What are Meat Alternatives? P.7
How to Budget Groceries P.12
Is it worth it? Coffee Author: Kevin Makers P.14 Editor: Kevin
Worth it? in Investing W1 cookware P.16
Mogollon Cabellos Mogollon Cabellos Learn More: FoodAccounts.com
Food Accounts. Could Lab-grown meat save a damaged planet? P.08
Q&A
With Andrew Mulligan P.18 How have prices changed because of Covid-19? P.20 Issue 1 2.99$
January/Feburary 2022 1
Letter From the Editor
Hey Look Ma I Made it? Name: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Age: 21 DoB: April 25 PoB: Lima, Peru Favorite Food: Lomo Saltado I was born in the large busy city of Lima, Peru. Known as the gray city, even with the sun out, there was always a new adventure or house cleaning to do. Right around the age of four to five, I learned of the long legacy of Peruvian culture from stories my Abuela would tell me. Although the majority of the world sees Peru as just the land of alpacas or the Incas that is not the only thing most people take pride in. The biggest pride and honor for any Peruvian is not futbol like most South American countries. As my mother said, "God gave Peru two options when it was formed. Either to play futbol or to make the best food in the world. And Peru ate well for the rest of its life." After all, Peru has won seven years in a row as the best culinary destination in the world. Chefs such as Gaston Acurio, Virgilio Matinez, and Micha Tsumura give each new generation of Peruvians the newly added responsibility to elevate Peruvian cuisine. Even at the early age of seven, I was taught how to cook, chop, sautee, and made my first sunny-side-up egg when I could not reach the kitchen countertop. Cooking is not just eating and being satisfied. Cooking is part of everyday culture. Each country of the world makes a dish as simple as rice in very different ways. Food enables us to make new friendships, I have yet to meet a person that does not appreciate free food, and learn about other people's cultures and in a twist combine them into one giant melting pot. When I moved to the United States I was met with a big culinary disappointment in how food is enjoyed. For one there are no street vendors in many cities
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which was a strange thing to get used to. The second thing I noticed was the amount of food stress that is consistently placed on people. All of it, unfortunately, stems from the consistently rising price of food. Even more so after a postCovid-19 world, all products have skyrocketed in price. I do not think that good-quality food should be locked behind a price tag. While there are many fast food places and restaurants, nothing can ever come close to the quality of home cooking. Inspired by the notion that everyone should have the ability to cook and feed themselves I decided to create a magazine about how to save money through food. Thus the creation of began Food Accounts. The purpose of this magazine is to find ways that you can save money gradually to have the ability to eat quality and healthy food. After all why not enjoy the little things such as a meal every day?
Table of Contents
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Features
After two full years, the Covid-19 pandemic still seems to affect all aspects of everyday life. How has the price of everyday food products begun to shift and what does this mean for the future? Pg. 20-22
With brand new technology always around the corner, how can lab-grown meat help the planet recover from years of enviromental damage and how could this affect daily consumers? Pg.8-11
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Nov/Dec 2021
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Jan/Feb 2022
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Veggie Burger: Price Value Pg. 4
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Is it Worth it? Rice Cookers Pg. 5-6
What are Meat Alternatives? Pg.7
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Q&A How to budget Groceries Pg. 12-13
Is it Worth it? Coffee Makers Pg. 14-15
Investing in Cookware Pg.16-17
How to start a budget Pg. 18-19
Media Review Pg. 23
January/Feburary 2022 03
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Opinion
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Learn More: FoodAccounts.com
How Much Would You Spend for One Vegetarian Burger?
The Calorie Burger
Upcoming Burger
Shroom Burger $7.99
McPlant $6.29
Impossible Whopper $5.99
Shake Shack has decided to create the first Mushroom patty burger. This behemoth of a burger is a whopping 510 calories. Costing about eight whole dollars a complete meal with fries and a drink can get close to a restaurant price meal of 20 dollars. The mushroom patty consists of a decently portioned block of cheese layered with mushrooms. This mushroom patty is then placed in an egg batter, breaded, and deep-fried to create a crisp. At first glance, this combination might seems extremely appealing. However, the fact that it costs almost eight dollars combined with the fact that it is extremely unhealthy due to the amount of oil in the cheese, as well as in the deep-frier, might make some people reconsider this burger for consumption.
Mcdonald's has recently announced a new burger to join the McFamily the McPlant. McDonald's first attempted to create a vegetarian burger option. The McPlant will be using the Beyond meat patty, which has been praised by most vegetarians and vegans. The patty itself is 100 percent plant-based and vegan, along with also being nonGMO, no soy, kosher, and gluten-free. Allowing people with all types of dietary restrictions to freely eat. The only thing to worry about is the price and availability of the McPlant. At an almost six and a half dollar price, the McPlant is just like the typical burger. However, as it is still relatively new there is only a select amount of stores around the US that even have the option to buy the McPlant.
When Burger King first released their Impossible whopper back in 2019, it was a pre-Covid 19 pandemic free world. While greatly overshadowed by its competitors such as Mcdonald's or Wendy's Burger King remains one of the biggest burger fast-food chains. The Impossible Whopper is made by using the Impossible Patty which while is vegetarian is not vegan. With a price of around six dollars, it is one of the most cost-effective and available entries on this list. However, compared to the Impossible patty price in grocery stores, Burger King's pricing sells the Impossible patty for twice its value. Most stores sell them for around six dollars with two patties. This brings to mind if it is not more cost-efficient to make your own burger.
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The First Vegetarian Burger
Worth it?
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Learn More: FoodAccounts.com
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What is the Best Rice Cooker for You? There are hundreds of different types of rice cookers to choose from. While each rice cooker has the same purpose of making rice, that is not the only function they can provide as you’ll find out.
Dash Mini Rice Cooker
Price 24.99 Lasts 5-6 Years Serves 2 Cups of Rice Feeds 1 Person Available Online + Store
The mini dash cooker is perfect for the one-person crew. Whether it is heading into a college dorm or a single-person apartment this mini rice cooker does exactly what it was made for but also has the ability to cook more than just rice. Due to its mini size, it only really holds one cup of rice for the one-to-one ratio of rice and water or only half a cup for the standard one-to-two ratio. However, this mini rice cooker still hides many surprises in its light and very portable chassis. Given how it only has two functions of cook and warm, with a red light to indicate in which function it is in, it is impossible to lose mess up from a technical standpoint. Although that is not quite the same for food. One of the benefits of this rice
cooker is that although small there is still enough space to make pasta, fry scrambled eggs, make ground beef, or a small stew. The mini rice cooker also comes with an automatic switch to the warm function after a set amount of time cooking keeping in mind that this time frame is the average amount of time it takes to cook white rice. However, one has to make sure to not place more than two cups of liquid in this rice cooker. Due to its top not being sealed, any liquid that goes above two cups will end up becoming a puddle or splatter around the rice cooker so it might be best to place a towel under it. Even with the possibility of splattering, the Dash Mini Rice Cooker is a very durable investment if taken care of properly when cooking and storing.
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Worth it?
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Starts: Page 5
Aroma Rice Cooker
Price 19.99 Lasts 5-6 Years Serves 3 Cups of Rice Feeds 2-3 People Available Online + Store
The Aroma rice cooker is quite useful for various occasions. Similar to the Mini Dash its design is quite simplistic with a lever for cooking or warming up food. One of the big differences, however, is just the sheer size and price of the Aroma rice cooker. The rice cooker itself has the capacity of six cups of cooked rice, around three uncooked cups of rice, and it's less than 20 dollars compared to the 24 dollars for two cups of rice. However, this comes at the cost of being bulky and heavier. Its size does not allow easy storage although it should be fine for the most part if left out in the open. Similar to the Dash cooker its lid is not sealed, meaning that if given too much water it can also create a small puddle around the rice cooker. There
is more leeway due to it being three cups capacity of water and having a higher lip above the limit line. This also allows the rice cooker to function as a steamer and the box itself comes with a steamer rack. While the Aroma rice cooker is not for an average family, that is around four people, it is great for couples, partners, or roommates. The ideal number of people that the Aroma rice cooker can feed is two to three people. And still being able to have a little bit of rice left for seconds or leftovers.
The Zojirushi brand is known as one of the best for making quality rice cookers. This rice cooker allows for the ultimate customization of how rice can be cooked. While it is the most expensive rice cooker on this list it also holds the most amount of rice at a solid 10 cups. The Zojirushi allows for options such as white rice sushi, porridge, brown rice, sweet rice, cake, and steam. It then also allows for reheating rice without the standard stale flavor or just keeping warm at a specific temperature. And gives time options based on what the consumer wants, not only by having an internal timer clock, but also a timer button. To top it off while it makes the rice, it also plays a song while cooking. While this addition might be odd at
first it will instantly become a welcoming sound indicating a fresh batch of perfectly cooked rice. Unlike the Aroma and the Dash cooker, the top of the Zojirushi is sealed so there is never an impending worry about spills. The Zojirushi a top of the line level rice cooker and is best for the family setting. Being able to serve a full family and still have lots of rice left over for seconds or thirds. While its price is quite a lot it can makes a great investment in the long run if brought for the right amount of people using it.
Zojirushi NS-TSC10
Price 209.95 Lasts 9-10 Years Serves 10 Cups Feeds 5 People Available Online 06 January/Feburary 2022
Opinion
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Learn More: FoodAccounts.com
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What are Meat Alternatives? or tofu and white rice. To get a complete protein you need to just match a legume of your choice with a grain, a seed, or a nut. For the B vitamins lots of nuts and cereals can provide vitamin B6 with cheese or yogurt being able to provide vitamin B12. Green vegetables being able to provide anything that would be missing.
Turning a New Leaf
Picture taken by: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos
What are meat alternatives? Can it really replace real meat as a “healthier” alternative? These are two out of many questions I have constantly heard about alternative meat. In all honesty, anything that is used to replace meat can be considered an alternative meat option. However, not all meat alternatives are healthy for overall health or for an stable budget. Spending six dollars for two Impossible patties or for only one dollar less get two of Gardien’s ultimate eight-ounce patties is cost-ineffective. On the other hand, I also could spend around 10 dollars for a five-pound bag of rice along with a few bags of dried beans and still get the same nutritional value as meat. While this discussion has been around for years among lifelong vegetarians or vegans, newcomers to this trend, usually due to the continuously rising price of meat, often have many questions about how to be able to feed themselves without meat.
Benefits of Meat So why is meat so important to the body? Meat, including fish, provides a complete source of protein that gives all the essential amino acids. It also naturally provides all B vitamins specifically B6 and B12, as well as iron, zinc, niacin, thiamine, and riboflavin. Unfortunately, at the end of the day meat will always have a superior quantity of protein for the number of ounces and calories it has, however, that does not mean all hope to switch is lost. For starters, I am going to lay down the guidelines for what a good alternative meat source needs to have. First, any alternative meat source that you pick needs to be able to be a complete protein source in other words it needs to provide all nine essential amino acids. This can be quite tricky since no one has the time to memorize which foods contain what amino acids. However, there are a few foods that are simple to remember such as rice and beans
Switching from a meat-based diet to a plant-based diet does not need to be a long, tedious, and expensive process. While a lot of the food that is shown as “alternative” such as veggie meat, patties, or fake ground beef can also provide the same benefits. They can also become as expensive as meat making it harder to manage a stable budget. Overall it will always be more economical to opt-out of pre-packaged alternative meat sources. Instead, by matching complete alternative meat sources yourself you will be able to have stronger control over how much money gets spent on the food you eat. Keep in mind that even while having good meat alternatives, a balanced diet will ultimately be the best thing for your health and your wallet.
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Opinion
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Learn More: FoodAccounts.com
Can Lab-Grown Meat Save our Planet and Wallet?
Picture taken by Field photographer: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos
It’s alive, it’s alive! I first heard that iconic line in
2012 when I watched the classic black and white film of the original Frankenstein from 1931. Through the lens of a rusty, yet somewhat reliable, projector I saw all of the cheesy special effects that a film of that time used. I especially remember how it brought a feeling of awe to my 11-year-old self. Filled with wonder, I questioned if modern science could ever achieve such a feat. It only took 10 years for me to see modern science achieve so many different feats with technology I could have never ever imagined. While we don’t have things such as lightsabers, flying cars, or stable governments. We have witnessed things large-scale things pictures of a massive
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black hole and the smallest intricate parts of DNA. New technology is always being made and needed, especially now with the threat of global warming and a global pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the worst and most global pandemics of the modern world. This has pushed scientists to create some of the biggest modern wonders such as the covid vaccine but also a new strive for sustainable resources. Leading many researchers and scientists to start investigating previous ideas that were thought unscalable. One of these ideas is Lab-grown meat which hopes to create a form of sustainable meat. The idea of Lab-grown meat has been around from
Feature Article
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Learn More: FoodAccounts.com
25 Gallons = 200 Pounds
925,000 Gallons = 3,500 Tons
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of meat obtained at the end results in a terrible return of 0.006 percent. On the other hand, Lab-grown meat on average takes around 25 gallons of water for a pound of beef. Using the same conversions as before 25 gallons ends up weighing 200 pounds, which is around the average weight of a refrigerator. With a weight return being around 4 percent, lab-grown meat seems to be a more sustainable option for the planet.
Cruelty Free
the time scientists discovered that all living things were composed of cells. However, not just any type of cell would be able to create a hamburger patty. Only stem cells contain the materials to become any type of cell. The first time this was accomplished was back in 2013. Dutch scientist Mark Post used individual cow muscle stem cells to create the world’s first lab-grown burger patty. Noting that this new harvesting method could revolutionize how the meat industry could function in the future.
Water Waste Moving forward by nine years Labgrown meat still holds the potential to be able to solve three of the big problems that the modern-day meat industry faces. The first problem of the modern-day meat industry is that it is very environmentally taxing and wasteful. On a global average, it takes around 1,850 gallons of water to produce only one pound of beef according to the Water Footprint organization. To better understand, suppose that
the average weight of a cow is around 1,200-pounds. After killing the cow and removing its fur, head, and other organs there are only around 730 pounds left. Next comes trimming the fat and getting rid of bones, leaving around 500 pounds of edible beef. Using the proportion given by the Water Footprint Organization of 1,850 gallons per pound of meat means that for 500 pounds of meat the amount of water used comes at 925,000 gallons of water. For comparison, the average Olympic pool holds around 660,000 gallons. But how much is 925,000 pounds? Converting gallons to pounds gives a better perspective to visualize. The conversion metric for a gallon to a pound is equal to one gallon weighing around 8.35 pounds. Using that proportion 925,000 gallons end up weighing a total of 7,723,750 pounds or around 3, 850 tons. For comparison, the average weight of one full submarine is 3,500 tons. The traditional method of harvesting meat is extremely unsustainable. Dividing the weight of water used by the weight
The second point that has been constantly debated in the modern-day meat industry is the ethics and methodology of killing an animal. Unless specifically looking for halal or kosher meat, which is expensive and not always available, it is impossible to guarantee that any meat bought at the average grocery store is being sourced from "humanely" killed animals. The process of getting lab-grown meat is not completely painless for an animal. Unlike the traditional method though, it does not result in death for an animal. The pain is roughly about the same as donating bone marrow
It takes around 1,850 gallons of water to produce only one pound of beef
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or getting a few shots on the same arm. Currently holding a 100 percent survival rate for animals, it seems that labgrown meat could potential solve a big ethical dilemma in the current consumption of meat.
Healthier Habits The third problem is consumers’ health standards. Many products have been banned or faced losses due to being put in the spotlight for being unhealthy. Meat has recently been in the spotlight due to its high fat and cholesterol content. On the other hand, Lab-grown meat can overcome this problem. In a normal animal, the amount of fat is dependent on how an animal is treated and fed. However, because Lab-grown meat uses stem cells it can produce muscle cells without the amount of fat or cholesterol that the traditional method does. Allowing consumers to eat healthier without having to worry about how their meat is sourced and negative impacts on the environment.
A New Potential? Lab-grown meat has the potential to drastically change the current meat industry. However, there it is not always easy to implement things into a commercial market. The creation of a new product can lead to destabilizing competition. In the past, the online movie subscription service
Picture taken by Field photographer: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos
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model took over DVD stores like Blockbuster ended up going bankrupt. Even in today’s world, we see this playing again in how the online market is led to many retail stores like JcPenny ending up bankrupt. There are three main possibilities that could happen if lab-grown meat is introduced into the market as a way to compete against the current method of harvesting meat.
The Good Ending The best possible outcome is for lab-grown meat to steadily grow and eventually take over the current methodology once it is introduced into the market. Multiple companies would begin to switch over to lab-grown meat allowing them to supply more with fewer resources needed. Allowing for the planet to begin to recover from years of ecological damage. For the grocery store meat buyer this means that lab-grown meat would become widely available and have a reduced cost compared to normally harvested meat due to supply and demand.
The Average Ending The most likely outcome is that lab-grown meat would not be able to totally replace the current methods of meat production. The planet would still be able to heal but not to the full extent of what it could. While lab-grown meat would
Feature Article
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Starts: Page 8
be able to be found in large stores like Walmart or Costco it would not widely available. The price of lab-grown meat would shift from slightly higher than normal meat to then less expensive to incentivize people to buy. With no drastic changes to outside markets.
The Bad Ending The worst-case scenario for labgrown meat would be the failure to take hold of the market. Companies would opt out of using lab-grown meat and keep on ravaging the rest of the earth’s resources until they run out. Lab-grown meat would be hard to find and have drastic price changes that no one would tolerate buying. Different Meat industries that already use lab-grown meat would have to raise their prices which ends up costing the consumer more, and could potentially destabilize many small supermarkets as their products become redundant. Based on these three scenarios it is
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We cannot rob future generations of a stable planet because of our want of meat clear that much discussion still needs to be had about lab-grown meat before it reaches a full-scale market for both consumers and businesses.
The Upcoming Generation The world is constantly growing a larger population. Based on our current resource efficiency it is unlikely that the current method of meat harvesting will be able to meet that demand without destroying the planet in the
process. Lab-grown meat is already being used by various companies such as Just in California, Meatable in the Netherlands, and Cubiq foods in Spain. The global push for sustainable food production is at an all-time high, we can not rob future generations of a stable planet because of our want of meat. Lab-grown meat can create a new eco-friendly future as long as we are there to support it.
Lab-grown Meat Companies
Just
California, USA
Meatable
Netherlands
Cubiq Foods Spain
Just mainly focuses on creating eggs from plants in order to reduce the 51 billions of gallons of water spent on producing eggs.
Meatable is a leading pioneer of labgrown meat in order to produce meat without the industrial harm to the planet and animals.
Qubiq Foods uses natural ingredients into fat solutions as well as cell-based Omega-3 using similar proccess to lab-grown meat.
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Guide
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Learn More: FoodAccounts.com
How to Budget Groceries?
It seems absurd to buy from only one grocery store without weighing other options 12 January/Feburary 2022
Finances has never been a enoyable task by any means. Having to balance a salary income between home, auto, health, food, and any unexpected costs can create one of the most frustrating gut-punching feelings that many people have to face unprepared. Unfortunately, this is the case for a majoirty of adults that had little to no financial literacy courses during high school or college. A grand total of 78 percent of people live paycheck to paycheck according to a CareerBuilder survey in 2019. With three out of five Americans not having a budget at all according to JP Morgan Chase. Another study according by FINRA Investor Education Foundation showed that there has now a distinct trend of declining financial literacy. This could lead to years of crippling debt building. One of the best ways to
avoid debt is to start a stable budget. An standard monthly budget typically looks like this: housing should be 20-35 perchent of overall income, next comes insurance at 10-25 percent. An emergency fund technically can count as a savings account, however, a majority of budgets set it apart and put around 10-20 percent of total income. Next comes transportation which should be around 10-15 percent, food takes a total of 10-15 of a budget, utilities such as the internet are around 10-15 percent, healthcare is 5-10 percent, with a final 5-10 percent for personal spending. Whatever is left is typically then used in an overall savings account. The example on the left gives a well rounded budget, something to rember is that budgets can vary drastically from person to person.
Food Budget Food then becomes one of the most important aspects to budget for. It is also one the hardest to budget due to a constantly changing market. For example, when budgeting for food people need to take into account the price of food in different stores and the number coupons or discounts they could use. The biggest mistake being to make buy food at a wasteful price causing a budget deficit. The first part of starting a proper budget for groceries is to take into account how much money is actually there to budget. In other words, a full budget that encompasses all aspects of a person’s life is needed and can not be skipped over. Once the full amount of money that is going to be spent on food is recorded the next steps can be taken. From the amount of food budgeting, more subdivisions are needed again. For example, the food budget encompasses things like groceries, restaurants, and food orders such as Doordash or Uber Eats. This part of a budget heavily depends on how much a person wants to spend, however, it is recommended that the majority of the food budget be spent on groceries. Restaurant meals quickly add can quickly end up costing well around 20 dollars per person if not more. On the other hand, Doordash or UberEats orders slowly build up a big amount of money without a person noticing. A simple 10 dollar order has to then be taxed with then each restaurant or fast food placing their own delivery fee, which can go up to a whole six dollars, which does not include a tipping fee for the driver. Making the price be around the same if not more than for a restaurant.
Grocery Budget Groceries are where most people should spend a majority of their food budget. In other words, groceries can become one of the best ways to save money which can then be spent somewhere else or saved for the emergency fund. Making a list of what to buy in one grocery store is a quite mundane activity that most people already do naturally. However, what is often overlooked is the store in which to buy things. Many stores have various prices that fluctuate up and down based on the market. It seems absurd to buy from only one grocery store without weighing other options. On the other hand, it is not uncommon to search in multiple different stores for clothes, electronics, or entertainment. Searching in multiple different stores allows a better understanding of how much an item is generally worth. In turn, this allows the consumer to put a price limit on how much to spend on a certain item while getting a
view of what stores sell this item at the price and quality that they want. Visiting multiple stores also lets consumers find and stack on coupons which are not to be underestimated.
The Power of Cupons At first glance coupons may seem useless, since saving a few dollars does not seem to do much for an overall total purchase. Over time though coupons end up stacking up to save quite a lot of money. A purchase of 20 dollars could be reduced to 16 dollars. With multiple purchases saving four dollars each time, a bill that would have been made by five 20 dollars purchases resulting in a 100 dollars spend would be reduced to only 80 dollars. With various stores giving both in-store and online coupons the consumer has the ability to pick and choose what coupons they need to use along with the store. Creating a budget for groceries does not need to be complicated. Looking at different stores for the best prices and coupons is a huge starting point in creating a budget. After all, being able to control one’s own wallet has become a new crucial life skill for surviving the modern world.
Stable Budget
Housing: Insurance: Emergency Fund: Transportaion: Food: Utilities: Health Care: Personal Spending:
20% 15% 10% 10% 15% 10% 5% 5%
Total: Savings:
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Worth it?
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Learn More: FoodAccounts.com
What is the Best Coffee Maker for You? There are hundreds of different types of coffee makers to choose from. While each coffee maker has the same purpose of making cofee, that is not the only function they can provide as you’ll find out.
Bialetti - Moka Express
Price 29.99 Lasts 4 Years Serves 3 Cups Feeds 2 Person Available Online 14 January/Feburary 2022
The Moka Express is one of the best style coffee makers for traditional Italian coffee. While it may have been created in 1933, by Alfonso Bialetti, the original model is still used today with just a few minor adjustments. The current “original” model only holds around three cups of coffee, measured in expresso cups, it is more than enough for a single-person household or apartment. One of the major benefits of this Coffee maker is that coffee is made quickly and on the spot. Being able to be used on stovetops and electric tops allows it to be used in multiple types and styles of homes. One of the drawbacks however is that it is not automatic. The way this coffee maker functions is quite similar to the modern coffee maker. First, fill up the bottom
of the Moka express with the amount of water needed, but not passing the safety valve. The next step is simply to place the ground coffee in the center disk and place it on the stove. However, this does require a steady watch and ear to listen when it is ready to turn off the stove. The Moka Express can make quite a mess if the water goes over the boiling point and the stove is not turned off. However, if used correctly, it can also make every morning coffee a pleasant experience to wake up to.
Keurig K-Express Coffee Maker
Price 79.99 Lasts 4 Years Serves 4 Cup Feeds 4 Person Available Online
The Keurig K-Express coffee maker is one of the most standard kitchen coffee makers. While at first glance some might say that there is nothing good with standard or basic due to a lack of features, there is nothing wrong with a classic coffee maker. Sure the Keurig K-express might not have a fancy history like the Moka Expresso or the customizability of portions and temperature as the Cuisinart SS-15BKSP1 Coffee Center. What it does have are a decent price and simple use. Unlike the Moka, the Keurig K-Express is an automatic coffee maker so it doe not have to sit on a stovetop and be watched, getting rid of an overspill possibility. Unlike the Cuisinart SS-15BKSP1 Coffee Center, the Keurig K-Express is quite
portable and compact, allowing for it to be placed on any table regardless of size. It uses the K-cup system which gives consumers an infinite amount of options for how they want coffee to taste. The system itself can hold up a seven-inch tall mug and hold about 42 ounces of water, around four cups of coffee, before needing to be refilled. The K-express also has the option to pour for an 8, 10, or 12-ounce cup with a simple button design. At an almost 80-dollar price tag, this coffee maker can become a great investment.
Cuisinart SS-15BKSP1 Coffee Center
Price 160.99 Lasts 4 Years Serves 12 Cups Feeds 12 Persons Available Online + Store
The Cuisinart SS-15BKSP1 Coffee Center is quite a sight to behold. Unlike the Moka express or the Keurig K-express, this coffee maker does not just make one cup at a time. Instead, it can serve up to 12 cups of coffee in a huge pot. Along with another whole cup at the same time. It also then combines both methods of coffee grounds and K-cup for optimal coffee making allowing even more options than the coffee makers before. This coffee maker is divided into two sections. The smaller section is basically a full version of the Keurig K-express attachment with a 40-ounce water reservoir. The larger section is able to make a full 12 cups of coffee and gives options on how to make it. While the coffee is being made consumers can
also change the temperature output of the coffee, the brew or warm lever, and even self-cleaning options. As well as a light, medium, or dark roast. One of the problems with this coffee maker however is its bulkiness. It is by no means slim or lightweight and requires a steady large table or kitchen counter. The ability for it to hold 12 cups of coffee means that the larger section also has to be filled with the equivalent amount of water which can be quite the hassle when trying to make large batches of coffee.
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Guide
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Learn More: FoodAccounts.com
How to Invest in Cookware? Investing in cookware is a very simple process that can save lots of money in the long run. This simple process begins with analyzing kitchen essentials and non-essentials. In other words, it is smart to categorize kitchen items by their importance to the basics of cooking. Just like an actual stock, it seems pointless to invest in anything that becomes a liability rather than an asset. To give an example of a bad investment looks like supposed someone was to invest in a pasta maker machine which can cost anywhere from 50 to 400 dollars. After buying said pasta machine, the person only then uses it once or twice a year. In other words for a tool that would be considered pricy, 50 to 400 dollars can make a rents worth of difference, it only then gets used 362 of 365 days. If a person wants to invest in cookware the first thing to recognize is if the tool is going to be used more than just a few times.
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The Power of Craftmanship There are many tools that are used daily each time a person wants to cook. These tools should be most invested in although it does not mean necessarily mean they should be purchased at a high price. Tools such as cuttings boards, knives, measuring spoons, wooden spoons, or a spatula can be considered essential daily tools. Investing in these items is very important in order to have lasting tools. While at first glance buying a 300-dollar fancy chef knife to have the best quality cuts might seem like the right investment, however, in the long run, a fancy chef knife requires proper advanced training techniques that a chef would know. Buying a knife like that while not knowing proper techniques is about the same as buying expensive oil paint for a beginner-level artist. A knife or a knife set should be within a person's expression of skill and mastery of cooking. Instead of
buying a 300-dollar knife, a better investment would be to find a cheaper knife that is made for everyday kitchen use. Durability and sharpness of the blade would be things to consider when investing in a knife.
Taking Care of Assests However, just buying durable equipment is not enough in order to keep a safe investment. As the buyer of any investment will tell you, one of the priorities of having an asset is to constantly take care of it. For car owners, this means fixing up their car and checking that it is in good condition. For house owners, this might mean keeping the outside of the house clean, removing a tree that could potentially fall on the house during a storm, or simply making a beautiful garden. This also then applies to the average cook. Tools will always last longer if they are kept in good condition. While a majority of people always
3 Essential Kitchen Items
Knives
Tall Pot
Blender
Knives are essential to any kitchen no matter what level of culinary skill. It is crucial to find a knife that is durable since this tool will be used constanlty in every meal.
Tall pots can be used in various manners from making soup to cooking rice. With a wide amount of uses investing in a good tall pot can go along way in saving money.
Blenders are a unique kitchen tool. No other kitchen tool can come close to what a blender is able to do. It is that uniquess that makes investing in a good blend worth it.
wash their tools after cooking they fail to realize that this is not enough for some tools. Some tools like knives have to be constantly sharpened since a dull knife not only is useless but can potentially be dangerous. Other tools such as cast iron skillets have their own way of being cleaned and taken care of. It is the buyer's responsibility to ensure that they know how to keep their tools clean and in good condition if they want to keep a good investment of tools.
Benefit of Good Tools Making a good investment in tools is a combination of buying durable tools based on their need and as well taking care of said tools to keep them in good condition. A tool that lasts a long time means that it will not need to be replaced constantly. Having to buy a new 20-dollar knife each month quickly can add up to 240 dollars in total for a year. This does not just apply to just knives. Pots and pans are also in the same category of importance. Finding a sturdy pot that can have multiple different uses can save lots of money. One tall pot can cost anywhere between 15 to 100 dollars, however, the minimum amount of money spent for a full set of pots is around 150 dollars. Yes, multiple pots come within a set, but as mentioned earlier, there are some pots within the set that will most likely rarely be used thus making the set.
The tall pot is an example of how one tool can be multi-purposed thus it can be a great investment instead of having to buy multiple different tools. However, on the other hand, some tools are too unique for them to be replaced by another tool. The uniqueness of these tools makes it so that investing in them has been in a case-bycase purchase to not fall into the problem of the pasta machine. For example, one of the most unique tools is a blender. While at first glance it might seem that a food processor can be used in the same manner, the only thing they have in common is spinning blades. A blender as its name suggests blends things together in a smoothing or juice fashion. There is no other single kitchen tool that can quite do this as effectively as a blender. Therefore when investing in a blender the use factor must be important that cannot be overlooked. Investing in cookware is quite a rewarding task since if done correctly, there will only need a one-time purchase of a tool for many years to come. Allowing the individual to spend the money saved in other ways that could bring them profit.
January/Feburary 2022 17
Qa1
Q&A
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Learn More: FoodAccounts.com
How Can I Shop with a Budget?
retirement plan I might as well save up as much money as I can now. Since I know that small numbers can add up to large savings in a couple of years. I basically made a list of foods brands that are essential for me. Next came a list of foods that I am willing to budget and change brands. The hardest list for me was foods that I don’t need to buy. The list got rid of a lot of my snacking food such a chips or powerade which almost made me quit budgetting completely. Looking back though cutting out those foods ended up saving me a fortune in the long run.
Q2: Where
are the best places to buy Groceries?
Any place that has the options for bulk. A store that I personally love and go to a lot is Aldi. Aldi has mainly bulk options which are good when you want to save money or start a budget. Buying uncooked rice and dried beans in bulk is extremely cheap in Aldi. Even canned beans can go as cheap as 60 cents per can. dream being able to own their own restaurant that has sustainable food prices for a majority of people.
Q1: How
can someone start a simple budget?
Andrew Mulligan is a full-time cook that lives in Columbia, MD. They have constantly been working with food for the majority of their life. Their main 18 January/Feburary 2022
I started a simple budget by giving myself a price limit on how much I needed to spend on groceries. When I saw my current spending habits I noticed that I spent a lot of my money on food and groceries. And I thought that if I wanted to have a feasible
Q3: How
what foods save the most money?
Typically easily perishable food is cheaper than highly processed food, most stores need to get these products out so they don’t lose profit, so they are willing to reduce prices to get people to buy. Other foods such as dried beans, uncooked rice in bulk, and in-season fruit are usually offered at a lower price.
Q4: How
can we minimize everyday food waste? First I buy only what I know I can and will eat before something expires. I know that I am okay with eating the occasional pickle, however, im not the biggest fan of it so I won’t buy a lot of it, just enough so I don’t end up with more than one pickle before it expires. Secondly, I label a note on my fridge saying what needs to be eaten first. When I buy new groceries I typically want to immediately use them to make my next meal, however, using the ingredients already there can help in using them before expiration. Lastly, I try to recycle as much as I can. I collect vegetable scraps to make a broth or use them as fertilizer for my garden. That way I end up minimizing the amount of food that has to be thrown out in a trash can.
HOw to mimize food waste Illustration
Q5: What
Q6: What
Q7: How
If I had to pick one of my favorite low-budget meals is spaghetti al olio which is very cost-effective although not that healthy. It is basically spaghetti pasta, oil, and pepper flakes. Sometimes adding bacon or parmesan cheese if I am feeling fancy.
Any food that is highly processed or has fancy packaging. Processed foods such as shredded cheese cost more due to the extra steps. Fancy packaging typically shows a product trying to stand out, but also involves a high price due to the design quality.
It’s hard to say no to good food, but when you make a budget you have to make sacrifices. While I don’t agree with the idea that cheap food has to be low-quality, a lot of high-quality materials cost a lot more. If I want to make a good high-quality meal I typically will make sure that the other ingredients outside of the meal are cheaper to balance the budget. For most meals like that, I have to plan well in advance, sometimes up to two weeks, to make sure I can afford everything without going over budget.
is your favorite cheap meal to make?
foods would you stay away from?
I collect vegetable scraps to make a broth or use them as fertilizer for my garden.
do you balance wants and costs?
January/Feburary 2022 19
F2
Feature Article
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Learn More: FoodAccounts.com
How have Prices Changed Because of Covid-19?
Picture taken by Field photographer: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos
I recently came back from a small business trip in Maryland back to Chattanooga. Going through the airport on a time crunch is its own sport. Having to wake up at around five in the morning for a plane that is leaving around eight, although after all delays and passengers it actually leaves closer to nine. Scavenging for breakfast from what is leftover from yesterday’s meal. Having to deal with awful airport traffic for both cars and people. Running to get bags checked and forming long monotonous lines in order to get through security while making sure that the plane hasn’t left already. Without a moment of rest since once security ends the final sprint begins. With the same feeling as the Indiana Jones boulder scene, the rush
20 January/Feburary 2022
of getting to the gate to avoid having to stay in an airport longer than needed becomes an all-consuming thought. I’ve probably hit my fastest mile time in an airport compared to any running track. Finally, once I got to my gate and finally got on the plane seat could I let a big sigh of relief as I slumped down to finally calm down and begin reading a small book. As I reached for my bag, I remembered to check all of my necessities. Bringing out two N95 masks, a travel-size hand sanitizer, and hand wipes I begin to think of how quickly the world changed. Who would have thought two years earlier that mask checking would become more important than making sure the right type of earphones were brought. The need for hand sanitizer
becoming more important than what new movies or shows are availiable as entertainment on flights.
The Covid-19 Effect The pandemic has drastically changed almost every aspect of daily life. One of the biggest things that the pandemic has primarily influenced is where we buy things and the price of goods themselves. As the pandemic began one of the first things that began to rise was gas prices, which then led to the rise of consumer goods prices to compensate. In the initial months of the pandemic, we witnessed how primitive and animalistic people became for hogging cleaning supplies, water, and toilet paper. Many others taking advantage of the situation and reselling these goods for 10 to 20 times their original value on Amazon and other marketplaces. As the pandemic continued into 2021, people began to calm down slightly with each new wave and strand causing mass buying panic with this still occurring now in 2022. While many office jobs were able to adapt to the demands such as at home working or zoom calls. Blue jobs, such as truckers and farmers lost many of their jobs, lives, and product with no one being able to harvest them due to quarantine. Leading to various shortages of food products such as potatoes, chicken wings, and fruit. The law of supply and demand then takes into effect and causes these products to become more expensive and harder to find in the same way cleaning supplies became a luxury at the beginning of the pandemic. However, it is important to recognize that the Covid-19 pandemic is not solely at fault for the rise in prices, although it has greatly accelerated the process. The way that most free-market economical systems function is based on supply and demand. However, many other factors can cause the prices to rise. One of these factors is the general rise of other products. This can quickly snowball into a high price market for consumers. For example, gasoline is one of the major products that can raise the price in the overall market. Gasoline is one of the most used daily products. Every day both businesses and individuals use transportation. While there has been a new increase in electric cars, a majority of the world still uses gas cars. An increase in gasoline would bring about a higher cost of transporting not just people but also products. For a business, this means that their products will not be able to make as much profit if they end up making any profit at all. The business then has to find new ways to be able to adapt to a market which leads to many businesses raising the
prices of their products. This then leads to the snowball effect as these products will cause others to raise prices. Unfortunately for the individual, a rise in prices typically never means a raise in pay. Meaning is that individuals will have to find new ways of being able to afford constant higher prices.
Its Just Business Many businesses have two primary ways of combating the rise in prices, neither one helping out the individual. The first method is to lower the sizing of products while maintaining their regular price. To give an example, suppose a pickle company has begun struggling with earning profits. What it might end up doing is lowering the number of pickles that are sold per jar. Supposing that the pickles are priced at around three dollars and typically had around 10 pickles per jar. Now the company's new jar size is still priced at three dollars, however, holds only around seven pickles. While this does not seem like a lot in the long run three pickles can make quite the difference. Originally with the old company's pickle jars, nine dollars would be able to buy 30 pickles. The new jars on the other hand nine dollars would only be able to buy 21 pickles. An "insignificant" three-pickle difference between jars ends up creating a price difference of almost three dollars for nine dollars worth of pickles. With a constantly rising difference as more jars are bought. The other methodology is quite obvious to see the price difference. It simply involves raising the price of items while keeping the same quantity of a product. Going back to the pickle company, suppose that they now sell 10 pickles for four dollars. Now the price of 30 pickles is 12 dollars instead of nine, making a three-dollar difference.
It is important to recognize that the Covid-19 pandemic is not solely at fault for the rise in prices. January/Feburary 2022 21
F2
Feature Article
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Starts: Page 20
However, a majority of businesses know that this is a risky move since consumers would be able to identify immediately the price rise. Leading people to opt for another pickle seeling company. This then leads to the original pickle company having to wave back and forth on prices. Method one is typically used more since it is simply easier to hide. Yet many people have begun to notice mainly when it comes to bags of chips, with the ratio of chip to air becoming more air than actual food. What the Covid-19 pandemic has caused is essentially both a lack of pickles but also raised the prices in other aspects for the company such as gasoline, workers, and sanitation. Now, this pickle company would have to sell their pickles at a much higher price to earn just as much or give even fewer pickles than before. Either way, it is a lose-lose situation for the consumer. Many hope that once the pandemic has passed prices will even-
6 Items in total: 37.6 Norton Sea Salt: 5.99 Maggi Caldo: 3.79 Evaporated Milk: 2.99 Black pepper 4.62 Garlic powder 7.22 Green Tea 12.99
Picture taken by Field photographer: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos
22 January/Feburary 2022
tually go back to normal, however, it is not quite as simple as hoped. Yes, their prices will start to come down, however, as mentioned earlier they will no longer go back to normal. Just as gasoline begins to fluctuate up and down but steadily rises food also sufferers from this problem. With hundreds of new mouths to feed every day price will continue to rise.
The Solutions There are many ways to overcome this problem of constantly rising prices. While many of these solutions due take some time, in the end, these methods allow consumers to have more control over their spending and budgeting. As mentioned earlier, one of the primary ways to start saving money is to organize a budget for food and living expenses. A budget cannot be overlooked when trying to save the most amount of money. Andrew's Questions and Answeres then gave a method of making a list of essential
and non-essential purchases based on his spending habits and seeing where he could save money. As well as being able to minimize the amount of food wasted by writing himself notes on the fridge or simply knowing what he will eat. The following short stories gave a stronger insight into how to both budget for groceries and cooking equipment. Overall it is so important to make sure to waste as little as possible not only for an environmentally friendly reason but also because it saves the valuable greens in your pocket that could be used for an emergency fund or savings account.
Review
Author: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Editor: Kevin Mogollon Cabellos Learn More: FoodAccounts.com
Media Review
Youtube
R1
Youtube currently holds the title of one of the most-watched video sites. Having a channel for all audiences. With a whopping five billion videos watched daily, there is always something to learn from creators there.
Channel Reviews: Joshua Weissman: But Cheaper
But Cheaper is one of the shows that Joshua Weissman does which helps viewers recreate dishes from restaurants or TV for a very reasonable price without losing any quality. Weissman himself has quick-witted humor along with masterful technical skills. His previous job was being a professional chef. His use of camera work, close shots of the food, and his explanations of what he is doing and why drastically help the audience become comfortable in the kitchen. All while using reasonably priced ingredients. With plenty of videos to
be able to binge-watch any person can gradually learn and become proficient in cooking and finding ingredients. His other playlist called But Better takes a similar road to But Cheaper but with an added twist challenge. But Better focuses on making food from Mcdonald's, Chick-Fil-A, or Panda Express at home for a better price and taste. Overall, Joshua Weissman knows his way around the kitchen and has also published his first kitchen book which has a collection of recipes that he has made amazing videos on.
Binging with Babish: Cheap
The youtube channel that was formally known as Binging with Babish, now called the Babish Culinary Universe, was created by Andrew Rea. It focuses primarily on recreating television shows’, movies’, videogames’, and sitcoms’ food as a challenge. While he has created many videos such as Elden Ring’s Land octopus or Bob’s burgers’ If looks could Kale he still finds the time to make videos about food that a reasonable price. Named Cheap as a playlist the series focus on foods that are simple and effective to make although not
holding the most nutritional value. His main focus xxthroughout a majority of his videos is to describe what he is doing and why. Giving the audience the ability to make the food themselves or just watch to be entertained by it. Overall the Babish Culinary Universe has a lot of great opportunities that viewers from home can look into even if they have a small or big budget.
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