I know a year ago I said I wasn't going to start poverty blogging, but now that my income has been reduced by about 40%, well, it seemed like a good time to reconsider that idea.
I've been stewing this over in my gray matter for awhile now, because I've been noticing that I am avoiding my favorite meat purveyors at the farmer's markets lately because it just adds so much to my grocery bill.
However, I get fed tons of meals at work, and I don't have a family, so I don't have a very good gauge of the average family's budget, or what they consider expensive. When I say I buy a $2.79/pound Amish chicken, do you laugh out loud at me? Sometimes when we have chicken I think "if we had to feed a family we would need 2 chickens." (yes, that is how brilliant my brain is. I can do basic math)
I frequently hear people say they can't afford to eat locally, so I was hoping that some of my readers - from all walks of life - to let me peek into your lives a little bit.
Just providing your weekly grocery budget would be interesting, but since I don't have a family, it might be more beneficial if you told me what you spend it one. I'd love to know if you buy processed foods, ready-to-bake meals, etc. I am not asking to be judgmental in any way, I just want to know how I can help people make good decisions when buying groceries on a budget.
I would also love to know your dining out budgets, but maybe we can talk about that at a later date. I know we are spending WAY less on dining out these days, and we have been avoiding bars like teetotalers. We have also drastically decreased our spending on coffee drinks! I know it's frustrating for my readers when I don't do restaurant reviews - I am trying to do more inexpensive spots whenever I can!
