I just went to the grocery store and thought about costs while I shopped. One of the problems with the legislative experiment is that you don't get to shop for an entire month, because you can pick up 5 lbs of hamburger (or ground turkey) for $10 which could go a long way.

The problem with that, though, is both storage and being able to budget the $10 straight off for bulk. One thing that was discussed in our local paper was that, yes, buying bulk and freezing makes sense, but that a lot of people living in poverty don't have (either because they're sharing living space with a large number of people or the space they rent doesn't provide it--and I've rented places where there wouldn't have been room for that much meat in the freezer, even if I trusted the freezer to function) storage for bulk.

In college, I ate a lot of random legume-based stews. And a fair amount of curried ramen.

One of my best friends had never even heard of ramen until I introduced him to it at like age 35.

I don't even want to think about my college and post-college eating options. I will think about it just enough to be extremely grateful that I was able to go to college and have had a series of good jobs.

One of my best friends had never even heard of ramen until I introduced him to it at like age 35.

trust fund baby! or didn't go to college! I mean, who DIDN'T eat ramen in college. Remember when it would go on sale for .25 a pack (limit 8) and you'd buy in shifts? Good times.

trust fund baby! or didn't go to college!

Yes and no. Rich parents. Has several Masters, from private schools.

I think my big grocery bill freakout in Athens came when I thought "since I can't afford actual food, I'll just get ramen" and found it was $2/pkg!

I remember that.

And, a woman I saw in the student union all the time who would bring in a loaf of white bread and then make sandwiches out of the condiment bar...mayo, pickle relish and raw onions.

Just thinking about it...nearly 30 years later, makes me queasy.

I mean, who DIDN'T eat ramen in college.

Well, me. Mac & cheese is just as cheap and doesn't taste nearly as much like warmed-over ass. (Also, I worked at Einstein Bros and then Starbucks, which meant I ate a lot of free food from work. Technically at Starbucks we weren't allowed to have free food, but you'd be surprised how many of those scones arrive "damaged" and have to be "thrown away"...)

Oh. A grocery store near me (in college) would sometimes have pot pies for 33 cents. Much more nummy than ramen.

Jr. year of college I lived in a house with five other guys. At one point we all worked at the same Rocky's (a pizza-by-the-slice place). Pizza for breakfast! (And lunch and dinner if we wanted....) It's funny how those of us closing the place would often make too many pizza slices near the end of the shift. Of course, it would be wasting them if we didn't take the extras home....

who DIDN'T eat ramen in college

Me, neither. I went the mac and cheese route or grits. I ate a lot of grits.

pot pies for 33 cents

I totally forgot about those! Yep. I ate those, too. But only when they were on sale.

I mean, who DIDN'T eat ramen in college.

Once upon a time, best beloved, there was no ramen, and the poor student had to lean on popcorn, cheap soup, minute rice and happy-hour food. Also, in my case, Krystals.