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Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 4:27 pm
by GORDON
From here.
Edited By GORDON on 1226174437
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 5:59 pm
by TPRJones
I'm fat because I'm very very lazy.
EDIT: Well, it's also partially genetic. But mostly because of the lazy thing.
Edited By TPRJones on 1191276597
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:11 pm
by Malcolm
As w\ anything (including food), the rule is usually, "Crap is cheaper."
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:37 pm
by thibodeaux
Who on Earth thinks poor people eat a lot of fast food because that's all they can afford? Fast Food is expensive.
If poor people are easting a lot of fast food, I think the causality arrow might be pointing the other way: they're poor because they don't know how to manage their money. So they're probably stupid.
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:38 pm
by TheCatt
At McDonalds, you can get a double-cheeseburger for $1.
And eating a 5-oz "steak" and a potato isn't exactly healthy.
Try getting the price of fresh fruit and veggies. Shit's expensive. I'm with Malcolm, the best for you food is usually more expensive.
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:39 pm
by TheCatt
Oh, on a related note. The wife and I have finally settled into a post-baby routine of fresh food for dinner every night, no more eating out/frozen dinners.
Our grocery bills are up $100/week, and our eating out bill is down $50/week.
But we are eating better.
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:44 pm
by thibodeaux
TheCatt wrote:At McDonalds, you can get a double-cheeseburger for $1.
Bah. I thought we were talking about food.
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:45 pm
by GORDON
thibodeaux wrote:Who on Earth thinks poor people eat a lot of fast food because that's all they can afford? Fast Food is expensive.
I'm pretty sure it was on this forum that something like that was posted, and I made the comment along the lines of, "USA is the greatest country in the world because our poor people eat so much that there's an obesity problem" or some such thing.
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:48 pm
by TheCatt
I have no idea why you think fast food is expensive? I used to live off 99-cent quarter-pound cheeseburgers and pasta in college when I was poor.
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:50 pm
by GORDON
TheCatt wrote:At McDonalds, you can get a double-cheeseburger for $1.
And eating a 5-oz "steak" and a potato isn't exactly healthy.
Try getting the price of fresh fruit and veggies. Shit's expensive. I'm with Malcolm, the best for you food is usually more expensive.
Next time I'm at the grocery story I'll take notes. But I'm pretty sure you can get a healthy meal for $3, even with fruits and veggies.
And the "steak" is good. Very lean. The wife eats them because they are a good size for her. My son eats them because he eats like a pig.
I was eating the 16 ounce strips, but I'm on a diet now so I'm cutting down to the 8 ouncers.
And what is unhealthy about a steak and baked potato, anyway?
Edited By GORDON on 1191279058
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:54 pm
by TheCatt
The lack of vitamins and fiber?
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:57 pm
by GORDON
Well, you lost me with the hippy-talk.
Does that make a steak and potato junk food?
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 7:03 pm
by TheCatt
Certainly better than the doublecheeseburger and fries.
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:48 pm
by Malcolm
I find that fruit (fresh or juice) is usually the most expensive part of my grocery bills cos I don't want processed sugar shit mixing w\ my vodka. & if you want to figure the extreme end of stretching shit out, it's all about the ramen. While it certainly won't kill you, man cannot live on starch & salt alone.
Edited By Malcolm on 1191286445
Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:19 am
by thibodeaux
TheCatt wrote:I have no idea why you think fast food is expensive? I used to live off 99-cent quarter-pound cheeseburgers and pasta in college when I was poor.
You bought pasta at a fast-food place?
Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:36 am
by TheCatt
thibodeaux wrote:TheCatt wrote:I have no idea why you think fast food is expensive? I used to live off 99-cent quarter-pound cheeseburgers and pasta in college when I was poor.
You bought pasta at a fast-food place?
No, grocery store. Ramen and such.
And 8 for $1 stale doughnuts after midnight.
Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:45 am
by thibodeaux
So...why didn't you stick with just fast food if it's so cheap?
Regardless, I decided to do some research. I stopped off at the Super WalMart's this morning. There you can buy a loaf of bread (24 slices) for a dollar, a tube of nasty-ass hamburger meat (70% meat) for $1/lb, and 24 slices of cheese for $2.50. You can homebrew a "Royale with Cheese" for 44 cents, sans pickles and condiments, of course.
If you want to use nicer meat (85%), that's $3/lb. "Real" round buns are $2/8 buns. This bumps the price up to $1.10. Potatoes are 68cents each. A 2-liter bottle of Sam's cola is 58 cents, and real Coke is a $1.
There's also a McDonald's at the Super Wal-Mart, but they were serving breakfast so I couldn't compare the price of the Wally-Value meal with a similar McDonald's combo.
Now, tell me again that fast food is not expensive.
Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:47 am
by thibodeaux
Oh, and if you want to make a turkey sandwich, instead of a burger, oscar mayer turkey breast slices are a quarter/pound, so a 4-oz turkey sandwich is $1.19.
Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:09 am
by Leisher
I agree with Thib and Gordon here. I think for the price of a single meal, yes it could be argued that fast food is cheaper. However, spread the cost over multiple meals and the grocery store wins every time. At the store you buy ingredients that can last multiple meals. Fast food places sell you a single meal.
Another thing I'll point out is that a lot of people grow their own vegetables, spices, and such. I realize that may not be an option for some folks, but it is a variable that should be included in this argument. I mean, we are talking about lower food costs.
Also, despite the horseshit depicted in that documentary about the guy living off McDonald's, it IS possible to eat healthy there. Incidentally, another less publicized documentary made to prove the original wrong proved this point. The guy in the second one lived off McDonald's only and improved his health.
Remember, it's not just a question of costs, but also eating habits. Sure, a double cheeseburger may cost a $1, but that doesn't mean you need 4 of them.
I will concede that fruit costs a shitload as Malcolm points out.
That being said, my favorite fast food contest is back.
Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:24 am
by TheCatt
So, I've yet to see how eating healthy is cheaper than fast food?
Also, you have to factor in the time component of prepping food vs. fast food into the costs.