pay more than $3/lb becasue there's always a BOGOF or similar sale on some cut or other, so I stock up) Onion 25c bacon 50c mushrooms 75c, stock cubes and flour negligable, let's say 25c. half glass of wine, 50c spaghetti $1, Asparagus $1 butter for asparagus 20c. total cost approx $8 for a nice meal for 5. This is probably towards the expensive end of our range. __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

11-08-2010, 04:40 PM	#17
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	You're splitting $1 of asparagus between 5 people? __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

11-08-2010, 08:05 PM	#18
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	nah, three of us. but it was on sale too we ended up eating the full $1.50 worth, though, because it wasn't worth leaving a little bit to go off, even though it was more than we would normally eat in one serving. Asparagus is really cheap in Michigan -99c/lb is not an uncommon sale price. __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

11-09-2010, 12:56 PM	#19
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	Just stopped at the farmer on the way home ground beef 3.29 # __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

11-10-2010, 07:00 AM	#20
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	last night was mac n cheese (using spiral pasta rather than mac) made from scratch, with peas (frozen). pre-swim meet meal -not exciting but does the trick. pasta 70c, milk 50c, cheese $1.70, cornstarch 10c peas 50c $3 total. Post swim meet they had seconds, then cereal total additional cost $1. Plus there is enough left over for my lunch, not sure if anyone else took some for theirs. So that more than makes up for yesterdays overage (and yesterday's leftovers were my lunch yesterday ) __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

11-10-2010, 08:59 AM	#22
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	Yeah, it's funny around here. There are so many farms and some of them try the whole $10/# boutique, grass-fed, humanely smothered with a soft feather pillow thing, but no one up here has the coin to buy that, so those folks truck their stuff to NYC to the farm markets. Down there, where people are so wowed by carharts and calloused hands and a few burlap bags and wooden bushel baskets they don't really blink at the price, I'm guessing they feel the mystique of authenticity. Mostly up here the small time farmers are raising on such a small scale that they don't really need to go the route of agribiz. The stuff is probably a lot better than anything from applegate farms because they're only raising seven or eight beefers or four or five hogs. Half of my friends raise an animal or two for food and then one or two more to sell. Some years when we are more flush we'll buy a half pig or 1/4 beef and store it in the freezer. It's anywhere from 2.85 to 3.50 a pound packaged. I think it was 1.70 hanging weight, but I might be wrong. Anyway, it's cheap and you can go pet the thing all year and feed it too if you want. It's pretty transparent. __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

11-10-2010, 09:30 AM	#23
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	My junk mail today says fresh ground chuck is on sale at $1.79 this week. I may be stocking up if it really is the fresh and not the plastic tubes. __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

11-10-2010, 05:52 PM	#24
busterb NSABFD Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: MS. usa Posts: 3,908	My sister must think I live in dire times. She sent me this. I offered to send photos of my pantry and freezer. But she's right. Because prices are going up after the COLA thing. Dear old sis. "I'm going to send you a check so you can stock up on groceries. Prices are going up more soon." BTW. I just made Blueberry jam. __________________ I've haven't left very deep footprints in the sands of time. But, boy I've left a bunch.

11-10-2010, 06:12 PM	#25
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	Chuck steak, or gravy beef or whatever you want to call it is near enough to $10/kg here which is roughly $5/pound I guess. I don't recall seeing it much cheaper than that for years. Ground beef, no matter what quality is never any cheaper than that. In fact, the only way to get it at a reasonable price is to buy in bulk which is fine for most people I suppose, but not so good for old people living alone. Groceries in general are just expensive here though. I'm pretty sure we've covered this before. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

11-10-2010, 06:34 PM	#26
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	If you buy in bulk and store it in a freezer, I wonder what the energy costs add to the total cost of meat. __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

11-10-2010, 08:11 PM	#27
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	Depends if you're running the freezer anyway...... But freezers are not terrible energy-suckers because you don't open and close them all the time. We have two, one for longer term storage and one for things we might need several times a week. like ice cream __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

11-10-2010, 10:51 PM	#28
Jaydaan Knight of the Oval-Shaped Conference Table Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Vernon, BC, Canada Posts: 378	Asparagus yesterday was $3.99/lb here. !!!! But sliced roast beef was $1- $2 a package, and 1 1/2 packages ($3 ish) fed 4 of us quite large deef dips for dinner, with enough for one left over for a lunch today.

11-11-2010, 06:55 AM	#29
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	If it's 3.99 it ain't going in the cart, that's for sure. deef = bastard offspring of bull and doe? or cow and stag? __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

11-11-2010, 10:47 AM	#30
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	There's a wide range in freezer efficiency, but it probably costs between $150 and $200 per year in electricity for a typical 16 to 20 cubic foot chest freezer. __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

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