Why Can't Poor People Afford Healthy Food?

[thereisnospoon]

I paid 99 cents for a head of lettuce yesterday and water out of the tap (Which is safer than bottled water) is extremely cheap. Your post is ridiculous. Poor people can afford healthy food. They choose not to.

You must be fortunate to live in an area where the tap water is actually drinkable. I invite you to my place to drink the tap water. If you like it cloudy and full of grit, I am sure you it will be a real thirst quencher.

Btw I am not defending poor people at all. I want them to buy healthy foods, its just that in the last week I have come to have a bit more understanding about their complaints.

Hey..It's called a WATER FILTRATION AND PURIFICATION PLANT...We have them all over.

 

[Noomi]

I paid 99 cents for a head of lettuce yesterday and water out of the tap (Which is safer than bottled water) is extremely cheap. Your post is ridiculous. Poor people can afford healthy food. They choose not to.

You must be fortunate to live in an area where the tap water is actually drinkable. I invite you to my place to drink the tap water. If you like it cloudy and full of grit, I am sure you it will be a real thirst quencher.

Btw I am not defending poor people at all. I want them to buy healthy foods, its just that in the last week I have come to have a bit more understanding about their complaints.

Hey..It's called a WATER FILTRATION AND PURIFICATION PLANT...We have them all over.

Doesn't mean that everyone has perfectly clean water, does it?

 

[Noomi]

The min. wage in OZ is $15 American, more than twice what it is here. So I guess their economy has collapsed, along with having health care, the kiss of death...lol

Our economy is perfectly fine, and stronger than ever. The only problem is that while the cost of living rises, the wages stay the same.

 

[thereisnospoon]

It depends on where you buy your fast food, and which store you buy your groceries from.

I could spend $10 on junk from a fast food joint, and if I went to a supermarket, I could buy a loaf of bread, a carton of milk, and a packet of rice for about the same price.

I agree with people being lazy and not wanting to cook - although I can understand that after working a long day, the last thing you want to do is come home and prepare a meal.

No..You stated it was "too expensive"..Now it's "depends"...
As far as the long day thing....Lots of people who actually care enough to feed their families healthy meals make the effort.

If there is a discount store in your area, such as Aldi, you should shop there, the food is cheaper. If you have to choice but to shop at a Safeway, for example, you will be paying more for the same items.

Yes. There are two Aldi stores within 3 miles of where I am sitting. There are 4 grocery stores one of which is a Walmart.
Competition in the marketplace keeps retailers looking over their shoulder. Good for the consumer for sure.

 

[Noomi]

No..You stated it was "too expensive"..Now it's "depends"...
As far as the long day thing....Lots of people who actually care enough to feed their families healthy meals make the effort.

If there is a discount store in your area, such as Aldi, you should shop there, the food is cheaper. If you have to choice but to shop at a Safeway, for example, you will be paying more for the same items.

Yes. There are two Aldi stores within 3 miles of where I am sitting. There are 4 grocery stores one of which is a Walmart.
Competition in the marketplace keeps retailers looking over their shoulder. Good for the consumer for sure.

We don't have Walmart but there are three Aldi stores within a 20km radius from my place. We have an IGA down the road, and more supermarkets in town. We have the convenience of having a Safeway and an Aldi virtually next door to each other.

The elderly shop at Aldi, the single mothers shop at Safeway...

 

[tinydancer]

Because its too expensive.

Do you know that it is cheaper to buy a jumbo bag of potato chips and a 2 litre bottle of coke than it is to buy a loaf of bread and a bottle of water?

Ever got those catalogues in the mail with the latest specials from your local supermarket? How many times do you see soft drinks, chocolate, chips and cakes discounted, sometimes by up to 50%? Compare that to how many times you see a price reduction on healthy foods, like apples, oranges, bananas, and bottled water.

In KFC the other day, it was cheaper for me to buy a burger, a piece of chicken, three wings, a small popcorn chicken, a regular chips, a regular gravy and a can of Pepsi than it was to buy a salad and a bottle of water. I wanted a salad and a water, but when I compared the prices, I wondered why I should spend more money on a healthy item when I can get the unhealthy food a lot cheaper?

How many other families see this problem? How about no discounts on junk food, and discounts only on healthy foods?


I never used to understand why people claimed they couldn't afford healthy foods, but I understand now, because its true.

Sweetie,, A family sized bag of chips is $4.50 and a two litre bottle of soda is $2.
Yeah, you can buy the cheap shit for $0.99..
A savvy shopper can pick up a couple of newspapers and look in val pak for mega coupons.
Hell Mrs Spoon saves $20 or more per week by clipping coupons.
Anyone can do this.
One thing that can be done is to stop whining.

Exactly. Where there is a will there is a way. When we lived in Tennessee I saved a fortune because the Krogers and the Piggly Wiggly doubled the value of the coupons.

Every Sunday we bought 10 Tennessean newspapers (I convinced the paperboy we liked to read a lot till he finally got the joke).

I figured out that if I could get one item for free, I could get 10 items for free. It got to the point my husband would argue with me that .38 for a bottle of ketchup was too much money considering we already had 15 bottles in the spare bedroom at home that I got for .17.

And when you save on so many items you can afford to be very, very generous with food banks.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Maybe because they are either
1# stupid
2# lazy

Any questions?

 

[Noomi]

Maybe because they are either
1# stupid
2# lazy

Any questions?

Do you have anything constructive to add, or are you just trolling?

 

[syrenn]

I paid 99 cents for a head of lettuce yesterday and water out of the tap (Which is safer than bottled water) is extremely cheap. Your post is ridiculous. Poor people can afford healthy food. They choose not to.

bingo.... buying convenience and food is the problem.


however..... if people are working for the money and not on entitlements.... its up to them what they purchase.


In my opinion... if people are on public assistance.. the we should be able to tell them what they can and cannot purchase. And that would be.. no junk foods or convenience foods.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Or maybe they don't want to eat healthy food. Burger king, Mc donalds and KFC is more important.

 

[MHunterB]

If you live in the right places in the US, neighbors may tuck homeless vegetables - squash, tomatoes, peppers, onions, whatever - into your mailbox, or leave them on your door step.

I've heard that in some towns in the Midwest, people will even leave orphaned veggies in the beds of pick-up trucks......

Seriously, does anyone else shop the 'scratch 'n' dent' section in the supermarket? That is *still* the first place I head to - the second is the 'day-old' rack for baked goods.

 

[tinydancer]

Because its too expensive.

Do you know that it is cheaper to buy a jumbo bag of potato chips and a 2 litre bottle of coke than it is to buy a loaf of bread and a bottle of water?

Ever got those catalogues in the mail with the latest specials from your local supermarket? How many times do you see soft drinks, chocolate, chips and cakes discounted, sometimes by up to 50%? Compare that to how many times you see a price reduction on healthy foods, like apples, oranges, bananas, and bottled water.

In KFC the other day, it was cheaper for me to buy a burger, a piece of chicken, three wings, a small popcorn chicken, a regular chips, a regular gravy and a can of Pepsi than it was to buy a salad and a bottle of water. I wanted a salad and a water, but when I compared the prices, I wondered why I should spend more money on a healthy item when I can get the unhealthy food a lot cheaper?

How many other families see this problem? How about no discounts on junk food, and discounts only on healthy foods?


I never used to understand why people claimed they couldn't afford healthy foods, but I understand now, because its true.

Sweetie,, A family sized bag of chips is $4.50 and a two litre bottle of soda is $2.
Yeah, you can buy the cheap shit for $0.99..
A savvy shopper can pick up a couple of newspapers and look in val pak for mega coupons.
Hell Mrs Spoon saves $20 or more per week by clipping coupons.
Anyone can do this.
One thing that can be done is to stop whining.

Okay. Today in the supermarket - a 200gm bag of chips was 99c, and this was one of the best brands. A two litre bottle of coke was on special for 99c - and this was real coke, not the fake shit.

A loaf of bread - the cheap shit is around $1, but it never sells because its shit. The better brands are around $4 on a bad day, discounted by a dollar on a good day.

We don't clip coupons like you Americans do. Its virtually unheard of over here - and we certainly won't waste money on newspapers just to snip out a coupon.

I don't whine. I am happy to buy my own groceries and I don't care about the price. I will buy what is cheapest, though.

There is a knack to coupons. I used to give classes to Church groups.

And even though I'm in Canada now and no one doubles in my area, a coupon to me is cash.

And every other Friday (weather permitting)we travel an hour north to get to civilization and grab 30% off meat and 50% off veggies and fruit.

I scored big this last Friday with 50% off shiitake mushrooms.

But I also have a great advantage because I garden with a passion. I choose to live in the middle of nowhere to have that privilege and harvest everything.

And all you have to do is type in free stuff and you won't believe what companies will send you for free.

We even got a complete beer drinking kit from Stella Artois. Free. That was an awesome score.

 

[The Infidel]

I could spend $10 on junk from a fast food joint, and if I went to a supermarket, I could buy a loaf of bread, a carton of milk, and a packet of rice for about the same price.

I agree with people being lazy and not wanting to cook - although I can understand that after working a long day, the last thing you want to do is come home and prepare a meal.

At the fast food place you eat one meal with that ten bucks, the loaf of bread,
carton of milk, and packet of rice you could eat several times.

It's never cheaper to eat out... Even off the value menu. That crap kills.

but it's so good

 

[ScienceRocks]

Most of the poor are such because they're stupid. They live on feelings and blame of everyone else.

Of course they will get the fucking burger and fries.

 

[tinydancer]

If you live in the right places in the US, neighbors may tuck homeless vegetables - squash, tomatoes, peppers, onions, whatever - into your mailbox, or leave them on your door step.

I've heard that in some towns in the Midwest, people will even leave orphaned veggies in the beds of pick-up trucks......

Seriously, does anyone else shop the 'scratch 'n' dent' section in the supermarket? That is *still* the first place I head to - the second is the 'day-old' rack for baked goods.

We do. But then I'm from the generation of "a penny saved is a penny earned". It's so true.

 

[tinydancer]

I could spend $10 on junk from a fast food joint, and if I went to a supermarket, I could buy a loaf of bread, a carton of milk, and a packet of rice for about the same price.

I agree with people being lazy and not wanting to cook - although I can understand that after working a long day, the last thing you want to do is come home and prepare a meal.

At the fast food place you eat one meal with that ten bucks, the loaf of bread,
carton of milk, and packet of rice you could eat several times.

It's never cheaper to eat out... Even off the value menu. That crap kills.

but it's so good

Heads up! Get ready to storm Burger King.

Get your Whopper for 55 CENTS! Burger King celebrates anniversary of signature sandwich with a decade-busting deal

Burger King is celebrating the 55th anniversary of its Whopper burger by selling the famous sandwich very, very, cheaply.

But be quick - the deal expires on Sunday.

From this Thursday, December 6, until December 9, an original Whopper burger will cost only 55 cents when bought in conjunction with any other Whopper product.

Get your Whopper for 55 CENTS! Burger King celebrates anniversary of signature sandwich with a decade-busting deal | Mail Online

 

[francoHFW]

You can't buy MCd's etc with food stamps.

Inner cities don't have grocery stores.

What are convenience foods?

Yeah I know Oz's economy is good. I'm just anti-GOP and Pub dupes. Absolutely clueless. Oz has DEMAND with $15 min wage....

 

[The Infidel]

Most of the poor are such because they're stupid. They live on feelings and blame of everyone else.

Of course they will get the fucking burger and fries.

Then they sue because they get fat asses!

 

[The Infidel]

You can't buy MCd's etc with food stamps.

Inner cities don't have grocery stores.

What are convenience foods?

Yeah I know Oz's economy is good. I'm just anti-GOP and Pub dupes. Absolutely clueless. Oz has DEMAND with $15 min wage....

There is a very good reason grocery stores aren't in "the inner city"...

And a 15 dollar min wage will equal 8 dollar quarter pounders.

Do you folks even think past your pointy noses?

 

[Avatar4321]

You can't buy MCd's etc with food stamps.

Inner cities don't have grocery stores.

What are convenience foods?

Yeah I know Oz's economy is good. I'm just anti-GOP and Pub dupes. Absolutely clueless. Oz has DEMAND with $15 min wage....

Inner cities don't have grocery stores? Since when? Whenever i go through the inner city I've seen and been to countless grocery stores.