"Christine Dabney" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> On Sat, 15 Dec 2007 09:54:07 +0100, "Giusi" >
> wrote:
>
>>"Christine Dabney" > ha scritto nel messaggio
. ..

>>> USD $40/week, for instance. I don't know how that amount translates
>>> to foreign currencies...
>>> Christine
>>
>>I, unfortunately, do know how that translates to euro. There was once a
>>time I could have used $40 a week as a benchmark, but no longer. Not if I
>>want to eat anything besides bulk rice, beans and salt.
>
> I am certain that there are folks that can't even begin to use what I
> have budgeted, for their needs. This is a "sane" amount for me and
> enables me to have an occasional treat.
> Christine

It's not that there aren't "reasonable" shops, but that energy costs so much
more here plus there is a VAT tax on everything. If you truck things to the
markets using fuel that costs nearly $8 a gallon, if the electricity to run
the shop is double the price, if the fertilizers etc. are price pushed by
the high petroleum costs, everything costs more. Then add usually 10% VAT
(IVA) for food, and you find chicken in its cheapest form sells for the
equivalent of $2.50 per pound. If I didn't work out a per serving cost, I'd
never feel justified in eating any meat. Store made pork sausages, standard
run about $5 per pound. They are generally the cheapest meat available.
Fish? Don't ask. Fortunately, most meat servings are a fraction of what
they would be there.

It would be more comfortable to never think of the dollar price of anything,
but since most of my income is dollars, I have to. I understand why the
prices are so high, but I really think the devaluation of the dollar doesn't
reflect the true value of the economy and the resources.

--
http://www.judithgreenwood.com