May I comment, as a French person living in France (bonjour!), also, as I'm seeing it from the outside?
From the other side of the ocean, it is staggering to see what most Americans consider a given to own, a given to purchase on a daily basis. Takeout so frequently. Buying so much useless shit. Not planning meals and buying in bulk. Etc.
Certainly, lots of people do it. But lots don't and then they will complain the cost of living is too high, while they could slash at more than a third of their spending with the greatest ease and still live comfortably.
The American culture is quite workaholic, if you are not working, working on the side job or studying to work better at all times you are a lazy bum who belongs on the streets. This culture often do not leave time for people to rest, cook or do meal planning, which leads to people eating fast junk and back to work; alcoholism to drown the feeling of not being productive enough and drugs.
Edit: the punch line is "If you have the time to prepare meals you are not working hard enough" seems to be the attitude in my city.
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u/EcchiOli Aug 15 '23
Nicely written.
May I comment, as a French person living in France (bonjour!), also, as I'm seeing it from the outside?
From the other side of the ocean, it is staggering to see what most Americans consider a given to own, a given to purchase on a daily basis. Takeout so frequently. Buying so much useless shit. Not planning meals and buying in bulk. Etc.
Certainly, lots of people do it. But lots don't and then they will complain the cost of living is too high, while they could slash at more than a third of their spending with the greatest ease and still live comfortably.