Cost of this debacle called, euphemistically, a recession

[hyphenate]

We cannot win. The cost is going up for everything, and yet, we are not getting anything of better value than we did a couple of years ago.

Tonight, we went to a local chain of restaurants, Papa Gino's. Anyone from Massachusetts, RI or CT (and perhaps other parts of NE) can tell you, it's cheap, and the food isn't horrible, and for what you pay, you can fill up pretty well on pizza, subs, pasta--the usual suspects.

When I first came back to NE 5 years ago, I couldn't wait to get to a PGs. After an incredibly long time in SoCal, with a dearth of good, cheap Italian food (and no, Pizza Hut or Shakey's or Dominoes can't even compare to PGs), I simply wanted some cheese pizza. The "value" menu had two slices of pizza and a fountain drink for $4.19. About two years ago, "inflation" brought that cost to $4.49. And now, that SAME exact item costs $5.49, a whole $1 price change, which floored me.

It isn't just the cost of a single menu item at a chain of restaurants--this past weekend, I did the bulk of my grocery shopping, and got nothing out of the ordinary, and yet, the cost of my groceries was almost DOUBLE what it would have cost a year ago. $130, versus $70!

And yet I live on a fixed income, and I'm supposed to be buying "healthy" items instead of high starch foods, but what else can I afford? Soups, for example, have extremely high sodium content, and as a diabetic, I'm supposed to eat more protein, more produce, and avoid the only foods I can afford--pasta, rice, beans, potatoes.....Sometimes I feel I live in a third world country, and that the United States is across an ocean or more than one, and I am slowly starving to death. And please don't tell me that I'm exaggerating or being politically incorrect, because the sentiment behind that statement is that you have to be pretty well off to be able to eat like doctors want you to, and for what is good for your health. There is ample evidence that poorer people are more overweight than those in a higher income bracket, and it's also plain to see that for many like myself, buying fish, lean meats or healthier choices is impossible unless we had the opportunity to grow our own vegetables and fruits, preserve them, catch our own fish, and perhaps set up a small butcher shop in the backyard.

We're supposedly living in one of the "richest" countries in the world, and yet probably more than 2/3 of the population survive on high fat and carbohydrate diets, leading to weight problems, high cholesterol, diabetes and early heart attacks.

As a side note, I ended up with the spaghetti and meatballs, and not the pizza.

[bbinacan]

1. Try this

go to your farmer's market. You can get good quality at a lower price.

My God, does everyone here bitch, moan, and complain about something they can control?

[colorado thinker]

2. That was harsh.

[My Good Babushka]

3. try this

not being such a dick. The OP is right. Low income people have fewer food choices. The farmer's markets are one morning a week here, and if you have to work, too bad. I get FREE farmer's markets coupons from WIC, and it is still hard to get to them. Even a ten dollar coupon only gets enough fresh produce for a few days. I only get four coupons for the whole season.

[bbinacan]

5. Bullshit

I have found that when I need to lose a few pounds, my cost of food drops. I eat more veggies, leaner meat, and I stay away from high fat restaurants.

Lower income people DO have choices that are less expensive.

Why don't you quit being an uniformed dick?

[My Good Babushka]

7. Just because it's your fat experience

doesn't mean it's universally true. Fresh fruits and veggies are more expensive than canned. Someone maybe can walk you into a store and point that out for you. And if you can go out to eat in restaurants, your standard of living is a little different than mine. One meal in a restaurant for a family of four would be our whole grocery bill for a week. You're full of baloney. Insensitive baloney, too. The worst kind.

[bbinacan]

13. Fat experience?

I'm 5'9" and when I get to 185 lbs. I go on a diet. My ideal weight is about 165 lbs. due to my build. My experience is that when I eat a more healthy diet, be it fresh or canned, I save a bunch of money. This last Sunday I spent all of $5 for food. Breakfast was a Nutri Grain breakfast bar. Lunch was vegetable beef soup. Dinner was a Healthy Choice meal of Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo.

It can be done.

Baloney? Yes you are more than full of it.

[hyphenate]

4. Actually

I would probably do that if

a) I had transportation of my own, and didn't have to rely on others to take me places;

b) Could walk instead of limp everywhere, with a cane to keep from falling;

c) Had a farmers market close enough to get to without paying for a cab;

d) Didn't have to struggle to get up and down two flights of stairs everytime I went out;

e) Had a few dollars left over to pay for such items.

It makes it difficult to go out, and I am homebound quite a bit. Over the really harsh winter we had, I think I got out only about five times a month, and many of those were for doctor appointments. It sucks, but welcome to my world. :)

[bbinacan]

6. Why don't you

call the market and ask if they are willing to deliver? I bet they would. Farmers are good folks.

[hyphenate]

10. If I knew any farmers, that might be a way to do it

But I live in the second largest city in Massachusetts, and the closest farm area is nowhere available unless I ask one of those favors from a friend.

I know that it's difficult for some people to understand the limitations some of us have in terms of getting around, or who are dealing with physical illnesses, but I can't expect everyone to be aware of these things unless they have been in similar straits of their own. But perhaps by illustrating some of the ordinary things made enormously out of the ordinary by health and physical problems, perhaps someone will be able to relate easier.

Sort of like making people walk in someone else's shoes for awhile. I never was able to truly relate to a friend's illness until I spent a day with her, and learned how difficult the simplest (to me) task had become for her.

[Pale Blue Dot]

8. Try this.

See the economy as a whole. See that it's going to effect you, one way or the other. See that you can't snark this economy away with a pithy comment on an internet message board. See that you can help make a change by being sensitive and empathetic, rather than being judgmental and harsh.

Good luck. You're going to need it.

[bbinacan]

12. Try this

I have a BA in Economics from The University of North Carolina. I am empathetic but, there are other avenues that can be pursued.

See that you respond with one half of an intelligent response. Good luck. You're going to need it.:eyes:

[magellan]

9. Great post. It's especially difficult for those with health concerns

...like you with diabetes, a condition that can't be fooled around with.

My husband has high cholesterol, which isn't as pressing on a daily basis as diabetes but still needs to be watched. Since we can't afford healthcare I've learned to manage it through diet. Higher prices have caused our grocery bill to double in the last year or so.

Not too long ago I was standing in line behind an older couple who were buying what looked to be every bit of junk food possible -- plus bottled water. :crazy: Their bill was $70 for around nine plastic bags full. I bought considerably less (hard to say by how much because I use my own grocery bags) and the total was $135.

I bake a lot -- bread, etc -- so we eat healthier and save money. The closest farmer's market is a 20 minute drive and very small, and obviously doesn't sell things like flour, fish and soy burgers. And since my husband isn't about to become a vegan, relying on that for all we need is impossible.

Bush**'s economy will kill many Americans.

[Nay]

11. Hyphenate, please consider Angel Food Ministries. For $30, you can

get about $80 worth of food, most of it suitable for a diabetic. For an extra (I think) $25, you can get their meat or produce special box. Any friend can pick this up for you, there's no need to go yourself. Go to their website, www.angelfoodministries.com, for locations and descriptions of next month's food box. It really is a good deal.