This Is Our Social & Cultural Issues Thread

[SlackerInc]

10 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

Much less comparing receipts.  

I also don't understand how people can say "my grocery bill for the week is X".  I'm a finance professional and I have no idea and wouldn't know how to start.  A lot of my groceries are from Costco and on my bill there is also auto parts, clothes, contacts, dog food, toiletries, weed spray, pool chlorine, sheets, books, etc., etc.  And none of my food lasts exactly a week, or even close.  To tally it up we'd have to note our portions and total product cost per item and then divide it out and sum up all those tiny amounts/costs for each ingredient of each thing I prepare.  

I guess if you shop at one food store that sells exclusively food you can just average out your charges over like a year, though.  Or if you don't cook, you just buy X prepared meals a week.  Then it's easier.  

Or you can live on a strict grocery budget, like our family.  Is this so uncommon?  We spend $600 a month on groceries, $150 on each of 4 shopping trips: on the 6th, 13th, 21st, and 29th (allowing ourselves to go a day earlier if needed).  We would get into deep financial trouble if we just went to the store whenever, and put whatever in our cart.  We might even find ourselves with hungry kids at the end of the monthly pay cycle, yikes.

Edited February 20, 2017 by SlackerInc
"And" is not "or"

[Katy M]

23 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I also don't understand how people can say "my grocery bill for the week is X".  I'm a finance professional and I have no idea and wouldn't know how to start.

I'm not sure if she still does this, but when I was a kid my mom had a "little black book" where she accounted for every penny spent.  So, yes, she would take the receipts and add up individual items for groceries, hardware, etc.  She did have a miscellaneous category.  She also had a page for me and a page for my sister and the totals had to be equal at the end of the year.  I was looking at it once and wondering why all the vet bills were on my page since it was the family cat, but figured it was because he liked me best.

[luna1122]

I don't agree with the idea that eating unhealthily is more expensive that eating healthy. I mean, I believe you, but I can't quite understand it.  Fresh produce costs much more than a box of mac n cheese or a frozen pizza.  Vegetarian frozen entrees cost 3x more than non-vegetarian. Sugar free/low carb stuff is costlier than the laden with sugar stuff. What were the Kate n Toby couple buying that cost so much more than the healthy items you were buying? And wtf did they pick a fight with you? weird.

[chocolatine]

There are several factors that determine the overall cost of a meal. Most significant is portion size, but also cooking from scratch vs. packaged meals, the kind of produce (conventional vs. organic, veggies/greens vs. fruit), the kind of store (Costco vs. Whole Foods), whether meat/seafood is included in the diet, etc. It's not an apples to apples comparison. 

[Court]

Budget also comes in to here. If you only have twenty bucks to feed you and your two kids, you're going to buy what you can stretch for the week. Or until your next paycheck. I help run a food pantry at our school and we do provide one fresh fruit and one fresh veggie. But the rest besides the meat is boxed/canned, etc. It's the way it has to be. 

We're not poor but there is no way we could spend $600 on groceries a month. We simply don't have it. We spend 1/2 of that for a family of five. We buy both healthy and unhealthy. My cart is a mix. 

I have no issue with believing someone picked a fight about what was in the cart. It's happened to me more than once when people have commented on my cart. People are rude. 

[mansonlamps]

4 hours ago, Court said:

Budget also comes in to here. If you only have twenty bucks to feed you and your two kids, you're going to buy what you can stretch for the week. Or until your next paycheck. I help run a food pantry at our school and we do provide one fresh fruit and one fresh veggie. But the rest besides the meat is boxed/canned, etc. It's the way it has to be. 

We're not poor but there is no way we could spend $600 on groceries a month. We simply don't have it. We spend 1/2 of that for a family of five. We buy both healthy and unhealthy. My cart is a mix. 

I have no issue with believing someone picked a fight about what was in the cart. It's happened to me more than once when people have commented on my cart. People are rude. 

I am sorry and appalled this happens to anyone trying to do their best to feed their family.  I lived on boxed Mac and cheese and Ramen during college, but never before or after.

[SlackerInc]

8 hours ago, luna1122 said:

I don't agree with the idea that eating unhealthily is more expensive that eating healthy. I mean, I believe you, but I can't quite understand it.  Fresh produce costs much more than a box of mac n cheese or a frozen pizza.  Vegetarian frozen entrees cost 3x more than non-vegetarian. Sugar free/low carb stuff is costlier than the laden with sugar stuff. What were the Kate n Toby couple buying that cost so much more than the healthy items you were buying? And wtf did they pick a fight with you? weird.

@Winston9-DT3 had a nice response to this, which I cosign.  Oats (don't use quick oats!  They are not healthy), brown rice and beans, stir-fried frozen veggies and rice, eggs, and frozen fruit are all core parts of our diet and are quite inexpensive.

7 hours ago, Court said:

We're not poor but there is no way we could spend $600 on groceries a month. We simply don't have it. We spend 1/2 of that for a family of five.

No offense implied by this at all, but are you sure you're not poor?  My family's about the same size as yours (my wife and I, two kids who live with us full time and two more from my previous marriage who are here part of the time), and I'd consider us "poor-ish".  We're below the national median for household income, the kids are all on Medicaid, the youngest one qualifies for WIC...etc.  And I thought people might be aghast, or at least amazed, at how little we spend on groceries.

I just can't imagine getting by on $300.  But then, I should note, that $600 is for all of our food, as we very rarely go out to eat--and on those rare occasions that we do, we take that restaurant money from the grocery budget.  Is that the same for you?

[luna1122]

All of the things SlackerInc and Winston9 mention are true and are also staples of our diet. I do buy more processed food (amy's frozen dinners, mostly, and canned soups) cuz neither of us much like cooking. We do buy lots of fresh produce weekly, and that adds up quickly. A lot of families on budgets don't do their wisest shopping, probably, or don't like to cook, or whatever, and unhealthy stuff is cheap and quick. I just do bristle at the notion that all overweight people only eat junk, tho, as well as the idea, propagated by certain folks, that people on food stamps only buy candy and junk food and shouldn't be allowed to buy a cake or chips or whatever, so I probably just had a knee jerk reaction to this whole convo. I do think, with wise shopping and planning and a concerted effort to cook homemade meals every day, that probably one can feed a family just as cheaply as eating unhealthy stuff, but a lot of folks don't do that, or know how, or whatever.

There's only two of us, no kids, and we probably spend about $600 on food a month, AND we love to eat out, so I'm thinking we don't spend that wisely, or overeat, or something. Well, that does include feeding three fur babies. Does that count?

[Neurochick]

15 hours ago, Court said:

Budget also comes in to here. If you only have twenty bucks to feed you and your two kids, you're going to buy what you can stretch for the week. Or until your next paycheck. I help run a food pantry at our school and we do provide one fresh fruit and one fresh veggie. But the rest besides the meat is boxed/canned, etc. It's the way it has to be. 

We're not poor but there is no way we could spend $600 on groceries a month. We simply don't have it. We spend 1/2 of that for a family of five. We buy both healthy and unhealthy. My cart is a mix. 

I have no issue with believing someone picked a fight about what was in the cart. It's happened to me more than once when people have commented on my cart. People are rude. 

I help run a food pantry at my church and we try to give fresh fruits and vegetables, but it depends on the donations we get during the week.  Sometimes we'll get fresh produce (chicken, eggs, meat, vegetables, fruit), other times not much but you're right, most of the food is boxed/canned.  

I used to be judgey about what was in other people's shopping carts, but as I've gotten older and learned more, I don't judge anymore.  You just don't know people's situations.  Some people don't know how to cook, they never learned from their parents and never learned at school; some people may have to work more than one job and don't have time to cook every day.  Some people don't have access to supermarkets, a real issue in many cities (like NYC) so getting fresh produce is harder.  

[Katy M]

34 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

I used to be judgey about what was in other people's shopping carts, but as I've gotten older and learned more, I don't judge anymore.  You just don't know people's situations.  Some people don't know how to cook, they never learned from their parents and never learned at school; some people may have to work more than one job and don't have time to cook every day.  Some people don't have access to supermarkets, a real issue in many cities (like NYC) so getting fresh produce is harder.  

That and unless you are stalking them, you are seeing one shopping trip.  Maybe they normally eat healthy, but they have so much going on that week, they're just going for convenience.  Or, maybe they are stocking up on the convenience foods because they are on sale that week, but are going to spread the eating of them out over a year.  Or, they're having a party.

[luna1122]

I've literally never noticed or cared what anyone else is buying in a grocery. I can't imagine judging anyone for the contents of their shopping cart, or caring, let alone SAYING something to someone about it. That is so weird.

[NutMeg]

I once asked someone in front of me in the queue how they cooked some shellfish that I really like but had no idea how to cook - because I like the food, it grabbed my attention, and they answered very helpfully, so I've since bought and cooked that same shellfish, and it is yummy. I don't consciously look at people's shopping cart, but sometimes (very rarely) something catches my eye, like an item that strikes me as a good idea (strawberries, excellent idea!), or one I hadn't seen and didn't know the store had (let me find some yellow zucchini), or something I don't know where to find (wherever did you manage to find this kitchen utensil that I've been looking for for ages), and if I ask, other shoppers have been happy to help. 

[Lisa418722]

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

That and unless you are stalking them, you are seeing one shopping trip.  Maybe they normally eat healthy, but they have so much going on that week, they're just going for convenience.  Or, maybe they are stocking up on the convenience foods because they are on sale that week, but are going to spread the eating of them out over a year.  Or, they're having a party.

I go to Wal-Mart to buy "convenience" items. Then to the grocery store or farmer's market to buy fresh fruit and vegetables (because the Wal-Mart stuff goes bad too quickly).  If someone looked at my cart, they would think I never eat fresh foods, but I do, just not from there. 

[Court]

13 hours ago, SlackerInc said:

@Winston9-DT3 had a nice response to this, which I cosign.  Oats (don't use quick oats!  They are not healthy), brown rice and beans, stir-fried frozen veggies and rice, eggs, and frozen fruit are all core parts of our diet and are quite inexpensive.

No offense implied by this at all, but are you sure you're not poor?  My family's about the same size as yours (my wife and I, two kids who live with us full time and two more from my previous marriage who are here part of the time), and I'd consider us "poor-ish".  We're below the national median for household income, the kids are all on Medicaid, the youngest one qualifies for WIC...etc.  And I thought people might be aghast, or at least amazed, at how little we spend on groceries.

I just can't imagine getting by on $300.  But then, I should note, that $600 is for all of our food, as we very rarely go out to eat--and on those rare occasions that we do, we take that restaurant money from the grocery budget.  Is that the same for you?

No offense! I guess poor is also relative here. We rarely eat out unless there is a kids eat free special here. My kids are young so the two youngest don't eat a "full meal" by themselves. Like we had pork chops for dinner last night. They split one.

Not poor for me means we're not behind on our bills. We keep the lights on, etc. I'm not worried about where we're going to sleep or where the next meal is going to come from. We can save a very tiny amount of money. We don't live paycheck to paycheck.

 

We do not qualify for anything but if our income was about 2,000 less, we would. I looked because the kids health insurance is easily our biggest expense and it's crap. (Not looking for a health insurance debate!)

I also coupon, do specials and price match. I have the time and was taught how to do this. I've found that many people have no idea how to do the above. Or they simply can't.

Also,we have a good amount of homeless families at my kid's school. Most stay in a motel so that limits their options as far as what they can buy with only a microwave and tiny fridge.

[possibilities]

Someone told me a story about her elementary school classroom: They told the kids to draw pictures of what they had eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the previous day. One kid drew the McDonald's "golden arches" for every meal. The teacher scolded him, saying no way did he eat at McD's every meal! The kid said they didn't have a refrigerator, so they got their meals at McD's. Teacher apologized for not believing him.

[SlackerInc]

12 hours ago, luna1122 said:

I've literally never noticed or cared what anyone else is buying in a grocery. I can't imagine judging anyone for the contents of their shopping cart, or caring, let alone SAYING something to someone about it. That is so weird.

Oh, I judge.  And I might say something to my wife.  Saying something to the people buying the food, though?  No way, never.

9 hours ago, Court said:

No offense! I guess poor is also relative here. We rarely eat out unless there is a kids eat free special here. My kids are young so the two youngest don't eat a "full meal" by themselves. Like we had pork chops for dinner last night. They split one.

Not poor for me means we're not behind on our bills. We keep the lights on, etc. I'm not worried about where we're going to sleep or where the next meal is going to come from. We can save a very tiny amount of money. We don't live paycheck to paycheck.

 

We do not qualify for anything but if our income was about 2,000 less, we would. I looked because the kids health insurance is easily our biggest expense and it's crap. (Not looking for a health insurance debate!)

I also coupon, do specials and price match. I have the time and was taught how to do this. I've found that many people have no idea how to do the above. Or they simply can't.

Also,we have a good amount of homeless families at my kid's school. Most stay in a motel so that limits their options as far as what they can buy with only a microwave and tiny fridge.

Barbara Ehrenreich's book Nickel and Dimed is a great exploration of how the working poor can get stuck paying more for food and shelter.  She went "undercover" as a Wal-Mart employee and moved into a weekly-rate motel like you are talking about.  It would be cheaper over the long run to get an apartment, but that requires a deposit and full month's rent to start with which is hard for low income people to dig up all at once (not to mention the credit check could be a problem).

I never use coupons, mainly because the types of food I buy (basic, raw ingredients) are mostly not the kinds of things they make coupons for.  But I do start every shopping trip at Aldi and get everything I can there before moving on to Walmart.  If I lived near a Costco or Sam's Club, I would definitely join.

It sounds like your income is actually higher than ours (since you don't qualify for things we do) but you spend a much smaller percentage on food.  Fascinating.

[Court]

Oh you know what? The big kids eat breakfast at school during the week. It's free for everyone and it saves valuable time for me in the morning.

We certainly don't buy all healthy but we do the best we can. We buy boxed/processed stuff as well. Our cart is a mix. I don't buy organic either for most things which helps bring the cost down. I do for meat and eggs because there is a difference there for me as far as taste. Occasionally, a few other things depending on price difference/special.

We never shop Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc. 

I also bet cost of living factors in here and I'm in a state that didn't expand their programs.

All the things you mentioned are spot on as far as the motel. For here, it doesn't help that I'm in a county that refuses to let mass transit in and has for decades. Actually, a few counties around Atlanta have. It's dumb and doesn't appear it will change anytime soon. 

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, SlackerInc said:

I never use coupons, mainly because the types of food I buy (basic, raw ingredients) are mostly not the kinds of things they make coupons for.  But I do start every shopping trip at Aldi and get everything I can there before moving on to Walmart.  If I lived near a Costco or Sam's Club, I would definitely join.

There are Aldi stores in the US??? I grew up in Germany, where there's at least one in every town, but I've never seen one here (I live in the Pacific Northwest).

[Court]

16 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

There are Aldi stores in the US??? I grew up in Germany, where there's at least one in every town, but I've never seen one here (I live in the Pacific Northwest).

Yes. We have several in Georgia.

[chocolatine]

2 minutes ago, Court said:

Yes. We have several in Georgia.

Mind blown! Do they sell German treats, like lebkuchen during the holiday season? I go to Germany every year in October/November and bring back a ton of Aldi lebkuchen for my coworkers and friends. It's always a huge hit. 

[biakbiak]

49 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

Mind blown! Do they sell German treats, like lebkuchen during the holiday season? I go to Germany every year in October/November and bring back a ton of Aldi lebkuchen for my coworkers and friends. It's always a huge hit. 

Aldi owns Trader Joe's so they are only starting to move into markets where they are strong.

[SlackerInc]

7 hours ago, Court said:

I also bet cost of living factors in here and I'm in a state that didn't expand their programs.

All the things you mentioned are spot on as far as the motel. For here, it doesn't help that I'm in a county that refuses to let mass transit in and has for decades. Actually, a few counties around Atlanta have. It's dumb and doesn't appear it will change anytime soon. 

Re: your first sentence there: I'm sure Georgia is low COL but we in rural MO also have low COL (I've lived all over and the groceries here are cheaper than anywhere else I've compared).  And our state certainly did not join the Medicaid expansion.  My kids' Medicaid is technically "SCHIP" but they still get a Medicaid card and health care providers bill it as Medicaid.  Or actually, that was the case until we got our new governor who is forcing us to change to some more bare-bones plan.

But back from the tangent: My mind is still boggled by $300 a month, including organic meat and eggs.

On your second paragraph there: I saw FRONTLINE or someone do a documentary on the resistance in the Atlanta metro to mass transit.  It seems suspicious to me, like the real underlying motivation is race.  In any case, they could use it as I found driving on the freeways there worse than any city I've driven in (and that includes extensive experience in some bad ones like Chicago: surprisingly, NYC didn't seem too terrible).

5 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Mind blown! Do they sell German treats, like lebkuchen during the holiday season? I go to Germany every year in October/November and bring back a ton of Aldi lebkuchen for my coworkers and friends. It's always a huge hit. 

They do kind of throw a bunch of those things in a sort of clearance area.  I've never seen anyone even peruse any of it though (other than me, although I've never bought any--but I'm interested in checking out "exotic" items).  People go there mainly for the cheap prices on more familiar staples.

So in Germany, I assume it's the same in terms of putting a coin in (what value?  Here it's a quarter) to get a shopping cart, and supplying or buying your own bags?  Not to mention everyone continually swapping shopping carts with the people ahead of them.  I thought it was quite a quirky place when I started going there, but now I'm used to it.

[ShadowFacts]

6 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Mind blown! Do they sell German treats, like lebkuchen during the holiday season? I go to Germany every year in October/November and bring back a ton of Aldi lebkuchen for my coworkers and friends. It's always a huge hit. 

Yes they do.  My dad loves them.  You can also find lots of German and other international treats at World Market year round.  We have several Aldis within about 25 miles of my smallish Midwestern town, and a couple World Markets. 

[Mrs. DuRona]

9 hours ago, Court said:

We never shop Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc.

Whole Foods, I get.  Trader Joe's?  That is the place for good, cheap produce.  I split between there and Price Chopper when I do the groceries.  It breaks my heart to buy produce anywhere else.  Bananas are $.19 each.  Onions $.69 each.  A 1lb bag of carrot (organic, but that doesn't really matter to me) are $.89.  It's the only way I can have fresh produce in my lunches for the week!  They also have good snack stuff, which is usually $1.99.  I can get twice as much as TJ's as I do at Price Chopper using coupons and my card.  Some things (their meat) are more expensive, but a lot of the good stuff is very reasonable.  Even their frozen veggies and spices (like, $2 for a large jar) are super reasonable.  I used to think TJ's would be more expensive, but I have saved a LOT on my groceries by going there, even if it's just for the produce.

[tiramisue]

2 hours ago, SlackerInc said:

So in Germany, I assume it's the same in terms of putting a coin in (what value?  Here it's a quarter) to get a shopping cart, and supplying or buying your own bags?  Not to mention everyone continually swapping shopping carts with the people ahead of them.  I thought it was quite a quirky place when I started going there, but now I'm used to it.

Yup, it's common to put a coin (1€) into the shopping carts. No matter where it is. Same with the bags we bring our own or buy them for a few cents (mostly plastic bags, but it's slowly changing and often there are also recyclable paper bags or cotton ones supplied).

So funny to see that something that's completely normal to me is "quirky" to someone else. :D And interesting that they kept the German "traditions" in the US.

[Katy M]

2 hours ago, SlackerInc said:

So in Germany, I assume it's the same in terms of putting a coin in (what value?  Here it's a quarter) to get a shopping cart, and supplying or buying your own bags?  Not to mention everyone continually swapping shopping carts with the people ahead of them.  I thought it was quite a quirky place when I started going there, but now I'm used to it.

I've never paid for a shopping cart?  Is it a deposit?  Do you get it back when you return the cart?  Or are you renting the cart?  I'd be OK with a deposit, but I would not pay for a shopping cart.  I guess I would just buy what I could carry.

[tiramisue]

4 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I've never paid for a shopping cart?  Is it a deposit?  Do you get it back when you return the cart?  Or are you renting the cart?  I'd be OK with a deposit, but I would not pay for a shopping cart.  I guess I would just buy what I could carry.

In Germany we get the money back, when we return the cart. Some people have plastic coins to use for the shopping carts, since they don't always carry the change (these coins are mostly promotional with ads on it).

[Court]

@SlackerInc it's definitely racism. There's no doubt about it. I will say a lot more people want it now. People are convinced it will bring crime and criminals. There is already crime here. There is already plenty of drugs here. Ok,that makes it sound like I live in a really crappy place! I don't, crime and drugs are everywhere. 

Organic meat is usually a splurge. But Kroger sends me coupons for it monthly for a few bucks off. Eggs,the price difference is like a quarter. (I'm now going to pay lots of attention the next time we shop to my receipt)

Re the shopping cart, yes, you get the quarter back as long as you return the cart.

Also, we're getting a Lidl? I think it's related to Aldi's somehow. 

[PRgal]

10 minutes ago, Court said:

@SlackerInc it's definitely racism. There's no doubt about it. I will say a lot more people want it now. People are convinced it will bring crime and criminals. There is already crime here. There is already plenty of drugs here. Ok,that makes it sound like I live in a really crappy place! I don't, crime and drugs are everywhere. 

Organic meat is usually a splurge. But Kroger sends me coupons for it monthly for a few bucks off. Eggs,the price difference is like a quarter. (I'm now going to pay lots of attention the next time we shop to my receipt)

Re the shopping cart, yes, you get the quarter back as long as you return the cart.

Also, we're getting a Lidl? I think it's related to Aldi's somehow. 

It's also classism (which often crosses with racism, but is rarely acknowledged) and ageism.  Toronto is notoriously bad for transit (from a Canadian perspective anyway) we have been arguing about subway lines for as long as I can remember - some want more in the residential areas, going east/west, while others (and rightly so) argue for ones going north/south (and rightly so, because the current line is HORRIBLY CROWDED).  People are p###d at the possibility of tolls (well, of course they are, it's money, after all), but if it isn't tolls, then fares will have to increase if they want to help alleviate any transit issues (basically, one is screwed either way).  And who takes transit?  Those who live in the "city," the young and the lower income.  Or those of us who are a little more "alternative" and not buying into the whole "we're married with kids, but we aren't going to do the whole suburban thing like our parents."  I, for one, am on the camp of "cars are a necessary evil" - I don't even use it to grocery shop (I'm lucky to live within walking distance to a supermarket and will do a small run three times a week.  I buy staples like toilet paper, laundry detergent and paper towel online.  Shipping's free at my "regular" store, thank goodness).  

[ChromaKelly]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

I've never paid for a shopping cart?  Is it a deposit?  Do you get it back when you return the cart?  Or are you renting the cart?  I'd be OK with a deposit, but I would not pay for a shopping cart.  I guess I would just buy what I could carry.

You get the quarter back. My "good deed" is parking the cart near but not in the cart row, so I don't get my quarter back, but someone else gets a free cart. It really is nice not having carts all over the parking lot.
Aldi is awesome. We recently became converts. It is amazing how much I can buy there for a fraction of what it cost me at a traditional grocery store, and they do carry a lot of organic items. They also carry a ton of dye-free foods. I don't let my kids have artificial dyes (I know, it sounds like woo but my daughter has big reactions to them, she goes crazy. We basically follow the Feingold diet for her, if anyone's familiar with that.)
I used to be kind of judgy about eating fast food and stuff, but I've been learning about the cost of being poor, as mentioned above. Yes, a bag of kale and brown rice is relatively cheap, but as mentioned above if you live in a motel with a hot plate and/or no parent is around to cook, that's when you eat a lot of easy mac and hot dogs. I was a latchkey kid in the 80's and I made myself some horrible dinners. Spaghettios and toast was a staple.

[Katy M]

22 minutes ago, ChromaKelly said:

It really is nice not having carts all over the parking lot.

Now, I guess I have to ask another stupid question.  Is it really a big problem in some places to have shopping carts all over the parking lot?  I don't think I've ever experienced that, either.  Maybe one, once in a while, but that's about it.

[3 is enough]

I moved to the US from Canada 26 years ago.  We have lived in 4 states- PA, TX, CO, and NV, and I have found that the price of groceries has seems to rise as you head west.  Of course, prices are higher today than they were in 1991, but  every time we moved to a new state I noticed that the prices were just that much higher than our previous location. 

My son is back in Canada going to graduate school and he is suffering from sticker shock at the prices for groceries, especially dairy and meat, up there.

[ChromaKelly]

8 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Now, I guess I have to ask another stupid question.  Is it really a big problem in some places to have shopping carts all over the parking lot?  I don't think I've ever experienced that, either.  Maybe one, once in a while, but that's about it.

Yes! If they don't have those cart corrals, or not enough of them, the carts wind up blocking parking spots. My mom's car got hit by a rogue cart once, made a decent sized ding.

[ShadowFacts]

2 minutes ago, ChromaKelly said:

Yes! If they don't have those cart corrals, or not enough of them, the carts wind up blocking parking spots. My mom's car got hit by a rogue cart once, made a decent sized ding.

Oh yeah, my car has many, many dings with the telltale green paint left behind. 

[3 is enough]

Quote

 Is it really a big problem in some places to have shopping carts all over the parking lot?  I don't think I've ever experienced that, either. 

OMG, yes! Despite having cart corrals in every row there are still jerks who can't bother to take a few extra steps and put away their carts.  I can't tell you how many times I have tried to pull into a parking spot only to find my access blocked by a cart.  On a windy day they roll all over and hit cars.  I cannot believe how lazy people can be.  

[Katy M]

OK, everybody remind me not to move if I'm thinking of it.  Apparently I live in a grocery store paradise.  LOL.

[Guest]

In addition to dings from shopping carts, Aldis also says it is money saving because they are not paying someone to go out to the parking lot to retrieve carts.  From what I've heard, most Aldis have 3-4 workers at a time on a shift as opposed to the number required at most larger grocery stores.

[ChromaKelly]

From the episode thread for "Memphis"
@Msrbley said: (how do you tag people?)

Quote

First, SKB.  He's everything.  Second, as the white, adoptive mother to a young black boy, this show hits close to home.  I'm not supposed to know anything about my son's birth father but I got nosey and I know who he is.  I've even seen him before.  Now I keep this secret.  Am I taking something as wonderful as what Randall and William had away from him or am I saving him from heartache and is it even my job to save him from heartache?  Gahhhhh!  Cousins!  Am I keeping my son from cousins!?  And then throw in "You are my sunshine" on top of that?  The first moment I was alone with my son after his birthmother handed him to me I sang that song to him.  C'mon This is Us!

Anyway, the acting in this episode in particular was phenomenal. I had to keep reminding myself that these were actors. 

 

Without oversharing my son's information - we are in a similar situation. My son's birth father was never identified, but some internet sleuthing let me in on his likely identity. My son's birth mother has never responded to my attempts to make contact. So, my son has all this family that I would love for him to know. I honestly don't know what the right thing to do is. I was angry at Rebecca for keeping Randall a secret, although given the era and different feelings about adoption, I understand. However she did deprive him of that relationship. How long do I wait? Am I depriving my son? Most of my post-episode crying was for Randall. He just got to know his father and then he's gone. Will he maintain contact with his Memphis family? My son has also expressed wanting to meet his biological brother (he knows he has one), but no desire to meet his bio parents yet. He's 8 years old. 

[tennisgurl]

12 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Mind blown! Do they sell German treats, like lebkuchen during the holiday season? I go to Germany every year in October/November and bring back a ton of Aldi lebkuchen for my coworkers and friends. It's always a huge hit. 

That's so funny! My mom, who lives in southern Indiana, SWEARS by Aldis! She buys everything there, including cheap but delicious red wine and lots of German food she makes all the time. They have lots of German themed decorations, and do a big Christmas in Germany thing every holiday season. I just thought Aldis were all over the US!

[chocolatine]

7 hours ago, SlackerInc said:

So in Germany, I assume it's the same in terms of putting a coin in (what value?  Here it's a quarter) to get a shopping cart, and supplying or buying your own bags?  Not to mention everyone continually swapping shopping carts with the people ahead of them.  I thought it was quite a quirky place when I started going there, but now I'm used to it.

Like @tiramisue said, it's one Euro, but that's for every store, not just Aldi. You get it back when you put the cart back into the corral. When I was a kid and joined my dad on the weekly shopping trips, it was my "job" to fetch and put back the cart, and I got to keep the Euro (or rather Deutsch Mark back in the day). And you pay for bags in every store, too. Most people keep canvas shopping bags or foldable shopping baskets in their cars so that they don't have to purchase bags.

I went on the Aldi US website to see if there might be a store within a 50-mile radius of me, but sadly, the only West Coast stores they have are in SoCal.

[BoogieBurns]

On 2/20/2017 at 10:47 PM, SlackerInc said:

I just can't imagine getting by on $300.

I spend $35 a week on groceries, almost exclusively from Trader Joes. It's just me, and I eat one box of healthy cereal for all my breakfasts which I usually portion out to 7 ziplock bags and eat dry. I only drink water. I am allergic to dairy, so I spend $2 on cashew milk that lasts me a month. I buy one bag of frozen chicken every two weeks or less and no other meat or dairy-like products. I live on brown rice, frozen veggies, homemade bread and whole wheat pasta. I could live off less, but sometimes I splurge and buy organic soy sauce or cracked black pepper. I know, I am one crazy 30-something!

When I go home and grocery shop for my parents (because I love their grocery store) I am always shocked by how much meat and cheese cost! Plus snacks, juice, and soda. 

[PRgal]

1 minute ago, BoogieBurns said:

I spend $35 a week on groceries, almost exclusively from Trader Joes. It's just me, and I eat one box of healthy cereal for all my breakfasts which I usually portion out to 7 ziplock bags and eat dry. I only drink water. I am allergic to dairy, so I spend $2 on cashew milk that lasts me a month. I buy one bag of frozen chicken every two weeks or less and no other meat or dairy-like products. I live on brown rice, frozen veggies, homemade bread and whole wheat pasta. I could live off less, but sometimes I splurge and buy organic soy sauce or cracked black pepper. I know, I am one crazy 30-something!

When I go home and grocery shop for my parents (because I love their grocery store) I am always shocked by how much meat and cheese cost! Plus snacks, juice, and soda. 

Frozen veggies totally rock!  I add it to my pasta sauces all the time!  You don't add cashew milk to your cereal?  Cashew milk > almond (though we get almond more often). 

[BoogieBurns]

10 minutes ago, PRgal said:

You don't add cashew milk to your cereal?  Cashew milk > almond (though we get almond more often). 

I only like cereal dry and I eat it in the car on the way to work. Cashew milk is just for random milk needs like dipping chicken before frying or adding to powdered sugar for icing. Huge fan of cashews, and was pumped when they went mainstream! I am not a normal eater at all. 

[Chaos Theory]

5 minutes ago, BoogieBurns said:

I only like cereal dry and I eat it in the car on the way to work. Cashew milk is just for random milk needs like dipping chicken before frying or adding to powdered sugar for icing. Huge fan of cashews, and was pumped when they went mainstream! I am not a normal eater at all. 

Cashew milk.  I have to remember to bring that up to my brother.  Nut allergies.    

I like to bring dry cereal to work.  It's portable and probably better for me then a bagel or bacon.  

[BoogieBurns]

2 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

Cashew milk.  I have to remember to bring that up to my brother.  Nut allergies.

There is also hemp and coconut milk for nut allergies. 

[JudyObscure]

On ‎2‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 4:56 PM, Winston9-DT3 said:

My teen, a cashier at a Wal-Mart market

My son, too and he's a vegetarian so he always notes the veggie burgers and humus signs of a fellow vegan or vegetarian.   Their food can be very cheap if they stick with the rice and beans as mainstays. Like you, I'm all about the bags of frozen vegetables and like PRgal we add it to our pasta dishes.  Yum.  I actually think, since they're frozen in factories right next to the field, that they probably retain more vitamins than the "fresh," veggies that have been travelling by truck for weeks.

31 minutes ago, BoogieBurns said:

 I only drink water.

I think that's our biggest savings of all.  I read somewhere (not positive it's true) that lower income people spend thirty percent of their food budget on soft drinks. Here in Mountain Dew territory, I can believe it.

[BoogieBurns]

28 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

I read somewhere (not positive it's true) that lower income people spend thirty percent of their food budget on soft drinks. Here in Mountain Dew territory, I can believe it.

You live in Colorado? I visited there and I never saw so much Mountain Dew in my life. But yes, my family members who are the worst off financially are the same ones who I have never seen drink from the tap (or the Brita). They always have a Pepsi. I think I'm from Pepsi territory. Water is the key to everything. I got really obsessed in middle school when I was one of the only kids without pimples, so I just never stopped drinking water since then!

[Neurochick]

2 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

I spend $35 a week on groceries, almost exclusively from Trader Joes. It's just me, and I eat one box of healthy cereal for all my breakfasts which I usually portion out to 7 ziplock bags and eat dry. I only drink water. I am allergic to dairy, so I spend $2 on cashew milk that lasts me a month. I buy one bag of frozen chicken every two weeks or less and no other meat or dairy-like products. I live on brown rice, frozen veggies, homemade bread and whole wheat pasta. I could live off less, but sometimes I splurge and buy organic soy sauce or cracked black pepper. I know, I am one crazy 30-something!

Don't seem crazy to me.  I adore Trader Joe's and I'm PISSED that they're putting a Whole Foods near where I live, ugh.  Whole Foods sucks.  I don't eat any meat except chicken, I love frozen veggies (and Trader Joe's has the best!) and brown rice.  I only drink water and seltzer, no soda, no juice.  I don't drink milk because it makes me sick and I have to watch out for sweets because they have to be Weight Watchers or gluten free, or else they make me ill.  But I know I could live off of brown rice, frozen veggies and chicken if I had to.  I thrown everything in a pot and it lasts me an entire week.  

[Court]

There's a reason why people call it Whole Paycheck!

[SlackerInc]

10 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

I spend $35 a week on groceries, almost exclusively from Trader Joes. 

But as you said, that's just for one person. Since most months (other than the one we're in now) have a little more than four weeks in them, you spend average of $150 a month.  You might have missed that my amazement was regarding a family of five spending only $300.  My family of five(ish) spends $600, pretty comparable with your spending.