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Warning: My friend's 'cheap' meal plan cost him way more than he thought
I was at my buddy's apartment in Cincinnati a few weeks ago and he was bragging about his new budget meal plan. He showed me his cart full of those pre-chopped veggie kits and single-serve microwave rice packs, saying it was 'so easy.' I did the math with him right there on his phone. For the $28 he spent on just four of those kits, we could have bought two whole bags of rice, three pounds of frozen veggies, and a pack of chicken thighs. He was quiet for a minute and then just said, 'I feel dumb.' It really hit me that convenience items are a total trap if you're trying to save. Has anyone else had to talk a friend down from the pre-cut vegetable ledge?
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johnson.ryan3mo ago
It's the same trap with those single serve coffee pods versus a whole bag of beans.
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schmidt.grant3mo ago
At least the pods make my laziness feel like a lifestyle choice.
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Right after reading about the single serve coffee pods I just pictured that guy staring at his pile of pre-chopped veggies like he solved the world's problems... "I feel dumb" is pretty much the national anthem of anyone who realizes their "budget" meal is basically just paying for someone else's labor. It's the same loop with those pre-portioned spice packets, you're basically buying air and a fancy label. Your buddy might as well just light his money on fire for warmth while he nukes that single serve rice.
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