Re: Broke and hungry

"FarmI" wrote
"Cshenk" <rubymaiden@xxxxxxx> wrote in message

LOL. Haven't done any breadmaking for a few months but it's soemthing I
enjoy and, yes, I am scrupulous about my measuring when I do get to do it.

Yes, I use a breadmaker so it's more critical as you dont 'adjust' the same.
I never did get the hang of making it without a machine. I have wrist
problems which makes it harder.

Dunno, I never got to ride it. It must be better though as it's cheaper
than shipped by truck all the way up there. Now they only have to truck
it to the lower end of the rails.

And your estimation of it's freighting is closer to the mark than I was:
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,15825322-913,00.html

It was one of the things folks were excited about there on my last trip.

Teeter is good for when you need the odder items but their cans of
veggies are the same brand as anyone else so paying 1.19 there vice
79cents elsewhere is silly.

Was there a reason why you specifically gave as an example cans of
veggies? Wouldn't the price of their fresh veggies and fruit be a better
indicator?

Lowest common denominator was the only reason. Although I do shop at Harris
Teeter and a local Kroger store (Kroger here would be much like your
Woolworths), most of my bulk shopping is at the military commisary.

fancy premade TV dinners in the cart.

I've never had a TV dinner and I can't even recall seeing one in a shop
either. I must have a look and see if I can find one next time I go to
the supermarket but I very much doubt whether I would buy one.

LOL, I do not blame you nor do I recall seeing them in OZ. Thats ok, I
wasnt looking for them either. I do recall fondly a few frozen meat pies
from there. I'm not saying they are haute cuisine, but they were pretty
tasty and we got some boxes of them for the Chiefs mess freezer each trip.
Much better than a USA 'hot pocket' at 2am when you are hungry. Sorry, I do
not recall brand names.

Food in the USA is flat out cheaper than most lands when it comes to
quality staples.
Your A550 for 2 weeks, would be USA250$ for the same stuff probably.

It may be, so lets compare notes on our shopping carts, just for fun..

I will try. So far, I have been adjusting though to use the prices at the
local grocery stores, not the commisary which is cheaper generally. Meats
are where the main commisary savings are. To understand wise shopping at a
commisary you have to add in that they do not have 'store brands'. That
means if I want a can of corn, I have to get Delmonte or Green Giant (common
decent brands). Out in town, I can get a can of corn for less, but it will
be a store brand which may or may not be as good. Think of the black and
white bags there in OZ. Thats a 'storebrand'.

Ok, fresh corn- seasonal prices. Right now, 4 for 1$ but can go as low as
20 for 1$. Like many, I get lots then and freeze it. Its not as good
frozen as fresh, but it's better than canned if wrapped right and can hold
'well enough' for 3 months or so. It's shifting price just now to be
50cents each over the next 2-3 weeks as the last of the pre-winter crops
come in. It will be available year round from soutern parts, but reach 1$
an ear at least. Sheldon lives far enough north, he may be at that price now
(farther shipping costs).

Lets take fresh apples. Sheldon lives closer to the source of the good
ones. I live a bit south of the main growing areas so my prices are higher.
I can get a mixed bag of good lookig ones (8 to a bag roughly but could be 9
smaller or 7 larger). That bag is about 2.50$ in town. 2.00$ at commisary.
I usually pick out individual ones though and am partial to Granny Smiths at
89cents a lb. Apples of the better types are variable seasonal priced
(always there, but prices will swing) and this is the season for them still.
Later they will cost as much as double.

Potatoes. Always cheap in the USA. There is seasonal variation there but
it isnt as noticable. One of the things I noticed at Woolworths was they
are either double the cost where you are, or like Japan, a seasonal product
with a big shift in prices and i was seeing the high price time. It was
mid-winter when I was there last. They should have been cheaper, but I just
recall they were not. It's also hard to compareas some of the more common
USA ones, just were not there. I was looking for Idahos (almost impossible
to find in Japan, very expensive when you do find them even at the commisary
there).
USA Sweet potatoes: 19cents a lb when I got them for Thanksgiving.
Normally they are a bit more, lets fudge and say up to 30cents a lb? Since
i'm normally getting potatoes by the bag, a 5lb bag of regular waxy white or
red skinned ones, 1.50$ is what i recall most. We arent major potato eaters
so a bag can last us 2 months.

Rice: Hard one to catagorize as i refuse to even look at the cheap stuff.
What I get is a calrose medium grain. 5 lbs will last us 2 weeks. Thats
2.26Kg on the bag I have dribbles left of now. The only 'price checking' I
do there is when I have a choice of good brands. I am partial to Hinode.
The current bag is 'Calrose' at 3.59$ but I think I got that at Harris
Teeter (higher price place). Now that I have my chest freezer, I'll get the
next bag at Asian Grocery for 10$ for a 20lb bag. They have a Thailand
brand I like. If i recall it right, my rice prices are not too far off from
yours?

I don't buy prepared food to any great extent witht he exception of sliced
ham and ocassional packs of sliced cheese if I know I'll need to make

I do get quite a few cans of various things. It's more a storage issue and
working hours combined with distance to commisary. Contadina brand tomato
products, RoTel tomatoes with green chiles.

sandwiches. I buy meat and veg and fruit and cook meals from scratch and

I get blocks of cheese and use a cheese slicer for samwiches, but I also get
some deli cheeses and meats if they have something good with a decent sale.

will buy an ocassional bag of prewashed veg like spinach or sald mixes -

Rare but I've done that at times. Bags normally are between 1.50$ and
2.50$.

moastly we grow salad veg. I buy ingredients for cakes and baking and
bake from scratch. I buy some canned goods (pineapple, canned tomatoes if
I don't have any preserved ones, creamed corn, sardines, tuna, salmon,
baked beans). I buy some frozen veg (peas and corn if we haven't grown
any

Ok, I make most of our bread. Baking products a given. a 2lb loaf will
cost me about 50cents in materials.
Creamed corn and other veggies, 50-70cents a can.
Tuna varies with type, I tend to the cheaper ones as my recipes that use it
take just fine to that.
Salmon, fresh, 2.99$ a lb. Can be as high as 4.99lb.
Some frozen 'mixed stirfry vegetables' for fast meal needs (add a little
chicken or some shrimp and off you go).

recently). I buy ice cream about once a year as we don't really eat it
much. I buy lots of dairy products (milk, cream, sour cream, kilo blocks
of

I dont get ice cream often either. Family isnt into sweets much.
Milk, yes. 2.59gallon here

domestic cheese, and specialty cheese like Stilton, Camembert and Blue

Domerstic cheese, usually 2.50$ or so a lb? Very brand and type dependant.
Specialty cheeses as well, muenster, brie, gouda- generally think 7.99lb and
can be more- Commisary mostly for this one and meats

Aaah - juice - I buy orange and mango juices and carbonated drinks.

Pepsi for Don, he's happy with the big bottles so a bit over 1$
Juices- price-shop, depends on what is on sale. Might be grapefruit one
week, grape another, orange a third etc. I'm usually getting 3$ or so worth
of juice a week.


.

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