Engineer eats efficiently for $2.50 a day (2016)

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Inflation and Today’s Equivalent Cost

  • Many try to inflation-adjust $2.50/day: CPI calculators give ~$3.30–3.37; some argue real food inflation is higher, closer to $5/day in practice.
  • Debate over official CPI vs “felt” cost of living:
    • One side trusts BLS methodology and notes food inflation spiked post‑COVID then slowed.
    • Others say CPI underweights assets and expensive items via substitution, masking true monetary inflation.
  • Some distinguish “money supply inflation” from consumer-price inflation and argue hard assets show higher true inflation.

Food Prices and Regional Variability

  • U.S. grocery prices seen as shockingly high by some, especially brand-name and single‑serve packaged items.
  • Others report much cheaper options at Aldi, Lidl, ethnic/discount grocers, farmers’ markets near closing, and restaurant‑supply stores.
  • Prices also vary by season and geography; midwestern U.S. and certain chains still have very cheap meat, while coastal Walmarts can be expensive.

Cooking, Energy, and Equipment Costs

  • Several note hidden costs: refrigeration, cooking fuel/electricity, water, and cleanup.
  • Microwaves and rice cookers cited as efficient; long-simmered dried beans may cost more in energy than canned.
  • Coin-fed electric meters in the UK make oven use genuinely expensive for some.

Nutrition, Calories, and Health

  • Multiple commenters compute the author’s menus at ~1,300 kcal/day, often low in protein and vegetables; consider it unsustainable long term.
  • Concerns about ultra‑processed foods, cheap non‑organic spices and oats (toxins, glyphosate), and overreliance on carbs.
  • Counterpoint: many cheap, nutritious staples exist (rice/beans, lentils, oats, pasta, potatoes, eggs, frozen veg, tempeh, chickpeas, sardines), and careful planning can keep costs low without malnutrition.
  • Extended debate on “perfect” or complete meals: Soylent/Huel, DIY powders, Plumpy’Nut, potato‑based diets, all‑meat/carnivore vs plant‑based; no consensus, significant ethical and health disagreements.

Time vs Money and Quality of Life

  • Some see $2.50/day as an impressive engineering challenge; others call it extreme or “masochistic” and prefer a comfortable $5–10/day home‑cooked budget.
  • Many emphasize batch cooking, freezing, and simple, repeatable recipes as a realistic compromise.
  • A recurring theme: optimizing only for minimal cost risks long‑term health; “nutrients per dollar” and sustainability (time, effort, enjoyment) matter as much as absolute spend.