Food is expensive in the DR - nah
I buy at almacen at wholesale and supermarket.
At almacen, this buying goes every two months (approx):
- 125 lbs of rice (good quality)
- 5 gallon supercan of cooking oil
- 50 lbs of detergent
- 1 biggest suavitel
- 24-pack of "guandules" Famosa
- 24-pack of "gunadules con coco" Famosa
- 12-pack pack of canned corn Famosa
- 15 pounds of beans
- 50 pounds of potatoes
- 20 pounds of onions
- 2 pounds of garlic
- 10 pounds of arenque
- 2 - biggest catchups
- 2 - galloons of vinegar
- 2 - gallons of ranchero sauce
- 240-pack of "sopitas"
- 48-pack Scrott Megajumbo toilet paper
- 24 pack of Carnation
It is approximately 11.000 pesos, but by-monthly
results in monthly cost of 5500 pesos
Now, aditionally, we buy at supermarkets and at market
- cheese
- ham
- bread
- eggs
- soda
- milk
- salami
- platanos
- cabbage
- lettuce
- tomatos
- yuca
- juice
- margarine
- biscuits
- fruits
etc
we buy weekly 5 pounds of pork leg, and 5 pounds of beef, and 3 chickens.
Total about 6000 pesos per month.
Results in 11.000 - 11.500 pesos in grocery costs per month, about 2.750 per week.
We are:
2 adults, 2 children, the maid, and on average 1.5 "visitor" daily.
and we eat quite well
At almacen, this buying goes every two months (approx):
- 125 lbs of rice (good quality)
- 5 gallon supercan of cooking oil
- 50 lbs of detergent
- 1 biggest suavitel
- 24-pack of "guandules" Famosa
- 24-pack of "gunadules con coco" Famosa
- 12-pack pack of canned corn Famosa
- 15 pounds of beans
- 50 pounds of potatoes
- 20 pounds of onions
- 2 pounds of garlic
- 10 pounds of arenque
- 2 - biggest catchups
- 2 - galloons of vinegar
- 2 - gallons of ranchero sauce
- 240-pack of "sopitas"
- 48-pack Scrott Megajumbo toilet paper
- 24 pack of Carnation
It is approximately 11.000 pesos, but by-monthly
results in monthly cost of 5500 pesos
Now, aditionally, we buy at supermarkets and at market
- cheese
- ham
- bread
- eggs
- soda
- milk
- salami
- platanos
- cabbage
- lettuce
- tomatos
- yuca
- juice
- margarine
- biscuits
- fruits
etc
we buy weekly 5 pounds of pork leg, and 5 pounds of beef, and 3 chickens.
Total about 6000 pesos per month.
Results in 11.000 - 11.500 pesos in grocery costs per month, about 2.750 per week.
We are:
2 adults, 2 children, the maid, and on average 1.5 "visitor" daily.
and we eat quite well
Last edited:
C
Chip00
Guest
Hey I thought you said you were a "southern" rocker!! haha BTW Britian doesn't count!
C
Chip00
Guest
furthermore
Furthermore a typical Domincan family of 4, two adults and two children with the an income of $7k a month really eat "on the cheap" probably averaging RD120-150 a day with the staple being rice beans and meat at lunch and plastano with salami or cheese in the evening.
This leaves them a little more than RD3000 for other things. For this reason, many Domincans don't have phones or if they do they have prepaid cellulars.
Also, many Domincans will get together to eat at family or friends homes on the weekend to help save money too.
Furthermore a typical Domincan family of 4, two adults and two children with the an income of $7k a month really eat "on the cheap" probably averaging RD120-150 a day with the staple being rice beans and meat at lunch and plastano with salami or cheese in the evening.
This leaves them a little more than RD3000 for other things. For this reason, many Domincans don't have phones or if they do they have prepaid cellulars.
Also, many Domincans will get together to eat at family or friends homes on the weekend to help save money too.
I don't have a break-down list of the stuff we buy at the supermarket here in Maryland. We go weekly or 'as needed', but we'd have a hard time spending more than $100 or so, and we get all kinds of stuff!
What still puzzles me is WHY prices should be so much higher there for basic stuff than here in US?
I theorize about conspiracies and transport costs, but still can't justify these cut-throat prices and why the gov doesn't do diddly about controlling it!
Aaaaarrgh! I'm so confused! Pass me another Bud!
What still puzzles me is WHY prices should be so much higher there for basic stuff than here in US?
I theorize about conspiracies and transport costs, but still can't justify these cut-throat prices and why the gov doesn't do diddly about controlling it!
Aaaaarrgh! I'm so confused! Pass me another Bud!
L
LarrySpencer
Guest
Really? Wow, just about any Dominican would be happy just living on that budget, including paying for rent, a car, food, etc. I may just have to come to this barbeque if you are doing the buying!
I lived in Dajabon for 9 months prior to moving to Santo Domingo and my wife's family actually do survive on just 8,000 pesos per month. I'm still trying to figure out how they do it! Of course it does mean a lot of rice, beans and yuca. I'm still looking for all the nutritional value in all of that!
CC, what do you buy for 50.000 pesos monthly in supermarket? That's a heck much of a food. How many are you?
What a great idea!....How about writing a book on dieting a-la-Dominicana?
Guaranteed to lose 50-60 pounds in just a few, short weeks!!
Or a TV ad featuring all the beauty, virtues and attributes of our nation?
Yes, come on down and we feed you all the platanos and yucca you'd care to eat, yet slim you down with a minimum of effort and cost!!
Just commit yourself to a two month stay and see the magical results!
Not only will you lose poundage but your blood pressure and cholesterol will plummet!
You'd be half the man or woman you used to be, AND YOU'LL LOVE US FOR IT!!
The Dominican diet: Nothing works better!!
Guaranteed to lose 50-60 pounds in just a few, short weeks!!
Or a TV ad featuring all the beauty, virtues and attributes of our nation?
Yes, come on down and we feed you all the platanos and yucca you'd care to eat, yet slim you down with a minimum of effort and cost!!
Just commit yourself to a two month stay and see the magical results!
Not only will you lose poundage but your blood pressure and cholesterol will plummet!
You'd be half the man or woman you used to be, AND YOU'LL LOVE US FOR IT!!
The Dominican diet: Nothing works better!!
I asked earlier, and I'm trying again: Is it an expensive ordeal to be a healthy vegan in the DR? Just one person?
Not if you live on veg. But if you want all the trimmings, I guess it will become expensive.
C
Chip00
Guest
Anything without a recent pulse, or their derivatives.
It's vegetarianism taken to the limit. As well as giving up meat, chicken and fish, vegans do not eat eggs or dairy products. Some even reject honey, on the grounds that it exploits bees.
You can eat grains, beans and pulses, fruit and vegetables. I'm not a vegan (although I lived under a vegan regime, sorry, in a vegan household once) but even now, a good 20 years later, much of the food I cook is vegan. Rice and beans and salad, vegetable curries, lentil dal, pasta with tomato sauce (if you skip the grated parmesan), guandules con coco, vegetable chow fan minus egg, vegetable and chickpea couscous... it's not that difficult to get used to.
It's vegetarianism taken to the limit. As well as giving up meat, chicken and fish, vegans do not eat eggs or dairy products. Some even reject honey, on the grounds that it exploits bees.
You can eat grains, beans and pulses, fruit and vegetables. I'm not a vegan (although I lived under a vegan regime, sorry, in a vegan household once) but even now, a good 20 years later, much of the food I cook is vegan. Rice and beans and salad, vegetable curries, lentil dal, pasta with tomato sauce (if you skip the grated parmesan), guandules con coco, vegetable chow fan minus egg, vegetable and chickpea couscous... it's not that difficult to get used to.
There are 9 of us if you count the maid,and "Handyman"!
I buy a large 2.5 kilo powdered milk at 500 pesos 3 times a month. Pampers ,down to 4 packs a month,1,300 pesos.Juice boxs for 4 kids every day,plus "Mirienda" for school. Meat is eaten twice a day.6,000 pesos a month.fruits and vegetables every day.Rice,beans,bread. It all adds up man!
Soap,shampoo,conditioner,detergent,bleach,deodorant,hair products,toothpaste. It NEVER ends!
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I buy a large 2.5 kilo powdered milk at 500 pesos 3 times a month. Pampers ,down to 4 packs a month,1,300 pesos.Juice boxs for 4 kids every day,plus "Mirienda" for school. Meat is eaten twice a day.6,000 pesos a month.fruits and vegetables every day.Rice,beans,bread. It all adds up man!
Soap,shampoo,conditioner,detergent,bleach,deodorant,hair products,toothpaste. It NEVER ends!
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