A lot of inexpensive food enjoyed by frugal eaters and lower-income earners has become noticeably more expensive. While everything gets more expensive, many of these foods have drastically increased in price over the last decade or two.
Here are 9 “poor people foods” that used to be cheap.
Lobster
Believe it or not, Lobster was once an unappealing food because it’s relatively tasteless without butter. It was considered “garbage meat” and served to servants and prisoners because it was so cheap.
Pho
Pho is a delicious Vietnamese soup with bone broth, rice noodles, and thinly sliced meat. This soup used to be a very inexpensive meal for many people until word got out, and now Pho has doubled in price over the last several years with prices of $10 or more.
Food Trucks
Food truck prices are no longer as cheap as they used to be. Today, food trucks are a “thing” in the United States and worldwide, with people lining up to eat at them. With some food trucks, you’ll pay as much for a burger as you would in a traditional sit-down restaurant.
Fish and Chips
It’s a simple dish served at many restaurants, for good reason. “It’s a hunk of white fish with a potato for a side. Minimal seasoning, fried in whatever oil you have around and served on a piece of yesterday’s newspaper. Twenty years ago it cost $5, now it costs $25,” said one person on an online forum.
Avocado Toast
Avocado toast used to be what many low-income people could afford. Avocado is high in calories, making it a good “bang for your buck.” Avocados are no longer as cheap as they used to be, but you can still find deals from time to time.
Chicken Wings
If bought frozen, chicken wings can be an inexpensive meal. But “wing joints” are far from cheap, costing many times as much as a regular meal at a restaurant.
Quinoa
Quinoa was a go-to source of inexpensive protein, but not so much anymore. Many times, manufacturers mix rice in with quinoa as a cost-saving measure.
Pork Belly
While delicious, pork belly has become quite costly in many areas worldwide. “Use to be scrap basically, now it’s glorified and more expensive than gold,” one person said.
Oxtail
Oxtail used to be cheap, but it is no longer. One Reddit user said, “Saddest day of my life when the rich people found out about oxtails. My husband makes glazed oxtails so good they’ve made grown folks weep, and now, they can only be a special occasion food.”