UNITED STATES—We have already talked about this plenty of times. The cost of food/groceries is just ridiculous right now. It’s 2025 and the price of eggs is the uproar that has everyone talking. However, there are other things besides eggs and it is like, damn I just went to the grocery store and you are looking at the fridge and cabinet asking where is the food and what did I purchase?
I went to my Farmer’s Market this past week, and I really wanted to stock up on fruits and veggies. I hadn’t been there in about a month, so I might have overindulged a bit on produce. However, I don’t like to overdo it, because produce doesn’t have a long shelf-life, it just doesn’t. Nothing annoys me more than having to throw food away. I don’t like wasting food at all. I try to do my best to cook to the point that there are some leftovers, but not so much to the point that I’m tired of eating it or I have to throw items away.
I had two brown paper bags of groceries and yes, they were packed to the top, I spent over $60. Then the realization hit me, I spent about $30 of that on meat. Some fresh ground chuck, some bacon, and lunchmeat and cheese. The other $30 was literally on fruits and veggies and some a bit pricier than others. I was being lazy that day because my gut instinct told me to go to another supermarket as my budget would stretch just a bit more and I kind of wish I had done that.
This might sound crazy, but anyone who knows me, is fully aware that I am a list guy. I write my grocery list down all the time because I kind of like to know exactly what I am purchasing to a ‘T.’ Of course, I tend to purchase things not on the list, that happens when you see a food item and you’re actually hungry while shopping!
I have gotten a bit better with not wanting to purchase something to eat after going grocery shopping. It is work, which I think so many people forget when you go to the grocery store. It can sometimes be exhausting to complete. However, the big question that lingers is whether it is okay to shop at multiple grocers? Yes. There are too many Americans who don’t do it simply because they don’t want to deal with this battle of going to this place and that place to save a few bucks.
Look, I totally understand that. You might be on a limited schedule where you just don’t have a ton of time to do a ton of things. For me, I look at the circulars for those grocers who actually release them each week. It not about not wanting to spend money, it is the fact that I want my money to stretch, and that’s not possible if I’m just spending willy nilly without considering the ability to save when I can do so.
I’m sure there are many Americans who would LOVE TO JUST GO INTO A STORE and purchase whatever they choose without looking at the price. The reality is a vast majority of Americans cannot do that, so if you can get a package of chicken breast at this retailer for $12, but the other is charging $20, what are you going to do? I’m choosing the $12 retailer because that is $8 I’m saving that I can use for milk, bread, produce or some other cabinet items.
People are going to get mad, but I don’t care, Whole Foods costs too damn much. If the goal is for us to eat organic, whole foods, it shouldn’t be overly pricey to do so. Make whole grains, organic and all those healthy food items just as affordable for the everyday American. You might spend $50 at Whole Foods and only have three items, whereas you go to another grocer and that $50 turns into 30 to 40 items.
It makes a massive difference whether you believe it or not. Quantity matters at times over quality when you have to stretch the budget. I say it all the time, grocers will always be in style because people have to eat, food is a must for our bodies to operate. There are ways to save money at the grocery store. Look at the ads, look at coupons and USE THEM. The more you save the more you can purchase. Also when you save money that is money that can be used later on other things you need in your life.
