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Recession Diet - Consumers Giving Up Meat and Name Brands

nytimes.com — Stung by rising gasoline and food prices, Americans are finding creative ways to cut costs on routine items like groceries. “It hasn’t gotten to human food mixed with pet food yet, but it is certainly headed in that direction.”

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  • homedaddy, on 04/28/2008, -23/+8I'm only half giving up meat by switching to spam, wonderful spam.
    PS. Check out spam.com cause it's crazy tasty.
    • ghostfaceDX, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1question mark?
      • RX9735, on 04/28/2008, -7/+4Who are these Americans that are hurting so bad? Could it be the assholes that bought houses and cars they can never afford? I live within my means and I enjoy a wonderful diet. Last night we had steak and shrimp. I like most smat Americans I know, I spend less then I bring in so that I can have a cash surplus, allowing me finer things in life. Enjoy your spam homedaddy, my ribeye was so damn good my mouth is watering thinking about it.
        • captainanndor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+8There are plenty of people out there who, up until recently, were living within their means. They bought a house they could afford, a car they could afford, and still had money to go out to eat or buy nice things.
          But suddenly now gas is much more expensive, food is more expensive, our money is worth less. What happens if your company goes bankrupt or decides to down-size? And for people who do happen to have jobs, not all of them pay well. If you're making $10 dollars an hour, gas and groceries are going to eat up a lot of that. Or if you're one of the many, many people who don't have health insurance, or have very expensive health insurance, you're stuck there too.
          If you make minimum wage? No way can you afford nice things.
          You can plan and spend frugally all you want, but you can't predict or prevent all major changes. And if you're unable to work for whatever reason (retired, injured, ill, etc) then it's going to be even tougher.
          • theaceoffire, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1A number of us are students as well...
            BEFORE the high prices I (and several class mates) are/were living on pasta and bread... now its worse.
          • captainanndor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Ah yes, student life. I felt that a little bit, but luckily the college I went to had 'meal plan' options even for upper classmen, which consisted entirely of 'flex', or fake money stored in a student account, that was rolled into tuition and therefore paid by loans and scholarships. So we could either eat at any of the various on-campus places, buy (over-priced) food at the small campus grocery store, or use our card at a handful of local places.
            Still ate a lot of pasta, though, haha.
            Wouldn't want to be a student now, though. It was a hassle working 10 hours a week and being a full-time student. To be able to afford books and food and stuff now, you'd probably need to be working close to 30 or 35. Only person I knew in college who tried that ended up failing out.
        • gotterdammerung, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2I like most smat Americans, too.
    • matthewf01, on 04/28/2008, -0/+10It's still kind of expensive.
      Tuna fish is cheaper!
      • DarkSamus, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2ramen ftw

        ramen
        • matthewf01, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1Too much sodium.

          High blood pressure and malnutrition FTL.
          Also ramen is not a meat.
    • BurnTees, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1yummmm....Costco tuna
  • jcorn1, on 04/28/2008, -30/+3Hope you accept friend request as well as check out my latest on Americans stockpiling food. Loved this article you put up here, fascinating!
  • aflaks, on 04/28/2008, -3/+58I eat imitation gruel. 9 out of 10 orphans cant tell the difference!
    • kaelyiesta, on 04/28/2008, -1/+3"The women said that soaring prices for food and fuel had changed what they buy and where they buy it. “We used to eat out at Bob Evans or Denny’s once a month,” said Ms. Rutherford, who works in an auto-parts factory. “Now we don’t go out at all. We eat in all the time.”"

      Anyone else find it depressing that in the 'good times' they could only afford to go to Denny's?
      • wattersm, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1Not really, Dennys is expensive.
        • anachronaut, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1I wouldn't say Denny's is expensive, but it is most definitely overpriced for what you get (overpriced is not necessarily a synonym for expensive). People should stay away from crappy, faceless, cookie-cutter, overpriced chain places like that in favor of local businesses, anyway.
      • photogirl67, on 05/01/2008, -0/+0yes that is sad - Denny's is not exactly fine dining and once a month isn't exactly living the high life.
  • lowfalls, on 04/28/2008, -7/+76Hasn't gotten to human food mixed with pet food....yet? A little melodramatic, no?
    • Kallius, on 04/28/2008, -4/+10Maybe it will come down to eating the pet (no more pet food + a tasty snack or several meals depending on pet size).
    • AmnioticEntity, on 04/28/2008, -0/+10Does Vienna Saussage count as pet food? cuz i bought 14 cans last week. food for 2 weeks for 5 bucks ;)
    • nekochan, on 04/28/2008, -0/+11have you seen the current batch of fancy feast flavors? it sounds pretty human-consumable, actually.
      • EricAnderton, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4Not that I've tried this, but as long as you cook it at a high enough temperature to kill any parasites, insect eggs, and larva, it should be plenty edible.

        Mmmm.. fancy feast casserole. Just be sure to keep the tabasco handy to mask the smell.
      • PopcornDave, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2It is until you smell it. My cats seem to like it though.
      • CedEx, on 04/28/2008, -0/+5You do realize that all pet food has actually been taste tested by a human? I watched a British documentary program a while ago about a guy who taste tests canned dog food. The only day he can eat heavy flavour foods (curry, thick sauces, stews) is Friday and Saturday, as he needs a whole day to reset his taste buds for work. His name is Edwin Rose if anyone wants to look him up.
        • captainanndor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2I've always thought certain flavors of wet dog food smells pretty darn good and looked exactly like various flavors of human-food canned strews before they're cooked. Never gotten the guts to eat it yet. Unlike dry dog food. I'd rather starve than eat dry dog food, though. Blegh. Tastes like cardboard and saw dust.
        • AmnioticEntity, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1bennifull > *
      • PhilliesBlunt, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1It's called Market Expansion. Fancy Feast is trying to market to the post-social security collapse impoverished old person market.
    • haikuFU, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1I feed raw patties to my dog, and they smell pretty damn good.
    • Masterful1, on 04/28/2008, -0/+11I just last month, seen on the local st.Louis news, poor families are buying (and eating) 50lb bags of dog food because it contains more nutrients per $. so I think its only a matter of time before we are there.
    • buddyw, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4Bachelor Chow!
    • sponeil, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1We have a pet rabbit in the back yard. I think I'll eat the rabbit before I eat his food. ;-)
    • sweetholymosiah, on 04/28/2008, -2/+4Not to be a downer, but don't you people eat vegetables?? Meat meat meat meat meat meat dog meat meat meat... mmmmmmmmEAT!!
      • warriorscot, on 04/28/2008, -3/+5Meat is a neccesary part of a diet, you can go without but vegetables aren't cheap these days either and meat is the easiest way to get protein.
        • hifidelity1, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4dude...seriously?we don't need a lesson in nutrition..oh and... there are other things that make it "easy" to get protein... lets say uhhhh avocados...here is a little nutrition lesson- A small avocado will provide more usable protein then a steak because cooked protein in meat is denatured and mostly unavailable to our liver, the organ that makes all of our body's protein.....just thought you should know.
          • theaceoffire, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Avocado is a lot more expensive than a box of $0.70 noodles and water... *sigh*
          • photogirl67, on 05/01/2008, -0/+0here here! how about beans! ounce for ounce compare beans to a steak, say 8oz

            - beans have as much or more protein
            - beans have NO fat of any kind (unless you add it when cooking)
            - beans have NO cholesterol
            - beans have about 15g of fiber or 1/2 the daily recommended amount, most north americans eat barely 12-15g of fiber daily. Did you know meat has NO fiber?
            - 8oz of cooked beans might cost you about 50-80 cents (bought and cooked from dried beans), a steak might cost you what $8-12?
            - beans have live enzymes in them and are readily and easily digested by the body
            - meat has no live enzymes because it is a "dead" food, meat takes over 8 hours to digest and can clog the intestines causing indigestion and constipation
            - meat can cause botulism poisoning of not cooked correctly or stored properly, only beans I know of that cause do that are kidney beans and you just have to cook them long enough. I don't recall hearing anyone die of food poisoning from beans
            - meat can carry diseases from the animals (mad cow, bovine leukemia, bovine aids - do you know the latter 2 diseases infect over 80% of all herds in the US and Canada?)
            - cows are injected with steroids to grow bigger/faster and are given antibiotics so that they can eat grain/corn and grow faster - otherwise they'd get sick and die. Do you think any of those drugs get to us? if you say no - think again. Why is child leukemia on the rise? coincidence, I think not.

            am I a vegetarian you wonder? sometimes, but not religiously. I choose not to eat red meat, or pork ever. I only choose chicken when I know it was grass fed, and lived outside like my grandmother's chickens did. I choose organic fish when possible. So my summary - eating less meat is not only cheaper for you but better for you. do some reading.

            how much protein do you think you need in your diet? 20%? 30%? more? actually - it's 10% or less. Your body only needs about 5% protein to maintain, 10% to build.
            think about this - a cow is a large strong animal right? what do they eat? grass!
    • khyberkitsune, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1Human food is already INSIDE pet food "Now with whole grain and rice and chicken and beef!" Give me a break.
    • caffiend, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Cheap dog food is made from wood chips. I like my vegs, but I don't want to eat bark (no pun intended).
  • elliotys, on 04/28/2008, -20/+7lol. You know your in a recession when Americans are renting more movies than going out to the theaters. . . Only in America.
    • popfrogs, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2People rent more now because they're tired of retards in the theaters and overpriced snacks. Why even go to the theater when you have a home theater setup that rivals the quality of a "real" theater and you can rent Blu-rays, eat whatever snacks you want, smoke, drink, pause it and rewind it.

      These days, going to the movies is like some kind of outdated notion for alot of people.
      • petrodollar, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1You can drink in the theater. Just smuggle in your coat pocket or in your date's purse. My girlfriend and I recently polished off a bottle of wine during There Will Be Blood at the $2 theater.
      • sugarazor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4It's sad that some people consider the theater outdated. No matter what size TV they come out with, you're never going to duplicate the theater experience. There's a certain magic to seeing a movie in a theater that just doesn't translate on DVD.
        • ArmandoM, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1I can come over to your house and dump popcorn and soda all over the floor to make it sticky if you'd like.

          I'd even be happy to sit behind you and make snide remarks and noise during your next movie.
          • sugarazor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1That's not all movie theaters though, you just go to one frequented by assholes.
  • Turnar, on 04/28/2008, -8/+78The sad thing is that a lot of this cost-cutting on food and gas is so we can keep buying iPhones and PS3's. Or car payments on cars we couldn't afford, or house payments for things we never should have bought. Yeah, the recession is looking a little nasty, but it's exacerbated by the fact that our top concern is that we can't buy the lavish crap that we want and don't need.
    • crapmatic, on 04/28/2008, -2/+11bravo... well said.
    • AmnioticEntity, on 04/28/2008, -4/+5i just bought an 8gb ipod touch for 50 bucks
    • Hockey13, on 04/28/2008, -2/+36*****. I'm sick of all these vague, poorly-sourced anti-consumer rants. We buy cheaper food because cheaper food exists. If you want an iPhone, and you can't buy it when you're buying expensive food, it makes perfect sense to buy cheaper food and get the iPhone. Given a certain amount of money, people will always choose what they feel is best for them at that time. It's not your right to tell anyone what is and isn't a good purchase. Not everyone buys expensive cars. Most people buy crappy cars that they can afford. Not everyone buys iPhones and PS3s. Not everyone has the spending habits of a 5 year old, and nobody thinks you're better than everyone else for making gross generalizations about an entire population given a few popular stereotypes. People say "Americans consume too much," yet they have no conception for the cause of that excessive consumption. It's not like we're genetically predisposed to high consumption. We just have an insanely high standard of living coupled with retarded government policies that promote consumption beyond efficient levels.

      So...speak for yourself, guy.
      • Peko, on 04/28/2008, -0/+11+1 Digg for another poorly sourced anti consumerist rant. I like yours better though =)
    • boot20, on 04/28/2008, -1/+5To some extent this is true. However, for those of us that aren't living beyond our means, we're having to dip into savings just to make ends meet. It's a sad state when food and fuel are so expensive that your overall cost of living has tripled over about two years.
      • nekochan, on 04/28/2008, -3/+4some could say it's been going up for the past eight years.

        HMMM...
    • jinxplayer, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2I guess you could be right to some people, but what you described isnt limited to the "current american economic status," what you described is a recession...thats the way they all work..bravo i guess?
    • tgjerusalem, on 04/28/2008, -0/+5In defense of car ownership -

      for many people, they aren't a luxury. In most of the rural US, reliable public transportation doesn't exist. Unless one is extremely lucky and able to find housing an employment within walking distance from each other (and biking more than a few miles home along the highway in the midwestern winter is a fairly herculean feat), to be without a car effectively renders one unemployable. There is no realistic way to get to work on time reliably.

      Many people cut all other expenses while continuing to make payments on cars they can't afford, because they can afford unemployment even less.
  • redcolumbine, on 04/28/2008, -1/+16Heck, my cat eats better than I do (for health reasons). The real trick is to eat affordable AND healthy without spending my every free moment on food prep - but I'm learning!
    • jinxplayer, on 04/28/2008, -2/+5Its called chicken breast, eggs, oatmeal, and whey powder.
      • davidg11, on 04/28/2008, -0/+7I refuse to eat what miss muffet eats. But I accept your gayness.
      • BurnTees, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2lol, that's my exact diet.
    • DrMonkeyLove, on 04/28/2008, -0/+5I feed my cat other cats. It's actually pretty gross...
    • xoxota, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Two words: Stir Fry.
  • usgovterrorists, on 04/28/2008, -17/+6Yeah, we're stung by more terrorist government ineptitude, but isn't the terrorist United States Government mandating a fivefold increase in the use of biofuels more important?
  • hodrige, on 04/28/2008, -31/+9I have been meat free for 7 years... and I recently (5 month ago) turned vegan...
    • Wargalas, on 04/28/2008, -8/+9Lesbian?
      • aspec, on 04/28/2008, -3/+9Just spends a lot of time masticating, that's all.
        • hodrige, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2no Just poor... and I hate the way animals are treated.
          I am not against meat even!
          I have no problem if someone (not me) goes out and shoot a deer or a turkey that have lived a decent life and eats it!
          I just don't agree with the way animals are raised commercially. I don't buy the "organic" marketing thing either... they are the same company.
          Also I have a problem with companies trying to sell me / market their stuff... I hate how they sell me stuff that are not good for me, and tell me that it is the best! I am not an idiot! I know that those packaged things are bad for me! So... I am not buying! I buy no brand vegetables! they are great.
          With clothes its a different thing though... I have not figured this one out yet :)
          Other than than, I have not looked better or felt better since :)
          Nowadays I do it to look and feel good! All that and I don't walk around hungry either.



        • captainanndor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2hodrige, you eat vegan because you're poor? I find that hard to believe, because all the vegetarians/vegans I know spend ridiculous amounts of money to support their lifestyle. Tofu and that other weird rubbery non-meat protein source are expensive. Maybe it's regional, but I as a carnivore and pasta eater spend around 50 dollars a month on groceries (granted most of what I eat is chicken and bulk frozen hamburgers, not much fresh red meat). They spend close to that in a week, for all their fancy no-animal product butter and dairy substitutes AND they spend way more time preparing meals than I do.
        • marx2k, on 04/28/2008, -0/+0@captainanndor - Yes if you just buy chicken and frozen hamburger patties, grocery shopping can be pretty cheap. Ditto for people who eat ramen and Encor frozen dinners. I'm not even vegan (though I rarely if ever touch pork or red meat) and I spend $60+ at the grocery store in one trip and I don't even buy that much. Fresh veggies, peanut butter/jelly, coffee, organic eggs/milk, natural turkey sliced at the deli, muenster cheese, frozen fruit for my oatmeal and maybe some organic apples, organic yogurt... oh, some guacamole ... and some whole grain wraps for the turkey/cheese... no soy products or any other "weird rubbery non-meat protein source". No substitute anything.
          In fact, when I was a vegetarian, I didn't buy substitute anything. WTF is the point?
          • captainanndor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Fresh veggies are too expensive and go bad too fast, which makes them more expensive when you throw half of it away. I buy frozen veggies (except, say, salad and carrots). I also avoid the organic/natural stuff, since organic eggs and milk cost about twice as much as non-organic.
            It just never made sense to me that they'd always complain about being broke, then I'd go shopping with them and see them buy a week's worth of food for so much money. Not to mention how much extra they'd have to spend to get shoes and clothes that don't have leather.
            It just struck me as "wait, how would that work" that hodrige seems to be recommending vegetarianism/veganism as a way to save money, when everything I've seen of that lifestyle is more expensive.
          • photogirl67, on 05/01/2008, -0/+0hi all - I have been vegan for a time (minus the clothes part - just food, so technically not vegan I guess)

            do I spend more money on food? maybe - but I DO choose organic produce ALWAYS. Why? Because commercially grown stuff and your frozen and canned stuff has almost NO nutrient value what so ever - you are eating empty calories and fiber. I used to feel the same - that organic was a waste of money, I could wash off the pesticides, etc. But I changed my view when I learn that organic spinach for example had about 10,000 times more iron that commercially grown stuff. Mostly has to do with how the soil is depleted in the commercial farms and there are no nutrients left in it to put into the vegetables. So even if organic spinach is twice the price (which it isn't) I'm putting the best FUEL I can into my body for optimal health, fitness, disease fighting, etc. I would rather eat one bowl of spinach salad - not 10,000. Compare the cost that way.

            as for eating the "fake" meat substitutes and tofu - I don't eat them, can't stand them. I eat mostly veggies, fruit, whole grains (rye, spelt, millet, quinoa, kamut, brown rice, barley), beans, lentils, legumes and nuts and seeds (flax, sesame, etc).

            you're fooling yourself if you think the packaged garbage is less expensive. It may be so - but in the long run I won't have heart disease, diabetes, alzheimers, cancer, etc - all diseases associated with a high fat, highly animal/dairy food diet and processed foods (anything in a can is processed too). So how much will I save in health care when I'm 60?


    • Densetsu, on 04/28/2008, -3/+10Clap............ clap............ clap.........
      /sarcasm
    • modsuperstar, on 04/28/2008, -2/+10You don't win friends with salad.
      • pojut, on 04/28/2008, -1/+6"Why should I eat salad? That's what MY food eats." -My stepfather
        • marx2k, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2Does he say that while cracking open a budweiser with his teeth or with a bottle opener with flames on the side?
          • pojut, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2He would likely deck you for assuming that he would drink that piss...as long as I've known him, he won't drink beer if he can see through it.
          • petrodollar, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1That's unfortunate. A lot of great beers like Stella Artois and Peroni are highly translucent. And a lot of ***** beers like Huber Bock are very dark.
          • marx2k, on 04/28/2008, -0/+0Strange... sounds like the kind of comment you usually get from individuals who base beer quality on price (in the inverse sense)
          • pojut, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1It's not that...he just doesn't like watery tasting beer, and loves really "heavy" beer.. To his taste buds, he has yet to find a light-coloured beer that doesn't taste watery. ::shrug:: for the most part, I agree with him...I'll drink Yeungling, but that's just about the only light-coloured beer that I like. I don't know if I prefer really heavy beers because I was raised by him and introduced to beer by him at the age of 18, or if it's because there is german and russian in my blood...but I generally can't stand light coloured beer either.

            A beer being dark doesn't necessarily mean it's tasty, either. To me, even Guiness Stout is a bit on the flat side as far as flavour is concerned.

            You keep your Stella Artois and your Corona. Give me some Warsteiner Dunkel or Wild Goose Oatmeal Stout. Hell yeah.
    • pojut, on 04/28/2008, -2/+6I don't know about you, but I am damn proud to be a part of the species that sits solidly at the top of the food chain.

      For every animal you don't eat, I'm going to eat three.
      • theaceoffire, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2O.o Are not cannibals at the top of the food chain? Humans eat everything, and they eat humans...
        • pojut, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1If you wanted to split hairs, I suppose you could say so:-) But human cannibals are still human, regardless of their diet.
    • hodrige, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3no Just poor... and I hate the way animals are treated.
      I am not against meat even!
      I have no problem if someone (not me) goes out and shoot a deer or a turkey that have lived a decent life and eats it!
      I just don't agree with the way animals are raised commercially. I don't buy the "organic" marketing thing either... they are the same company.
      Also I have a problem with companies trying to sell me / market their stuff... I hate how they sell me stuff that are not good for me, and tell me that it is the best! I am not an idiot! I know that those packaged things are bad for me! So... I am not buying! I buy no brand vegetables! they are great.
      With clothes its a different thing though... I have not figured this one out yet :)
      Other than than, I have not looked better or felt better since :)
      Nowadays I do it to look and feel good! All that and I don't walk around hungry either.
      • pojut, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1You are, of course, free to make your own choices when it comes to your diet. Just remember one thing: with the exception of a few delicacies, humans eat meat from animals that are long since dead. Most predators are content with eating their prey alive but disabled.

        I don't care how badly treated animals are on farms and whatnot...nothing is worse than being eaten alive.
  • heresy_fnord, on 04/28/2008, -6/+37My Conservative / Republican friends and co-workers still say there is nothing wrong with the economy...Hmm.
    • nekochan, on 04/28/2008, -2/+14ask to eat at their house from now on.

      also, a ride to their house to save on gas and such.
    • popfrogs, on 04/28/2008, -1/+9Well it's all perspective. When the rich get richer, are they going to complain about the economy? Survey says: no.
    • mike17032, on 04/28/2008, -2/+12*****.

      You dont have friends.
    • JointVenture, on 04/28/2008, -3/+3Thats pretty funny considering the leadership of the Democratic party...Rockefeller, Kennedy, Clinton, Gore, the Gov of New Jersey, Pelosi, Reid etc etc
      • petrodollar, on 04/28/2008, -1/+3How does that have any bearing on what his conservative friends think about the economy?
    • bowe, on 04/28/2008, -0/+5On CNN just now, they had a story, "The Wealthy ask, "What Recession?" All ultra-luxury goods are selling very well. One dude had 5 sports cars (He was driving a Lambo), houses in 6 countries, and 3 private jets.
  • davidkeithjones, on 04/28/2008, -2/+13Remember, people are cutting back; however, it is moving from OMG that is too much food to wow thats a lot of food.
  • codaofchoice, on 04/28/2008, -8/+30This sounds like a shovel-load of hyperbole.
    • EricAnderton, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3I dugg you up because I felt I was the only one that saw that the article made a lot out of a little.

      Yes, food prices are climbing, but they've been doing that steadily for years on end now. However, it *is* going to get worse thanks to the falling petrodollar.

      I love that line graph - the overall change has only been within 4% or so within the last two years.
    • DrMonkeyLove, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1If only the starving masses could eat hyperbole, then there'd be enough for all...
  • republicker, on 04/28/2008, -17/+6Stockpile food......you wont regret it.
    • mOdQuArK, on 04/28/2008, -1/+7Unless you stockpile the wrong KIND of food (the stuff that doesn't keep beyond a few weeks).
      • republicker, on 04/28/2008, -2/+8If you cant distinguish between perishable and nonperishable foods, then you deserve to starve.
      • sadenshi, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2You know, it's mostly the food that lasts on the shelves longest that is the unhealthiest to us, with all the processing, preservation & additives. Best bet would be to learn to grow some staples nearby, like potatoes!
        • marx2k, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1dry bags of rice, dry beans, dried fruit, etc...
        • republicker, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Well if it ever comes down to food rationing we will certainly not be worried about eating healthy, just getting the amount of protein to survive and maybe an orange or two to prevent diseases like scurvy and other diseases caused from vitamin/mineral deficiency. Chances are all Americans will all be eating healthier because there will be no processed foods available.
    • sugarazor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3Yes, but how can I stockpile when Sam's Club will only let me buy 80 pounds of rice!?
  • o0joshua0o, on 04/28/2008, -5/+7You can save money by eating more of cheap items like rice and corn.
    • GhostFreeman, on 04/28/2008, -3/+15What, the stuff I can't find at Costco anymore?
      • davidg11, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3Costco rocks. And I've never seen anyone ever buy 50 lb bags of rice in there (WA state). Their restriction should have been in CA only.
        • holzp, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4I would be careful if I were you, sounds like you have Ninjas at your Costco, and Ninjas love rice.
      • petrodollar, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1The stores in Chinatown near me have a ***** ton of rice on the shelves. Costco was sold out of Jasmine rice the other day, but they were selling 50lb bags for $17. That ***** is untenable when 25lb bags go for about $19 nowadays.
    • RedWolves, on 04/28/2008, -6/+2Try buying rice in the store right now...go ahead and try.
      • davidg11, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2But I don't like rice.
      • popfrogs, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Not a problem. We have a Hong Kong market here, they have truckloads of rice every day. Asian grocery stores FTW.
      • petrodollar, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Umm, I had no trouble finding in the stores last friday. You saying something happened over the weekend?
      • Tyr7BE, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Ummm ok. I just did yesterday. Didn't have any really major problems to speak of. I mean, I had to decide what kind to buy, but that's not what I'd call a big setback. All in all, I'd say I was successful.

        This is in Canada, though, which seems to be taking this whole 'economic meltdown' thing with a bit more grace.
      • sugarazor, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1Buying rice right now is easy. Seriously, stockpiling food is going to become the new 9/11 Truth Movement here on Digg.
      • Hosalabad, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1There was a ton of it in my local suburban grocery yesterday. What's the problem?
    • matthewf01, on 04/28/2008, -2/+1Subsidized american hamburger meat and government corn?
    • sadenshi, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3Corn and rice, including wheat, are the major grains to be going in shortage and high demand right now, heh.
      • secrity, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2The Asian store near me has huge amounts of rice on the shelves. A bag that would last me for years is $14.
  • headzoo, on 04/28/2008, -2/+33Consumer Reports released an issue years ago that showed generic store brands are just as good as name brands (And are even sometimes manufactured by the same companies). Buying name brand products is really a waste of money.
    http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/store_b ...
    • pojut, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2My girlfriend and I almost always buy store-brand. With the exception of a few rare things (Olive oil, cereal, coffee, etc.) name-brand is almost as good and in some cases even better than name brand.

      The difference in price isn't that big of a deal when you look at each individual item...but when you are two 24 year olds, that 25-30 dollar difference in the weekly food bill is certainly noticeable.
      • pojut, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Gah...I of course meant to say store-brand is almost always as good...not name-brand twice :X
    • aladrin, on 04/28/2008, -4/+11They can report whatever they like, I know what I like. Store brands do NOT taste like name brands.

      There are certain things that I prefer the taste of the store brands, like spaghetti noodles. But other things (especially cereals) taste much, much better in the name brands.

      I eat what I like, regardless of what name it has.
      • davidg11, on 04/28/2008, -3/+3Costco kirkland brand (store brand) coffee comes from Starbucks. So you may want to rethink.
        • earlycj5, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2That's your argument that store branded stuff can taste good? You chose Starbucks coffee?
          • theaceoffire, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4I had a classmate that worked at a cola plant. The same plant (Same machine in fact) made both the name-brand and the knock off.
            100% the same, except if you buy name-brand you can be all snoty and stuck up about it.
        • headzoo, on 04/28/2008, -1/+3Sounds like his argument is this: Generic products are not only manufactured by the same companies that make the name brand products, but in some cases they are the name brand products. The only difference is the packaging.
  • dd240sx, on 04/28/2008, -2/+44if you are buying product just because of the name brand you are an idiot
    • davidg11, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4But what if I really want that COACH purse?
    • Hockey13, on 04/28/2008, -2/+7Name brands are often associated with a certain level of quality. If quality can't be absolutely guaranteed, names and reputations become extremely important. Take the finance or accounting industries, for example. Would you rather take your car to Pep Boys or Joe's South Side Auto?
      • akatsuki, on 04/28/2008, -0/+5Depends. My indie mechanic is way better than Pep Boys and cheaper.
        Brand names are supposed to work as proxies for quality. So advertising works on making them familiar, exclusive and, hopefully, connotating quality. There is a reason that Prada can sell cheap, crappy nylon bags for thousands of dollars. Or that crappy machine made Armani and Hugo Boss suits from the same machine lines as lesser brands often cost more than a custom suit. Or spend money at Starbucks.
    • EricAnderton, on 04/28/2008, -0/+9Exactly. I might be able to agree spending more on premium meats on occasion, but when it comes to crap like Tostitos vs "the store brand", the mind boggles - aren't you going to slather them with bean dip anyway?

      Folks need to spend some money on a good cookbook or two, and then on some decent seasonings & spices. After that, all you need to know is "how much per pound" brand X is.
      • wattersm, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Now that everybody carries cell phones you can just calculate the unit price there.
    • JointVenture, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1Iphones?
    • KingGorilla, on 04/28/2008, -0/+5that's why I bought a Vii
    • GordonV, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3Are you kidding me? Branding is what sells products!
  • dn11, on 04/28/2008, -2/+28How long till we get "Victory Gin".... or should I say "Mission Accomplished Gin"...
  • surKaz, on 04/28/2008, -5/+3Although I've been sighing too much recently....
    *Sigh*.. It always makes me feel sad (obviously) when I hear what people are doing to be able to afford stuff during a recession. I mean, it's not that bad yet.... I'll be angry with the goverment, local stores etc.. everybody when I'm going hungry ... but looking at others do the same is what causes the sadness..

    /I don't know what the hell this was..
    • jinxplayer, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2I do, *****.
      • surKaz, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1and I agree.
        • theaceoffire, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1At the same time, I know what you mean.
          I keep saving my money, trying to make life better... and it wears you down. If you don't save, you can't protect yourself from unexpected surprises (medical bills, maintenance for your car/house)... but when you try to store some cash you end up living horribly.
  • alpha94, on 04/28/2008, -13/+2I haven't even noticed any price increases that the media keeps talking about except fuel. If the fuel prices are impacting your life that much then your personal spending is what the real problem is (assuming you're not poor).
    • jinxplayer, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Define poor.
    • burnedtubes, on 04/28/2008, -0/+6I guess you don't buy groceries then. I have seen milk skyrocket. Just as a couple small trivial examples. I have seen a big bag of Doritos at Walmart go from $2.50 per bag to $3.00. I have seen sandwich meat go from $2.00 per package to $3.00. All food prices are on the rise.
      • alpha94, on 04/28/2008, -3/+1Nope, haven't noticed. The milk and other regular groceries all have the same price I am used to seeing. I buy mostly organic products and they have the same price as well.

        But my real point was that even if it's going up a little here and there, if it's greatly impacting your life there's something else that's wrong. I've seen people on the news say they can't even drive to visit their families anymore because of gas prices. Come on, you can't put another 10 - 20 dollars into your tank but you can have that large coffee and cell phone and new clothes and go to the movies every weekend? Give me a break.
        • browwiw, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2OMG, you're like a walking "Stuff White People Like" article. What a pretentious prick.
      • wattersm, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1I actually keep an SQL database of grocery prices, it's easy to spot trends that way.
  • JHW539, on 04/28/2008, -3/+11I went meat free in college for economic reasons. Once you learn a few good meatless meals (spaghetti, mac'n'cheese, top ramon, chili with TVP, marinated tofus stirfry, a lentil dish, beer - yeah, I'm quite the gourmet.) it's a really painless way to save a few bucks. I'm still mostly meatless, with just a couple servings a week (usually a bacon breakfast and a fish dinner or a burger if I'm on the road) to keep my bile levels high enough to cope when I satisfy my bi-annual prime rib craving. Certainly not a vegetarian, but meat has to be worth the prep time and financial cost or I'm not going to bother with it.
    • stonebear, on 04/28/2008, -3/+8If one looks at human teeth, one can see the species has not evolved to be big on meat. Americans have been conditioned by commercial culture to think of it as a main feature of their meals, but its true place is as a side dish that does not necessarily occur in every meal. Step away from the white flour products and corn syrup, and you, sir, will be a natural man.

      Michael Pollan - In Defense Of Food
      http://www.michaelpollan.com/indefense.php
      http://www.mininova.org/tor/1359149
      • Travelsonic, on 04/28/2008, -0/+7We have canines, and molars, we were designed to eat meat and plants... omnivores!
        • gotterdammerung, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2Of course, but it doesn't make evolutionary sense that tooth decay is so rampant in Western populations. Think about it - we have to use our teeth to chew food, and we have to eat food to live... and the structures we HAVE to use to chew are rotting away in our childhood or early adult years. Couldn't that be somehow connected to the completely unnatural ***** that's in most of the foods included in the Western diet?
        • Foofoofoofoobar, on 04/28/2008, -2/+2I don't know. Could it? Perhaps you can cite some scientific evidence saying that "unnatural ***** in Western diet" causes tooth decay? And perhaps you can look up something called toothpaste, which lets us have our unnatural cake and eat it too.

          Seriously your irrational fear mongering on the unnatural is idiotic. To be human is to be unnatural. The entire history of Human civilization has been to convert the natural to our standards, not like animals where we live to nature's standards. And I think we've come pretty far.
          • gotterdammerung, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2I'm not sure that you have access to NCBI's PubMed, because it seems highly unlikely that you work in a scientific field. If by some chance that is incorrect, you can do a simple search there. So, here's just one "layman's" article about tooth decay being linked to consumption choices: http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/ny-news_51507,0, ...

            I realize that agriculture and the domestication of animals are "unnatural" ways that we have harnessed the world around us. However, our lifestyle is evolving much faster than our bodies can catch up with, because we've also lessened the impact of natural selection on our species. I am not fear-mongering, just trying to make a point. People fully understand that the type of fuel they put in their cars will impact the output they get: functionality of the engine, the buildup of various residues... why is it so hard to adapt that concept to the food that fuels our bodies?
      • wattersm, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1Screw that, I'll eat whatever I want. Meals without meat suck, you can eat a bunch of spaghetti and you're just hungry again 2 hours later, carbs burn fast.
    • bowe, on 04/28/2008, -1/+3To have a high protein nutrient rich vegetarian diet can be very expensive. You can go without eating meat, with stuff like mac n cheese, but you'll miss the nutrition you get from eating meats.
      • KingGorilla, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2eggs and soymilk
      • 0crabby0, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2You're forgetting about beans, they're high in protein. And they're cheap - or plant them yourself.
      • stonebear, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1I'm not a vegetarian, and I'm pushing that, but there are inexpensive ways to get good protein from a vegetarian diet; one must simply eat with more care. For example: The protein in beans is not necessarily available, but it is when the beans are eaten with rice, or, as in the case of tofu, fermented before hand.
        • stonebear, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Correction: "I'm not pushing that."
    • zaffir, on 04/28/2008, -0/+0Sounds like you suck at getting enough protein.
  • chemdiva, on 04/28/2008, -1/+3I found that interesting - it's neat to see where people are looking to cut costs first. Submitter dug pretty deep into the article to come up with that over the top description though.
  • Tuto, on 04/28/2008, -4/+16Who the ***** still buys cloths based on brand name? Its basically the same rag you get for 20 euros except they but Boss logo on it and ad 100 euros to the price.
    • kickyourbrain, on 04/28/2008, -3/+4Steve and Barry's FTW
      • captainanndor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4I don't know why anyone dug you down. I'm all for Steve and Barry's. One of the only places you're pretty much guaranteed to find shorts and pants for 10-15 dollars. That don't dissolve after the first laundry cycle. I've got several pairs of their jeans I've been wearing for close to two years now. Cheap capris too, which is unheard of everywhere else. Trying to buy season-appropriate clothes that fit a business dress code and not go broke in the process (or have to wear the same pair of pants every day) is tough, even with avoiding name brands.
    • bowe, on 04/28/2008, -0/+120 euros = $31 USD. That's expensive for some people in the USA. The only piece of clothing I've ever spent more than $187 on(120 Euros) is a suit.
    • crazydigger, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1Got to agree on the Steve and Barry's comments. I shop for my whole family there and everyone loves they're cloths. Plus saving 5 dollars on a shirt, I can now put 1 gallon of gas in my car... lol
  • TheMachine1, on 04/28/2008, -7/+4“It hasn’t gotten to human food mixed with pet food yet,” he said, “but it is certainly headed in that direction.”

    Thats funny I had a dream a few nights ago that dog food tasted good.
    • McHoffa, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2not kidding here, but so did I...
    • popfrogs, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Actually some of it does. I was on the phone one time jabbering away, and there were some Jerky Treats in the package face down on the bar next to the phone. I absent-mindedly picked one up and started chewing on it. I ate half the damn thing before I realized it was a dog treat...so it wasn't too bad after all.
    • wbeavis, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1dog food comes from the same animals we eat. Why would it necessaily taste all that different?
  • albundy, on 04/28/2008, -13/+3I can't say that is any different than what my normal practice is. My income range is in the top 1%.
    • rancor01, on 04/28/2008, -2/+4.... and we're all VERY impressed..

      How 'bout you save those lines for the cute bartender at Bennegans
  • goyney, on 04/28/2008, -14/+16Holly Levitsky, a 56-year-old supermarket cashier in Cleveland, buys a brand of steak sauce called Briargate for 85 cents and surreptitiously pours it into an A1 steak sauce bottle she keeps at home.
    “My husband can’t even tell the difference,” she said.

    If my wife did that and I found out.... *smack*
    • davidg11, on 04/28/2008, -6/+11My wife one time substituted cottage vheese for ricotta cheese in Lasagna. Let's just say that doesn't happen any more if you know what I mean.
      • DrMonkeyLove, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Those two things are not substitutes for one another. That's just nasty! So, divorced then?
    • davewashere, on 04/28/2008, -1/+3Has anyone tried this Briargate stuff? I've never tasted any sauce that would fool me into thinking it was A1. I realize that a good steak shouldn't need A1, but there are also a lot of meats out there that do need some strong flavoring, and A1 is too damn expensive.
      • longchamp, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Briargate is one of the store brands at Aldi www.aldifoods.com
      • DarkSamus, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1lawry's is alright
      • ooby, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Brines and marinades, unless it's a more marbled cut. Then, you just age it for a few days before cooking.
    • nbcaffeine, on 04/28/2008, -1/+23If you're putting A1 on a steak, you're doing something wrong when cooking it.
      • Otto, on 04/28/2008, -1/+3True, but it's tasty in burger meat, if you mix in just a little.

        I've never tasted any sauce that could fool me into thinking it was A1. A1 has a unique flavor.
      • stonebear, on 04/28/2008, -0/+5Unfortunately, a simple, well seasoned steak doesn't satisfy that subconscious craving for high fructose corn syrup.
      • JointVenture, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Or buying ***** steak.
      • Hosalabad, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1The kind of woman that can't cook a steak lies about what's in the bottle ;)
    • zombird, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2If you can afford steaks, you're not poor at all.
  • davidg11, on 04/28/2008, -5/+3I would so divorce my wife for switching my A1 sauce secretly....WTF? Well I guess that wouldn't happen because A1 sucks and I like Worchestire sauce on my steaks instead...but still..it's the point!
    • popfrogs, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1Lea and Perrins also makes some awesome sauces, puts A1 to shame.
  • veganpa, on 04/28/2008, -10/+7Another meat-free here -- don't want to support factory farms!
    • waif69, on 04/28/2008, -2/+4One can be a meat eater and not support the factory farms. Kill the animal yourself and you get a better meat for a much lower price.
      • DrMonkeyLove, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2I tried that excuse with my neighbor's dog. He was still pissed for some reason though.
    • JointVenture, on 04/28/2008, -2/+1"pork chops are ...gooooooood"
  • davidg11, on 04/28/2008, -8/+2Why all the substitutions?
    McDonalds dollar value menu baby!
    Burger, salad, sundae: $3..can't beat it with a stick.
    • FriedTurkey, on 04/28/2008, -0/+15I think "meat" is in quotes at McDonalds.
    • grapfx, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Don't you mean, horse, dried up weeds, and sundae like substance: $3 can't beat that with a stick
      You will need a large stick to clean out your colon.
      • captainanndor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1The sundae is just vanilla soft-serve. I'm pretty sure it's standard wherever you go. So, while I agree with the rest, I'd have to argue that McDonald's sundaes are a decent alternative to taking bratty child to, say, Friendly's and spending 4 dollars on a sundae they won't even finish eating.
    • captainanndor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Gross, McDonald's. The problem there is that all the money you save on food, you'll be spending on hospital visits and medication to prevent/treat a heart attack. Wendy's isn't that much healthier, but at least you can't feel your arteries clogging as you eat there. (Exception being the Baconator. That was definitely an evening of "oh god, why did I do that to myself??")
      • theaceoffire, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2McDonald's in small (SMALL) doses is fine.
        Its the people who go nightly, or for multiple meals, just cause the kids ask... thats when your life gets F*ed up.
  • EricAnderton, on 04/28/2008, -1/+21Two words for you guys: "Farmer's Market". Commercially transported foodstuffs are going to get ridiculously expensive in the years ahead.

    Eat locally, split an appetizer and main course on your next date, and learn to eat vegetarian at home every now and then.
    • tont0r, on 04/28/2008, -2/+4If you want to remain healthy and not just eat noodles all day, being a vegetarian is not cheap. Not to mention, I can get vegetables from a grocery store cheaper than I can from the farmers market.
      • gotterdammerung, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3More than likely, the grocery store vegetables contain fewer nutrients when compared with the farmer's market vegetables, have been grown in soil of lesser quality and biological complexity, and have been sprayed with pesticides.

        I'll gladly pay more for quality food now, and hopefully less on healthcare later.
        • publiclurker, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Around here, half of the vendors at the farmers markets also sell to the grocery stores. It may be different in other places, but here the freshness is the only distinguishing difference between the two places on the basics.
          • anachronaut, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Yeah, the local Farmer's Market around here (Little Rock, AR) got infested by those "peddlers" who are basically just wholesalers of crap imported from other states or, more often than not, from other countries. It was anything BUT local, and it got to the point where I stopped going to the Farmer's Market last year because the sleazy peddlers were crowding out the local producers who I was there to support -- in essence, destroying the entire purpose of the market in the first place (for me, at any rate).

            Luckily for us, some of the more prominent farmers around here got fed up with the complacent, unhelpful attitude of the administrator of the market and split off to form their own market across the river, with only certified Arkansas farmers & producers able to participate. I am anxiously awaiting opening day, which is this coming Saturday.
      • oxymoron69, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1I've noticed that here too, the farmers market isn't too great of a deal for much stuff.

        But being Canada, with a short growing season, you wander down there when it looks busy and it's hot out, and even then, I can only eat so much corn or tomatoes :P
      • ooby, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Fruits and Vegetables are much cheaper than per pound than junk foods. The only things cheaper than them are grains.
  • noahhoward, on 04/28/2008, -11/+4Am I the only person to see zero effects so far? Is this recession only affecting the rich that live in overpriced areas or something?
    • pak314, on 04/28/2008, -1/+4Mostly the people who spent beyond their means in the "good times" of easy credit. Wait till the interest rates are cranked up to stop inflation. Then credit card interest rates will soar to the ceiling.

    • EricAnderton, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4If you already live a thrifty lifestyle, then you're probably not going to see much of a bump - the ongoing changes due to inflation and rising fuel prices are going to be largely proportional to your overall food budget.

      So if you're just shopping for one, and buying all store brands, you're already minimized. Its the family-of-five driving an SUV to and from Wal-Mart that has to worry.
    • wbeavis, on 04/28/2008, -1/+4I would say you have probably buried your head in the sand. Do you know for certain exactly what you paid last for a loaf of bread, milk, eggs, etc. The time before last? Do you grab off the shelf, blindly, and pay for it at the cashier and promptly ignore what you spent?
      • tbstudee, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2No, No, and Yes
      • StaticThunder, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2If you can't afford bread at current prices, what are you doing on the internet? Food prices at the moment are the least of my worries. Driving to work -- maybe. Figuring out whether I can afford the next incarnation of Microsoft Office, definitely.

        These people complaining -- when they can't afford a can of tuna fish, and packet of mayo and two slices of bread for lunch, I will be more concerned.
      • wattersm, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2I don't have records for every item I buy but I can definitely see my monthly grocery expenses have gone up over the last 4 years. There's years worth of spending records on my computer thanks to gnucash so I can see exactly where my money goes.
      • noahhoward, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1My groceries have gone up every year since I was a little boy living with my parents, what else is new. Do you remember milk being 89¢ a gallon?
      • sgiffy, on 04/29/2008, -1/+0Yup, because I'm financially secure enough to not have to fret an extra buck or two for bread and milk. But then I tend to only buy what I need.
  • RedWolves, on 04/28/2008, -2/+14I have three boys and a wife that live with me so we are feeling the crunch big time with rising fuel and food prices. We've already started a garden this year (I call it my victory garden in reference to the gardens Americans grew during WWII) and I've recently made my own laundry detergent from a recipe I got on the Internet.
    We also make our own pizza that costs a fraction of the cost of a take out pizza but tastes many times better.
    Other ways we are saving is trying to maximize a tank of gas. We've switched to driving the speed limit when we need to drive and I'll ride my bike when I can to places that are short distances and to work on occasion.
    • pojut, on 04/28/2008, -2/+2If you are looking for inexpensive pizza for your family, but don't have the time to make it from nothing, I suggest Safeway-brand pizzas...a bit thin, but super cheap and tasty. We usually reserve ours for Friday movie night :-)
    • nirav72, on 04/28/2008, -1/+4Costco or Sam's Club pizza branded Pizza is pretty cheap to. Probably not as cheap as home made, but much cheaper than any one of the delivery chains. (Dominoas, Pizza hut). It comes topped and you just have to put it in the oven.
      • publiclurker, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Check out take-and-bake places if they exist in your area. Less than half the price and they taste pretty good.
    • captainanndor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Does the laundry detergent seem to work really well? It doesn't cause itchiness or smell weird? Or ruin colors?
    • stonebear, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Make your own fluoride free toothpaste:
      http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthworm/331142855/
    • StaticThunder, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1I was doing that during the boom years. Welcome to 1995.
  • scottperezfox, on 04/28/2008, -1/+13Soylent Red, White, and Blue
  • matthewf01, on 04/28/2008, -1/+8Where's our economic stimulus package?
    Is that on its way soon? I have steaks to buy.
  • McHoffa, on 04/28/2008, -0/+11For once I am seriously considering a garden in my back yard...
    • kickyourbrain, on 04/28/2008, -1/+3Do it! A couple of tomato seeds yielded probably 20lbs of tomatoes for me last year; more if I was a bit more diligent about harvesting them on time. I also planted an apple tree last year ($60, has 4 different types of apples) and this year it looks to be getting around 100 blossoms!
      • wbeavis, on 04/28/2008, -1/+3How the hell did you get 1 tree to produce 4 types of apples?
        • captainanndor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+6Don't you remember that story from a while ago about the asian guy who had a citrus tree that grew 5-6 different types of fruit? As long as they're all the same family of fruit (no oranges on apple trees) you can graft branches from different trees onto one tree. It takes time and care to do it successfully, but from my limited knowledge on the subject, it's not all that unusual.
    • stonebear, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2If you do plant a garden, take the trouble to find seed of offbeat varieties which have not been tampered with by the food industry. Also, do not use chemical fertilizer; it causes your vegetables to grow too fast, and they don't have time to accrue the necessary nutrition before harvest. Use organic fertilizer for highest quality produce.
    • kaelyiesta, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Plus its good exercise. You gain in quite a few ways from a small crop garden.
    • Slainna, on 04/30/2008, -0/+1I intend to have a garden as well. Oh and chickens.
  • RealHyperX, on 04/28/2008, -2/+3I shop at Sams club and the food prices have been the same there.. My food bill is not up. I also go to a local ethnic market, and prices there are the same. Not sure what this is all about.
    • tbstudee, on 04/28/2008, -0/+0McDonalds dollar menu hasn't changed either!
  • alphonseragusa, on 04/28/2008, -4/+4Weird. I find people paying MORE for food because it says "organic".
    $4 for a banana? ****** lunatics.
    • wbeavis, on 04/28/2008, -3/+0you assume they are eating those bananas!
    • Slainna, on 04/30/2008, -0/+1organic bananas are not $4 lol last i checked they were only barely more expensive than regular. $.60 a pound here
  • michael43, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3Is this something they just realized? Surely a store brand didn't hit the white house table.
  • JointVenture, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4So does this mean that millions of digg users are going to return their GTA 4 preorder so that they can buy dog food to eat?
    • smergs, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4No. It means millions of digg users are going to keep their GTA 4 preorder and eat dog food so that they can do so.
    • Hosalabad, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1I'm going to get a refund on my preorder today. I got GTAIV for $30 from my UPS guy.
  • YellowStar, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Luckily what I paid for 500 g bag of dried mealworms two years ago is the same as today. Eat bugs - it's good for the planet.
    • davidkeithjones, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2"Whats for dinner honey? "
      "Mealworms."
      "Kill me now!"
    • resonte, on 04/28/2008, -0/+0Where do you buy mealworms from? online or at a pet shop?
  • Leg0z, on 04/28/2008, -3/+3"Millville Marshmallows and Stars, a less expensive store brand. In New Hampshire, George Goulet is no longer booking hotel rooms at the Hilton, favoring the lower-cost Hampton Inn. And in Michigan, Jennifer Olden is buying Gain laundry detergent instead of the full-price Tide."

    Look out George Goulet is favoring the lower-cost Hampton Inn!!!

    We're all going to starve to death!

    This article is nothing but fear mongering... and some of the worst journalistic writing I've seen.
  • charlietuna, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3Turkey chili keeps me alive.
  • TTURabble, on 04/28/2008, -1/+5I kind of find this article to be a little bit sensationalist. I'm not quite sure how mentioning three people is any sort of metric for the economy as a whole. I'm sure I could go outside and find twice as many people who are doing quite well. I won't deny that prices are rising and there are some situations that are bad for the overall economy, because there are, but using a few anecdotal examples seems like a far stretch.

    Prices rise, taxes suck, and you'll never get paid enough...budget accordingly.
  • zmigliozzi, on 04/28/2008, -0/+6Buying non-name brand is not a new concept on saving money...
  • HanSolo69, on 04/28/2008, -2/+1Anyone heard of this new product Soylent Green? They say it will solve all of our problems.
  • tomakaze, on 04/28/2008, -2/+0When I do the shopping, It's beef, pork & potatoes. Vegetables are canned (esp tomatoes) or frozen, meals are balanced. I spend around 20-25 bucks a week for two people, and face it, meat is just nutritionally more bang for your buck. (chuck steak 2.50/lb vs. 3$ for a couple bell peppers or 3.99 for fresh tomatoes. yeesh.)
    we stock up on staples like butter, sour cream, when they're on sale as needed so it's not really even worth noting.

    When my wife does the weekly shopping, we wind up with overpriced fresh produce that rots before it gets used, overpriced bread and rarely escape with out forking over 50-60 bucks a trip.

    • marx2k, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Bell peppers are $0.69/lb where I live. Tomatoes are 1.59/lb. $25/week for 2 people? Dude.. what!? You must be buying and eating a HELL of a lot of potatoes or some REALLY cheap beef/pork.

      Meat actually is not nutritionally more bang for the buck. Compare a pound of beef and a pound of spinach and let me know which has more nutrient per pound (2lbs of spinach here is about $3). BTW, antibiotics is not a nutrient :D
    • StaticThunder, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Most people eat far more protein than they actually need, 4 oz. of meat is more than plenty for a day, yet you see people eating 1lb steaks. Try black beans, tofu, lentils.
  • wbeavis, on 04/28/2008, -2/+1SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!
  • Jade10145, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2I never understood why people bought things like name brand trash bags. For gods sake you put garbage into it. I guess the marketing of the hefty man really does work on some people. Honestly I don't think the quality of a name brand trash bag and a generic is really that different.
    I really think that as a society we are spoiled by the options available when shopping, purchasing food is a big one. People buy the name brand cereal thinking its better product, while forgetting the purpose of it. Food, essentially is meant for nourishment. People lived without all these choices years ago and they did fine. In other words, eating a generic cereal is no worse or better then eating a name brand.
    • captainanndor, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1I would recommend against some generic cereals, though. While nourishment is the main purpose of food, taste is also pretty important. I can tell you from experience, the cheapo Cheerios knock-off cereal is not worth the savings, or the money you spend. Same with certain brands of non-name brand Froot Loops and Lucky Charms. Unless you want a mouthful of soggy sawdust.
  • skyz, on 04/28/2008, -2/+1i read an article once about how during WWll people who had lived on a diet of refined bread and sugar actually got healthier when they had to use whole grains and there was very little sugar if any available - i am a vegan anyway but vegetables and fruits are not cheap nowadays - a garden is definitely a good and fun idea - makes you feel more secure to munch on tomatoes you have grown and they are pretty too -
    • GordonV, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1The diet my trainer put me on doesn't allow me to eat refined or enriched bread, sodas, sugar, salt, pepper, and fats. My asthma has been more easily managed and I have lost 20 pounds. That and I go to the gym. (I'm fat but I'm working on it)
  • The_Red_Monkey, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2I always knew that McDonald's could not be classified as meat. And since when is a population in an economic crisis and cutting back on food when 67-70% of them obese?
  • doctorcaligari, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Two words... Ground Turkey. It's cheap, it's healthier, and most people don't even notice the difference. I've saved money and reduced my waistline because of it.
    • Hosalabad, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1And it's disgusting, don't forget that!
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