I went grocery shopping tonight. Didn't buy much, as I am moving at the end of the month, and I want to use up as much of my food as I can. However, it got me thinking about the change in my shopping habits.
When I was in college, I went grocery shopping once a week. I only bought what would fill one carry basket (ie one paper sack worth) because I had to carry everything home on foot, several blocks. I also limited my food budget to $15 a week. Ramen noodles were 6/$1. Bananas and baking potatoes were pretty cheap per pound. Canned fruit and veggies were another staple. I bought a lot of generic, and shopped with coupons. Meat was usually put of the question. It wasn't a very exciting diet, or probably very well-rounded, but it kept me going.
Now I have a car, a full time job, and access to an entire city's worth of grocery stores and markets. My grocery budget has gone up to about $25 a week. Still not much, but the extra $10 means that I buy no ramen and have a little more variety in my diet.
The hard part is buying food to make myself real meals. Anyone who has had to shop and cook for one will know this. Smaller portions mean higher cost. Perishables such as produce, meat, and dairy need to be used quickly, to prevent spoilage. Meals cooked for one result in leftovers galore. I refuse to buy much on the way of convenience food. Most microwave meals don't appeal to me. I end up eating a lot of pasta and rice, with calcium enriched orange juice as my main beverage choice.
Even having roommates hasn't helped this dilemma. Try as I might, I can rarely get my apartment mates to the table, or to the fridge for the leftovers. I really miss family dinners. As of August, I won't even have roommates to cajole into eating with me. Anyone wanna come over for dinner?
