"a/k/a the poor are only to stupid - look here they can live a healthy diet on even less)."
Agreed. George Orwell explored this one in his Road to Wigan Pier, ch 6.
I would encourage people to shop at their local food market. I can get all the fruit and veg we need for a week for £5 to £6 relatively easily at Birmingham's Fruit and Veg market.
I make a decent wage myself(well, its shitty for the field I work in but I have more than many do), but I live in one of the poorest parts of the U.S.. A 3 pound bag of apples costs about 4-5 dollars here. The farmer's markets are probably a dollar cheaper. I guess that's enough apples for a week, but I wouldn't consider myself to be stocked up on fruits and veggies.
There are only two of us, and in UK prices, 5 large apples is £1, you get 3lb to 4lb potatoes for another £1. Bananas £1 'a bowl' (about 5 large ones). Cabbages (savoy) two for £1 when in season, or broccoli. A few courgettes, peppers, and an Aubergine another £1.50. Carrots/parsnips whatever in season £1. Tomatoes £1 a bowl and OK I'm over budget. Add in rice, pasta, tinned tomatoes for cooking, tinned pulses, cheese &c bread and wine and we eat ok.
The market is significantly cheaper than the local supermarkets in Birmingham, I suspect because of proximity to the main wholesale market for the region and because the stuff might be 'grade 2', i.e. not pristine looking and all the same size. This is not a farmers' market (in the UK farmers' markets tend to have organically grown or very high quality produce from specialist growers sold direct). It does have organic stalls (I buy kale and lovely onions from one of them sometimes, but they are more expensive).
I'm a teacher on good hourly rate but currently working half time for family reasons so I am watching the budget a little.
PS: I can't edit my original post any more. I meant of course that I agreed with user fpp's point that it is unreasonable to expect people to live on emergency budgets for long periods of time.
Agreed. George Orwell explored this one in his Road to Wigan Pier, ch 6.
I would encourage people to shop at their local food market. I can get all the fruit and veg we need for a week for £5 to £6 relatively easily at Birmingham's Fruit and Veg market.