Even Poverty Food Isn’t Cheap Anymore
A simple plan for staying fed when even the basics feel out of reach.
A few months ago, I could get two cans of Spam for about $3.50.
Today, I paid $4 for one.
No specials. No deals. Nothing.
Spam — the food literally created during the Great Depression so struggling families could afford protein — is now becoming a luxury item.
And here’s the thing that should make every one of us pause:
When even the backup food becomes unaffordable, the problem isn’t consumers. It’s the system that keeps squeezing us.
We all feel it.
The grocery bill that keeps creeping higher.
The “shrinkflation” where you pay the same but get less.
The checkout moment where you wonder: How is this total even possible?
I see parents skipping meals so their kids can eat what they like.
I see shoppers putting items back because the math doesn’t work anymore.
I see friends who used to cook healthy meals now relying on cheaper carbs just to stretch the week.
Heck, even Asian grocery stores are more expensive.
And it’s not because we suddenly forgot how to budget.
It’s because the economic ground below us keeps shifting.
We shouldn’t have to sacrifice nutrition, dignity, or joy to survive a broken system.
So how do we take a little power back?
What’s worked for me — and for many readers here — is getting strategic with food planning that’s designed for the world we’re living in now:
✔ simple meals that still feel good
✔ staples that stretch further than you think
✔ a pantry that keeps you steady when prices jump again next week
Not scarcity thinking. Not panic buying.
Just smart survival.
I put what I’ve learned into a straightforward, no-shame guide:
👉 Grocery Bill Survival Kit
A calm, realistic plan to spend less without feeling like you’re falling behind.
We all deserve food that supports us — not food that drains us, and our bank accounts.
If you’re out shopping this week, take a look at those prices. Notice what’s changed.
And if you’ve felt that “how is this so much?” moment recently…
💬 What’s something you buy all the time that suddenly feels way too expensive?
I’d love to hear your experience.