<![CDATA["You can feed 4 people on $300 a month.]]>"You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. In this video, I will show you how to make a thin rice gruel..."

(The first sentence is really from a real person. The second is what I assume came next)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/a6ac034b-6c84-4d36-8020-ca2aa7302e74/you-can-feed-4-people-on-300-a-month.RSS for NodeSat, 04 Jul 2026 23:35:01 GMTThu, 02 Jul 2026 13:04:06 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 18:55:59 GMT]]>@quixoticgeek @Printdevil @sinvega @gwynnion @melindrea @artemis

A long time ago there was a great journalism piece that went into all of the reasons large portions of Baltimore (USA) have to rely on fast food for their diet: food apartheid w/ lack of grocers, tenements infested with rats and roaches so you can't store food, and since utilities were included in rent in most places, your ability to use your stove or oven depends on your landlord paying the electric bill. Many don't.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.hams.social/users/Geojoek/statuses/116857566614320341https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.hams.social/users/Geojoek/statuses/116857566614320341Fri, 03 Jul 2026 18:55:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:49:28 GMT]]>@artemis That's not budgeting, that's a famine in a supposedly rich country imposed on the poor by the rich because they didn't want to share.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://oldbytes.space/users/nini/statuses/116855417606727970https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://oldbytes.space/users/nini/statuses/116855417606727970Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:49:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:46:33 GMT]]>@artemis The rice is actually cardboard, don't tell.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://oldbytes.space/users/nini/statuses/116855406185330867https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://oldbytes.space/users/nini/statuses/116855406185330867Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:46:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:38:57 GMT]]>@artemis "Write us what you need and we'll explain to you how to do without it" -Coluche

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://pounced-on.me/users/finalstaticfox/statuses/116855376263582882https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://pounced-on.me/users/finalstaticfox/statuses/116855376263582882Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:38:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:23:38 GMT]]>@artemis (couldn't resist forever. A sentence or two later he adds)

"No: a poor man who is ungrateful, unthrifty, discontented, and rebellious, is probably a real personality, and has much in him. He is at any rate a healthy protest. As for the virtuous poor, one can pity them, of course, but one cannot possibly admire them. They have made private terms with the enemy, and sold their birthright for very bad pottage. They must also be extraordinarily stupid."

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/sinvega/statuses/116855316072175867https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/sinvega/statuses/116855316072175867Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:23:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 08:45:27 GMT]]>@sinvega @artemis

For a small sidebar, Oscar Wilde would have been born into a world where their equivalent of the QI Book of General Ignorance said things like this:

[Popular Errors, ca.1861]

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Rhodium103/statuses/116855165918261318https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Rhodium103/statuses/116855165918261318Fri, 03 Jul 2026 08:45:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 08:03:14 GMT]]>@artemis
I would LOVE to make more vegetarian foods but whenever I do, it rarely tastes good. And I can't afford some of those fine ingredients like that special yeast thing that apparently makes stuff taste better but costs half a week's budget here.

And we would really need shoes for my partner, so we are going back to eating noodle packs to afford them... Which, are not healthy, but sure are cheap and edible for...not long. It gets gross to eat them for long.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://writing.exchange/users/hiisikoloart/statuses/116854999906658977https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://writing.exchange/users/hiisikoloart/statuses/116854999906658977Fri, 03 Jul 2026 08:03:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 08:00:17 GMT]]>@artemis
Also the vegetarian/vegan movement thing - I am all for people eating less animals, and all that, if they CAN do it - but when you are poor, it is really hard to experiment with new foods. If it tastes ass, you either eat it and hate every bite, starve, or need to cook something edible. Which in all cases was waste of money you don't have.

Compound to that any ailments that make cooking hard, or ingredients not suitable for your gut and you are about to find out after fucking around.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://writing.exchange/users/hiisikoloart/statuses/116854988300458365https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://writing.exchange/users/hiisikoloart/statuses/116854988300458365Fri, 03 Jul 2026 08:00:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 07:56:52 GMT]]>@artemis
I have been poor all my life. People who are even in middle class don't get why we don't just skimp more on food (which is where all of our money goes after rent, utilities, and bills) to get shoes, clothes, and even travel to places to enjoy Summer.

It fucking sucks to eat worse food, less food, and have no reprieve for months to afford a single day of "fun", that will also result in health crash.
They don't get it, with their closets full of unused clothes with tags still on them.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://writing.exchange/users/hiisikoloart/statuses/116854974861260364https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://writing.exchange/users/hiisikoloart/statuses/116854974861260364Fri, 03 Jul 2026 07:56:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 03:54:57 GMT]]>@melindrea @artemis Yup, it's Vimes Boots Theory (which I adore is an actual economic theory, with the gracious consent of the Pratchett estate) as applied to food, obviously it saves money to buy bulk up front and cook from scratch but being poor often means not having resources like time and money to make the up-front investments that will save costs in the long run. This also applies to rent, with people who can't pay large security deposits paying higher rent instead, and to a million other areas of life. Basically it's fucking expensive to be poor, in ways that people who haven't been poor have the freedom to ignore.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://writeout.ink/users/ljwrites/statuses/116854023632938951https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://writeout.ink/users/ljwrites/statuses/116854023632938951Fri, 03 Jul 2026 03:54:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 03:11:46 GMT]]>@MissConstrue @artemis I came here to make sure someone posted Chris's video about that exact video.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/nixanadoo/statuses/116853853808118302https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/nixanadoo/statuses/116853853808118302Fri, 03 Jul 2026 03:11:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:13:25 GMT]]>@artemis Weeks when we can escape the grocery store for less than $200 have gotten mighty rare. We still eat takeout once a week just to retain sanity. Eating gluten free with no onion nor garlic makes food even more challenging.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dice.camp/users/twwombat/statuses/116852680648946431https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dice.camp/users/twwombat/statuses/116852680648946431Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:13:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:10:43 GMT]]>@artemis

I... don't think I could afford to feed even 1 person on 300$ a month... without it being nothing but ramen based...

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dragon.style/users/JulieSqveakaroo/statuses/116852670060131014https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://dragon.style/users/JulieSqveakaroo/statuses/116852670060131014Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:10:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:04:57 GMT]]>@artemis It would really depend on location, which would affect prices, and how much variety you wanted. Also, plant-based meals are cheaper than meat. Lentils, beans, are protein and fibre. Chilis, pastas, Indian food…

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/CStamp/statuses/116852647353688698https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/CStamp/statuses/116852647353688698Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:04:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:03:31 GMT]]>@melindrea @gwynnion @Kalshann @artemis the best I've ever felt was doing a gluten free, plant based, primarily whole foods diet. Without financial aid *and* the SNAP of someone counted as making $0, that now seems utterly laughable. I have family members with celiac who've even given up on the gluten free part; the only reason I haven't tried that is that I can't afford risking 2 weeks off work, nor a wheelchair-accessible apartment

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://disabled.social/users/raphaelmorgan/statuses/116852641727826701https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://disabled.social/users/raphaelmorgan/statuses/116852641727826701Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:03:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:58:18 GMT]]>@melindrea @artemis I also can't usually shop at multiple places (or I'll shop one place and then somewhere else next time I urgently need food) because gas is fucking expensive, and public transit takes forever and is also expensive for anyone who doesn't want to risk not being allowed on it again. It's only worth it for someone who can do $5 and several hours for transportation (in a city with a "good" bus system) and buy enough to actually save more money than $5+hours they could be working

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://disabled.social/users/raphaelmorgan/statuses/116852621226689461https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://disabled.social/users/raphaelmorgan/statuses/116852621226689461Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:58:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:57:23 GMT]]>@artemis Why, I remember when you could feed a family for half that.

When was that?

1973.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://indieweb.social/users/CassandraVert/statuses/116852617586093294https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://indieweb.social/users/CassandraVert/statuses/116852617586093294Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:57:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:51:00 GMT]]>@AldinTheMage @TheTenuousOrder @artemis eating the food you can afford? I don't see how that's economically viable

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://thicc.horse/users/taq/statuses/116852592498434653https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://thicc.horse/users/taq/statuses/116852592498434653Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:51:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:46:32 GMT]]>@artemis I bet someone could if they have a lot of available gardening/farming land, plenty of spoons and free time for labor, *and* live somewhere they can get seeds and gardening/hunting supplies for free or cheap. Sucks that not all of us have *any* of those privileges, let alone all (personally I do have the last one, but it doesn't do much for me without land or time/spoons), but I bet whoever you're quoting either does or simply isn't getting enough nutrition

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://disabled.social/users/raphaelmorgan/statuses/116852574940778603https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://disabled.social/users/raphaelmorgan/statuses/116852574940778603Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:46:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:40:47 GMT]]>@artemis It's similar to the argument that one person overcame poverty and huge odds to become successful so everyone should be able to do the same.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://indieweb.social/users/CassandraVert/statuses/116852552340271901https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://indieweb.social/users/CassandraVert/statuses/116852552340271901Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:40:47 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:34:47 GMT]]>@artemis I live on a relatively frugal diet--legumes and produce--and I know where to get inexpensive produce (everyone in Boston knows about Haymarket). But I *enjoy* the shopping and cooking and reading cookbooks, and I have the time. I would never tell someone who was food insecure to follow my lead because I know what it is to be shamed.

But I would happily share food I cooked with someone else in need. And if that gave them a little space in their budget and time, I'd be thrilled.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://apobangpo.space/users/dnkboston/statuses/116852528766076518https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://apobangpo.space/users/dnkboston/statuses/116852528766076518Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:34:47 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:23:07 GMT]]>@sinvega I thought part of the issue was that they were also offering tips on how to make things like biscuit cutters with that can cut open with a knife, when a better solution might have been drop biscuits or cookies.

But in general it was clear that Monroe got a lot more heat because they were also antipoverty advocates. And not a man.

@quixoticgeek @Printdevil @gwynnion @melindrea @artemis

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://apobangpo.space/users/dnkboston/statuses/116852482840006391https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://apobangpo.space/users/dnkboston/statuses/116852482840006391Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:23:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:18:55 GMT]]>@sinvega @Printdevil @gwynnion @melindrea @artemis

Am I right in thinking that resulted in lots of people donating tin openers to food banks ?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.v.st/users/quixoticgeek/statuses/116852466320112275https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.v.st/users/quixoticgeek/statuses/116852466320112275Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:18:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to "You can feed 4 people on $300 a month. on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:12:48 GMT]]>@quixoticgeek @Printdevil @gwynnion @melindrea @artemis I remember people giving them shit for saying if you have no can opener you can use a knife. Because "you could injure yourself!" and "you can gert a can opner for a pound!"

No, YOU can. IF you live somewhere that sells one (and it actually works and doesn't disintegrate) and IF you have time to find it and IF you can spare a pound, when the entire fucking point of the book was that not everyone can

I had opened several cans with a knife. Yes you could get hurt if you did it wrong but guess fucking what poverty means about how many options you have, and how many risks you're forced to take

Condescending, smug arseholes attacking someone actually trying to help, instead of just clout farm

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/sinvega/statuses/116852442283358568https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/sinvega/statuses/116852442283358568Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:12:48 GMT