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Previously on "True cost of living"

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  • thunderlizard
    replied
    Interesting analysis Timberwolf. Economies of scale I suppose.

    I think quite a bit of battery chicken food is the unsaleable bits of their former inmates (Soylent Green-style) so that would make it a bit cheaper too.

    We once knew somebody who had the job of collecting battery eggs and wiping the poo off them. I think of him whenever I'm finding the contracting lifestyle a little unfulfilling.

    Leave a comment:


  • AtW
    replied
    Supermarkets use chickens like this as loss leaders.

    Also don't forget about hens that are used to lay eggs - after a year they are discarded as they don't lay as many eggs, would not say the chicken for £1.50 was one of those hens (usually they either use chickens for meat or chickens for eggs), but who knows?

    IMO, all means in this country are too expensive - especially fish.

    Leave a comment:


  • basshead
    replied
    You missed out transport, abbatoir, packaging, vets, rent, labour etc....

    Leave a comment:


  • TimberWolf
    replied
    Originally posted by thunderlizard View Post
    Good that the price of chicken has gone up. Chicken was ridiclously cheap. I think you could get a whole barbecued chicken at the supermarket for about £1.50. How on earth can you raise a chicken from egg to grill and still make a profit out of £1.50?
    Rough guess:

    Say the final chicken weighs 1 kg, and over 50 days of its miserable life weighs 0.5 kg, on average.

    Food required for lots of animals = 1 kWh per 22 kg per day**, so a 0.5 kg chicken needs 1/44 kWh / day, or 50/44 kWh over 50 days.

    At 10pence per kWh (electricity energy prices*) = 33p per chicken. Not including lights, etc. To cook (oven uses say 3 kW, for an hour) = 3 kWh, so add 30p to cook. Total cost = 63p.

    *I used electricity prices since I don't know how much chicken feed costs, though it has an energy content of around 3 kWh per kg.

    ** E.g. work it out for humans: 80 kg * 1 kWh / 22 kg/d = 3.6 kWh /d = 3.6 * 3,600,000 J / 4184 = 3128 Calories / day for a human. Birds tend to have a faster metabolism though, so might burn lots more and so increase the price.

    Leave a comment:


  • thunderlizard
    replied
    Good that the price of chicken has gone up. Chicken was ridiclously cheap. I think you could get a whole barbecued chicken at the supermarket for about £1.50. How on earth can you raise a chicken from egg to grill and still make a profit out of £1.50?

    Leave a comment:


  • Ruprect
    replied
    Originally posted by ratewhore View Post
    It's OK though - El Gordo is 'cautiously optimistic'...

    Unlike his chancellor!

    Leave a comment:


  • TimberWolf
    replied
    Originally posted by beaker View Post
    Not sure about this. The cost of fillet steak at the local Waitrose has been £30.99 per kilo for the past 3 years...
    At this rate it will be cheaper to go out and shoot your own cows.

    Leave a comment:


  • beaker
    replied
    Originally posted by DodgyAgent View Post
    Show off
    Two minute noodles are £1 for 4 packets at the local corner store if I'm between contracts

    Leave a comment:


  • DodgyAgent
    replied
    Originally posted by beaker View Post
    Not sure about this. The cost of fillet steak at the local Waitrose has been £30.99 per kilo for the past 3 years...
    Show off

    Leave a comment:


  • beaker
    replied
    Not sure about this. The cost of fillet steak at the local Waitrose has been £30.99 per kilo for the past 3 years...

    Leave a comment:


  • TykeMerc
    replied
    Originally posted by DodgyAgent View Post
    Were they taking Range Rovers in part exchange?
    Doubtful, the part exchange value of Range Rovers has now dropped to less than the value of a bog roll let alone a bike innertube.

    Leave a comment:


  • TimberWolf
    replied
    Originally posted by DodgyAgent View Post
    Were they taking Range Rovers in part exchange?
    I hope so.

    Leave a comment:


  • DodgyAgent
    replied
    Originally posted by TimberWolf View Post
    On the plus side I was in a bike shop over the weekend and they were heaving. Shop staff were moaning that it was as if Christmas had come early.

    Were they taking Range Rovers in part exchange?

    Leave a comment:


  • DimPrawn
    replied
    Originally posted by sasguru View Post
    Ah The Millionaire DimPrawn (TM) finally posts again. Why should you care, The Millionaire DimPrawn (TM), you're a millionaire after all ?
    I spent a £ on a pot noodle, and now I'm an ex-millionaire.

    Leave a comment:


  • sasguru
    replied
    Ah The Millionaire DimPrawn (TM) finally posts again. Why should you care, The Millionaire DimPrawn (TM), you're a millionaire after all ?

    Leave a comment:

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