apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Healthy adults often don't get sick from salmonella, or they suffer minor symptoms and shrug it off as just another stomach bug. It's kind of disturbing that salmonella is turning up in foods that are prepared and packaged at high temperatures. Makes me wonder about the sanitary conditions at the end of the production line.

are they suggesting the fix is to irradate more foods? before you know it we won't be able to buy anything in it's natural or raw state

Those grocery budget tips - like stretching out a small amount of meat with beans and grains, or eating produce in season - sound pretty reasonable. So many articles tell you to start buying dried milk and Costco chicken breast 16-packs, which I'm just not going to do. But I have been thinking about the food budget lately, especially after I spent $6 on a dozen eggs and $4 on a gallon of milk yesterday! Is it insane to spend $600 a month on groceries for two adults and one Jack Russell terrier? Or is that just expected now?

SisterRae, I don't think your budget is way off. I buy cage-free eggs at about $2.50/dozen but at the farmer's market they're about $4/doz, and my organic milk is about $4/gallon now. I think all in all for my husband and I and our little doggie we're around $100/week to feed, not including restaurant meals.

I have been stretching well though by doing things like buying bulk oat bran/steel cuts for breakfast ($.99/lb.), spices, and bulk popcorn kernels (1.20 vs 4.99 for Orville Redenbacher). Those all give me considerable savings.

Having lived in Europe for over the past year, I am now shocked at how little we pay for food in North America -- as high as they may seem, prices really do not reflect true costs.

Just for fun, check out some European costs at one of our Swiss grocery stores (if you have to put in a postal code, use 1202) -- I bet it will make you feel better about what you pay!!!

http://www.leshop.ch/leshop/Main.do;jsessionid=1BB8D7045DB4E8811FABBB5C96D8E2F4.worker2?currentMenu=SHOP_SUPERMARKET

Last night on the news from France, people were surveyed in a supermarket parking lot about how much they spend per week on groceries -- the answer was 260-300 Euros, so about 1000 to 1200 Euros a month (about $1500 to $1800/month). The scary part is that they buy much less food in quantity than North Americans...

For me, my grocery budget shrinks when I waste less food.

I just got rid of some moldy yogurt. I hate it when I can't get to everything. So I'm trying to buy less and plan more. And go through my cupboards to eat things that have been there for a long time.