October 9th 2008
Grocery Shopping on a strong dollar
The dollar has been gaining on the Brazilian Real since we arrived. Today was the highest we have yet to see US$1 = R$2.38, so what do you do on a strong dollar? Shop! We took a taxi to Hiper around 3:30 PM for R$8.70 = US$3.76. The taxi home was more as we had to make a stop at another store and the taxi waited while I shopped, that was R$13 = US$5.62.
We got stocked up on some items, and bought some TANG for the trip home. We found 6 new flavors (Acerola, Cashew Fruit, Mango, Pineapple, Guava, and Orange), making a total of 12 flavors available in Brazil. We bought some prepared foods for dinner, a whole cooked chicken, and some daily necessities, like toilet paper. We spent less than R$8 = US$3.46 for 500 grams of cooked rice and 500 grams of this delicious roast meat dish. It was enough food to feed us 4, cooked and prepared, for less than US$0.87 per person. We were surprised again at how good the grocery store prepared foods are, but I guess it makes sense, if it doesn't taste good and like others would prepare it, it wouldn't sell, and they would stop offering them. While we were in line to check out, the store experienced a power outage. Luckily the cash registers were the only things not affected, so we were able to check out in the dark and catch a taxi home. The girls thought it was a special event.
On the way home, we stopped at another super market called Pão de Açucar. They have more prepared foods, where we bought some fish, some beef stroganoff (Brazilian interpretation there of) and a bulk prepared soup that I saw people lined up to get. They give you this huge container of soup, plus a fresh roll for R$3.45 = US$1.50. The soup was delicious and large, and easily enough for us 4. What a bargain at less than US$0.38 per person. It would be a considerably good deal if we lived within walking distance to Pão de Açucar, not only would we have local food prepared and cooked, it would be very inexpensive, almost like having our own chef.
We got stocked up on some items, and bought some TANG for the trip home. We found 6 new flavors (Acerola, Cashew Fruit, Mango, Pineapple, Guava, and Orange), making a total of 12 flavors available in Brazil. We bought some prepared foods for dinner, a whole cooked chicken, and some daily necessities, like toilet paper. We spent less than R$8 = US$3.46 for 500 grams of cooked rice and 500 grams of this delicious roast meat dish. It was enough food to feed us 4, cooked and prepared, for less than US$0.87 per person. We were surprised again at how good the grocery store prepared foods are, but I guess it makes sense, if it doesn't taste good and like others would prepare it, it wouldn't sell, and they would stop offering them. While we were in line to check out, the store experienced a power outage. Luckily the cash registers were the only things not affected, so we were able to check out in the dark and catch a taxi home. The girls thought it was a special event.
On the way home, we stopped at another super market called Pão de Açucar. They have more prepared foods, where we bought some fish, some beef stroganoff (Brazilian interpretation there of) and a bulk prepared soup that I saw people lined up to get. They give you this huge container of soup, plus a fresh roll for R$3.45 = US$1.50. The soup was delicious and large, and easily enough for us 4. What a bargain at less than US$0.38 per person. It would be a considerably good deal if we lived within walking distance to Pão de Açucar, not only would we have local food prepared and cooked, it would be very inexpensive, almost like having our own chef.
Abby @ 4 years, 9 months, 25 days
Zoë @ 4 years, 9 months, 25 days
Enzo @ 15 days
News posted by christopher at 4:21 PM | 
Comment
