Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

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VictoriaF
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by VictoriaF »

Phineas J. Whoopee wrote:
stoptothink wrote:Except for the fact that I have had extremely similar food budgets over the last 6yrs in Southern California, Houston, and Mesa as well...yes, food is essentially free here in Utah.
I had doubted stoptothink's claim to have been called a liar. Up until here.

Stoptothink - I'm not calling you a liar. I'm willing to call your situation unusual, but not to attribute bad motives to you.

PJW
A remarkable feature of Stoptothink's food budget is that it's not rice-and-beans. I lived on dal bhat in Nepal for five weeks, and so I have a sense that it's possible to spend very little on food while avoiding pure junk. What surprises me about Stoptothink's case is that his meals consist of protein-based food and produce--at a remarkably low cost.

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Phineas J. Whoopee
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Phineas J. Whoopee »

Bulk-bought frozen chicken and a green vegetable with portion control, relied on without variation rather like the lack of variation during the bulk of post-agricultural-revolution history, if I recall correctly.

Proteins, not that you don't know it already, Victoria, are broken down into their component amino acids in digestion. It isn't necessary to eat protein, although I certainly do. It's only necessary to eat all the amino acids we use to construct our proteins. Rice and beans, between the two of them, provide the complete set.

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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by stoptothink »

Phineas J. Whoopee wrote:
stoptothink wrote:
lululu wrote:...
I remember this from some other thread. Stoptothink lives in some area where food is basically free compared to other areas of the country.
Except for the fact that I have had extremely similar food budgets over the last 6yrs in Southern California, Houston, and Mesa as well...yes, food is essentially free here in Utah.
I had doubted stoptothink's claim to have been called a liar. Up until here.

Stoptothink - I'm not calling you a liar. I'm willing to call your situation unusual, but not to attribute bad motives to you.

PJW
I even posted a link for the weekly ad from my grocer in the previous thread to prove I wasn't lying about the prices, only to be told that nowhere else in the country could I even get prices twice what we have here. For those in Southern California and Houston, check out 99 Ranch Market, in Arizona try Super L Market, and for those of us in Utah Lolo's Foods...I guess (from what I have been told) everybody else is screwed. No skin off my back if others don't think they can cut food costs and eat healthy, I've managed to help hundreds of families do it (it's part of my job).
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by jlawrence01 »

^^^^

For those in the Midwest, add Aldi, Marc's, IGA, and many of the local independent markets. In Amish areas, there are a good number of surplus grocers that sell organics for a fraction of the mega-supermarket chains.

In Texas, add Fiesta Markets. In the West add the Grocery Outlet - at least the ones that have the fresh food.

And I have not even addressed some other opportunities:

Gleaning
Buying late in the day at Farmers markets (24# of asparagus for $3, bushel of peaches for $2).
Barter of time/services.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by livesoft »

Just in time for Thanksgiving: An article about obsessive healthy eating: http://online.wsj.com/articles/when-hea ... 1415654737
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by joe8d »

When I was working, one of the high points were the days when Sales Rep's stopped by with a dozen donuts :D
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by camptalcott »

Why is it always one or the other?

Personally I tend to like the treats, mainly because on the normal day I don't eat donuts.

The thing about healthy eating is if you make it a life style, an occasional treat or French fry is not going to kill you.

I guess or crazy cost is fresh juice. Although I know the less expensive is water but I hate water. :D
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by telemark »

I regard eating good food as a long term investment in quality of life. Who wants to be a rich diabetic? If it saves me some medical expenses down the line, that's a bonus.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by LongerPrimer »

I just finished a plate of sauteed Chanterelle mushrooms. Originally 2#-2oz.

Not a good day for me. The senior exercise class had a pre-Thanksgiving cookie party. Also, I ate half loaf of hot French bread. :oops: :annoyed
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by hiddensee »

Mirn wrote:Or do you buy this finding, suggesting that calories are calories, maybe we can all survive on donuts and vitamin pills, and maybe it's possible to pay $5 / month for food while acting like the office garbage can? Nothing but Whole Foods shopping, or would you dumpster dive for Little Debbie if it'd save a buck?
I have read that vitamin pills are not absorbed as well as regular food; nonetheless this view is much closer to the truth than most believe. One problem is that is that a lot of the sorts of food sold by Whole Foods have little or no scientific evidence justifying any health benefits. Organic farming is about land use, not health. Certainly someone who is overweight is doing more damage to their body by not counting calories that they are doing good by overeating Whole Foods products rather than donuts.
nelson1050 wrote:We spend a ton on food, mostly due to eating out a lot.
I would also consider eating out to be the main moneysink when it comes to food. Whether it's worth it depends mostly on how much your time is worth. If it's not worth a lot, or you enjoy cooking as a hobby, it's probably better to cook at home.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by joe8d »

Whole Foods is coming to my area, but I won't be a customer.
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VictoriaF
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by VictoriaF »

jlawrence01 wrote:Of course, that means, few stops at restaurants, no convenience foods, cooking from scratch, and the like. It also means no stops at Whole Foods, Fresh Markets and the other expensive markets.
hiddensee wrote:One problem is that is that a lot of the sorts of food sold by Whole Foods have little or no scientific evidence justifying any health benefits. Organic farming is about land use, not health.
joe8d wrote:Whole Foods is coming to my area, but I won't be a customer.
To bring some balance into the discussion, Whole Foods is an excellent store, because:
- it offers a wide variety of produce
- it offers a wide variety of organic produce
- it offers products not available in other stores, e.g., goat milk products, kefir, mushrooms, and others
- the Whole Foods store brand is relatively inexpensive
- Whole Foods customers are fit and well mannered
- the opening hours accommodate most schedules.

I can buy certain food items cheaper at Costco, but Costco does not have the same selection of produce and milk products as Whole Foods does. Thus, I visit Costco about once a month to get my "staples" and come to Whole Foods every few days to get fresh produce. I walk to Whole Foods.

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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by jh-1391 »

Haven't read most of the thread but, here is my view on food (and I am by no means frugal when it comes to food):

I love GOOD food. Don't get me wrong, I love junk food, but nothing can beat a high quality steak, or a really delightful homemade casserole, etc. I like to cook and I like that it's often cheaper than the equivalent at a restaurant or store pre-made. For instance, last night I had prime filet mignon with grilled asparagus. It was fan-freakin-tastic. Was it cheap? Heck no! In fact, the butcher lady behind the meat counter gave a snarky comment when I bought the meat. But you know what that prime filet costs at a nice restaurant? And yes, I do cook it about that quality ;) It would cost way more than from the store.

So while I may not buy cheap food, it is often way cheaper than if someone else prepared me that same food at the same quality and health level...so that makes it worth it to me. If I eat that free junk food that is often in the office, I'm tired, bloated, grumpy, and then I often just spend more money on more junk food when I head home. NOT a good investment.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by bungalow10 »

Local food co-ops may be a more affordable alternative to Whole Foods. Still more might be more expensive than traditional grocery stores (although I have been shocked recently at the prices in regular grocery stores), but the quality is higher.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by camptalcott »

,

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” ~J.R.R. Tolkien

Sorry guys, but you can suck the joy out of just about any activity. Jeez
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Chip Spoons »

livesoft wrote:Just in time for Thanksgiving: An article about obsessive healthy eating: http://online.wsj.com/articles/when-hea ... 1415654737
An eating disorder is an eating disorder. Trying to eat healthy food in America today only appears to be an eating disorder. I'd probably kill to get my hands on the quality of food those Pilgrims and Indians ate.

What I enjoy most about it is that it seeks to emulate old things, not new things. Not very old, either. No need to consider ancient ancestors, probably only have to go back to the 40s or 50s. Whole animal eating: bone broths, liver, kidney, sweetbreads etc. Unpasteurized fermented foods like homemade sauerkraut and pickles.

The biochemistry is a good angle as well. I try to mostly consume the more chemically stable monounsaturated and saturated fats, especially for cooking. If all you do is attempt to limit the amount of fragile, easily oxidized, polyunsaturated fat, there's very little prepared food that you can go out and consume (easily oxidized heart healthy oils have replaced more chemically stable cooking fat: clarified butter, lard, tallow)

It will eventually change. For now I want to try and limit inflammation by reducing the consumption of oxidized fatty acids and dramatically increasing the consumption of antioxidants, phytonutrients, and fermentable fibers. The latter is accomplished by eating massive amounts and varieties of low calorie plants. In my experience, it's very difficult to eat out this way. Fine dining usually works, but that is infrequent. Typical restaurants and friends/neighbors/work generally don't play out so well.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by livesoft »

Did you write "biochemistry"? Now that's something I know quite a lot about. Do you have a degree in biochemistry? Let's talk.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by bungalow10 »

Chip Spoons wrote:
livesoft wrote:Just in time for Thanksgiving: An article about obsessive healthy eating: http://online.wsj.com/articles/when-hea ... 1415654737
An eating disorder is an eating disorder. Trying to eat healthy food in America today only appears to be an eating disorder. I'd probably kill to get my hands on the quality of food those Pilgrims and Indians ate.

What I enjoy most about it is that it seeks to emulate old things, not new things. Not very old, either. No need to consider ancient ancestors, probably only have to go back to the 40s or 50s. Whole animal eating: bone broths, liver, kidney, sweetbreads etc. Unpasteurized fermented foods like homemade sauerkraut and pickles.
My kids, since babyhood, have gravitated towards things like bone marrow, fermented beans and cabbage, grass-fed butter, egg yolks, and herbs straight from the garden (seriously, they mow down the dill, chives, cilantro, etc like little goats). It's odd what people want to eat when they aren't being influenced by outside factors like advertising, fancy packaging, fun shapes, fake colors,etc.

It gets more difficult as they get older and are exposed to foods through caregivers and friends. Mini muffins? Walking tacos? Now it's about balance and teaching them to cook for themselves.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Naismith »

mhc wrote: At home I normally will not buy meat that is more than $6/lb. I prefer to stay under $3/lb. I do this by mainly buying whole pork loins and chicken.
I had not thought of it this way before, but it's a good goal. Last week I bough a whole pork loin and carved it into various uses: a roast, chops that will grill in 10 minutes, and lots of chunks for stir-fry (which we will doing a lot of in the next few months as the garden produces snow peas, broccoli, bok choi, green onions). I had never paid more than $1.99 for a pork loin before, but I'd been watching for a while at the higher prices and settled for $2.48. We don't have a Costco where I live, maybe others can do better. I've had some luck finding marked-down meat if I go shopping on Monday, getting stuff that didn't sell over the weekend.

I don't particularly like carving the meat up, but it takes less than an hour to add a lot of value, since all those cuts would sell for more than $2.50 if purchased separately. While I was doing it, I was playing a video of Greece, where we are vacationing next fall. Isn't that the heart of frugality, to save money on things you can without a decrease of quality, in order to save for things like travel?

Convenience is important, but since my paid work is project based, I can use the ebb times to fill the freezer for the insane busy times. We've tried some of the frozen foods from Trader Joe's, and I particularly like the stuffed pork Florentine, which I have served to guests. But a lot of them are not as good or healthy as the dishes I make and freeze (enchiladas!) especially since I make lasagne and mac'n'cheese with whole-wheat pasta, and the typical broccoli-chicken-rice casserole with brown rice.

At my office, the challenge is the bagels that a considerate co-worker brings once a week. Not as obvious as the sugary treats, but very carb-laden. I swear I can smell them three rooms away!
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Meg77 »

I was just now thinking about this very topic after visiting the break room for free filtered water and noticing a fresh German chocolate cake - the fancy bakery kind, not the grocery store sheet stuff - sitting there calling for me. As I enjoyed a small slice, I found myself trying to rationalize the decision. It's free, so this is a smart financial move! How can you pass up free food, especially when it's this good? Sure I had breakfast already, but now I can eat a bit less at lunch and save some money!

But before I could complete the thought I knew I was lying to myself. I was already planning to have a small healthy lunch of leftovers from dinner last night. This cake was simply additional calories for me today - unhealthy sugary ones at that. Not only that, but I just countered most of the calories I burned off jogging 2 miles last night. So arguably eating this cake is akin to wasting the time I will spend or have spent trying to burn it off - a negative financial benefit if you assume my time is valuable.

Every now and then I'll have skipped breakfast and find a relatively healthy free option at work, like a whole wheat bagel and cream cheese leftover from a morning meeting, or a bean and egg breakfast taco from the tex-mex place down the street. But the vast majority of the time, the food I consume for free at work is simply additional calories that I would be better off without.

If you want to enjoy a free treat, have at it, but don't convince yourself you are somehow saving money. Indulging in free cake and cookies at work will likely not make any noticeable dent in your monthly food budget whatsoever.

And for the record I love donuts but I draw the line at cheap grocery store sheet cake and wrapped candies. Those aren't worth the calories for me.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by livesoft »

I'm starving now, so I am going to an all-you-can eat Indian buffet for lunch.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by VictoriaF »

Chip Spoons wrote:
livesoft wrote:Just in time for Thanksgiving: An article about obsessive healthy eating: http://online.wsj.com/articles/when-hea ... 1415654737
An eating disorder is an eating disorder. Trying to eat healthy food in America today only appears to be an eating disorder.
It's an excellent point. People who grew up on junk food don't know what normal food is.
Chip Spoons wrote:What I enjoy most about it is that it seeks to emulate old things, not new things. Not very old, either. No need to consider ancient ancestors, probably only have to go back to the 40s or 50s. Whole animal eating: bone broths, liver, kidney, sweetbreads etc. Unpasteurized fermented foods like homemade sauerkraut and pickles.
I bought some fermented sauerkraut at Whole Foods, but it was too salty for me. A few days ago, I ordered kefir grains and will try to make it myself.
Chip Spoons wrote:The biochemistry is a good angle as well. I try to mostly consume the more chemically stable monounsaturated and saturated fats, especially for cooking. If all you do is attempt to limit the amount of fragile, easily oxidized, polyunsaturated fat, there's very little prepared food that you can go out and consume (easily oxidized heart healthy oils have replaced more chemically stable cooking fat: clarified butter, lard, tallow)
What fats do you use at home?
Chip Spoons wrote:In my experience, it's very difficult to eat out this way. Fine dining usually works, but that is infrequent. Typical restaurants and friends/neighbors/work generally don't play out so well.
And that's a key point. It's difficult to eat well when virtually everyone else eats garbage. The article linked by livesoft states that avoiding social occasions because of unhealthy food is a symptom of a health disorder. This logic is as sound as telling Bogleheads that they have a disorder by not participating in shopping sprees that affect 90% of their social group.

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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Chip Spoons »

livesoft wrote:Did you write "biochemistry"? Now that's something I know quite a lot about. Do you have a degree in biochemistry? Let's talk.
Well, dietary fat hardly requires a degree.

Saturated fat = no double bonds
Monounsaturated = one
Polyunsaturated = many

If a double bond represents the potential for a fatty acid to pick up a bad actor, intuitively, it might make sense to try and limit those chances.

That's certainly not to suggest that all polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) is bad. Typically, things like raw almonds are often packaged with their own antioxidants alongside the payload of PUFAs. Where it might get tricky is with the application of heat. Heat accelerates the oxidation of those double bonds. Practically, this can lead to choices between raw or roasted almonds, or how aggressively something like salmon is cooked.

From this perspective, one can start to consider heart healthy oils like canola. Canola oil has a relatively high amount of omega-3 fatty acids (and a good omega-6 to omega-3 ratio). However, that omega-3 is ALA, not DHA/EPA. Furthermore, the production of canola oil requires some harsh conditions, which may render most of that omega-3 oxidized.

If you wanted to select a cooking oil based on the criteria of limiting oxidation, you might wind up considering something like avocado oil. Avocado oil is mostly monounsaturated fat and has a very high smoke point (520F). If you were really intent on limiting the potential for cooking fat oxidation, you might ultimately select a saturated fat such as clarified butter, lard, or tallow.

Thoughts?
Last edited by Chip Spoons on Wed Nov 12, 2014 11:52 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Chip Spoons »

VictoriaF wrote:What fats do you use at home?
For low heat I sometimes use Kerrygold butter.

For higher heat I'll use avocado oil (Costco) or ghee (clarified butter from Whole Foods). You could always make your own ghee from the Kerrygold. It doesn't look too difficult.

My wife bought lard from the butcher, but I haven't used it yet.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

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Chip Spoons wrote:My wife bought lard from the butcher, but I haven't used it yet.
It's interesting that you mentioned lard. When I was growing up in the Soviet Union, lard was one of the most popular food items. It was more readily available at stores than other groceries, and it was a common accompaniment of heavy drinking. A block of lard was kept in a refrigerator, and during the vodka time, it was thinly sliced and placed on bread. Sauerkraut and pickles were also very popular vodka supplements.

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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Chip Spoons »

VictoriaF wrote:It's interesting that you mentioned lard. When I was growing up in the Soviet Union, lard was one of the most popular food items. It was more readily available at stores than other groceries, and it was a common accompaniment of heavy drinking. A block of lard was kept in a refrigerator, and during the vodka time, it was thinly sliced and placed on bread. Sauerkraut and pickles were also very popular vodka supplements.
Nice story.

As I mentioned, in trying to figure out what's best to eat today, it's often very informative to see what people used to eat.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by VictoriaF »

Chip Spoons wrote:
VictoriaF wrote:It's interesting that you mentioned lard. When I was growing up in the Soviet Union, lard was one of the most popular food items. It was more readily available at stores than other groceries, and it was a common accompaniment of heavy drinking. A block of lard was kept in a refrigerator, and during the vodka time, it was thinly sliced and placed on bread. Sauerkraut and pickles were also very popular vodka supplements.
Nice story.

As I mentioned, in trying to figure out what's best to eat today, it's often very informative to see what people used to eat.
Just to be clear, I am not advocating heavy drinking.

The USSR was infamous for food shortages. Still, some food stuff was more available than other, and as I think about it now, it was not all that bad. Fermented foods and mushrooms are modern-day healthy delicacies.

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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by stoptothink »

VictoriaF wrote:
Chip Spoons wrote:
Chip Spoons wrote:In my experience, it's very difficult to eat out this way. Fine dining usually works, but that is infrequent. Typical restaurants and friends/neighbors/work generally don't play out so well.
And that's a key point. It's difficult to eat well when virtually everyone else eats garbage. The article linked by livesoft states that avoiding social occasions because of unhealthy food is a symptom of a health disorder. This logic is as sound as telling Bogleheads that they have a disorder by not participating in shopping sprees that affect 90% of their social group.

Victoria
Social occasions and food are such a mystery to me. As I mentioned earlier, we eat out virtually never, but both my wife and I have professional jobs where restaurant settings are an unavoidable reality. My secretary knows to not order me anything if we have a catered meeting and now most of those who I meet with in these settings know I won't be eating. I get the wisecracks, every single time, but it doesn't affect the environment. Maybe it makes them uncomfortable, but I have been doing it for nearly two decades; it certainly isn't going to make me uncomfortable. My wife on the other hand, she gets pestered a lot be co-workers about it, to the point where they'll buy her food and put it in front of her. She's not as strict about what she eats as I am, but she's put in this situation several times a week and usually isn't in the mood for a burger and fries. I've actually had a conversation about it with one of her co-workers who is especially annoying about it. To me, it is pretty rude. Not partaking doesn't change the experience for me, why should it for you?
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by flyingaway »

Free food (donuts and cakes) is always welcome. To deal with the calories guilt, I will do some walking in the evening.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by SamB »

Food basically comes first, and is not a place I would cut back on. Of course I am referring to what I buy and prepare for myself. There is plenty of leeway, finance wise, when it comes to buying food that is prepared elsewhere. The price, quality, and nutritional value are all over the place. There is plenty of room for savings.

I don't know what is meant by " a calorie is calorie." If this means any set of macro and micro nutrients will have the same effect on your health I think you better reassess before you kill yourself. If you think you can compensate for junk food by vitamin and mineral supplements you also better reassess. It is not very hard to find studies where a particular vitamin or mineral was fed to rats or people apart from the food it was a part of and the rats all died and the people got sick.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by VictoriaF »

stoptothink wrote:My wife on the other hand, she gets pestered a lot be co-workers about it, to the point where they'll buy her food and put it in front of her. She's not as strict about what she eats as I am, but she's put in this situation several times a week and usually isn't in the mood for a burger and fries. I've actually had a conversation about it with one of her co-workers who is especially annoying about it. To me, it is pretty rude. Not partaking doesn't change the experience for me, why should it for you?
When I was trying to explain my dietary preferences, coworkers were persisting to convince me to break these preferences. Each time I broke my rules, their persistence grew and it was becoming more difficult to resist. But after I started saying, "I don't eat carbs," with no further explanations, it did the trick.

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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Ignatious P. Daily »

I don't look to save money on food. I eat things that are good for me and taste good. These are more expensive in the short run, but improve quality of life and probabilities on health outcomes. So I think cheaper in the long run.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Uncle Pennybags »

flyingaway wrote: By the way, I do not drink the free coffee at my office, not because I do not like coffee, but because I do not like too much sugar and milk (which I must have in my coffee).
Black coffee is the best "energy" drink on the market.
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Phineas J. Whoopee
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Phineas J. Whoopee »

VictoriaF wrote:...
When I was trying to explain my dietary preferences, coworkers were persisting to convince me to break these preferences. Each time I broke my rules, their persistence grew and it was becoming more difficult to resist. But after I started saying, "I don't eat carbs," with no further explanations, it did the trick.
...
I chose a moment when the local social butterfly - who embodied everybody else's concerns that although I'd attend the birthday commemorations (but with none for me at my request) I wouldn't eat any cake - and I happened to be alone in the back 40 (our section of the cube farm), and lied about having a health condition which restricted what I could eat - I said my options were no more cake and the like, or taking medication, but that it was highly privileged information I was willing to share only because the two of us trusted each other so much. S/he nodded knowingly, and the pressure disappeared never to return.
PJW
hiddensee
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by hiddensee »

VictoriaF wrote:
jlawrence01 wrote:Of course, that means, few stops at restaurants, no convenience foods, cooking from scratch, and the like. It also means no stops at Whole Foods, Fresh Markets and the other expensive markets.
hiddensee wrote:One problem is that is that a lot of the sorts of food sold by Whole Foods have little or no scientific evidence justifying any health benefits. Organic farming is about land use, not health.
joe8d wrote:Whole Foods is coming to my area, but I won't be a customer.
To bring some balance into the discussion, Whole Foods is an excellent store, because:
- it offers a wide variety of produce
- it offers a wide variety of organic produce
- it offers products not available in other stores, e.g., goat milk products, kefir, mushrooms, and others
- the Whole Foods store brand is relatively inexpensive
- Whole Foods customers are fit and well mannered
- the opening hours accommodate most schedules.

I can buy certain food items cheaper at Costco, but Costco does not have the same selection of produce and milk products as Whole Foods does. Thus, I visit Costco about once a month to get my "staples" and come to Whole Foods every few days to get fresh produce. I walk to Whole Foods.

Victoria
I don't necessarily disagree but I think the advantages you've identified are associated with a desirable lifestyle and self-image, not improved health.

If people want to go to Whole Foods because they like the taste of goat cheese and can't get it anywhere else, or because they approve of the organic movement's position on low intensity farming, or because they want to avoid poor people at Walmart, then those are all perfectly valid reasons to pay more, but they're not health reasons.
poker27
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by poker27 »

I work in a largish office and there is food leftover from meetings or events daily. There will be days that I see someone brining home 2 pizzas or an entire tray of ribs. Now I have no issue with them taking it if it was about to be thrown out, but I will see folks hiding the food away at 2-3pm. When you try to get multiple meals for yourself before others get their first.
Naismith
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Naismith »

Ignatious P. Daily wrote:I don't look to save money on food. I eat things that are good for me and taste good. These are more expensive in the short run, but improve quality of life and probabilities on health outcomes. So I think cheaper in the long run.
Of course we all decide where to save money or trade time or whatever. But I am not sure that cheaper food is always lower quality. I guess this gets back to Victoria F's comments on another thread about saving money and "value per dollar."

It's pretty much the same boneless lean pork chop whether I pay $5.19 at the store to buy one already sliced and packaged, or whether I pay $2.48 for the pork loin and slice it myself. I appreciate there is some loss of quality with freezing, which is why I usually splurge for fresh shrimp. But for stir-fry meat, I am not sure that the minor difference is worth it.

It's pretty much the same loaf of sourdough bread whether I buy it at an artisan bakery for $5, or if I grind the wheat and make it myself with a 26-hour recipe that requires stirring and plopping for a few minutes here and there.

Yes, there is a labor cost involved as a trade-off so one could make the argument that those items ARE the same price when labor is factored in. And not everyone has the skills. But I am not sure that a higher cost ensures higher quality.
rec7
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by rec7 »

jlawrence01 wrote:^^^^

In Amish areas, there are a good number of surplus grocers that sell organics for a fraction of the mega-supermarket chains.

Anyone know of a surplus grocer in an Amish area of Missouri?
LongerPrimer
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by LongerPrimer »

^ Just Survivalists and a philosophical group rotating their food supply. :annoyed
Did I say that I also a scavenger. :annoyed
surfstar
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by surfstar »

Truly, a first world problem. [this whole thread]


I am against wasting food and will eat past full because of it. I'm also active enough and lucked out with some genes, that I stay in shape fairly easily.

I actually eat healthiest on our camping trips, as others will bring and add veggies to the meals. I overeat, going back for a second breakfast burrito to help finish what we cooked, but we're active enough, that it doesn't matter.

Its all a balance. Moderation is key. Militant _____ is not a good answer; be it religion, politics, vegan, etc. :wink:
bungalow10
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by bungalow10 »

rec7 wrote:
jlawrence01 wrote:^^^^

In Amish areas, there are a good number of surplus grocers that sell organics for a fraction of the mega-supermarket chains.

Anyone know of a surplus grocer in an Amish area of Missouri?
Google "Amish communities in Missouri". Usually the small towns near the communities will have an Amish supply store, grocery co-op, or even a general store that has bulk foods. These places generally don't advertise, so you might have to do a little sleuthing.
An elephant for a dime is only a good deal if you need an elephant and have a dime.
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Grt2bOutdoors »

Pasta and beans for dinner. That and cheap vegetable fat "American chocolate" made with fillers, will only eat that if there is zero choice.
Otherwise, it's dark chocolate.......which I'm going to have a piece shortly. :happy
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joe8d
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by joe8d »

If people want to go to Whole Foods because they like the taste of goat cheese and can't get it anywhere else, or because they approve of the organic movement's position on low intensity farming, or because they want to avoid poor people at Walmart, then those are all perfectly valid reasons to pay more, but they're not health reasons.
hiddensee

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jlawrence01
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by jlawrence01 »

rec7 wrote:
jlawrence01 wrote:^^^^

In Amish areas, there are a good number of surplus grocers that sell organics for a fraction of the mega-supermarket chains.

Anyone know of a surplus grocer in an Amish area of Missouri?

I have all my bookmarks on my desktop computer. However, this is another list. I do not have them broken out as being close go an Amish community. However, some of my best deals have been in NW Indiana near Shipshewana and in Central IL near Arcola.

http://mrcheckout.net/salvage-grocery-store-directory/
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Re: Food Frugality: Where do you draw the line?

Post by Ninegrams »

Intellectually I appreciate haute cuisine, but my gut says give me a Indian casino buffet. I do both, in moderation.
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