Poor families 'can't afford food'

[Skandi]

Sorry no sympathy here, I expect they could if they didn't buy processed junk and put their children's health as a higher priority than their cable, and fags.

My food budget is under £15 a week, and I manage it, admittedly it's not fun and takes some time but you can do it.


Some hard-up families are facing the prospect of malnutrition due to the recession and soaring food prices, a charity has warned.




Rice has seen prices jump 81% over the past year, pork sausages are up 51%, mince 22% dearer and milk 14% more expensive, the data shows.

More (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090404/tuk-poor-families-can-t-afford-food-6323e80.html)

So you don't buy rice and you add more vegetable protein into the diet, bread and flour has gone down recently potatoes are still cheap, people need to stop buying produce because that's what they always have and start buying what is cheaper and in season. Nobody actually needs a multi pack of crisps, or the £5 for 8 toilet roll. Or their cable or booze or fags... Grr this annoys me by the way!

[Loki]

I see your point, but also disagree. People with very tight food budgets can't afford to diversify enough on their diet in order to get in all the nutrients their body needs. Fruit is damn expensive ... healthy food is not necessarily cheap. Yes, potatoes are very healthy, and so is bread. Both are cheap. Milk too ... but your whole diet can't just consist from those.



... or the £5 for 8 toilet roll.


You have to wipe your bum I'm afraid.

[Skandi]

Yes, potatoes are very healthy, and so is bread. Both are cheap. Milk too ... but your whole diet can't just consist from those.

You have to wipe your bum I'm afraid.

I was referring to those as a rice replacement, You can buy the cheep brands of toilet essentials instead, and it is perfectly possible to have a healthy diet on very little money but it takes some initiative, some fruits are cheap and the supermarkets always have deals on this or that.

[Fortis in Arduis]

Having a right-wing rant about the plebs again dear? :p

[Skandi]

Having a right-wing rant about the plebs again dear? :p

Oh yes!!!

[Frigga]

You are able to eat healthy on a budget. You just have to cook more. You can get chicken parts, and then make stock, which gives you a valuable source of good protein that is quite cheap. You are then able to make soups without meat in them, as they are being cooked in a meat broth. Then you can make things stretch with dried beans, and dried rice, and the like. Also, lacto-fermentation stretches your vegetables, and makes them more nutritious, and last longer as well. You then save money. We need to get back to the old way of doing things. We won't make it depending solely on factory kitchens.

[Loki]

People with a lot of money have many more opportunities to be healthy, fit, and live longer. That's a fact. People in financial poverty are at a distinct advantage, and can in no way compete in the race of life. Considering this, I do think socialism is a necessary evil. It levels the playing field, and hence people can compete on the same terms.

Inherited advantage is not fair, and may be disadvantageous evolutionarily to a community -- for example, if people with weak or defective genes are born into rich families, they are much more likely to procreate than someone with strong genes who is accidentally born into a poor family.

[Æmeric]

Many poor people smoke. That is an expensive habit. And they usually drink beer. Tobacco & alcohol taxes are voluntary taxes on the poor. Give up the tobacco & alcohol, they could buy more fruit - which is more reasonably priced in the US. Instead of sitting around guzzling beer & smoking cigarettes they could go for a walk, play with their kids in the backyard or take up gardening, spend time maintaining their properties. Maybe become a regular visitor to the library (as long as they don't attempt to use the library as a baby-sitting service). There are a lot of beneficial things people can do that don't cost a lot of money.

[Loki]

Many poor people smoke. That is an expensive habit. And they usually drink beer. Tobacco & alcohol taxes are voluntary taxes on the poor. Give up the tobacco & alcohol, they could buy more fruit - which is more reasonably priced in the US. Instead of sitting around guzzling beer & smoking cigarettes they could go for a walk, play with their kids in the backyard or take up gardening, spend time maintaining their properties. Maybe become a regular visitor to the library (as long as they don't attempt to use the library as a baby-sitting service). There are a lot of beneficial things people can do that don't cost a lot of money.

Well rich people smoke & drink beer too. And many poor people don't. It's hard to generalize. And also very easy to criticize from the comfort of your sofa.

[Æmeric]

The poor who don't drink & smoke are generally better off then those who do. And yes I do make observations from my comfortable sofa but.... I come from a rural poor background. My grandparents were poor but lived relatively healthy lives. Grandma didn't smoke or drink beer, Grandpa only drank occasionally & only smoked pipe tobacco. Grandma made most of their food from scratch rather then buy the frozen or prepackaged food. They had a garden & grandpa kept busy chopping firewood. They never went into debt (the experience of the Great Depression). Of course in their day no one ever considered satellite tv a necessity.

Some poor families do better then others because of self discipline. And my observation from my sofa is that people who don't smoke or drink are better at self discipline then those who do.

[Fortis in Arduis]

Then you can make things stretch with dried beans, and dried rice, and the like. Also, lacto-fermentation stretches your vegetables, and makes them more nutritious, and last longer as well. You then save money. We need to get back to the old way of doing things. We won't make it depending solely on factory kitchens.

I am not so keen on fermented vegetables as they are not satvic, although oddly, yoghurt is...

I just want to chime in here and say that yogis can live on cooked mung beans and rice for a very long time.

It really could not be cheaper, add some cheap vegetables, and spice it with ginger, cumin, mustard seeds, tumeric, salt and lemon juice and that is khichari, the classic yogic dish. I did live on this for about a month once.

Where I am right now I am just eating sprouted mung beans, cabbage, cucumber, yoghurt, lemon and cauliflower in a bid to lose weight, and I feel energetic on it too.

I cannot see that being particularly expensive for when I get home either...

[Frigga]

I am not so keen on fermented vegetables as they are not satvic, although oddly, yoghurt is...

I just want to chime in here and say that yogis can live on cooked mung beans and rice for a very long time.

It really could not be cheaper, add some cheap vegetables, and spice it with ginger, cumin, mustard seeds, tumeric, salt and lemon juice and that is khichari, the classic yogic dish. I did live on this for about a month once.

Where I am right now I am just eating sprouted mung beans,* cabbage, cucumber, yoghurt, lemon and cauliflower in a bid to lose weight, and I feel energetic on it too.

I cannot see that being particularly expensive for when I get home either...

FIA, you, need to lose weight!! :eek: From the pictures I've seen, you shouldn't lose any more! But, that is just my personal opinion. ;)

*See, sprouting makes all the difference in the world when it comes to legumes and grains. They're indigestible otherwise. They cause a lot of gas and bloating, and nutritional deficienies. Good for you for doing that. You're feeling more energy, as your body doesn't need to work so hard to digest the mung beans. :) :thumb001:

As far as lacto-fermented vegetables go, if your religious beliefs do not approve of them, then definitely go with that. I was just pointing out that traditionally Europeans, along with many other cultures did that to preserve their vegetables, and thrived on the improved nutritive qualities of said lacto-fermented veggies.

:)

[Beorn]

Most people seem to forget that those that struggle the most are those who have young families and rely on benefits, either full time, or as and when the work dries up and staying on the dole is actually more economically logical.

Basing this on a family of four, Job seekers allowance rewards you £200 every fortnight and you get roughly £100 a week through child benefit and child tax credits.

Now, say the family doesn't have Sky/cable and just makes do with the normal four channels (five, if you're lucky) and have a computer with a bundle deal for internet and phone connection.

● T.V Licence: £6 a week.
● Internet and phone line w/o Phone calls: £22 a month.
● Electricity meter: £5 a week.
● Gas meter: £5 a week.

Total a month: £86

Being in a young family entails having to fork out regularly each week for basics such as nappies, wipes, bags, and other toiletries and child specific foods.

● Nappies, 54 pack: £6.50
● Wipes, 4 pack: £3.40
● Nappy Sacks, 100 pack: 50p(?)
● Cows Milk: £7.50
and/or
● SMA Baby Milk: £7.20 x 2

Total a month: £127.40

(I feel I should mention that the government does award people with milk tokens to exchange in supermarkets and shops, but not all people qualify for them)


That is before going shopping and paying other bills.



or the £5 for 8 toilet roll.

We get the 12 packs for just under a fiver. Any brand that goes cheaper tends to put more on your fingers then it does the paper, if you know what I mean. Especially children, Christ! I swear those cheap brands skive on paper to just infuriate parents.

[Loki]

Any brand that goes cheaper tends to put more on your fingers then it does the paper, if you know what I mean.

:rotfl:

But seriously, cheap toilet paper is no good. You get less for what you pay for. The rolls are less tightly rolled up too, so it appears large but has much less content than the pricier ones ... and doesn't last very long as a result.

[Skandi]

staying on the dole is actually more economically logical.
That is unfortunately true



Basing this on a family of four, Job seekers allowance rewards you £200 every fortnight and you get roughly £100 a week through child benefit and child tax credits.

so that's £800



Total a month: £86
Total a month: £127.40


That's 213.40 leaving 586.60 or £146.65 a week

Quite a lot even after you've considered things like cloathing, shoes etc, certainly enough to feed your family properly, I would guess that you can feed (+cleaning products) 2 adults and 2 children under 5 (I'm guessing that is what your example is based on) for about £50 if you are careful. Dole isn't meant to be a long term solution, so it doesn't really cover things wearing out.

Of course one has to remember that those on the dole receive free medication, dentistry, school meals (although the quality is a totally new thread) They have their rent and council tax paid also.



child specific foods.

I'll admit I'm curious, what are these? if your meaning baby food then I think that goes back to Frigga'sSpindle point on making your own.

I still say that most of the people mentioned in the article will simply be buying the wrong things, processed chicken products are expensive, you can buy a whole large chicken (3.5kg)for the price 2 chicken breasts (250g)

What I think the government/local communities should do in these cases, is run education classes on how to live on a budget, much like the old home economics classes. People haven't been taught how to cook, how to use up scraps. Get some of the pensioners who lived through the war to do these, that would supplement their pension and they could pass on tons of useful information.

[Beorn]

so that's £600

£800


Not a lot after you've considered things like cloathing, shoes etc, but it is certainly enough to feed your family properly, I would guess that you can feed (+cleaning products) 2 adults and 2 children under 5 (I'm guessing that is what your example is based on) for about £50 if you are careful. Dole isn't meant to be a long term solution, so it doesn't really cover things wearing out.I agree. I agree with what your thread is stating, but I would say that on the whole I and my family are very lucky in that even on the high roll of the past, we never consumed more than we could afford, or spent money we didn't have or even buy stuff to pay for later that wouldn't exceed a reasonable amount if in financial trouble, but as you know most people in this country weren't so frugal and wise with their spending habits so the amount you are left with is even less after paying the bills.

I personally think the dole allowance is rather comfy and adequate to sustain a family upon.
As you correctly say: the doctors bills, dentist, housing, council, etc..., are all paid for.
We recently renewed our school meal deal, so my daughter receives top-notch food at school.

As for replacing clothes and shoes, I would still remark that it is relatively non-excessive depending upon how you wish to dress.

Shoezone, Georges of Asda, etc... all cater to the lower end of society and with equally impressive items.


I'll admit I'm curious, what are these? if your meaning baby food then I think that goes back to Frigga'sSpindle point on making your own.I admit that with our second child we did make more home cooked treats for him as we had the facilities to prepare them, freeze and store them, etc...
But, with the first child, we had one box freezer that just about fit our food let alone hers, so we relied on pre-tinned baby foods which can amount to a lot.

[Skandi]

£800



Oops! I'll edit my post I think :embarrassed:embarrassed

[Æmeric]

Most people seem to forget that those that struggle the most are those who have young families This is true for everyone. I mean it is the older people who have the wealth. A 60 year-old is more likely to be in a higher payscale then a co-worker who is 20. And the 60-year old may have paid off his mortgage or at the least has much smaller payments. And a lifetime of saving has returned substantial benefits.


and rely on benefits, either full time, or as and when the work dries up and staying on the dole is actually more economically logical.This sounds good but.... it cost money to maintain these benefits. And an army of public sector civil servants to administrate them, This is a burden on the private sector which results in less capital investment per worker, with lower wages & higher unemployment & underemployment forcing people to go on relief. It also doesn't help that Western governments have adopted free trade with nations such as China & have allowed the import of cheap labor which undercuts the native workers. And of course the newcomers qualify for all those benefits.:rolleyes2:


Basing this on a family of four, Job seekers allowance rewards you £200 every fortnight and you get roughly £100 a week through child benefit and child tax credits.

Now, say the family doesn't have Sky/cable and just makes do with the normal four channels (five, if you're lucky) and have a computer with a bundle deal for internet and phone connection.

● T.V Licence: £6 a week.
● Internet and phone line w/o Phone calls: £22 a month.
● Electricity meter: £5 a week.
● Gas meter: £5 a week.

Total a month: £86

Being in a young family entails having to fork out regularly each week for basics such as nappies, wipes, bags, and other toiletries and child specific foods.

● Nappies, 54 pack: £6.50
● Wipes, 4 pack: £3.40
● Nappy Sacks, 100 pack: 50p(?)
● Cows Milk: £7.50
and/or
● SMA Baby Milk: £7.20 x 2

Total a month: £127.40

(I feel I should mention that the government does award people with milk tokens to exchange in supermarkets and shops, but not all people qualify for them)


That is before going shopping and paying other bills. You have benefits of £800 per month - £86 - £127.40 = £586.60 which at current exchange rates is $869.45 & in addition you have the NHS. What about housing allowance? You're not rich but not poverty sticken either. And being in densely populated England, a car is not a necessity as you have a higher developed mass transit system.

The poor in the US have food stamps, healthcare - something many working people don't have & are too well off to qualify for medicaid. The is ADC (Aid to Dependent Children) & public housing or Section 8 vouchers - I have an aunt who a few years ago was on Section 8 & was paying $38 a month for a nice 2 bedroom apartment. This is not unusual & persons on Section 8 pay no more then 30% of their monthly income in rent, in many cases substantially less. Most of our poor - outside of the larger metropolises on the Northeastern seaboard - have cars. Poverty is not what it use to be. The government gives the poor enough to just get by. And many are satified with just getting by.

[Psychonaut]

I agree with your analysis Thrymheim. When I first moved out on my own I was quite poor (working an $8 an hour job). However, by not wasting my money on non-essentials, I was able to live quite well on a diet consisting mainly of rice, dried beans and canned fruits and vegetables.

[Birka]

Here are some statistics on Americans below the "poverty level" that is from the Heritage Foundation.

The following are facts about persons defined as "poor" by the Census Bureau, taken from various government reports:

* Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.
* Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
* Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.
* The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)
* Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars.
* Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions.
* Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.
* Seventy-three percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher.

As a group, America's poor are far from being chronically undernourished. The average consumption of protein, vitamins, and minerals is virtually the same for poor and middle-class children and, in most cases, is well above recommended norms. Poor children actually consume more meat than do higher-income children and have average protein intakes 100 percent above recommended levels. Most poor children today are, in fact, supernourished and grow up to be, on average, one inch taller and 10 pounds heavier that the GIs who stormed the beaches of Normandy in World War II.

[Gwynyvyr]

Okay...po' folk here responding!:D
I make 300 dollars per moth.
(You that traffic in Euros, etc, convert that...:p )
I eat well.
I have cable with about...ohhhh...80 channels (I only watch about 5 of them)
I have cable internet (broadband rocks!)
I have a vehicle to drive. Never spend more than 50 bucks a month on gas.

I also shop at thrift stores, garden, sew many of my own clothes, and don't spend money on silliness.

I am in an unusual situation.
I manage properties for an out of town owner.
I manage a rental house, an apartment and a rooming house.
I live in the rooming house.
Free rent, free utilities and the vehicle I drive is my employers. He pays for all repairs and insurance on it.
My room is 15 x 15. Everything I own is in those 4 walls.
I share the rooming house with a dozen other individuals.
Young, old, black, white, hispanic.
Able and working, and disabled and on monthly checks.
4 bathrooms for all of us to share and a communal kitchen and a communal living room.
Chess tournaments on Thursday nights, Scrabble on Saturday afternoons.
BBQs in the back yard most every Sunday.

Welcome to my world:)
I am able to SAVE money. I own a firearm and plenty of ammo for it, a computer, a sewing machine and have food storage for a year.

Could other people do this?
Sure. I have shown my son (who rents one of the rooms) how to cut his grocery bill to 20 bucks a week. He eats well, too.
He is able to save money...and he works at Domino's Pizza. Not the worlds highest paying job! He makes 200 a week or a little less, and he pays his rent (200 a month), plus has his computer, x-box and buys a video game (used) at the game shop every 2 weeks (it is his major form of entertainment).

I use the library, live frugally and have no credit cards or loans. If I can't pay cash, I don't buy it.

[Beorn]

You have benefits of £800 per month - £86 - £127.40 = £586.60 which at current exchange rates is $869.45 & in addition you have the NHS. What about housing allowance? You're not rich but not poverty sticken either. And being in densely populated England, a car is not a necessity as you have a higher developed mass transit system.

I've honestly never thought myself poverty stricken in my whole life except for once when we were homeless.

You have to think that the average worker earns the minimum wage of £6 and earns after tax £220 a week.
Each month that person takes home the same amount as a person who doesn't work and yet the worker still has to pay rent, tax, NHS, etc...

In fairness though, the worker does qualify for working tax credits, but then faces the child tax credits going down somewhat.
You can also qualify for childcare costs. Up to about 80% in most cases.

In my case when I was working a 45 hour week (although I do like to work a sixty when possible), I'd pull in around £360 a week after tax which would go on top of the child tax/benefit: £150 and the working tax credit: £240 a month.

It really is down to your circumstances and how they change, but until the work is allocated only to natives and at least legal immigrants and the wages exceed the amount you can live on the dole with, Britain will find itself a hopeless benefit state having to rely upon immigrants.

[WinterMoon]

When I was young, childless, and poor, I lived on oatmeal. Nothing makes a filling meal like a warm cup of oatmeal. :thumb001:

[Mikey]

Or their cable or booze or fags... Grr this annoys me by the way!
Yes, that is the worst, complaining about how poor they are when their booze, cable, and cigarette outlay are more than my total expenditures. My home is paid off and I have simple tastes, so I live pretty inexpensively, but still...:rolleyes2:

[Skandi]

1267

This is how I do it :)

[Vulpix]

1267

This is how I do it :)

It looks like you have a "REDUCED" labels printing machine :D.

[Loki]

1267

This is how I do it :)

Wow, those "reduced" prices are fantastic!! I see them sometimes here at Waitrose, but they're never so good and on so many products. I wish there was a Tesco around here ...

[Skandi]

Sainsburys actually reduce theirs more to %20 of the original price but the pictures I have happen to be a Tesco shop, Asda and Morrisons, are awful and Waitrose doesn't exist up here. Just need to get to the shop at the right time :)

[Loki]

Sainsburys actually reduce theirs more to %20 of the original price but the pictures I have happen to be a Tesco shop, Asda and Morrisons, are awful and Waitrose doesn't exist up here. Just need to get to the shop at the right time :)

There is a big Sainsbury nearby, but it's about 40 mins walk.

[Fortis in Arduis]

There is a big Sainsbury nearby, but it's about 40 mins walk.

Waitrose Online... :wink

I will not buy from these other supermarkets because the quality is so terrible.

[Skandi]

Somebody has too much money then :) I like Waitrose but there isn't one with in 100 miles and they are so expensive it hurts

[Vargtand]

When I was young, childless, and poor, I lived on oatmeal. Nothing makes a filling meal like a warm cup of oatmeal. :thumb001:

It does not fill me up :( I must have meat!

[RoyBatty]

Waitrose Online... :wink

I will not buy from these other supermarkets because the quality is so terrible.

Their food is generally quite nice although I don't care for their bread. Surprisingly enough Tesco (where I am) sells better Polish / Russian style loaves.

If only Waitrose weren't so painfully expensive....... :(

[ladybright]

Poor people often have a harder time getting fresh produce. If someone has a place to put it a freezer is a really great investment for $150-200. There are non-charity programs like Angel Food Ministries (http://www.angelfoodministries.com/about/frequently_asked_questions.asp) that allow you to purchase low cost quality food. There are many (http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index1.htm) websites (http://www.budget101.com/) and books that will help make things workable for most people. I like thehttp://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tightwad-Gazette-Amy-Dacyczyn/dp/0375752250http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tightwad-Gazette-Amy-Dacyczyn/dp/0375752250. More cooking from scratch and less meat make things much more affordable.

In dire circumstances bean sprouts are a cheap fresh vegetable. Potatoes, onions, cabbage and carrots will always be cheap. Rosehips have lots of vitamin C and can be gathered for the asking. Dried beans and rice are cheap and can be seasoned. Umberto Eco (http://www.themodernword.com/eco/eco_bean.html)respects the bean you can too.

In short being poor makes healthy food harder. Being poor makes many things harder. In almost all cases it is possible to feed a family even if it is not the tastiest or most varied diet.

[Loki]

This is probably the best nutrition you can get for 45p:

http://www.glenryck.co.uk/images/products/pilchardcans4.jpg

Protein, vitamins, fatty acids ... you can live on this stuff with bread.

[Osweo]

This is probably the best nutrition you can get for 45p:

http://www.glenryck.co.uk/images/products/pilchardcans4.jpg

Protein, vitamins, fatty acids ... you can live on this stuff with bread.
I saw an African here fill a trolley with a good hundred cans of sardines here a while back, and nothing else... :cool:

I 've lived off tinned sprats and black bread for good long stretches in the past. I'm not poor, though. Just mean.

By the way, am I the only person who shops at Booths?
http://www.booths-supermarkets.co.uk/food-and-drink
Gods, I'm posh...

[Skandi]

Never heard of the place Oswiu, I wouldn't supermarket shop but there is nothing else in aberdeen, a couple of butchers, bakeries but not the type that sell bread, no greengrocers no fish shops... grr

[Osweo]

Never heard of the place Oswiu,
Well, it is awfully exclusive, you know... :wink
It's a bit like the Rosicrucians. You have to be recommended by someone in the know.

there is nothing else in aberdeen,
It always seemed to me that Scotland in general is horrendous for food shopping. The fruit and veg are terrible in quality, as far as I've seen. :confused:

[Skandi]

Well don't forget the farmers market...

Once a month and sells nick nacks and ethnic goods :(

[Rainraven]

We try to eat cheap in my flat but meat would be the hardest thing to get on a budget. You can usually get some sort of in season veges for cheap. To cut down on the price of meals we have lots of stir fries with just a bit of meat cut up small, frozen veges and then lots of rice or noodles to fill up on. We often eat with chop sticks too, makes you eat slower so you feel like you're eating more!! :D

[Absinthe]

Rice, spaghetti, lentils, beans and all kinds of legumes are the cheapest things you can find here.

You can live pretty healthy on them, if you can, at least sparingly, combine them vegetables and some protein source (even the cheap canned fish that you mention).

It's funny how Greeks always whine that everything is too expensive (it is, but that's besides the point), how they can't afford food (yet they can afford credit cards and fancy cars :rolleyes:) and how many of them shall find themselves below the poverty line very soon (due to overconsumming, excessive bank loaning and bad financial management in general).

And I say it's funny because they eat way too much meat (so much for the mediterranean diet ;)), they don't cook and they like to go out to tavernas every second day.

Not that this is bad or contemptible, just don't whine that your paycheck is not enough for you to have a 'decent living'.

Other filthy and costly habits aside (such as driving even to shortest distances), and since this topic is about food specifically, I remember I had an acquaintance that was about 20kg lighter than what would be his normal body weight, he was a student (albeit in his 30s :p) and he constantly whined that he could not afford food and that he was starving.

Now get this -this is hilarious! :D One day he calls me up and tells me he is sick and has nothing to eat, he doesn't even have a slice of bread to eat, etc.
So feeling sorry for him, I went to the bank and sent him money (it was not the first time). I think I sent him about 80 euros, with which at the time, a normal person would have managed to make it through at least two weeks.

So, thinking that he would go to the supermarket and buy supplies for the month, I was at ease.

A couple of hours later he calls me to thank me for the wonderful dinner I provided him with, and asking him what was he having, he said he ordered italian salad and Ostrich filet!! :eek: :D :lol:

Having been left buffled, I was struggling to understand how someone who lives below the poverty line, would take 80bucks and spent at least 1/4 of it in a day, by not only ordering instead of cooking, but also ordering the menu specialty that costs 20bucks!! :eek:

Can you believe it? :rolleyes: And I am mentioning this to show how most of us, having lived in consummerist societies for too long, have become so spoiled that, for many of us, "cannot afford food", means cannot afford to eat out, or cannot afford gourmet plates... :p

[RoyBatty]

We try to eat cheap in my flat but meat would be the hardest thing to get on a budget. You can usually get some sort of in season veges for cheap. To cut down on the price of meals we have lots of stir fries with just a bit of meat cut up small, frozen veges and then lots of rice or noodles to fill up on. We often eat with chop sticks too, makes you eat slower so you feel like you're eating more!! :D

If you like something Mexicano themed try this, it's not too expensive and quite tasty.

200g of the cheapest, most basic unflavoured tortilla chips (not Doritos, it's full of horrible flavouring...yuck)
1 x 400g pack of beef mince
1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 x 400g can of red kidney beans
1 x large onion
Grated cheese
Hot Chili Powder
Cayenne Chili Powder
Onion Salt
Salt
Oregano
Red Hot Chili Peppers (can't be too careful with this stuff) :P
Some cooking (I like olive) oil
Prep dips of choice ex guacamole & sour cream

Stove
Pot
Oven (or Microwave if in a fix)
Electricity / Gas
Can opener
Wooden spoon

1 - Chop up onion
2 - Chop up chili pepper/s
3 - Open cans
4 - Get spices ready
5 - Warm up pot (not too hot)
6 - Add oil
7 - add beef mince
8 - stir a bit to brown the mince
9 - add chopped up onions
10 - add chili powder, cayenne, salt, oreganum, chilis
11 - keep stirring / browning the mince - process should take roughly 5 mins
12 - Once it's browned, add the tin of chopped tomatoes and stir
13 - let it simmer a bit in the uncovered pot, stir a bit at time. Keep this up for about 12 minutes.
14 - In the meantime (yes this involves multitasking) chuck the tortilla chips on a baking pan or your serving dish of choice, grated cheese on top. Oven / microwave it till the cheese melts.
15 - After about 12 mins, add red kidney beans to mincemix and keep it simmering for roughly another 5 mins. Stir a bit.
16 - Retrieve tortillas, add mince concoction
17 - Serve with dips
18 - Chow down! It should serve about 3 to 4 people depending on your appetite!

[Hilding]

Just a little reflection about what you have written:

How many people actually eat the right things for the best nutrition? Many people eat CRAP and EXPENSIVE crap like half fabricated food and stuff with all kinds of chemicals in it. If one have to buy cheaper food it doesn't have to be less healthy than the crap people usually digest. Do you understand what I mean? Many people are also overweight because they don't eat right, they eat expensively but still not right. Many of those will actuslly be HEALTHIER when eating cheaper food that perhaps take some extra time in the kitchen to make well tasting.

[Frigga]

Here's another way to get your protein, but on the cheaper end.

Eggs. Eggs are a wonderful food source, that have every compound needed to build a living body, as it is what makes a chick. All you need is Vitamin C, as that is the only thing it lacks. Eating two every morning for breakfast costs less then $1, a lot cheaper than those crappy boxed cold breakfast cereals. As far as cereal goes, oatmeal is a good breakfast too. Just be sure to soak it overnight at room temperature in warm water, and either yogurt, whey, lemon juice, or raw apple cider vinegar. That way the phytic acid in the oats is neutralized. Then, after you cook it, be certain to add lots of butter. It is more sustaining when you add enough butter. Sally Fallon, the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, uses half a cube every time she eats her oatmeal, and I've met her in person, and I will let you know that she is a trim woman, with not a line on her face at the age of 60. She's probably an American size 12, but for a woman of her age, that's normal. So, eat real butter, even cheap supermarket butter, it doesn't matter. Just eat real butter, and as much as your body tells you you need. Your body is very good at communicating with you, you just have to listen.

Most people will turn their noses up at organ meats, prefering the muscle cuts of the animal. But, if you look at the nutritional profiles, liver has about 20 times more nutitrients ounce for once then even the most tender filet mignon. Liver is such a powerhouse of nutritients like Vitamin A, D, essential fatty acids, very-long-chain superunsaturated fatty acids, and macro, and trace minerals. How can you incorporate liver into your diet on the cheaper side? If you like liver and onions, eat that once a week, or at least twice a month. If you don't like liver and oninons, you can make pate, and freeze it in 1 cup, or 1/2 cup containers, and go through one container a week. Here's the recipe from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. If you get liver at about $2 or less a pound, and one bottle of white wine, which will go towards more then one batch of pate, then the most expensive thing left is the mushrooms, as long as they're not plain old button mushrooms with little nutritive qualities. If you're a confident fungi scholar, you could even gather them yourself, and save some money. You can use chicken, duck, or even beef liver for this recipe. Also, I use twice as much butter in the final step as called for, as I accidently did this the first time, and liked it so much better then my mom's, which used the correct amount, that I use a whole cube instead of a half cube. It makes it creamier. If you do not have a food processor, then I hope that you know someone who has one that you can borrow. I borrow my moms. If not, then save your pennies, or buy one used, as I think that a food processor is a wonderful invention. This is also a good party dish, as it feeds a lot of appetizer servings, and isn't too expensive.

Chicken Liver Pate
serves 12-18
3 Tablespoons butter
1 pound chicken or duck liver, or a combination
1/2 pound mushrooms, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped (I use a 1/4 pound)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine, or vermouth
1 clove garlic, mashed
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 stick butter, softened (I use a whole stick)
sea salt

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add livers, onions, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until livers are browned. Add wine, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, and herbs. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is gone. Allow to cool. Process in a food processor with softened butter. Season to taste. Don't skimp on the salt! It'll need more then you think. Taste often.

You can now freeze it in small portions. Try to have your pate at least twice a week.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, you can also make stock from the bones of the animal, and you get vital nutrients and minerals from the meaty joints and bones that are otherwise discarded. Get the largest pot you have, and add an appropriate amount of meaty bones, and joints, like chicken backs, feet, necks, wing tips, for chicken stock. For beef stock, you want the knuckles, neck bones, calves feet, tail, etc. You want a lot of cartilage. Gelatin comes from cartilage. Plain Jello is actually healthy for you! :eek: You add cold water. Don't fill it up too high. The stock will expand. Better to add less water, and add more later, then to add too much, and have hot water spill all over your stovetop. Then you add a healthy dash of raw vinegar, like apple cider vinegar. The bigger the batch of stock, the more vinegar you need. For about 6-8 pounds, you'd need a 1/4 cup at least. Don't worry if your pot smells like vinegar. It won't end up tasting like it. This is very important. The vinegar draws out the minerals from the bones, and allows you to take them in when you drink your stock. Let it sit for 1 hour. Then bring to a boil, and skim off all the foam that comes up. Bring down the temperature so that it gently bubbles. Cover, and leave it! Chicken stock I think needs a minimum of 24 hours. Beef stock a minimum of 48 hours. I simmer my stock for at least three days. Afterwards, you will have a lot of bones and meat. You will also have a lot of fat. Don't throw away the fat!! Save it, and use it to cook with. Skim off the fat first, and then strain the meat and bones out. If the chicken bones crumple in your fingers, then that's great!! That means that all of the minerals are now in your precious stock. If you have pets, use the leftover meat and bones as treats. Now you have the most important ingredient in your kitchen. You can drink the broth straight, (it's really good for a hangover) or use it as your soup base. If you can't afford meat, no worries! Just be certain to add sprouted, soaked grains and legumes to your soup, and you'll be fine!

If you cook bacon, then don't throw away your bacon fat! Strain it, and save it to cook with. You can cook your eggs in it, vegetables, and if you're making baked beans or the like, you can saute the onions in bacon fat, even if you can't afford to add more bacon to the pot. Think of all the money you'll save by cooking with bacon fat, instead of using cooking oils and butter! It's actually quite a lot. Plus it adds a nice smoky flavor to your cooking. People will beg to know your secret. ;)

:)