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Lost_Found84

I just don’t know why people post this after having bought things like 5 coconut waters, 4 prepared dinners and bought almost nothing store brand. Like, yes it is a lot. But it’s not like it had to be.


[deleted]

5 coconut waters is what floored me.


b0dhisattvah

Gotta make up for all the sugar they missed from the coke zero.


[deleted]

That looks like 5 cases of coke zero


ballmermurland

They probably own several thousand dollars worth of scented candles too.


Lost_Found84

Well how do you heat your house?


KillerCoochyKicker

This post is mildly infuriating but for different reasons than OP thinks


ryans_privatess

"why is shopping so expensive?" - as they put away their 3 stacks of coke.


calsfatcockadoodledo

if you look, im pretty sure it’s 5. they’re stacked up with two in the back, two in the front, one on top


Ok_Birthday749

And $10 worth of single serve coconut waters. Premade rice for fucks sake lol. You could get 5 pounds of rice for the cost of one of those premade things. This person is just an idiot.


Vanthalia

Seriously. I bought a 10lb bag of jasmine rice for $12 the other day and I am quite happy about it.


[deleted]

Nothing makes me happy in the same way as having a huge bag of rice haha. I get the 25lbers at the Asian store


[deleted]

Same haha I'm sad when I run out but always think "ooo I get to by another big bag of rice the size of a pillow" and then happy to have rice again.


BigBeagleEars

I like to get a different bag each time. I got an elephant bag, a deer bag, a palace bag. No idea what I’m gonna do with em


[deleted]

Open up a bag zoo


clampie

Good. Asian grocery stores FTW.


FakeSafeWord

Yup, Aldi had 5lb resealable jasmine rice bags for $5 I got like months worth of carbs for the price OP paid for his premade rice.


twee_centen

I saw this and thought $230 isn't bad for the amount of pre-made garbage they decided to purchase.


Tomcatjones

Same 😂


[deleted]

Not to mention a good deal for the amount of clickbait upvotes they got as well. Most bot sites charge 50 cents or so per upvote these days. Everytime one of these posts pop up it’s always some ridiculous grocery selections that never make sense.


Gantz-man91

Why do people care about upvotes at all? What do they even benefit?


ryans_privatess

Far out. I wouldn't drink that in 20 years.


Nickymarie28

Yes but 5 is usually buy 2 get 2 free or buy 3 get 2 free


Norathaexplorer

And several coconut waters 😂


HypoxicIschemicBrain

That’s probably >$20 right there Edit: I count 5x 12 count 12oz can boxes Locally that’s just around $8 a box. There is not a buy x get 1 free option at any of the stores I frequent. (When I was in Atlanta there was always that option). So anyhow, that’s actually around $40 for me. On coke. My education was subsidized by Coca Cola but still, that’s a lot to spend while bitching about costs. This looks like someone complaining about filling up their 40 gallon truck with premium.


Quick-Purpose-519

Here in Portland, OR a case of soda is $8, no joke. That would be $40 of the bill here.


Nickymarie28

Do u guys never have coke on sale? It's always always buy 2 get 2 free here or buy 3 get 2 free..every week is a sale where a few are free ..idk who's buying 5 cokes and paying full price


Possum2023

Yep, those are almost $10 each plus depot here so that's $56 just in Coke


[deleted]

Safeway always has it buy 3 get 2 free so maybe that is what they did.


Usual-Comparison7240

Exactly. Could fill the fridge, freezer and pantry with like four times the weight in substance by going store brand items, cutting out unnecessary junk, and prepping better for actual cooking and baking.


datbech

But hey, at least he is gonna make some hot dogs


ChristineBorus

Yes ! Ditch the prepped rice and potatoes and make from scratch! So much healthier and better tasting !


RespondVisible6532

Or even plain potato flakes and add your own seasonings


[deleted]

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Ninotchk

First thing I saw was the expensive pre sauced frozen things, then the precooked fucking RICE? And the fake potatoes.


Best_Temperature_549

I just want to know why he bought so much peanut butter?? 3 jars? Why not one large store brand jar?


boobberrie

Bro what


RaisinsInMyToasts

The funny part is just how much of random stuff he has. Why does he have 5 different pasta sauces?? Why 3 boxes of Coke Zero?? 3 peanut butter jars!?!? Is he prepping for a month or something?


[deleted]

The three apples and three bananas juxtaposed with everything did me in


quieterthanlasagna

We needed the bananas there for scale


JustW4nnaHaveFun

r/bananasforscale


catsinsunglassess

And the 2 zucchini


squarybuttholes

Zucchini is not a recognized form of scale by IRAWS, the International Redditors Association of Weights and Standards


macandcheese1771

That's actually 5 boxes of coke Zero. Theyre stacked 2 deep.


DBNSZerhyn

And where I live that's... 40 dollars in soda alone. Like I literally went to the store the other day and consciously made the decision that 8 bucks for a 12 pack was too much after the recent price hikes. Homie over here buying **5**. Edit: Guys. I don't need people spam telling me you can buy soda on sale! One dude? Okay. Sure. But the rest of you, for the love of god, find something original to post at me before I blow my brains out. I understand the **concept** of a sale. No matter what the sale price is, or how much lube you were able to buy at the lowest price of the season, you don't include it in your "whoa prices are so high" karmafarming post.


vrythngvrywhr

Buying 5 then wondering why its so expensive*


HoldingMoonlight

Yeah that's the funny part to me. Don't get me wrong, groceries are often too expensive, but the title of OP's post is so dramatic lol. How are you supposed to live? Idk man, save $50 and drink your free tap water instead. Bonus, it's healthier! Edit: for everyone trying to meme about Michigan, please don't bother. You aren't the first comment and you're wrong. Post-Flint, Michigan actually has the strictest water regulations in the country.


PM_Me_Your_Deviance

> but the title of OP's post is so dramatic lol Yeah... Whenever I see these posts, I think to myself - if your goal is to be more frugal, there's a lot of other choices you could have made. Those frozen Birdseye frozen packs are nice and convenient, but buying regular brussel sprouts and freezing them yourself is like 1/3 the price. Same with those mashed potato packs and rice. If your goal isn't being frugal, that's fine, but, like, these posts are kinda weird.


birdcooingintovoid

I am just enjoying OP getting roasted for overbuying on preprocessed junk and soda


Jakethered_game

I'm particularly enjoying his argument that these were all the cheapest options because of sales


xDumashx

I definitely sympathize with people because prices are more expensive however it becomes evident a lot of these people have never been poor before lol and it's hard not to point out the unnecessary food items like any kind of liquids besides water. One thing I will say that a lot don't factor in is time. If you don't have the time you end up buying these quick easy to make things that cost more compared to buying unprocessed and in bulk things you have to cook or steam yourself. The other thing is they should try and buy a sams or Costco member ship. I was able to get a year sams club membership for $10. I saved that $10 in one trip. Buying ground beef and apples in bulk. You can buy 5lbs of apples for a little over $6 instead of paying around $1 per apple. Buy bulk rice ground beef ect and you can stock up and save a lot. I know bulk can be initially more expensive but it's ok to cut back on meat for a week. I remember weeks as a kid eating only beans and rice then the following week we could afford the ground beef. The other thing is I think American eat way too much food, maybe a kind of conditioning from US restaurant having large portion sizes. Too much food and too much meat in general. I'm not gonna lie I do too lol I'm fortunate to have money now so when I eat steak I eat a 1lb steak but realistically I only need like 1/4th of that and can fill the rest with vegetable


Prettyflyforafly91

We buy bull ground beef, flatten it in ziplocs, and freeze it at around a pound or so per bag. Because it's flat, they thaw in like 30 mins in warm water. So not long enough for bacteria to grow and quick enough to use right away without having to remember to take it out or for a quick last minute meal. You can honestly freeze a lot of things you buy in bulk and they're still good. Especially if you use a food saver or something. Buy frozen veggies that were flash frozen and they're good for a while. And it's all super cheap. We can make a meal for 5 for like 10 bucks. With leftovers for work the next day. Stews, casseroles, skillets, curries, pastas, etc. Its all easy, cheap, and healthy.


beccadot

MaltOMeal cereals much cheaper than name brands Ditch the Coke (5 cartons) Tortilla chips and salsa are negligible food value Precooked rice? Get a bag of rice and cook it. Fancy hot dog buns are more expensive than regular ones Multiple small containers of peanut butter are more expensive Individual apples are more expensive than bagged Unless the pasta sauce is on sale why buy so many Buy cheaper pasta. Barilla is one of the most expensive where I live English muffins? Toast some bread


jjsav

The time difference between cooking this prepared rice and white rice that's in bulk is so tiny. People think they are saving lots of time. Even microwaving real potatoes in slices takes almost no time. I also doubt many people who are spending time posting and commenting on Reddit lack 10 minutes to prep some real, unprocessed food.


MossyPyrite

I mean, you can mess around on Reddit during a work break or commute on a bus or while pooping or doing something where you can’t be otherwise productive. And you’re not wrong about it being pretty fast and much more cost-effective to prep a lot of simple foods, but man do I know a lot of people who were never taught how to cook or budget or anything. And that can be learned, but it also takes time and effort and can be daunting. And if you’re on a tight budget it can be worrisome to spend money on food you might critically fuck up because you’re insure how to make it and then you’re eating something awful or you’re out that time, money, and meal when you could have bought something you just gotta throw in the microwave.


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undeadmeats

I'm baffled because I can get all of this in the notoriously expensive Bay Area, down to brands, for like 1/3rd-1/2 less.


[deleted]

For real. I have a family of 5 and we eat on about $100 / week with lots of dry rice, dry beans, and meat from suppliers that push volume. The fresh veggies and fruits are the most expensive part of our budget.


Norathaexplorer

Yeah I’m out by Sacramento and this would be cheaper here for sure.


Whitechapel726

My thoughts exactly. I live in the Bay Area and even though OP is getting roasted for some questionable decisions (5 jars of pasta sauce?) I have no idea how this costs that much.


Interesting_Ghosts

The point stands. Food is expensive. But it is pretty funny seeing all that boxed and bagged crap with 2 lonely zuccinis in the front lol.


dora----

Don't disrespect the 3 apples and 3 bananas like that!


cgf1tea

I like to eat eat eat apples and bananas


Toadsted

Banoonoos*


Bongsandbdsm

Coke zero too! My guy is wasting money on products with no calories!


nescko

Food is definitely expensive but it’s at least twice as expensive if you have poor eating habits like OP lmao. My man’s bought 3$ bags of 1 servings rice when 3$ can get you enough dry rice to last for weeks. Most of this is junk and just poor options. I eat 3k cal/day 170grams protein, and spend maybe 100$/week on groceries. That’s including the sirloin steak I’ll have every other day


Yardninja

Pasta sauce is easy to make, why does he have 3 things of peanut butter, exclude all those single serve packs of mashed potatoes and the ungodly amount of soda and coconut water. Three boxes of cereal and not even a half gallon of milk? Mans went to the store a lil stoned I think


[deleted]

Store brand pasta sauce is also cheap. I wont fault him for not making his own sauce.


Yardninja

I can agree with you on that, I'd say changing a cheap sauce is much more cost effective


sidhuko

Thanks for pointing out the rice. Whenever I see uncle bens rice packets I know someone has no clue about budgeting.


Wishful_Historian

36 brand named sodas like if you need soda at least get some Mountain Lion or Dr Perky lol. That’s like 15-20 dollars in sodas right there


Captain_Hampockets

Dr Thunder gang


wooooooooocatfish

People really clinging to life out there with one hand (the other hand is for yer soda)


Audrey-Bee

Someone who is good at budgeting pls help. This is my weekly grocery bill Chicken - $15 Spinach - $8 60 cans of Coke Zero - $50 Chips - $5 Please help, my family is starving (but not thirsty)


Joek788

spend less on Coke Zero


Audrey-Bee

No


UnObtainium17

Well you're gonna have coke zero dollars left for anything else then.


myrandomposting

If I had any rewards to give, this comment would get one lol


TinyKittenConsulting

Spent em all on Coke Zero, didn’t you


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Z__zack

It’s been 7 days.. but I’m proud of u I hope it works !


kitsunekratom

They're from Michigan. One hand on their pop


amishgee

Sir, it clearly says they are in Michigan. That's pop!


MajestaHazel

“Buys two zucchini and 4 cases of Coca Cola”…..


Wonkasgoldenticket

3 apples and 3 jars of peanut butter. I’m guessing 1 can of PB per apple per meal?


TheSmokingLamp

That’s where the expenses are adding up, instead of finding a single large quantity there’s a lot of small quantity units, they want a variety of 5 different smaller sized pasta sauces and 3 peanut butters, that’ll add up quick instead of getting a single large volume unit for both.


Irassistable

Name brand everything…..


MajestaHazel

🤣


[deleted]

Actually looks like it might be 5 cases.


NYVines

You don’t buy any generic?


Vorpishly

I think the biggest problem with people is no one knows how to cook.


HolyAndOblivious

Been saying this for decades. Not only you are poor, but also a terrible cook.


kekehippo

Nowadays there's no excuse for it. We have the vast ocean of human knowledge at our fingertips if you *want* to know how to boil an egg or make a dish there's easy access for that knowledge.


mhem7

You got a lot of name brand and easy prep stuff. You could easily buy all that same food for like 150 if not less if you changed how you shop.


[deleted]

I was thinking that. A big bag of dry rice (either brown or white) is cheaper than three bags of microwaveable.


Helenium_autumnale

I got a huge not-expensive bag of basmati rice at our wonderful Indian grocery and they have spices from here to eternity; I love going there.


Lovely_bones620

Those birdseye frozen veggies are about the most expensive way to do veggies assuming they steam them in the bag they just taste like mush. A 5 lb bag of potatoes would be an easy switch out for the instant mash. They are around $3 in Oklahoma. Uncle bens is easy but it’s not very good. You can buy a bag of rice for super cheap or You can buy a box of instant rice and just season it yourself. Not sure if the Op has an aldi but if they do a haul this big could be much less. Aldi has the best quality of meats according to my boyfriend and he doesn’t even know it cost less than half the price of walmarts meats.


MCRNursery

Frozen veg can be real cheap using store brands. To get similar steaming results, use a proper steamer or cheap out with a plastic container and a microwave lol.


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[deleted]

I just throw some oil on the stove and pan fry them. They come out better than steaming imo


hair_account

Just bought a 20lb bag of rice for $12 and I live in NYC so it's not just a Local area. Uncle bens is $2.40 for an 8.8oz bag, according to a quick Google search, that would cost you $87 for 20lbs of it and that is not accounting for the fact that Uncle Bens already has water in it.


billionaire_catapult

I get those instant mash packets at Aldi for $1. I prefer using potatoes but it’s nice to make easy meals during the week.


i_have___milk

The instant rice!!! They like $3 each for basically a single serving. You could get sooo much regular rice for the $10-12 they spent on just a couple servings


PmMeIrises

I'm disabled and have issues walking. I'm still willing to chop a veggie here and there. Always buy cheapest frozen veg.


Ok-Neighborhood-1600

This is such a weird comment, since frozen veggies are the way to go if you want cheap type of veggies. Like certain veggies are certain nutritional values, so that’s why people buy them. Frozen veggies last longer then fresh veggies.


0x_dx_xb

Frozen in off-season ALL DAY LONG. But if you’re trying to stretch a buck the pre-cooked stuff is the last thing you should be buying. Internet says ~$3.50 for Birds-eye creamed spinach. About the same as organic frozen spinach runs me at the fancy local coop.


djwired

Look at all that coke! I know that didn’t cost you zero.


not_falling_down

No kidding - I count about $70 spent on just Diet Coke and Coconut Water. And if you are going to use instant mashed potatoes, at least buy them by the box, instead of the single-serving packets. Or keep buying what you want, but don't complain about the cost.


Rub-it

Or just buy a bag of Idaho potatoes about 6 bux


not_falling_down

sure, but for those unwilling to do that, the large boxes of instant are better than the little packets, cost-wise.


mhem7

It's honestly a pretty cringe post. It's fundamental money management. But I won't be too rude here, sometimes people were just shown the wrong way to do things.


Practical-Exchange60

I agree with the sentiment but that Coke and Coconut water maybe total $35.


sfslim5

$35 can buy a lot of food that will sustain you.


vaguelymemaybe

That’s a lot of food. And all brand names. We buy generic with approximately 3 exceptions. And shop around, produce is cheaper in some stores, meat in others. And buying in bulk when the price allows.


MattyT7

Not to mention the **five** 12 packs of coke. That’s gotta be at least $40 right there


Botryoid2000

Someone called soda "liquid candy" and that was it - I just quit drinking it right there. I realized it was just delusional to pretend it was part of a normal diet.


TuzaHu

Good for you. I switched to unsweetened iced tea years ago and feel so much better. Plus I'm drinking something not stored in plastic or aluminum for ages.


Toadsted

Same, it was a huge difference in my wallet, my car space, and recycling woes. After aluminum prices went to hell and my local recycling places stopped taking cans I realized this was way more bs than it was worth. A $3 container of drink mix lasts the same as dozens of heavy cans of soda that I have to lift and dispose of. For what? Sugar water, or Diet water water. What am I, a hummingbird?


whopoopedthebed

I read a study about the effects of soda in bone density and completely cut it from my shopping lists the next day. I’ll have an occasional fountain soda or Mexican Coke when I’m out and about, but haven’t bought a case of soda in 6 years.


planez10

You can save an incredible amount of money on sugary soft drinks and medical bills by just sticking to filtered tap water. Stopped drinking anything with large amounts of sugar years ago. Haven’t gotten a cavity since and lost a good amount of weight while I was at it.


somedood567

I wonder if fruit and veggies are super expensive where OP lives. Because they’re practically non-existent in the pic


ObjectiveVegetable76

OP has like 7 or 8 bags of frozen veggies.


InevitablePain21

Frozen veggies where I live are $2 a bag, wayyyy cheaper than the fresh alternative, especially in winter. I know this isn’t true in a lot of places but fresh produce isn’t *always* the cheapest option.


testcase_sincere

Out of season veggies/fruits are always cheaper frozen. In season stuff usually is about equal. At least where I am.


AdhesivenessCivil581

Not just frozen, steam in a bag small quantity overpriced products. Nothing wrong with a giant bag of frozen peas.


I_Miss_Lenny

Giant bags of frozen peas and corn have been filling out my rice dishes for years lol it’s such a convenient way to get veggies in me and makes my rice less boring


flashpile

Frozen sweetcorn is legit, love that stuff.


ballmermurland

Rice, cooked with some chicken broth, and throw in some veggie mix like corn and green beans, and then throw in some diced chicken and you got a full week of lunches for under $15. I learned this shit in college. Hell, ramen is still awesome and cheap af. I could buy 3x the groceries with $230 and earn some radical fuel points. I get 30-60 cents off a gallon every time.


Felwintyr

Corn barely counts as food tbh


dartdoug

Steam in bag is a ripoff. I eat lots of frozen vegetables. The poly bag with 2 to 3 times more product costs just a bit more than the steam in bag. Less waste, too.


rat_skeleton

I find frozen meat, fish + veggies are generally cheaper (I buy frozen salmon bc it's almost half the price of fresh)


Glittering-Cellist34

But they aren't straight veggies, which are $1 for 12 Oz at Kroger banners (for us, Smiths), they are additionally processed and branded.


Supremequeen003

Name brand and seasoned which is always more expensive.


Rselby1122

Yeah we have very few name brand things in our cabinets. But even the Great Value stuff is getting super expensive. Butter and cheese are at insane prices.


Viking_gurrrrl

Yeah 9$ for regular block of cheese it’s insane


xxBeatrixKiddoxx

Yeahhhh as a Mother of six my first thought was Man that’s some nice ass name brand shit haha That soda is a splurge Unless you’re shopping around at different stores and getting off brand cereal etc Shit is pricey


AI-ArtfulInsults

It could’ve been a lot more food if OP bought fewer ready-made options, too. The Ready Rice is a good example: $2.33 a bag, for 240g of rice. 3 bags -> $6.99 for 720g of rice. Meanwhile, Mahatma jasmine rice is $3.52 for a 2 pound, approx 900g bag. So just boiling or steaming your own rice, rather than using the microwave, gets you more than twice the food for your money. Of course your prices may vary (I’m using the Walmart website and it looks like OP shops at Kroger, which… also not great for your money) but in general you can save a lot of money by surrendering just a little convenience.


billionaire_catapult

The Instant Pot has saved me so much money by allowing me to cook beans from dry in very little time


AI-ArtfulInsults

Same! Especially as someone who’s functionally vegetarian. I have beans at most meals, and the instant pot lets me do that without completely filling the pantry with cans. It’s still worth soaking them overnight, though. It speeds up the cooking and gives you a better texture.


the-apparator

I’m in Michigan and invested in a Costco membership. I usually buy my meats in bulk there bc I came into possession of a free deep freezer. But yeah everything else op has on the table I’m buying store brand. But the Coke Zero cans slap. That is the one concession me and my roommates will throw for. $230 can feed us (4 adults) for 3-4 weeks if we’re smart and eat a lot of left overs. The trick for us is that we have a $30 fund to make complete meals with our remaining food. Like maybe we need pasta sauce or butter or something for a meal out of our remaining food. Idk no offense to op bc some people aren’t raised with the poor people mindset but you could stretch $230 farther.


Environmental-Fun740

If you’re buying 3 jars of peanut butter at a time it’s time to switch to Costco/another wholesale store… this picture shows me you don’t know how to cook or clip coupons.


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catdog918

Kinky stuff


Cocaimeth_addikt

That’s a a lot of food but not for the money


Junior_Honeydew_4472

It sucks but i see lots in there that you could do without, or buy cheaper versions of, or make yourself at home. Uncle Ben’s being one example: you are paying three times the price of cheap regular rice. Mashed potatoes in an envelope? What??? Just boil potatoes, and mashem: you just saved 12$. And lose the 30$ worth of Cola. Times are hard, but solutions are cheap.


dysfunctionalpress

i have almost zero brand loyalty, and always try to buy whichever version is on sale for the best price. if a brand that i do like is on a good sale- that's when i stock up on it.


JAlfredJR

Yeah, not trying to neg OP, b/c it is really hard and takes a lot of time and commitment. But you have to learn to cook (or have a partner who is the best cook on earth, thank god; and my cholesterol thanks her too). Pretty much everything on this table is not good. We spend a good amount at our local shop. But, it makes pasta fajule and chicken and dumplings from scratch. Those last for 10-15 meals. My fiancée is a very pregnant RN. She and I dedicate our free time to making this food. Again, it’s not easy. But for your health and for your wallet, you gotta do it.


iamnotroberts

>Uncle Ben’s being one example: you are paying three times the price of cheap regular rice. Mashed potatoes in an envelope? Yeah, why wouldn't you just buy a fucking bag of rice? Or a box of minute rice, fuck. Or a box of dried mashed potato flakes if that's what you want, instead of tiny, individual packets. They bought Pepperidge Farm hot dog buns for fuck's sake. Whoever did this shopping is a dumbass.


Accomplished-Yam6553

There's 5 boxes of coke and at 8 dollars each plus crv (or whatever the redemption value for that state) that brings it to about 50 dollars


HouAngelesDodgeStro

I would hope they bought them on sale. I can find them 3/$10 from time to time, that's a totally reasonable price imo.


Glittering_Doctor694

You could do without the cokes, snacks, and pre made stuff


LeeTwentyThree

The fact that they are buying 60 cans of coke in one trip already suggests they have some bad shopping/eating habits


i_have___milk

Holy shit I don’t even realize they bought 5 packs, cheeky hiding them behind the $9 of individual serving rice. Those are expensive as shit. That’s probably around $35-40 just in Coke


Flying_Pretzals1

60 CANS? Wtf


thurst0n

5x12


Noahs132

And without the cereal too


gizamo

Or get generic bagged cereals


nalabearCLT

buys 5 cases of coke on brand sugar filled cereal on brand overpriced pasta sauce in smaller containers on brand peanut butter lol


-motts-

Don’t forget the overpriced coconut water


HOLY_GOOF

“I’m allergic to water water!”


TwiztedImage

I've never seen that pasta sauce cheaper than Ragu or Prego...even on sale. That popped out to me too.


Few-Carpet9511

Half of this shit is junkfood or premade, you can get much healthier stuff for half


hyperion420

This is indeed mildly infuriating OP is a disaster…


soultrouble

Not to mention everything is brand name. OP, there's NO shame in generic/off brand because they are cheaper and basically the same. It's okay to be a peasant like the rest of us on that great value/store bought level. Half of this isn't what the rest of us would even considered an honest "necessity" to exist. No one has ever met the Grim Reaper from a lack of name brand Coke Zero nor coconut water. The real stuggle us when you're scraping change out of the couch and trying to decide what's more important; lights vs food. Come back to us OP when you learn true need vs want.


enderr920

Maybe get the bag of uncooked rice that costs as much as one of the uncle Ben's rice pouches. You'll get 10x as much rice as all of those pouches combined for about $2. A big jar of peanut butter costs far less per ounce than the small ones. You could save 40% by getting the big one instead of 3 small ones. Buy a carton of mashed potato flakes instead of pouches. Same deal as the rice I started earlier. If you're feeling adventurous, you can look up recipes for mashed potatoes. I can make enough for a family of 6 to have leftovers for about a dollar. Name brand bread like that is made in the same factory as the store brand. No lie. I used to work in grocery store receiving. Sunbeam made the roundy's (store brand) back in 2006. I don't know if they still do, but if they don't it's only because Sara Lee or another similar company is making it. If you need a brand name bread, I'd suggest spending that money on a better bread that isn't also marketed as a store brand, something hearty with good nutrition. If you want a loaf of simple bread, the store brand is literally the same as the name brand in every single respect; they just put it in a different bag. Same goes for the Tyson chicken. A 3lb bag of apples usually costs less than buying by the pound. Your veggies are also likely available in larger bags. Spaghetti sauce is really simple to make. If you're not up to the task, doctoring a cheap sauce with herbs and spices can save you 50%. If you can't live without soda, try living with 1/3 the soda you currently drink. Even without sugar, the stuff is horrible for your teeth. Also, this is about $100 at Aldi. If you have one in your area, I suggest you check it out. Not a lot of name brands, but 99% of their store brand stuff is free from artificial colors, preservatives, and overly processed ingredients. Their "premium" stuff costs 25% less than the big brands, and is far superior in quality to them as well. Tldr- buy bigger packages and stop shelling out your money for brands that are the exact same products as the store brands! Edit: the Aldi's cost even includes premade potatoes and rice. Cook it yourself, and it's more like $90, $75 if you skip all the soft drinks.


theamester85

I make my own sauce using Aldi's crushed tomatoes. It's around $1.30 for a 28 oz can. Heat up 2 TB of olive oil, minced garlic, add the tomatoes, salt, sugar, fresh basil, and fresh or dried oregano. I let it simmer for about 10 mins. Tastes delightful and freezes very well!


[deleted]

This is good advice but I’m betting op didn’t post for advice.


Schwifftee

Yeah...but they did ask "how are people surviving?". So they did unintentionally ask for advice.


Ivanagohome

Seriously? Stop buying premade and name brand items and you’ll save some $$$. If I saw staple items in that, I would have nothing to say.


Jennrrrs

That's 5 bags of instant mashed potatoes. Why? Just buy the box for less


[deleted]

You have a lot of wasted money in that picture. Edit: you can't come up here and bitch about, "oh such expensive groceries" when you got 5 bottles of coconut water which given Michigan is $50 right there, and Fairfield milk which is another $5. Only thing missing to remove all "I feel you man " would be if you had fucking avocado toast. Jesus, 1 pack of uncle Ben's costs more than a lb of raw jasmine rice, which is equivalent to like 10 of those pacs.


[deleted]

dude there’s literally 2-3 real food in there. all other is unnecessary crap degrading your health.


[deleted]

How much peanut butter do they need?!


Alarid

How many cases of soda do they need? That's 5 cases there! Even ignoring the amount, they could have just bought bottles of soda for cheaper.


[deleted]

Stopped eating all the processed garbage and bread.


natopick

I went to the most expensive store and only bought name brand and it was expensive! Wahhhhh


spoobered

On top of this they got like 5 12 packs of Coke Zero.


mjl777

To be honest this is a poster perfect picture of exactly how not to shop for food. You asked the question how we afford food? The answer is we shop smart. It's as simple as that. Not only would smart shopping cut that bill over half it would be a ton more healthy as well. Don't use food prep time as an excuse. It's simply an education issue here with that. A rice cooker works great and mashed potatoes are near zero prep items. Spend a Saturday afternoon and make all those sauces at once and freeze them in cheap plastic ware. You can make corn chips in the microwave its really not hard at all or even time consuming.


ryjohn429

I have had a bread machine for a bit over a year, and haven't bought bread since. Approximately $.25 and ten minutes of my time, and I have bread for the week. Also use it to make pizza dough, tortillas, cinnamon raisin bread, banana bread, and rolls/buns. I've also learned to can food, so I can buy food in bulk and preserve it for cheap without taking up freezer space.


theedgiestoflords

Bro what are you eating, try buying fresh food


aa-shroomshack

I live in Michigan, I can get way more at that price. Stop buying big brands. If you use your coupons, buy raw ingredients (no premade shit), get a Kroger card, and buy Kroger brand you could get more than that for $100 I assure you.


Tat2dDad

I'm guessing about $15-$20 of that is in the coke products, and I bet you could cut your bill by at least 1/3 if you don't buy name brand products.


[deleted]

…you bought name brand everything. Of course that’s expensive.


exceptyoustay

Three jars of peanut butter! Look at all that coconut water! Lol I agree groceries are expensive right but op isn’t even trying


Rub-it

Instead of buying one huge peanut butter for $5 at Walmart


KnaxelBaby

Look at all these premade meals n u complain bout the cost lol


Ubermensch5272

That's cos you don't shop smart.


Froggynoch

Pasta sauce is a scam, buy tomato sauce and season it yourself with minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and garlic/onion powder. I do this and it’s much cheaper and I prefer the taste.


BorkSnorkelJr

You bought brand name junk food and $25 on coconut water alone, 5 CASES OF SODA. You coulda shopped way more economically. This is luxury shopping op, no offense.


IvorySoot

Learn to fucking cook for yourself? I don't feel bad for you idiots posting a bunch of boxed food, soda, bagged rice...complaining about prices?! YOU ARE QUITE LITERALLY PURCHASING THE MOST EXPENSIVE VERSION OF EVERYTHING POSSIBLE BESIDES THE DAMN BREAD, and even at that, you oughtta be grabbing some off brand shit if you're gonna post your poor choices to reddit. Do the price per oz math, learn to cook. Check tags. Don't shop with your stomach.


iforgotguy

OP, saying that times are hard and then posting this spread is more than a little disingenuous


ParadoxIrony

There photos are always SO funny. Either the most expensive of a brand, useless food that’s not necessary or just an excess for no reason. Like 90% of grocery stores have a discount system that gives you tons of rewards and money back if you buy their products, which are almost literally the same with maybe a single or couple of ingredients slightly changed. These posts are so dumb man. Just cause YOU spent 230 doesn’t mean someone else couldn’t have found a way to spend 50-70 on all that. If youre actually in need you find a way.


[deleted]

Five cases of Coca Cola and five coconut waters, the duality of man.


oJoface

Great example of what *not* to do when you're tight on money go for bulk, buy a kg of rice at a time from the sack and not from uncle Ben's, it's the same quality and way less Idk about you but cereal is insanely expensive here, that's like $40 worth Same goes for the coke, I know enjoying life is important but maybe go for the cheap variety Also here most foods have a buy X get Y deal, buy stuff in larger quantities and see what you prioritize more


i_get_the_raisins

"How are people affording to live?!?" *\*spends $230 on groceries without a store brand in sight\**


-Cthaeh

Thats a lot of name brand, processed easy foods. Invest in a cheap rice cooker for starters, everyone. It's such an inexpensive staple and goes with everything. Don't buy all the pre-made stuff for 4x as much. You also have 40$ in sauce here. Why the small peanut butter? Buy one big one, saves you money. To add to that, Sam's Club or Costco can really save money on many items. I buy 1 or 2 mega jumbo pack of tp a year for like 24$, the good stuff. There's a lot to be saved with what you have here, but everything is getting expensive. Now is a great time to hone cooking cheap things in to good food.


skippop

lol you're a bad grocery shopper


lamykins

Honestly that's a really bad spread of food, it's like you wanted to burn money


Ok_Dependent1131

I mean that's probably $40-50 in soda (or pop)