oh your bread outlet closing is terribly sad. a lot of stores that really served lower income populations closed during the pandemic, leaving a lot of people in need. the bakery outlet here cut their hours way down but remain open at least part of the week. i am also disappointed on your behalf that there aren't more ugly/affordable produce options and you don't have more discount grocery locations to choose from. even if they were eclectic and skeevy (makes me want to see their inventory!) there might be a local farm co-op that sells ugly produce near you if you are looking for that. sounds like you aren't in a great area for those kind of resources though. until recently there was a small family farm near me, scraping by with direct sales at their farmstand in the suburbs of the city i live just outside of. but between the pandemic and a road expansion taking the whole front of their 19 acres, they recently shut down for good. i'm very upset by it because it's not only a small local business, but it was closer than the grocery store for a whole lot of lower income families. i hear you about the meat, my budget is always tight (i prioritize my insulin $$) so meat is a condiment, usually only a couple of times a week. cheap offcuts of ugly country ham packs a lot of flavor in soups or beans and rice, you know?
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