More families using food stamps to feed kids

[trinket 30]

Wow 200/mo for even 2 ppl? If you have done that, teach me your ways. I already am a big bargain shopper, I hate paying full price...so that amazes me.

I think it really depends upon where you live and how much meat or veggies cost in your area. My monthly food shopping goes for around $350 for 2 people, it could be far less if we were vegetarians or even if we both were eating the same kind of food. My husband lives on red meat while I am more of veggie and fish person. The only common thing we eat would be chicken. So I do need my share of shrimps and Indian veggies almost every day.

Vegetable at the Asian grocery store out here is far cheaper than Walmart, same with the fish. But for meat I do shop at either Walmart or shnucks.

[chri'stina 190]

Go to your local Indian grocer and get the cheaptest big bag of rice (it won't taste like basmati cuz it isn't) and the cheapest big bag of daal (it will have bugs in it so you'll have to clean it).

Eat nothing but rice and daal every day, for every meal. Watch your portions.

$200? Easy, no problem.

I'd hate to live like that but it can be done.

And if rice-daal ain't yo style, PBJ is cheap too.

We don't have a local Indian grocer. I'd have to drive to Tampa or Clearwater and the gas used would probably equal the cost of savings. We buy cheap rice at Walmart.

I know if you eat something really boring you can eat that cheap, if you have to. But not unless you HAVE to. LOL.

Edited January 13, 2010 by chri'stina

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I know if you eat something really boring you can eat that cheap, if you have to. But not unless you HAVE to. LOL.

We're talking (or at least I am) about people who have to.

Thankfully, I don't have to because I'm a librul schemer who makes hard working republican dudes pay for my lifestyle with their tax money.

[trinket 30]

We don't have a local Indian grocer. I'd have to drive to Tampa or Clearwater and the gas used would probably equal the cost of savings. We buy cheap rice at Walmart.

I know if you eat something really boring you can eat that cheap, if you have to. But not unless you HAVE to. LOL.

No Chinese grocery either? or Mexican? Of all the Chinese grocery I have seen both in this city and in Georgia, they do carry Indian stuff and most of the cheap vegetables. Mexican groceries out here carry all the vegetables too.

[chri'stina 190]

I still don't think being a vegetarian is cheaper unless you are willing to eat the same boring food all the time. Since most people don't want to, you have to buy various things and figure out how to get full without just eating tons of carbs. And I think it would be cheaper for us if I could buy bulk chicken or something.

[Nina~ 431]

No Chinese grocery either? or Mexican? Of all the Chinese grocery I have seen both in this city and in Georgia, they do carry Indian stuff and most of the cheap vegetables. Mexican groceries out here carry all the vegetables too.

If you cant find Asian grocery stores, find a Hispanic grocery store.. They too have fresh & cheap produce.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I still don't think being a vegetarian is cheaper unless you are willing to eat the same boring food all the time.

Well, we're talking about the poor. Being poor isn't entertaining. If they want to add some spice to their lives, they should get off their lazy bums and get a job!

Wait, what? I don't want no stinkin' job!

[chri'stina 190]

No Chinese grocery either? or Mexican? Of all the Chinese grocery I have seen both in this city and in Georgia, they do carry Indian stuff and most of the cheap vegetables. Mexican groceries out here carry all the vegetables too.

I live in a suburb type of place with a lot of retirees. I have been to an Asian store that had nothing Indian and no vegetables. (most filipino, korean, chinese items). We had a tiny Indian store years ago, but they closed down.

Well, we're talking about the poor. Being poor isn't entertaining. If they want to add some spice to their lives, they should get off their lazy bums and get a job!

Wait, what? I don't want no stinkin' job!

If we are talking about poor who need to get by, sure. But some people are saying here they would save $ if they were vegetarians. I don't agree.

Edited January 13, 2010 by chri'stina

[SMOKE 1,426]

Vegetable at the Asian grocery store out here is far cheaper than Walmart, same with the fish. But for meat I do shop at either Walmart or shnucks.

same here except we buy meat at walmart, sam's, or homeland.... i don't understand how locally owned asian stores are cheaper than walmart on produce & seafood...but they are.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

... some people are saying here they would save $ if they were vegetarians. I don't agree.

Depends. A good friend of mine is vegetarian and he (nor his wife or kid) has absolutely no appreciation for food. He'll eat anything. Nachos and cheese is their idea of dinner. No wonder he has so much cash piled up in the bank.

[trinket 30]

I still don't think being a vegetarian is cheaper unless you are willing to eat the same boring food all the time. Since most people don't want to, you have to buy various things and figure out how to get full without just eating tons of carbs. And I think it would be cheaper for us if I could buy bulk chicken or something.

I would disagree, at least with Indian dishes I can alter things. You don't have to eat the same beans and rice everyday. There are types of vegetables and dishes -- bottle guard, jack fruit, stuffed parathas ( you can change stuffing according to your taste), chick peas salads, dosas, sambhar, puris, okra, green beans, types of lentils, again you can alter the tastes or add things to lentils according to your style, spinach with paneer, parwal, raw banana.

But I could understand your point since you said you don't have any Indian grocery near by, so most probably you won't find variety of vegetables like I find out here.

[chri'stina 190]

Depends. A good friend of mine is vegetarian and he (nor his wife or kid) has absolutely no appreciation for food. He'll eat anything. Nachos and cheese is their idea of dinner. No wonder he has so much cash piled up in the bank.

Well meat eaters with bad dinners eat the same. I can see some of my single friends doing that. Ok so should I be even more clear and say normal meal eaters? Sometimes our meals are pathetic like that too. But most of the time, it's a little more like a real meal. I am a tad lazy at times though, as you know.

[mawilson 2,133]

My husband is a vegetarian

...

So for us it's easily up to $600/month for food, diapers

Your husband needs diapers too?

[trinket 30]

same here except we buy meat at walmart, sam's, or homeland.... i don't understand how locally owned asian stores are cheaper than walmart on produce & seafood...but they are.

Not just the vegetables or fish, but the most price disparity I find is with spices. Out here at walmart you will get a small bottle of bay leaves for around $8 but yesterday I bought a big bag of bay leaves from the Chinese store for $0.75 I don't know how they do their business, funny thing is not many white people of the town know about the place, its usually is filled with Asians.

Edited January 13, 2010 by trinket

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

They eat diapers. It's an Indian thing. Haven't you watched Slumdog Millionaire?

/since you can't have a conversation about India or Indians without mentioning that damn movie.