I was making what I thought was a low-cost vegetable beef stew today when I realized that it now costs around $15 to make a pot of nothing special cheap stew. This was eye opening to say the least. Today, Government stew was born...
I used 4 cans of vegetables that I had on hand including a small can of mushrooms that now are off the charts expensive, 1 can of kidney beans for additional protein, 2 potatoes, 1/2 a large onion, a stalk of celery and a beef broth mix to make 6 cups of broth. I didn't have any fresh stew meat, so I used a 12 oz can of beef chunks.
Just imagine what the cost of the stew would have been if had used stew meat. Walmart charges $7.46 a pound, but you have to buy it in 1.31-pound package, so it costs $9.33 for their smallest package.
I used 2 tablespoons of oil to sauté the fresh vegetables in, 1/2 of a Roma tomato that needed to be used up, 2 cups of chopped cabbage, a large carrot and several spices for added flavor and nutrition that are not included in the price of the stew. I wasn't really sure how to price these, but now that I look at it again it could easily add another dollar or more to the cost.
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| This is a five-quart sauté pan, so there are 15 - 1 1/2 cup servings. This is about 360 calories per serving. That's a pretty low-calorie meal and would definitely need something on the side for additional calories. |
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| It's not a huge pot of stew, but it sure is good and greatly appreciated. An added chunk of bread and butter would have rounded out the meal, but I preferred just having another bowl. |
Making this stew reminded me about the stories that I have heard about Hoover stew during the Great Depression only now hotdogs are no longer affordable because of the dollar's value. Hoover stew is now around $1.50 per serving. During the Great Depression it was around .10 cents per serving, and it had more calories per serving.
Our purchasing power has all but vanished. We no longer have healthy inexpensive choices like beans and root vegetables. The average cost of beans ranges from $1.50 to $1.75 per pound uncooked. This is where a pressure cooker comes in handy and saves time and money. Beans in 1932-1933 were .10 cents a pound.
Below are some facts that found when I searched for the value of the dollar and a little history behind Hoover stew:
The US dollar has lost over 96% of its value since 1913, when the Federal Reserve took over the dollar. The Fed devalues the dollar by printing more dollars without creating any value. Nixon ended the gold standard in 1971, skyrocketing inflation.
AI Overview
Hoover stew is named after Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, who served during the Great Depression. Hoover was blamed for the economic and social conditions of the time, and many things were nicknamed after him, including Hoover stew.
Hoover was president when the stock market crashed in 1929, and the Great Depression began. During this time, millions of Americans faced severe hardships, and many looked to the government for assistance. When the government failed to provide relief, Hoover was blamed for the shantytowns that sprang up across the country. These shantytowns, known as “Hoovervilles,” were made from scrap metal, wood, and cardboard.
The blame cannot be placed solely on one person these days, but the whole government machine plus greedy corporations. The shame falls squarely on both of these institutions. A perfect example of this is that Colorado now requires a full eye care visit with a doctor every three years for a driver's license for younger drivers and once a year for older drivers.
This puts an extreme burden on drivers who are struggling just to pay the bills. It's not good enough to have your eyes tested at the DMV like they used to do in Colorado and still do in most states. I paid $139 to tell me that I still only need readers. So, it costs $169.87 to get a Colorado driver's license renewed if you don't need vision correcting eyeglasses or contacts.
AI Overview
The average cost of an eye exam and glasses depends on several factors, including where you get your exam and the type of glasses you choose:
- The average cost of an eye exam without insurance is around $100 but can range from $50–$250. (I call BS on the $50 exam, my exam cost $139) The cost depends on the type of provider, with exams at retail stores and optical chains being less expensive than those at an independent optometrist or ophthalmologist.
- The cost of glasses depends on the type of lenses and frames you choose:
- Lenses: Single vision lenses cost around $83 without insurance, while transition lenses cost around $96. Progressive lenses cost between $150–$250.
- Frames: Frames can cost anywhere from $100–$1,000, depending on the style and brand. Discount frames are available at many big box stores.
My understanding is that in Europe things are a lot worse than in the US not only in the cost of food, but in energy also. It doesn't make sense to me that the US and European nations are producing less and less food and for very different reasons when the price of food is just going higher and higher. The big boys are forcing smaller farms to go out of business and then causing the price of food to increase by growing less and thereby increasing their profits. You could say that they have a monopoly on food production. - Lenses: Single vision lenses cost around $83 without insurance, while transition lenses cost around $96. Progressive lenses cost between $150–$250.
So, what is the solution? I have some thoughts on this question, but no clear answer
to these problems. What I do know is that these governments allowed big corporations to pollute the land, air and waters and now they are forcing us to eat the garbage that they produce and buy electric cars that have an average price tag of $53,438. They also have higher operating and insurance costs. Insurance costs increased for EV's by 58.1% from 2021 to 2023. Gas powered car insurance only increased by 1.2 % in the same period.
Over 50% of EV owners are so upside-down in the loan value of their vehicles that they have no way to sell or replace. When it's time to change out the batteries in these vehicles, it will add an additional cost of $5,000 to $20,000 to the vehicle. Most people replace their vehicles if they have a repair bill that large, but EV owners can't because they owe way more than the vehicle is worth.
The fact is Electric vehicles release more toxic emissions, are worse for the environment than gas-powered cars: study.Mar 6, 2024
It found that brakes and tires on EVs release 1,850 times more particle pollution compared to modern tailpipes, which have “efficient” exhaust filters, bringing gas-powered vehicles’ emissions to new lows. New York Post Quote
It's time for policy makers to be held personally accountable for the financial damage that they cause from the policies that they force upon the backs of Americans. They should be made, at the very least, to replace the financial losses of those that they harmed due to their greed, uneducated guesses and special interests. If those who cause the harm are made to pay restitution out of their own pockets, they may actually do what is best for the American people instead of what's best for themselves.
I am on a roll, but it's time to end this lengthy blog post. I get tickled when they tell us to call our congressmen and women when they are usually the biggest problem. They themselves are the cause of most of the roadblocks on the road to American prosperity.
1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.
Mrs. Smith
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