I am one of those persons who everyone complains about. I am on the dole. I live in assisted housing and receive a free cell phone and food stamps. All my medical needs are completely met with no copays. I receive $160 in food stamps each month. I go shopping once at the beginning of the month. I usually spend no more than $75. During the rest of the month if I need a loaf of bread, some half and half, or anything else, Spike picks it up for me with what I have left over in my food stamp allotment. And I usually have $5-$10 left to carry over to the next month. Any meats I buy in family size packs and freeze in individual size. Sometime I treat myself to a nice steak. Sure prices are going up, but I still manage to spend $10.00 each month for the food bank. It is something that is very important to me. It is my way of feeding my soul.
I do not buy packaged foods. And very few frozen ones. But I am going to have to adjust my eating habits. Which means adjusting my grocery shopping. I have to find a way to buy for single me. I don't use five pounds of potatoes. So I am going to have to buy the two or three I know I will eat. My produce shopping is going to have to change drastically. No more packaged tomatoes. One will do. No more packaged produce. Single items only even though they cost more.
I will adjust. There is no choice. I am an avid label reader. I avoid any foods that are loaded with ....oses. If it ends in ose, it is sugar. Something I don't need or can't have. Now I just have to learn to stop cooking for an army. After all these years, it is a hard thing to learn.
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