My uncle's comment about my grocery budget really stuck with me

I was complaining to my uncle Dave last week about how I can't seem to get my food costs under $400 a month for just me and my cat. He just laughed and said "you're buying ingredients like they're collectibles, not groceries." It hit me because I've been grabbing those fancy $8 jars of pasta sauce and pre-cut veggies at the Kroger on Main Street instead of just buying plain tomatoes and a knife. Has anyone else had a family member call them out on a spending habit that you didn't even see coming?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace60719d agoMost Upvoted

Jumping off what @king.aaron said, sometimes that prep time adds up to more than we realize if you factor in your energy levels after a long day. Your uncle might be seeing the dollar signs, but there's value in not spending a Tuesday night crying over a whole onion. Take it with a grain of salt, but maybe a middle ground like frozen pre-chopped veggies could be a compromise that works for both sides of the argument.

king.aaron20d ago

That $8 pasta sauce is saving you time and stress, and your uncle's not the one stuck chopping onions after work. How many hours of your life is "just buying a knife" actually worth?

bennett.mason18d ago

Hang on, $8? I thought we were talking about like $5 max. Where are you getting your pasta sauce cause I need to know what highway robbery looks like.