Comments on: Is the Rising Cost of Food Our Fault? http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault Cooking - Photography & More Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:23:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault#comment-5191 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:01:19 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault#comment-5191 Darren, Welcome to the site and thanks for taking the time to comment. Your situation shows the state of affairs in Britain today. When a basic commodity like rice has gone up by 40% what chance do you have with the rest of it? Now we have the supermarkets engrossed in a price war over the slight derease in petrol prices. They'll get the difference back of us somehow, I wish you well Darren and hope you return to the blog again. Kind regards Miles Darren,
Welcome to the site and thanks for taking the time to comment. Your situation shows the state of affairs in Britain today. When a basic commodity like rice has gone up by 40% what chance do you have with the rest of it? Now we have the supermarkets engrossed in a price war over the slight derease in petrol prices. They’ll get the difference back of us somehow,
I wish you well Darren and hope you return to the blog again.
Kind regards
Miles

]]> by: Darren http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault#comment-5188 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:50:02 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault#comment-5188 It sure as hell isn't my fault! I buy only what I need. I budget rigidly over a period of 18 months. I don't smoke, drink, go out, or have a life. I eat every bit of edible food I buy. I have cut all my outgoings back as far as they can go, short of cutting myself off from electricity, water and the phone. And still after bills my weekly income for everything else, including food is now only £8.73. I am also unable to get a job as the job market is completely oversaturated where I live. Employers like me from feedback, but have dozens more applicants with more experience, skills and qualifications than me that they always choose. What I live on now is value brand porridge, beans, vitamin pills and cod, liver oil pills, which barely adds up to 1200 calories (for a healthy BMI for me I need to consume around 2800 calories). If prices of food and fuel continue to go up I will be priced out of existance. And I don't live in Africa, I'm an Englishman in the UK! It sure as hell isn’t my fault!

I buy only what I need. I budget rigidly over a period of 18 months. I don’t smoke, drink, go out, or have a life. I eat every bit of edible food I buy. I have cut all my outgoings back as far as they can go, short of cutting myself off from electricity, water and the phone.

And still after bills my weekly income for everything else, including food is now only £8.73.

I am also unable to get a job as the job market is completely oversaturated where I live. Employers like me from feedback, but have dozens more applicants with more experience, skills and qualifications than me that they always choose.

What I live on now is value brand porridge, beans, vitamin pills and cod, liver oil pills, which barely adds up to 1200 calories (for a healthy BMI for me I need to consume around 2800 calories).

If prices of food and fuel continue to go up I will be priced out of existance.

And I don’t live in Africa, I’m an Englishman in the UK!

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault#comment-4903 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:29:14 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault#comment-4903 Dave, A great comment, the link you submit beggars belief doesn't it? We are constantly bombarded with people telling us to eat fresh food, in season and all the rest but we still have those idiots in the European Union on fat salaries telling us how long or round a fruit or vegetable should be. Who cares? If it's fresh and in good condition then buy it! As for your last point I really don't think home cookery is taken seriously enough at all, it's a real shame. Nice to hear from you again, Dave. Regards Miles Dave,
A great comment, the link you submit beggars belief doesn’t it? We are constantly bombarded with people telling us to eat fresh food, in season and all the rest but we still have those idiots in the European Union on fat salaries telling us how long or round a fruit or vegetable should be. Who cares? If it’s fresh and in good condition then buy it!
As for your last point I really don’t think home cookery is taken seriously enough at all, it’s a real shame.
Nice to hear from you again, Dave.
Regards
Miles

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault#comment-4902 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:24:33 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault#comment-4902 Rod, I listened to a radio interview and the person bemoaned the amount of buy one get one free's, it is a good point but much of this is wishful thinking. We are, mostly, a nation of overeaters, ill disciplined with a penchant for junk food. I think you are either the sort to make the effort or you're not, sadly. Miles Rod,
I listened to a radio interview and the person bemoaned the amount of buy one get one free’s, it is a good point but much of this is wishful thinking. We are, mostly, a nation of overeaters, ill disciplined with a penchant for junk food. I think you are either the sort to make the effort or you’re not, sadly.
Miles

]]> by: Dave http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault#comment-4899 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:52:04 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault#comment-4899 Packaging is a problem - unless your are going to a butcher / fish monger, you are stuck trying to find the right size portion for what you need. People often joke about how hot dogs are sold in packages of 10, but the buns come in packs of 8 - but scenarios like this are very common. I was in Minnesota last week and took some of my in-laws to the farmer's market in St Paul and they were amazed at the freshness of the produce and the quality. Locally raised Berkshire hogs, and free run chickens and eggs - very similar in price to the local super market - And, they could specify portion size. In NYC, it is almost impossible to shop for 2 people at a market without coming home with way more than you need. also, our "betters" continue to prove their uselessness: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/7474722.stm Miles, I agree about basic cooking skills - you would not believe how few people can even manage more than heating up a can of soup - god forbid using a pan for something. Packaging is a problem - unless your are going to a butcher / fish monger, you are stuck trying to find the right size portion for what you need. People often joke about how hot dogs are sold in packages of 10, but the buns come in packs of 8 - but scenarios like this are very common. I was in Minnesota last week and took some of my in-laws to the farmer’s market in St Paul and they were amazed at the freshness of the produce and the quality. Locally raised Berkshire hogs, and free run chickens and eggs - very similar in price to the local super market - And, they could specify portion size. In NYC, it is almost impossible to shop for 2 people at a market without coming home with way more than you need.

also, our “betters” continue to prove their uselessness:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/7474722.stm

Miles,

I agree about basic cooking skills - you would not believe how few people can even manage more than heating up a can of soup - god forbid using a pan for something.

]]> by: Rod http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault#comment-4897 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:34:06 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/is-the-rising-cost-of-food-our-fault#comment-4897 Miles when I saw this I ground my teeth. ! It's another political own goal. Insulting to the people who are seeing prices going through the roof and being told it's their fault. You could make the same argument about fat people. Somebody worked out the amount on average that overweight people eat and it amounts to enough food to eradicate world starvation ! I believe there is a lot of waste though and people could save a lot of money managing things better, or indeed just buying more wisely at the time. <b>My opinion on waste:</b> Too much choice and picky eating at home, stuff gets left because kids 'don't fancy it'. I wonder how many packets of crisps or chocolate bars go out of date ? Special offers. Buy one get one free etc. People see the bargain and end up with more than they need or can use. Not planning a menu. Plan a menu for the week and simply buy the stuff required for each day. Regards Rod Miles
when I saw this I ground my teeth. !
It’s another political own goal. Insulting to the people who are seeing prices going through the roof and being told it’s their fault.

You could make the same argument about fat people. Somebody worked out the amount on average that overweight people eat and it amounts to enough food to eradicate world starvation !

I believe there is a lot of waste though and people could save a lot of money managing things better, or indeed just buying more wisely at the time.

My opinion on waste:

Too much choice and picky eating at home, stuff gets left because kids ‘don’t fancy it’.
I wonder how many packets of crisps or chocolate bars go out of date ?

Special offers.
Buy one get one free etc. People see the bargain and end up with more than they need or can use.

Not planning a menu.
Plan a menu for the week and simply buy the stuff required for each day.

Regards
Rod

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