Why is saving money so hard?

Page 16 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Safeway

Lifer
Jun 22, 2004
12,075
11
81
Since this thread has jumped to the minimum amount a person can spend on a monthly basis and eat a healthy, rounded diet ... it's much, much less than $1000/month.

But family value packs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts when they go on sale for ludicrously cheap. Buy dozens and dozens of eggs. Buy raw or frozen vegetables in all varieties. I'm betting that you could eat for $6/day.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
The human body is amazing at fighting on with substandard food. Just watch supersize me and you can see his body begins to cope with the horrible diet. But why do that to yourself? Why eat some weird frozen entree with who knows what in it? If you want a complete healthy diet its going to cost you.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
Since this thread has jumped to the minimum amount a person can spend on a monthly basis and eat a healthy, rounded diet ... it's much, much less than $1000/month.

But family value packs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts when they go on sale for ludicrously cheap. Buy dozens and dozens of eggs. Buy raw or frozen vegetables in all varieties. I'm betting that you could eat for $6/day.


Yes it is. Its $300 per month. Thats $10 a day. $3.33 per meal. Thats why I laugh when someone says they feed people at whole foods for $8 a day.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
The reason it jumped to the minimum to be healthy is because A LOT of people choose to eat cheap and forfeit health because its later on and not now and salty, sugery and fatty is good enough.

If people want to wrap themselves in the frugal flag and that is how they value life then fine but lets not kid ourselves about damage being done to the body in the quest for "the cheapest possible" food.
 

Safeway

Lifer
Jun 22, 2004
12,075
11
81
The reason it jumped to the minimum to be healthy is because A LOT of people choose to eat cheap and forfeit health because its later on and not now and salty, sugery and fatty is good enough.

If people want to wrap themselves in the frugal flag and that is how they value life then fine but lets not kid ourselves about damage being done to the body in the quest for "the cheapest possible" food.

We spend quite a lavish amount on food, but that is because we are paying for quality and convenience, which both come at a cost premium. I don't buy a head of iceberg lettuce and a bottle of store brand ranch for a salad, I buy a premade kale green mix with salmon and avocado, with a vinaigrette dressing. I don't buy strip steak, I buy prime filet. I don't go to McDonald's and order from the value meal, I go to the prepared food section at Central Market and get prime rib, sweet potatoes, and sauteed portobello mushrooms.

I ran some quick numbers, and I agree with your $300/month statement. My $6/day was a little low. For $300/month, you can purchase family packs of meat, raw and frozen veggies, eggs, milk, etc. Fruits as they are in season. It would, however, take a lot of time to prepare the food. When I was in college, I'd grill a bunch of meat on the weekend and eat the leftovers throughout the week.
 

Engineer

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
39,230
701
126
While most of America is sinking, which is why they have a hard time saving money, people on ATOT have turned the hard to save thread into a brag on money spent on food thread.
 

brianmanahan

Lifer
Sep 2, 2006
24,603
5,998
136
The human body is amazing at fighting on with substandard food. Just watch supersize me and you can see his body begins to cope with the horrible diet. But why do that to yourself? Why eat some weird frozen entree with who knows what in it? If you want a complete healthy diet its going to cost you.

umm, you can find out what's in it by reading the ingredients

and it's fast and easy. and it tastes good.
 

Wuzup101

Platinum Member
Feb 20, 2002
2,334
37
91
I was referring to the fact that soylont studied how to get maximum nutrition for the cheapest dollar and they are $300 per month per person. So a family of 4 would be $1200.

This is complete nutrition 2000 calories a day per person. Obviously this is a unique situation but I find it hard to believe a family of 4 is eating healthy meals for less then $1000 a month.

Keep in mind that the commercial product soylont is a "prepared" meal product. Here are three recipes for DIY soylont:

http://diy.soylent.me/recipes/quidnycs-cheaperfood ($3 per day for 2000 calories)

http://diy.soylent.me/recipes/quidnycs-superfood-for-him ($5.5 per day for almost 1800 calories)

http://diy.soylent.me/recipes/people-chow-301-tortilla-perfection ($3.50 per day for 2000 calories)

It's much cheaper to make your own than to buy a prepared product (not that I would want to get all my calories via shake). Seriously - it's NOT uber expensive to eat nutritious food (but it is IMHO too expensive given the average income in this country). $1000/month is a dream food budget for many families that aren't in the top 25% income wise.

I should also mention that blue cheese burgers and beer isn't exactly "healthy" when compared to that weight watchers pasta/chicken/broccoli prepared meal mentioned earlier. I wouldn't classify either as health food - but it's not like you are getting a more "nutritious" meal because you are eating 1500 calories as opposed to 260 calories. If you had said that you just dropped $100 on veggies for green smoothies for the week or something maybe I would buy the "nutritious" argument. You seem to equate the taste and caloric content of a food to be equivalent to it's nutrition.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
Keep in mind that the commercial product soylont is a "prepared" meal product. Here are three recipes for DIY soylont:

http://diy.soylent.me/recipes/quidnycs-cheaperfood ($3 per day for 2000 calories)

http://diy.soylent.me/recipes/quidnycs-superfood-for-him ($5.5 per day for almost 1800 calories)

http://diy.soylent.me/recipes/people-chow-301-tortilla-perfection ($3.50 per day for 2000 calories)

It's much cheaper to make your own than to buy a prepared product (not that I would want to get all my calories via shake). Seriously - it's NOT uber expensive to eat nutritious food (but it is IMHO too expensive given the average income in this country). $1000/month is a dream food budget for many families that aren't in the top 25% income wise.

I should also mention that blue cheese burgers and beer isn't exactly "healthy" when compared to that weight watchers pasta/chicken/broccoli prepared meal mentioned earlier. I wouldn't classify either as health food - but it's not like you are getting a more "nutritious" meal because you are eating 1500 calories as opposed to 260 calories. If you had said that you just dropped $100 on veggies for green smoothies for the week or something maybe I would buy the "nutritious" argument. You seem to equate the taste and caloric content of a food to be equivalent to it's nutrition.

I wish I could eat blue cheese burgers every day ;) Its all balance my friend. I've done the diy soylent and it sucks. Maybe I suck but it sucks. I prefer the commercial product. I use soylent for healthy meals and breakfast (I never make breakfast. I would just skip the meal.)

I eat a lot of veggies and have a magic bullet blender to make all kinds of shakes.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
While most of America is sinking, which is why they have a hard time saving money, people on ATOT have turned the hard to save thread into a brag on money spent on food thread.

This is the problem with any thread that has to do with means. How can I share what I do to save (live off of $1000 per week) without it coming on as a brag? Nobody here is alky. Nobody here needs validation from all of you. Believe me I get all the validation I need in my real life.

I grew up poor. Hell I was poor 7 years ago. I lived on beans, rice, oatmeal and peanut butter. I get it. If anyone reading this is in that place I get it. BUT if you have the option to eat well and you dont because you are "cheap" or whatever then you do yourself and your children a disservice.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
Get a Vita-Mix and never look back.


I had one. The magic bullet is 10x easier to clean. If you want to make nut butters then yeah vita-mix but just for everyday kale, avocado, blueberry. banana and celery the magic bullet is perfectly fine.
 

stlc8tr

Golden Member
Jan 5, 2011
1,106
4
76
I ran some quick numbers, and I agree with your $300/month statement. My $6/day was a little low. For $300/month, you can purchase family packs of meat, raw and frozen veggies, eggs, milk, etc. Fruits as they are in season. It would, however, take a lot of time to prepare the food. When I was in college, I'd grill a bunch of meat on the weekend and eat the leftovers throughout the week.

Haha. The guy who said $10K/month is a "normal" income is agreeing with the guy who said that you can't feed your family healthily for $1K/month. It's like Gwyneth Paltrow is participating in the thread! :D
 

Safeway

Lifer
Jun 22, 2004
12,075
11
81
Haha. The guy who said $10K/month is a "normal" income is agreeing with the guy who said that you can't feed your family healthily for $1K/month. It's like Gwyneth Paltrow is participating in the thread! :D

I've lived on the cheap before. I worked and borrowed my way through college. I would say that I know both ends of the spectrum, but I have never been hungry or unable to buy myself some type of non-ramen food on a regular basis, so that would be a lie. I know the upper end of the spectrum very well.
 

Engineer

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
39,230
701
126
This is the problem with any thread that has to do with means. How can I share what I do to save (live off of $1000 per week) without it coming on as a brag?

You live off of more than 50% of the country makes (and that's before taxes on their part). In other words, you make a lot more than the median income in this country and even though you spend a lot more than most, you can save. This is exactly why it's hard for people to save. With pensions pretty much gutted (or getting there) and other safety nets (SS, etc) going the same way, we're heading for a generation of people who are going to sink back to third world country status.

Maybe the poster above was right....if you want to save, make a lot of money. It's much easier that way.

Ross Perot called it and people were too stupid to listen (and yes, that's relevant as to why people have a hard time saving - good paying jobs gone).
 
Last edited:

AdamK47

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,697
3,541
136
The lavish part is in the past for you.

1) You bought a house in a fancy neighborhood in the city. You didn't rent, you didn't go out of the city, you didn't choose a less fancy neighborhood, you didn't go to a cheaper city. That, my friend, is lavish.

2) You and your wife both racked up ~$100k in student debt. The average student debt at graduation is ~$30k per person. So, you both spent at least triple the amount that most other people do. That is lavish AND extravagant. My wife and I are in the $10k/month post tax income range. We both went to colleges (undergrad and graduate) that weren't expensive and graduated with little debt (well under the average student debt even including graduate school). It can be done easily without needing $100k in student loans.

3) You went out and bought two nice new cars. That is lavish by any measure. And you didn't get cheap new cars that most people get when they owe $100k in student loans, you got nice new cars. A new Honda Civic is under $20k and would do you quite well so would many other entry level cars. Heck, I just recently got a new Camry for $25k (with leather seats). $30k is the upper standard car / lower premium car territory (with some bargaining it can get you a new Acura, Infiniti, Lincoln, BMW, etc. on the lower end of their offerings). Many people can never afford that level of car, and those who do often have to wait until their student loans are paid off and/or kids are out of school.

So, given your lavish past decisions, you are legitimately feeling like $10k is not much.

Luckilly for you the student loans will be done in a few years. The car loans and daycare too. When your car payments are over, save the $800/month you are paying on your cars for a few years. Then pay cash for your next cars (you have the income to be able to do this). Soon you'll be left with this:
$1600 mortgage,
$400 utilities (I made it less lavish),
$500 property tax / insurance,
$250 gas (I made it less lavish),
$200 car insurance,
$1000 food and eating out (gotta let you keep having a good time)
$500 on children,
$500 on misc.

That is under $5k and you are still living in a nice home in the city, with good cars, and get to go out frequently. And by then, hopefully you'll have a few raises and be in the $13k/month income range.

You overpay on everything else and now have to settle on driving a Camry. That's sad. I really do feel sorry for you.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
You live off of more than 50% of the country makes (and that's before taxes on their part). In other words, you make a lot more than the median income in this country and even though you spend a lot more than most, you can save. This is exactly why it's hard for people to save. With pensions pretty much gutted (or getting there) and other safety nets (SS, etc) going the same way, we're heading for a generation of people who are going to sink back to third world country status.

Maybe the poster above was right....if you want to save, make a lot of money. It's much easier that way.

Ross Perot called it and people were too stupid to listen (and yes, that's relevant as to why people have a hard time saving - good paying jobs gone).


I'm with you. I buy American every chance I can get.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
http://happystronghome.com/feed-a-family-on-125-a-week/

Please take a quick look. If they can do it for $125 a week, surely you can imagine how someone can do it with double the budget.


The kicker is how much time you must spend doing that. For some of us it makes more sense to work those hours and make more money. But yes I think people willing to spend time instead of money can come out spending less money.