Overheard a guy at the store say he 'can't afford' to eat healthy

I was in line at the Food Lion in Durham and this guy was telling his friend that eating healthy costs too much. He had a cart full of frozen pizzas and soda. It made me think about my own budget. I feed my family of three on about $80 a week, and we eat tons of veggies and beans. The trick is buying dry beans in bulk (like $1.50 a pound) and whatever produce is on sale that week. Last week, I got a huge bag of carrots for $2 and made three meals from it. Has anyone else had to explain that eating cheap doesn't mean eating junk?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_elizabeth1mo ago

Get why he feels that way because the junk food aisle is always screaming about deals. I had a customer at the hardware store say the same thing while buying light bulbs. The real cost is time, not money. You have to plan a little. A big bag of rice, some dried beans, and whatever veggies are cheap that week makes a solid base for meals. It's boring sometimes, but it keeps you full and doesn't wreck your budget.

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pathenderson1mo ago

Yeah but "the real cost is time" is a huge deal when you're already working two jobs lol.

umam951mo ago

I mean, I get it, but idk if I totally agree. People say time is the real cost, but money is still money. When you're working two jobs, a big bag of rice and dried beans sounds like a plan until you realize you're too exhausted to actually cook them. I've definitely bought stuff like that thinking I'd meal prep, and it just sat there. Plus, sometimes the cheap veggies go bad before you have a chance to use them if you can't shop again for a while. So maybe the cost is just different for different people.