"economy" news and stories

We talked earlier this month about whether we could live on a $15 a week grocery budget. Many of us thought we could, though it would be hard, time-consuming and rather boring. Now, CNN reporter Sean Callebs is attempting to see what it's like to eat for $176 a month, the most a single food stamp recipient can get in a month. The economic stimulus bill is calling for raising food stamp payments by 13 percent, a sign that the current payments are not enough, Callebs says.

So far he seems to be doing OK, eating basic but healthful meals like chicken stir fry and grilled cheese sandwiches with salads. He's also eating a lot of peanut butter sandwiches and a lot of pasta with tomato sauce. But, Callebs points out, he has time to cook and is well-educated on which cheap foodstuffs are also healthy. He also has energy to run three or four miles a day, making his carb-heavy diet less of a weight gain risk. The average food stamp recipient may be working two jobs, with little time to spend in the kitchen chopping and stir-frying lean cuts of chicken.

Callebs is also getting a lot of interesting comments, ranging from budget and shopping tips to admonishments to "stop whining" to thank-yous for raising awareness about consumer food spending.

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I stumbled across this old post on How to Feed Yourself For $15 a Week from Get Rich Slowly, and it seems particularly apropos for the current financial climate. Tips range from the obvious - don't allow leftovers to go bad, don't eat out - to the thought-provoking. Who would have really considered, for example, that a single small item of pre-packaged snack or junk food, like a candy bar, bag of chips or pack of gum, can cost more than a full homemade meal? Other tips include filling up on oatmeal, buying seasonal produce in bulk, and using powdered milk (that would have to be a true desperation measure, IMHO). Be sure to check out the comments section as well - lots of valuable ideas.

If you don't mind my asking, I'd love to hear how much you spend on groceries. How little do you think you could get by on if you had to? I've spent as little as $20-30 a week, but that when I was living alone and eating a lot of free pizza at work.

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In yet another sign of the declining economy, Starbucks has decided to save cash by not continuously brewing decaf coffee after noon. The company, which had been brewing fresh pots every half hour, will still have decaf available anytime on request. Starbucks hopes the measure will help it save $400 million by September.

Other cost-cutting tactics include closing stores in the U.S. and Australia, trimming "waste" such as extra milk in lattes and cappuccinos, and brewing smaller pots of coffee so there's less thrown away after the 30-minute limit. Customers desiring decaf after 12 pm will have to wait approximately 4 minutes for their coffee to brew.

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We all know that the economy is in the toilet. So what do we do about it? Watch out expenses, cut back on luxuries, the usual things. In the world of food, that seems to mean relishing in pot pies. Forbes/NY Times report that as the economy struggles, pre-made sales of the creamy dish are increasing. Twin Hens pot pies, an artisan food company, experienced their largest sales just last month. They've been in business for six years.

On the one hand, it makes sense -- don't go out, eat in, pick up something quick and tasty. But just using Twin Hens as an example -- is this really an example of penny pinching? The website lists that a four-serving pie is $28 for chicken, and $30 for beef. If you choose, instead, to buy two individual portions, they cost $22-24 -- or $11-12 a meal. As for the time commitment, the frozen large pie needs 45-55 minutes to cook.

And now I must rant, because while this paints the picture of us going back to hearty pot pies to shield us from the harsh winds of economic woes, it's a flawed rationale.

Yesterday, I posted about curing the recession blues by daydreaming of sumptuous feasts à la Alice B. Toklas. As I wrote, I was reminded of an old southern joke my father told me years ago that is now among my favorites. So, if fantasy isn't your bag, how about a little humor to lighten the mood? The joke goes something like this:

Old Man Clackett was getting pretty long in the tooth. Sensing that his dying day was near, he figured it was time to confess his wrongdoings to those he'd sinned against.

"Maw Clackett, you come on in here," he called to his beloved wife of 61 years. "I got to talk to you."

Maw Clackett wheeled into the room. "What are you carrying on about, Paw?" she asked.

"It's time I told you about my old pebble jar, Maw. You see, every time I was unfaithful to you I put a pebble in this here jar." He showed her the jar, which held three pebbles.

"Well, old man, I reckon that ain't too bad. To tell the truth, I got a jar of my own. Every time I stepped out on you, I dropped a bean down in it." She wheeled over to her dresser, opened the top drawer, and pulled a jar out from under the clothes.

Old Man Clackett winced. He hadn't expected this. "Well then, let's see it, woman."

Punchline after the jump...