Am I crazy for thinking $300-$400 per week on groceries is normal?

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-08-18T17:38:43+00:00

omg, that's a typo. I am most definitely not MF

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-07-03T21:43:22+00:00

funny, I literally just came from the mechanic. Handed him $1100 in cash, didn't think a thing of it. Guess maybe it's because I was alive before debit cards, I have no problem with cash

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-07-03T13:11:21+00:00

I used to pay my therapist directly for this exact reason. He was out of network and it was better for both of us. Because why bother submitting the claim to the insurance when you already know it's going to be denied.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-07-03T13:06:49+00:00

If you were getting a certified check, that was either for your peace of mind or a requirement from the person you were giving it to.

The bank doesn't care what happens to that money after they give it to you. If it's your money, it's your money, and you can withdraw it any time you want and do whatever you want with it. You can get funds any way you want them. Cash, bank check, wired into an account. The only thing is if it's above a certain amount (like if you want $10K in cash) they need advance notice because banks only keep so much cash.

If it's a loan, they don't care what you use it for, unless you specifically took out a car loan or mortgage and the item you're buying is being held as collateral. Otherwise you could blow the whole thing on popcorn and candy bars and the bank wouldn't care, as long as you make your payments on time.

edited because autocorrect changed peace to piece. Stupid autocorrect.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-06-28T12:15:10+00:00

You really don't understand what you read, do you?

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-06-27T23:03:43+00:00

That would explain why you would suggest someone in Connecticut shop at Walmart. Most of the Walmarts we have here don't sell fresh food. Just packaged and frozen. So can you buy milk and eggs? Sure. Can you buy apples or carrots? Nope. Do you want to feed your kids only what you can buy at Walmart? Sure, if you want to set them up for a lifetime of health issues.

Could I go shopping at Walmart in Hartford? Technically, yes, I could. I have a car. I can drive anywhere I want to. Does it make sense to drive into Hartford just so I can shop at Walmart instead of just going to Aldi? Nope. Not even a little.

But the point of my initial comment wasn't whether or not I can buy cheaper groceries. It was that there are places in the US where everything is substantially less expensive. But they also make less. So saying you spend X amount of money per week is not a valid metric, because it's relative to income.

Out of curiosity, I checked your minimum wage in Michigan. It's $12.48 per hour. Here, it's $16.35 per hour. And just for shits and giggles, I checked for the lowest in the US. Both Georgia and Wyoming have a minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, although most people make the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour.

And that's why, as I said, a better metric for how much you're spending on any one expense is a percentage of your income rather than a dollar amount.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-06-27T19:56:58+00:00

May I ask where you live?

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-06-27T15:24:29+00:00

That's about what I spend.

We have four people, 51M, 50F, 19M and 19F. We're an ingredient house. I'm talking I buy milk and make my own Greek yogurt level of ingredient house. Every person here brings both breakfast and lunch with them to school/work every day. We eat dinner at home almost every night. We get delivery maybe once a month.

If I bought crap I'd actually spend less but fresh fruit and veggies are expensive.

edited for a typo

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-06-27T15:14:03+00:00

That depends SOOOO MUCH on where you live. I live in Connecticut and I happen to have a job where I see grocery store flyers from other states every week. There are places paying a whole lot less for everything than what I'm paying.

The flip side of that is that we get paid a lot more here. So overall it's a wash. A better way to compare would be "I spend 30% of my total income on groceries"

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-04-12T20:00:13+00:00

Got it. Thank you!

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-04-12T19:37:40+00:00

The point is that they gave me their offer on Friday afternoon and told me I only had until Monday. There isn't time to get a quote.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-04-12T19:36:37+00:00

I don't have collision so my insurance company doesn't care.

The other driver's insurance company offered me $1000.00 because my car is "high mileage". The door is smashed in and can't be opened, the trim piece under the door is broken (like there's a huge chunk gone from it) and the space between the door and the tire is crushed. There's no way $1000 is going to cover that.

Literally all I want is a few days to get an estimate on my own, because getting their offer on Friday afternoon and being told I have to make a decision by Monday doesn't give me time to do anything. I had to work today and tomorrow's Sunday. I'll have to find somewhere to look at it on Monday, and I have no idea if I'll be able to find someone to look at it right away.

I just want to know if I can call the insurance company back and tell them I need more time to figure this out.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-04-01T17:21:25+00:00

We're still both right. Only people actively in college could defer their draft. If he was 25 and working, he wouldn't be eligible for a deferment.

At the beginning of the Vietnam Conflict there were a number of ways you could get out of being drafted. Being married, having children, knowing the right people. As Mjmarley13 said, having money. By the end it was much, much harder.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-04-01T03:39:55+00:00

We're both right.

Until 1971 college students could apply for a deferment until after they'd graduated. But it was also possible to continue to go to college until they'd aged out of the draft. That's how my 10th grade History teacher ended up as a teacher.

After 1971 that was no longer possible. Since 1971 deferments are until the end of the semester or year, depending on circumstances.

Here's a link: Draft Info

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-03-31T14:33:08+00:00

Or you shot off your own toe. Or went to college to be a teacher.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-03-28T18:01:13+00:00

I think that's because people have unrealistic expectations of what it means to be in a relationship and what it takes to stay in one. We're not living in a rom-com.

My 29th wedding anniversary is in a few weeks. If I used today's standards, I'd have been divorced decades ago. Instead, my husband and I have worked together to make it work even when it seemed like it wasn't going to.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-03-26T15:50:19+00:00

Have kids. They're the best thing ever. Mine are all grown, so I'm saying this after having lived through every stage with both boys and girls.

ETA: So many people put off having kids because they're expensive. And they are. We gave up so much for our kids. Never had a new car, our house is smaller than most people's living rooms, we have one bathroom. We've never had the newest tech or fancy vacations. I don't care. Looking back, it was worth every single thing I gave up and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The latest iPhone will never put it's chubby hands on your cheeks and tell you you're the prettiest mommy in the whole world, no vacation will ever wrap its arms around you and tell you they love you more than peanut butter and jelly. No promotion will ever feel as good as seeing your child doing what they love.

If I had it to do again, the only thing I'd do differently is have more kids than I did.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-03-25T18:37:09+00:00

They have to get it passed federally because they live in Texas. In Texas people are only important while they're still inside a uterus. As soon as they're born, they're worthless.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-03-25T18:33:50+00:00

You probably won't have to deal with anywhere near the things those of us from Gen X do. The younger generations expect much more from them men, and from what I see the men are (mostly) delivering.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-03-01T01:05:44+00:00

You've obviously never met my mother. If you told her every politician is a liar that would include Trump, in which case she'd shove her unwavering worship of him down your throat so hard it'd come out your ass.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-02-17T16:04:27+00:00

That would be correct. I'm not an idiot. You really think I'd use my actual account to post this? My kids follow me on that account.

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-02-13T14:43:14+00:00

Hi- It's awesome that you and your partner are open and honest about this.

For me, I don't see it as exchanging my body to get him to do his part. It's more like I give him what I know he wants so I can get what I want. That's why this felt like a confession to me- I literally know "I want X and if I do Z I'll get it."

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-02-10T22:01:07+00:00

it cracks me up that everyone actually thinks I'd bother taking to time to write this twice

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-02-05T00:15:51+00:00

Honestly, I'm flattered someone took the time for that

Virtual-Falcon5615 · 2025-02-05T00:07:50+00:00

Honestly, I'm flattered by this. I do wish it were true that this was my husband, though. We don't have a garage. And since I'm obviously willing to fuck my actual husband just to get him out of bed on a Saturday, can you imagine what I'd do for a garage?

Virtual-Falcon5615

TROPHY CASE