Food expenses (1 Viewer)

Graney

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1. Cereal + Milk, bit over a dollar at most, fruit doesn't blow bludget
2. Sandwich, 2min noodles, hot chips, all easily less than $3
3. Pasta, stir fry, in large amounts, freeze and reheat, very cheap, sausages $5 a dozen, Steak once or twice a week.

I don't know how you spend so much? Eating out is pissing money away.

Just eat lots of fruit and vege if you really want to save money. Some uni's run fruit and vege co-op, where you pay $10 a week and get as much you could eat.
 

shona1990

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bassistx said:
You can't be vegan. I mean, veganism extends beyond dairy products lol. I mean, think of a muesli bar or bar of chocolate or whatever. Anything that contains animal products (think gelatine in lollies) is not vegan.
I think you'd die lol. Because you're not doing it for youknowwhat. So maybe just exclude meats (replace with lentils & beans & tofu) and eggs.
Dairy milk and soymilk are priced pretty much the same. If you get $1 per L dairy, then you can get $1.50 per L soymilk. If you get $2 per L dairy, you can get $2.30 per L soymilk.. etc. I get mine for $2 a L (Sanitarium So Good).
Also, and although I count this as a delicacy because it's just so good (and expensive!)... Soyco make fantastic Malaysian peanut satay tofu. Cut it up into strips, a lil olive oil in the pan, then add your veggies. Best stir-fry ever.
I don't eat dairy due to:
1) The ways in which dairy cows are treated.
2) The veal industry depends solely on the dairy industry, so in my opinion supporting the dairy industry = supporting the veal industry.
3) A cow's milk is meant for it's calves, not for huan consumption. Just as human's milk is meant for our babies. It's hardly natural, and there's no need when you can get your calcium elsewhere.
4) It's contaminated with pesticides, hormones and antibiotics and is linked to allergies and diseases.

I rarely ever ate chocolate anyway, and there are substitutes for pretty much everything now.
It's not as hard as people think. :eek:
I'm not incredibly strict.. If something has a tiny bit of milk solids in it, I'm not going to stress over it. And yes, I still wear leather, BUT only that which I already owned before I became vegan. It wouldn't do much good throwing it away.

I'm well aware it extends beyond dairy products. I pretty well cut out most animal products. I mean, tyres have animal by-products in them... But I still need to drive and catch the bus... Basically, I do my best. If this means I'm not what fits into the incredibly strict definition of vegan then, fine. :eek:

This was not meant to begin a vegan debate! So please don't flame me. Just stating how it is possible.
 
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It really depends on what kind of person you are and how into good food you are. My cousin eats just the basics and gets by on around $40-50 a week, while I go for more expensive things and spend $55-65 on basic groceries, plus extra for whenever I want to make proper dinners or eat out (which seems to be quite a lot these days).

Eating enough fruit and vegetables is the most tricky part, but if you're in the city I would seriously recommend going to Flemington markets on saturday or even the fruit section of Paddys markets, the prices are much better and the quality of the produce is far, far better.
 
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Graney said:
1. Cereal + Milk, bit over a dollar at most, fruit doesn't blow bludget
2. Sandwich, 2min noodles, hot chips, all easily less than $3
3. Pasta, stir fry, in large amounts, freeze and reheat, very cheap, sausages $5 a dozen, Steak once or twice a week.

I don't know how you spend so much? Eating out is pissing money away.

Just eat lots of fruit and vege if you really want to save money. Some uni's run fruit and vege co-op, where you pay $10 a week and get as much you could eat.
The two main reasons is that people go beyond your plan is that that style of living is pretty unhealthy and also some (like myself) are wanky gourmet types who need more variety and flavour.
 

shona1990

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Graney said:
1. Cereal + Milk, bit over a dollar at most, fruit doesn't blow bludget
2. Sandwich, 2min noodles, hot chips, all easily less than $3
3. Pasta, stir fry, in large amounts, freeze and reheat, very cheap, sausages $5 a dozen, Steak once or twice a week.

I don't know how you spend so much? Eating out is pissing money away.

Just eat lots of fruit and vege if you really want to save money. Some uni's run fruit and vege co-op, where you pay $10 a week and get as much you could eat.
FROZEN STIR-FRY?!?!
That is just wrong.
 

bassistx

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shona1990 said:
I don't eat dairy due to:
1) The ways in which dairy cows are treated.
2) The veal industry depends solely on the dairy industry, so in my opinion supporting the dairy industry = supporting the veal industry.
3) A cow's milk is meant for it's calves, not for huan consumption. Just as human's milk is meant for our babies. It's hardly natural, and there's no need when you can get your calcium elsewhere.
4) It's contaminated with pesticides, hormones and antibiotics and is linked to allergies and diseases.

I rarely ever ate chocolate anyway, and there are substitutes for pretty much everything now.
It's not as hard as people think. :eek:
I'm not incredibly strict.. If something has a tiny bit of milk solids in it, I'm not going to stress over it. And yes, I still wear leather, BUT only that which I already owned before I became vegan. It wouldn't do much good throwing it away.

I'm well aware it extends beyond dairy products. I pretty well cut out most animal products. I mean, tyres have animal by-products in them... But I still need to drive and catch the bus... Basically, I do my best. If this means I'm not what fits into the incredibly strict definition of vegan then, fine. :eek:

This was not meant to begin a vegan debate! So please don't flame me. Just stating how it is possible.

Um. Well. I was saying that Jas would find it hard if she wasn't thinking "animal rights/cruelty" :) I don't mind things that "may contain traces", because that's just from the factory processing stuff. Otherwise, I'm not having it :)
 

Graney

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Harry Flashman said:
The two main reasons is that people go beyond your plan is that that style of living is pretty unhealthy
I'll have you know I'm the picture of health sir.

Unlimited fruit and vege, lots of cereals, 1 or 2 small serves of meat daily, what is missing from that diet?
 

shona1990

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bassistx said:
Um. Well. I was saying that Jas would find it hard if she wasn't thinking "animal rights/cruelty" :) I don't mind things that "may contain traces", because that's just from the factory processing stuff. Otherwise, I'm not having it :)
I think I misunderstood. :)
 

Graney

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Malfoy said:
it'd be impractical to go home to eat!
Another benefit of living on campus.

Malfoy said:
I don't understand how one can eat for $3 a meal either, in all honesty.
No need to defend your lifestyle. Completely understand I have it easier than most. You just seemed to be expressing disbelief at what is to me the real cost of living.
 

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I will run on an internal energy supply or bring an external energy supply in the form of a sandwich, saves time queuing, being late for lectures, tutorials or laboratory work and a bit of cash.
 

Raven3333

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what do you people eat i seriously struggle to keep my food budget under $120-150 a week. I mean seriously pork strips cost $15 per kilo about the same for steak and fish. Then again i have pretty much an all meat diet so that would explain some of the costs but still it would not explain my costs being 3 times the average. Feeling depressed now :(
 

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Malfoy said:
I eat out a lot, particularly when I'm at university because it's far from home and it'd be impractical to go home to eat! And when I work nights, I eat at work because I'd rather not come home really late and eat then.
Yeah, I'm pretty much the same.
 

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aMUSEd1977 said:
Used to spend too much, but often our home fridge (family!) is empty of things to use for lunch. Hopefully if I can find a stable job, I will start buying some stuff that I can throw into my lunch etc etc, that isn't crap.

I am starting to eat a lot less bread, so I'm going to start buying tortilla wraps and lebanese breads to make lunches with wooh.
I think that making your own lunch is really the best thing to do when you've got time on your hands. I also wasted a lot of money eating out, and I really got so, so sick of it. I started making my own lunch on the days where i didnt have classes that started at 8.30am. However, i dont like making my own lunch, because im lazy, and it takes me a while to choose/figure out what i should make :p
 

snowflakelatte

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Graney said:
I'll have you know I'm the picture of health sir.

Unlimited fruit and vege, lots of cereals, 1 or 2 small serves of meat daily, what is missing from that diet?
fun is what's missing. variety. don't you get bored?

each to their own, though :)
 

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bassistx said:
No, not starving. You think it's starving? Try being vegan with a gluten allergy! Hah! lol.

I actually just had some awesome vegan soup I made myself. It took like 10min to make. And I'm going back for more xD
Are you a celiac/coeliac aswell? Yeh, it's a bi*ch going out coz you can't eat anything if your a committed vegan, every gluten free cookbook i've seen reccommeds going against gluten free vegitarian and vegan meals coz of the lack of variety.
 

Season

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snowflakelatte said:
fun is what's missing. variety. don't you get bored?

each to their own, though :)
She didn't post up everything she could eat, I daresay she only put the staples up there. I mean you could easily add a number of different soups, salads, various rice dishes, and lots of other things that easily keep within that budget.

Basically if you live frugally and are willing to give it that extra amount of energy to eat at home, you can save a lot of money. Of course you don't have to, its just more expensive if you want the luxury of eating out.
 

Erisus

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yeah. so like back on topic..I look at like 70 bucks and less a week cos either Im eating like a quick 10 dollar lunch and then going back to lectures and tuts, or im eating lollies i brought from home in class..
 

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