Food prices are out of control

amother

↑ Rose ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 4:54 pm

amother Ultramarine wrote:

For Chabad it is. No one is being silly

It is the same as eating treif? Like eat pig or eat chalav stam and there is no difference? That's crazy if so.

amother

↑ Taupe

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 4:58 pm

amother Rose wrote:

It is the same as eating treif? Like eat pig or eat chalav stam and there is no difference? That's crazy if so.

Of course not, same as eating chicken with milk is not halachically equivalent to eating beef and milk. Both are considered 100% asur though.

"Eat less dairy" (or avoid expensive dairy products like cheeses and yogurts) is a perfectly good alternative if you are careful about Cholov Yisroel and struggling financially.

PinkFridge

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 5:01 pm

amother Mocha wrote:

It would never even dawn on me to ask such a shaila. I personally dont think that not having money is a reason to stop eating cy

I appreciate it's a real shailah. But I'd first ask myself if that magazine subscription/ new skirt/ etc. are necessary.

amother

Azalea ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 5:05 pm

amother Rose wrote:

It is the same as eating treif? Like eat pig or eat chalav stam and there is no difference? That's crazy if so.

Chabad also won’t use dishes that were used for chalav stam. And Chabad is more machmir, so like if you’re in Antarctica and the choice is chalav stam milchigs or no milchigs, they will take the no milchigs.

amother

↑ Rose

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 5:51 pm

[quote="amother Tulip"]Try checking prices on different brands. I have seen some times $2.00 difference on the same item different brand.[/quote
This. Also people do not realize how much a little more money per item adds up.
It might seem like just a small difference per item and not a big deal, but if you are buying 40 items at a $.50 more then it is $20 more for groceries. A $1 difference would be extra $40. It all adds up.

amother

Garnet ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 5:54 pm

I think it's time for "The Tightwad Gazette" to make a comeback. I read it years ago and it actually had some good ideas, time to dust it off and try again...

amother

cornflower

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 8:29 pm

amother Brickred wrote:

I actually have food stamps and I only get about $900 for a family of 6….. it basically covers half of the month

That would be a huge help for me! (We don't qualify, stuck in the middle class hole). We spend $1000/month for a family of 7. I buy as little and as cheap as I can.

amother

Nectarine ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 9:17 pm

amother Magenta wrote:

2 word food stamps. There is no way any middle class family can afford 6 dollars for a jar of cottage cheese unless you’re getting a government subsidy that you can only use on food. A family of 7 gets about 2K worth of money that they can only spend on food per month.

Baloney, I'm a family of 9 and I get about $1,200. It's nowhere enough. It's really tough.

amother

Crimson

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 9:27 pm

I buy all my produce and snacks in BJs or Costco. I go to one of these every two weeks and stock up.

Pantry items (oil, mayo, spices, cereals) in shop rite or Trader Joe's

Diary and chicken/meat in the kosher store. I shop sales, I have 3 stores in my area so buy whatever is on sale in each one.

amother

Caramel ↓

Thu, Nov 14 2024, 9:09 am

tichellady wrote:

If money is tight perhaps it’s time to ask about not keeping chalav yisroel

We are litvish. Not chabad.
We also don’t eat off chalav Stam plates or pans.

Our grandparents 100 years ago in America didn’t have dairy unless they made the trip to see the cows milked bec they were careful. It’s not just a simple thing to give up.

If you shop around you can get better prices. I get prices similar to cosco meat and chicken at frum stores. Like $2.49 for legs. 5.99 cutlets.

amother

↑ Garnet

Thu, Nov 14 2024, 9:11 am

amother Caramel wrote:

The heter for chalav stam is pretty recent. It did not exist 100 years ago.

We follow R Moshes psak, even though we currently eat only chalav yisroel we don't consider chalav stam treif.

amother

↑ Nectarine

Thu, Nov 14 2024, 9:13 am

Chicken cutlets are a luxury for me. I don't buy them. If I want cutlets I buy chicken legs/quarters and remove the flesh from the bones. That's the only way I can afford it.
Costco is not cheaper with snacks. I'm not sure which ones are cheaper.

amother

Wheat

Thu, Nov 14 2024, 9:33 am

amother Caramel wrote:

100 years ago was before the federal government passed regulatory laws/strict inspections etc--which was the reason a heter was able to be given to use chalav Stam, specifically in the United States. So yes, before then, it was CY only.
Have you ever read The Jungle by Sinclair Lewis? It was one of the main factors which prompted public pressure on the government to have oversight on food production in the U.S., I think it was published around 1930 or so, then it took a few years for laws to be passed and the process of oversight to be put into place.

amother

↑ Caramel ↓

Thu, Nov 14 2024, 9:46 am

amother Garnet wrote:

The heter for chalav stam is pretty recent. It did not exist 100 years ago.

We follow R Moshes psak, even though we currently eat only chalav yisroel we don't consider chalav stam treif.

It was same time as rav Moshe. They knew Him well. (How many years ago was rav Moshe psak?). Truth is it wasn’t 100 years ago bec my fil was a kid. But rav Moshe was nifter 40 years ago so it isn’t that recent anyways.
They got their guidance from rav Moshe directly
Our rav has told us to keep this. (Except for shalom bayis - if it will insult immediate family then we can eat on their dishes)

amother

Ginger

Thu, Nov 14 2024, 9:49 am

amother Caramel wrote:

Yes, because milk regulation was only coming into existence. No governance yet, no psak yet about chalav stam. They weren't being careful. There was absolutely no other option yet at that time.

amother

↑ OP

Thu, Nov 14 2024, 10:00 am

amother Brickred wrote:

I actually have food stamps and I only get about $900 for a family of 6….. it basically covers half of the month

We are also a family of 6 and I spend $1,000 a month on food! I am very careful with what I buy! Is 2k a month for a family of 6 considered normal?? Are you buying extras like salad dressings, pickles, checked lettuce, cut up fruit…?
Or do you regularly have Shabbos guests? When I invite guests my bill for that week can be another $100

amother

↑ Emerald

Thu, Nov 14 2024, 10:03 am

Back to the main topic.... please put CY debates in a spinoff.

Food prices are crazy.
I buy whatever is cheapest even if it isn't what I had planned, exactly right for the recipe, or our favorites. We will eat it and it won't be the end of the world.

I also buy store brand for many things. The only thing I won't buy off brand is cereal. That the kids just won't eat.

amother

↑ Azalea ↓

Thu, Nov 14 2024, 10:06 am

amother Magenta wrote:

Food stamps and wic is one reason why food prices are so high. If the government will pay for it, may as well charge the highest amount, right? So if you look, the wic approved items are more expensive than other items. Like large eggs, a dozen, are approved by wic. So in a store, the dozen eggs are basically the same price as the 18 egg package. Or sometimes cheaper since the store knows they will get the money for the dozen eggs from wic. And formula prices skyrocketed when wic started and covered formula. It’s all a game.

amother

↑ Azalea

Thu, Nov 14 2024, 10:11 am

amother Caramel wrote:

Ask a shayla.
There are many things our grandparents did that we do. And things they did that we don’t do.