My Co-worker Is an Eldritch X! - Ch. 8.1 - The Residence (1)

[AzrefReza]

No one really doubts that it's possible to survive for almost nothing. After all, people do that all the time around the most dire parts of the world. The issue is that it's survival, not living. You are trading most of your time, effort and energy in order to make it work, which means you have very little left to throw at actually trying to improve your situation. After all, even if you work several dead-end gigs, that likely won't allow you to save up any reasonable amount of money - what you do manage to save will be wiped out anytime an unexpected, necessary expense comes along and we all know they always do. In order to climb out you need to build up competences, which requires studying and learning skills. That means throwing time and money at it that you're already using to survive.

I very much know what a poverty trap is, but what does it have to do with the debate of whether or not you can eat healthily for cheaper than instant noodles without needing unusual skill or much free time?


Also, eating healthier is one of the steps to take in order to get out of poverty: better food intake equals less time, money and energy spent on health problems. Won’t save you in and of itself, but it’s an important part, alongside having correct sleep.

 

[finalm]

I very much know what a poverty trap is, but what does it have to do with the debate of whether or not you can eat healthily for cheaper than instant noodles without needing unusual skill or much free time?


Also, eating healthier is one of the steps to take in order to get out of poverty: better food intake equals less time, money and energy spent on health problems. Won’t save you in and of itself, but it’s an important part, alongside having correct sleep.

Wait, you consider those tips healthy eating? Loading up on a mountain of potatoes/wheat and some eggs for protein? I'm sorry, it didn't even cross my mind that was still what you were talking about there.

 

[AzrefReza]

Wait, you consider those tips healthy eating? Loading up on a mountain of potatoes/wheat and some eggs for protein? I'm sorry, it didn't even cross my mind that was still what you were talking about there.

Duh? Carbs, vegetables (you seem to have missed the leek there), proteins and fat (eggs have that too), all what you need for a balanced diet in one meal. Obviously it’s not the best possible perfect healthy meal, especially considering you wouldn’t be buying the highest end products, but that remains a looooot healthier than fucking instant noodles…

 

[finalm]

Duh? Carbs, vegetables (you seem to have missed the leek there), proteins and fat (eggs have that too), all what you need for a balanced diet in one meal. Obviously it’s not the best possible perfect healthy meal, especially considering you wouldn’t be buying the highest end products, but that remains a looooot healthier than fucking instant noodles…

Maybe in terms of fiber and sodium intake (since you don't make allowances for any condiments or spices I'm assuming you're going to be snarfing that down as it is), but it's still just filling yourself with mostly potatoes, every day . You could do flatbread for variety, but then you'd need to process that feed-wheat you mentioned , which is hardly easy or quick work. You're not going to balance anything unless you're willing to splurge, at the very least to make wholegrain bread.

 

[rabidporcupine]

True, the noodles are cheaper, but then there's the high risk of health consequences. Saving money on instant noodles seems like the better thing to do, but then there's the possibility of those cut costs returning later with a vengeance in the form of medical fees caused by living on a diet of mostly instant noodles.

Ideally, the money that you manage to scrunge up living on noodles you should invest along with some spare time into learning to cook for yourself. There's a lot of cheap dishes you could make in bulk so that they end up lasting for at least a week. Yeah the cost will be slightly higher, but in the long-term it'll be the better choice to prevent any possible health complications with just a slightly better diet and nutrition. And occasionally there's no harm in getting instant noodles every now and then as long as you balance it out with real food.

Yeah, but that’s a problem for future you. Current you is hungry, has no money, and doesn’t have to deal with the consequences of your poor decisions yet, so it’s fine!

 

[BeastOfWadowice]

Maybe in terms of fiber and sodium intake (since you don't make allowances for any condiments or spices I'm assuming you're going to be snarfing that down as it is), but it's still just filling yourself with mostly potatoes, every day . You could do flatbread for variety, but then you'd need to process that feed-wheat you mentioned , which is hardly easy or quick work. You're not going to balance anything unless you're willing to splurge, at the very least to make wholegrain bread.

You do know that potatoes are insanely packed with nutrients, right? People throughout centuries lived on primarily potatoes, from the very ancient natives where those tubers grew to Europeans that eventually imported it centuries ago. You can live for a long, long time on potatoes and it's surprisingly easy to make them taste great. It's good to add something else to them but they will do on their own, at least considerably more filling than nutritionally empty garbage like instant noodles.
Assuming a person was struggling paycheck to paycheck in regions like the EU or the US, you can casually take some freebie condiment/spice packets from cafes and restaurants. Learn from the people that are wiser than you in the art you were forced to partake in; in this instance, the homeless. They know how to survive when at the bottom, learn from them.
If you are poor and have no methods of obtaining freebies or catching big discounts, then you are either in the middle of a hellhole or you need to step up your urban survival game. If you are in the first category, then I am genuinely sorry for you and I hope your situation improves, no condescension intended.
Now for the general discussion that was happening in the previous pages of this comment section - depending on which country the person is living in, joining the military may prove to be much more efficient for survival as they always need more meat BRAVE VOLUNTEERS. Not ideal and I myself do not like this option, but when the going gets tough it's good to look for options, unless the person was somehow deemed unfit for service, that's when it gets tougher. For cooking, you could try to meet some people during work, circumstances permitting, and maybe they would be nice enough to share their own kitchen with you. We are social animals, we are strongest when working together and communicating, use what you were given by nature or whatever deity you believe in if you are faithful.
Unless someone is REALLY out of luck in all those (and I know it's not impossible to happen, just rare) then there are many ways to survive without relying on unhealthy garbage.

 

[finalm]

You do know that potatoes are insanely packed with nutrients, right? People throughout centuries lived on primarily potatoes, from the very ancient natives where those tubers grew to Europeans that eventually imported it centuries ago. You can live for a long, long time on potatoes and it's surprisingly easy to make them taste great. It's good to add something else to them but they will do on their own, at least considerably more filling than nutritionally empty garbage like instant noodles.
Assuming a person was struggling paycheck to paycheck in regions like the EU or the US, you can casually take some freebie condiment/spice packets from cafes and restaurants. Learn from the people that are wiser than you in the art you were forced to partake in; in this instance, the homeless. They know how to survive when at the bottom, learn from them.
If you are poor and have no methods of obtaining freebies or catching big discounts, then you are either in the middle of a hellhole or you need to step up your urban survival game. If you are in the first category, then I am genuinely sorry for you and I hope your situation improves, no condescension intended.
Now for the general discussion that was happening in the previous pages of this comment section - depending on which country the person is living in, joining the military may prove to be much more efficient for survival as they always need more meat BRAVE VOLUNTEERS. Not ideal and I myself do not like this option, but when the going gets tough it's good to look for options, unless the person was somehow deemed unfit for service, that's when it gets tougher. For cooking, you could try to meet some people during work, circumstances permitting, and maybe they would be nice enough to share their own kitchen with you. We are social animals, we are strongest when working together and communicating, use what you were given by nature or whatever deity you believe in if you are faithful.
Unless someone is REALLY out of luck in all those (and I know it's not impossible to happen, just rare) then there are many ways to survive without relying on unhealthy garbage.

Yes, I know potatoes are a staple food. That means you can survive a decent time almost only on them, but your "long long time" is only in terms of pre-16th century civilization. In general, as was already pointed out, one can survive in many ways unimaginable to the regular person and people around the world do every day. That's not really what we're talking about here.