Plants Are Cheaper Than Packaging

There are some people who go out and buy all the unhealthy and prepackaged food out there in the name of saving money, and they somehow think that they do. The average American student, single student I might add, from what I am told spends about $100 a month on groceries, and they are spending it all on ramens, mac & cheese, and other prepackaged food that they think saves them money.
On the other hand there’s me. I have no idea how they spend that much money in a single month, being that I buy a 10 pound bag of rice that costs me now $11-$12 every 2-3 months, a large jar of kimchee every month which costs me about $10, a package of this pickled radish every 2 weeks or so that usually costs me around $4, and then various other fruits and vegetables from the grocery store as I feel like it, strawberries in the seasons from Costco which is about $4 for a 4 pound shell, and I got a 4 pound shell of huge grapes a while ago for $3 which was awesome! All in all, I spend give or take $40-$50 a month on groceries, if that. I realize meat is expensive, and occasionally I buy some little fish from the market. But seriously, groceries, especially healthy groceries it seems, are not that expensive. I don’t see why people think they are. My diet stays pretty simple granted and I buy in bulk to some degree. But why not do it with foods that aren’t going to go bad on me or foods that I can eat more quickly if they do.
The way I figure it, you don’t go vegetarian to save money. You start eating sensibly to save money and to save your health and therefore save on long term bills like medical bills. If you just go vegetarian, you could and many do still stick to macaroni and cheese, ramens, and other very unhealthy prepackaged foods. You wouldn’t be saving money, you wouldn’t be healthier, you would just be vegetarian. But fruits and vegetables, though perishable, are some of the cheapest foods out there! Now I wouldn’t recommend eating blueberries all the time or strawberries out of season, because those are some of the ones that really can get expensive. But Costco’s selection especially is excellent. Romaine hearts are extremely cheap for one and you can get plenty of garnishes to add to your salads to keep it interesting.