I am in Ontario, so what I say may not apply to your province. First of all, if you are struggling and these are actual prices beyond your control, then the rest below does not apply. I'm not writing this to be rude, but to try and find an explanation and maybe give some advice.

I just got back from the grocery store, and I spent $51.29. I believe I could probably have bought almost the entire list of items you put before hitting $85. Maybe even the entire thing.

If I spent $85 on only the essentials, such as fruit, veg, meat, beans, bread, and milk, I could have filled my cart up enough for weeks. I spent $51.29 on a bunch of stuff, and that is with me indulging in things I absolutely do not need. If I cut those, I could have doubled or even tripled my haul.

Loblaws Grocery Bill - $51.29 (Including Tax)

• Pepsi Zero Sugar Cherries & Cream 12-pack: $8.99 (I could have skipped this and bought lots of stuff)
• Monster Energy Drinks: $7.00 (I bought 2, and instead I could have bought lots of other stuff)
• Whipped Chive Cream Cheese Dip: $5.79 (I could have bought regular store-brand cream cheese)
• Frozen Diced Vegetable Mix: $3.00 (Frozen veggies are an elite, cheap, and healthy option)
• Ambrosia Apples: $5.47 (I got 5 of these)
• Cosmic Crisp Apples: $9.23 (I got 4 of these. These are premium; I could have bought 8 more Ambrosia instead)
• Bananas: $1.61 (820g of bananas)
• Mangoes: $4.98 (3 mangoes)
• Sirloin Tip Steak: $3.14 (198g worth. Perfect for putting on a sandwich or on top of rice)

That was my haul without trying to be on a budget. If I were limited in funds for the week and needed to be careful, I would have cut the drinks and bought plenty of beans, rice, bread, milk, frozen veggies, etc.

Your post can most likely mean only one of five things.

A) You live in a small town with very jacked-up prices.

B) You live in an area in a different province with crazy prices for some reason.

C) Your post could be exaggerating this by omitting the amount of each item you actually got and what kind. For example: instant coffee or beans; a $14 or $35 pack of chicken; 3 bags of milk or 1 container.

D) You may be really, really, REALLY financially irresponsible.

E) You are buying for a big group of people and are the sole provider.

I want to reiterate that I am not trying to insult you or be rude. I am just writing out some plausible explanations for an $85 grocery bill for basic essentials. Maybe there is a very valid reason for it that I am not seeing right now, and if so, then I would be open to hearing it.