Surviving Off Dollar Store Food for 10 Days

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ธ.ค. 2024

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  • @ZackarySmigel
    @ZackarySmigel  วันที่ผ่านมา +76

    Try Rocket Money for free: RocketMoney.com/zackarysmigel !!!
    Thanks so much for watching! I hope you all enjoy. This one was a wild ride. Follow me on IG: instagram.com/zas11s/

    • @Lucidly222
      @Lucidly222 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      If you look on the bottom row sometimes or at another location they should be have olive oil mixed with soybean oil at dollar tree. Mine had it hidden in the back bottom row for a while I was looking for it forever !

    • @kswaes
      @kswaes วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      the canned tuna meals are better imo (depends on the person)

    • @khristinebutler6615
      @khristinebutler6615 วันที่ผ่านมา

      this was good i think i will sub interesting topic well done

    • @typerightseesight
      @typerightseesight วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      dollar store food cost more because its a smaller shop. eggs are a buck more cheese is a buck more its a dollar more store. lol

    • @Potent_Techmology
      @Potent_Techmology 19 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      taste is cultural, you've been shaped by what's commonly available
      try doing a video about manipulating this and then try taste tests again

  • @CoffeeArtThings
    @CoffeeArtThings วันที่ผ่านมา +1387

    Pro tip if you dont have milk and butter for mac n cheese save some of the pasta water and use it instead, not perfect but it will make a sauce instead of a sludge

    • @Dyanosis
      @Dyanosis วันที่ผ่านมา +34

      Cacio e Pepe is made from, basically, pasta water.

    • @JohnRNewAccountNumber3
      @JohnRNewAccountNumber3 วันที่ผ่านมา +28

      Mayo or sour cream work just as well as butter, as well

    • @sc4334
      @sc4334 23 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +23

      You should be doing this regardless 😉

    • @thomaseriksen6885
      @thomaseriksen6885 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +7

      I'm strolling in and out of the store with a backpack, sunglasses, face diaper and hoodie before I rely on McCheese'n

    • @izicial7469
      @izicial7469 21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +14

      I do this all the time and just use butter and skip the milk. Much cheaper and tastes better in my opinion.

  • @williamschachtel7067
    @williamschachtel7067 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +222

    I doubt anyone will see this but the reason your shrimp tasted like poop is quite literally because you didnt remove the poop chute. On the back of the shrimp there is a vein looking line (when you buy shrimp without it they even call it "deveined") which is actually how shrimp get rid of waste. Even if you get rid of it after cooking, if you cook it with the vein in the taste spreads through the meat

    • @BloodAsp
      @BloodAsp 5 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      Bump

    • @gwithheadphones
      @gwithheadphones 4 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +16

      you're telling me he ate poop shrimp? incredible, 10/10 video

    • @Penelope416
      @Penelope416 2 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

      That is disgusting. I stopped eating shrimp for years and even now when my family makes it, I hardly eat. I had a bad experience when i was a kid eating shrimp. I threw up one time when I ate it. It's possible that i ate the shrimp with poop in it! 😢 😭

    • @robertwilson8939
      @robertwilson8939 2 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      oh god thats why its so cheap

    • @deathstalker6094
      @deathstalker6094 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      ​@@robertwilson8939 Idk about that being the reason it's cheap, however the poop chute is something that alot of ppl don't seem to know which is odd but it is fairly easy to remove it

  • @thew0rm105
    @thew0rm105 วันที่ผ่านมา +1717

    "i may have overcooked the shrimp"
    *proceeds to cook the shrimp further*

    • @Alex-cw3rz
      @Alex-cw3rz วันที่ผ่านมา +5

      Time stamps

    • @TenOfZero1
      @TenOfZero1 วันที่ผ่านมา +20

      in for a penny, in for a pound

    • @Weston-Riley-88
      @Weston-Riley-88 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      It’s shrimp time ! As Zack lets it rise up on his cool desk! 😂 epic !

    • @ramune7804
      @ramune7804 วันที่ผ่านมา +30

      This is definitely part of why they werent very good. The longer you overcook shrimp, the more flavor it loses

    • @HelterwithoutSkelter
      @HelterwithoutSkelter วันที่ผ่านมา +6

      shrimply cook it to a brick

  • @Lord_Uroko
    @Lord_Uroko 13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +297

    You overcooked the absolute hell out of that shrimp. I verbally said "he overcooked the shit outa that shrimp" 3 seperate times and you just kept cooking it

    • @Shepardofman
      @Shepardofman 7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +9

      I mean it's shrimp from the dollar store. 😂😂😂😂😂 you're not going to eat it rare.

    • @MiqelDotCom
      @MiqelDotCom 4 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

      Might have been good if he dropped them in a hot skillet with some butter and salt instead of boiling out all the flavor. 😅

    • @sukaenacornelius9285
      @sukaenacornelius9285 3 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

      Why are Americans so scared of cooking from scratch, isn’t it cheaper anyways?

    • @ivonnemata4335
      @ivonnemata4335 3 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @@sukaenacornelius9285you’d think it would be cheaper but buying from the dollar menu in McDonald’s and other alternatives are usually way cheaper than actually cooking meals from scratch 😭😭😭

    • @cozymoggele
      @cozymoggele 3 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +3

      ​@sukaenacornelius9285 it's embarrassing to not know how to cook, but it's how the majority of us were raised! My great grandma was probably the last person in my family who knew how to cook! don't worry I taught myself ♥︎

  • @rancid727
    @rancid727 15 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +254

    Im glad you covered the fact that some things were still cheaper at a bigger retailer like walmart. I think the biggest challenge when it comes to grocery shopping is that nowadays if you want to get the "optimal" grocery run, you need to go to 2 sometimes 3 or more different stores to get the best deals and most people just dont have the time for that. It turns a 1 hour grocery trip into 2 or 3.

    • @damiannightwalker8461
      @damiannightwalker8461 10 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      watch the deal guy... walmart has many cheaper than items. .99 cent only had produce.if you have commonsense you can buy what is cheaper and better tasting from anywhere. kid failed too much.
      D, ,

    • @BlessedLifeOriginal
      @BlessedLifeOriginal 9 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +3

      I take the time to do this. I shop at a total of 5 stores to get the very cheapest price on every grocery and household item. I spend about half of what my friends with same-sized families spend.

    • @damiannightwalker8461
      @damiannightwalker8461 8 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @BlessedLifeOriginal you have to be smart and Shop the best you can a lot of people are and they don't care. Does the same thing applies to buying clothes whether it's a name or its quality
      D, ,

    • @TupacShakur69
      @TupacShakur69 7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +6

      @@BlessedLifeOriginalI hope you take into account the gas and time it takes you to go to multiple stores.

    • @TheLurker1647
      @TheLurker1647 7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +6

      Well, every shopper has to factor that in. Maybe Wal-Mart is cheaper, but if going there requires gas in the car and time on the road (and time is money), the cheaper option may in fact be to buy at a slightly higher price.

  • @astrolatry
    @astrolatry วันที่ผ่านมา +484

    former employee of dollar tree (4 years of hell!) to say:
    1. those fastbites burgers and spicy chicken sandwiches were the highlight of my lunch when i got lucky enough to work 8 hr shifts
    2. the english muffins don't come on the food truck, they come on the bread truck! that's daily, and i'm sorry you missed out
    3. you're right about the lack of unit pricing being a problem, but in their defense they can't really put prices on the shelves because things come in so often and sell so quickly--stocking is just shoving anything out anywhere it fits, so nothing would ever match

    • @Dyanosis
      @Dyanosis วันที่ผ่านมา +9

      Sounds like Burlington and certain other clothing/retail stores

    • @sonicSnap
      @sonicSnap วันที่ผ่านมา +5

      i've always seen frozen burgers in dollar general but never considered ACTUALLY getting them. i just know the great value ones are rlly rlly rlly bad. i'll try them out next time, thanks for the tip :)

    • @Patagonicus42
      @Patagonicus42 21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +6

      Here in Europe it's pretty standard to have unit pricing. Not sure if it's an EU law, but at least in Germany it's in the law, with some exceptions. But for standard stuff like flour, pasta, meats, detergent, etc. you'll see the price per 100g/kg/100mL/L listed on the shelves. It's smaller than the price per item, but still easy to find and easy to compare.

    • @atropabelladonna3120
      @atropabelladonna3120 20 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

      ​@@Patagonicus42can certify it's a EU law, unit pricing exists everywhere I've been to, from Greece to Italy to France to Belgium

    • @Pikawarps
      @Pikawarps 19 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Hey @Astrolatry, as a customer if i see something on a cart that’s not being worked by an employee, would y’all have cared if i took the case and broke into it? (Assuming it’s on top and doesn’t require me to downstack the cart to get to)

  • @dangnabbits4622
    @dangnabbits4622 วันที่ผ่านมา +775

    fun fact! the Vienna sausages that got rated 1/10 as in not being suitable even for a dog are incredibly good training treats if you’re on a tight budget. cheap, easy to break up, fine in moderation, and 9/10 dogs go crazy for ‘em

    • @brandonisaacs631
      @brandonisaacs631 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Absolutely not. The salt content alone will destroy your dog's kidneys and kill them early. You're ignorant and a bad person.

    • @megamegaO
      @megamegaO วันที่ผ่านมา +78

      I'm theonly mf here that loves them lmaoo...Ofc with another meal not by itself

    • @liltawna12345
      @liltawna12345 วันที่ผ่านมา +118

      As a Jamaican, theyre an affordable breakfast "protein" and childhood staple. We slice and fry them, then cook them in ketchup (til the sugar starts to caramalize). 11/10.

    • @lydialoud
      @lydialoud วันที่ผ่านมา +5

      I feel like our dogs deserve much better than that

    • @dangnabbits4622
      @dangnabbits4622 วันที่ผ่านมา +36

      @@lydialoud would i personally feed my dogs them? no. but like Zackary said, a lot of people literally don't have better options. they aren't any worse for your dog than beggin strips but they are cheaper, usually more high value for dogs, and generally more accessible. used in moderation with a dog without specific allergies or conditions, i promise the dog will be fine. you don't have to like it or do it for it to be an okay thing

  • @ChesireTiger
    @ChesireTiger 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +101

    "it's shrimp time"
    "I did not like the shrimp"
    a horror story in just a few words

    • @reda-exe
      @reda-exe 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

      it is time for shrimp.
      i bought this at dollar tree.
      this was a mistake.

  • @michigo_xo
    @michigo_xo 20 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +65

    There’s a creator on TikTok who makes really delicious meals all from the dollar tree! I think it’s rlly about planning ahead with what’s available and knowing what’s already good once you’ve tried enough

    • @paulabailey9791
      @paulabailey9791 6 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +7

      Rebecca from Dollar Tree Dinners? She has a TH-cam channel.

    • @MiqelDotCom
      @MiqelDotCom 4 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

      Atomic Shrimp does it on TH-cam, too

    • @orsikocs
      @orsikocs 2 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @@MiqelDotComatomic shrimp lives in the UK and he also grows his own fruit n veg. Im not saying just to correct you but the selection in UK shops are very different.

  • @Jordabrz
    @Jordabrz 21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +69

    Never buy anything perishable from a dollsr store. I used to work at one, people would let frozen sandwiches and lunchmeat sit out way too long then throw it in the fridges, that's probably why your fish n chips and other frozen meals tasted and smelt funky,, the workers are paid minimum wage and given like 10hrs a week nobody there is concerned about your food being safe

  • @preont1732
    @preont1732 วันที่ผ่านมา +1949

    I’m literally doing this for this month since I don’t have a car and I’m staying on my campus for winter break and the closest place is dollar general😭😭😭

    • @ZackarySmigel
      @ZackarySmigel  วันที่ผ่านมา +374

      Good luck!

    • @van3158
      @van3158 วันที่ผ่านมา +86

      I wish you the best, and a merry Christmas.

    • @infinitebracket4823
      @infinitebracket4823 วันที่ผ่านมา +9

      cool pfp, W scp-1471

    • @crimsonfps1873
      @crimsonfps1873 วันที่ผ่านมา +8

      good luck cuh godspeed

    • @cuppaint
      @cuppaint วันที่ผ่านมา +80

      Dollar tree dinners has great videos on how to make meals with stuff from dollar general! I hope you’re doing well 😊

  • @lorahohday
    @lorahohday วันที่ผ่านมา +374

    23:00 when cooking raw shrimp, I find that peeling it before cooking to be the best method. Your shrimp will tell you where it is at in the cooking process!! If it's light pink in a "U" shape, it's "Undercooked", if it's reddish in a "C" shape, it's "Cooked", if it's darker in more of an "O" shape, it's "Overcooked". Hope this helps

    • @Knifymoloko
      @Knifymoloko 20 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +3

      Amazing

    • @poeticsilence047
      @poeticsilence047 19 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +3

      That's a neat trick.

    • @beastbalak
      @beastbalak 18 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

      isnt "C" just a turned "U"? what if the shrimp just turns?

    • @loretta_3843
      @loretta_3843 18 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

      What a cute little trick. Thanks for that 😊

    • @xEllieRose
      @xEllieRose 18 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      ​@@beastbalak typically, you can tell by the color but if anything look up comparable recipes and see how long they cooked it for. It can be a good reference sometimes for proteins

  • @aidansouder6048
    @aidansouder6048 วันที่ผ่านมา +248

    Aldi mentioned, hell yeah. Actual grocery store with extremely low prices, produce, and well-made + organic options. If Aldi has no fans, I'm dead.

    • @lilcotorro
      @lilcotorro วันที่ผ่านมา +11

      yo same, thats the backbone of my diet right there

    • @Chucanelli
      @Chucanelli 23 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +5

      I love Aldi! They don’t have them where I live now, which makes me sad :(

    • @sloppyy
      @sloppyy 21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      i definitely be aldi shopping but it has a lot of inedible shit like the chips

    • @surgeonnamedbub3510
      @surgeonnamedbub3510 20 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +10

      Aldi really is one of the few stores that still has reasonable prices. Their bread and produce is so much cheaper than the big box grocers near me, and great quality generally. Meat prices are usually about the same as the big box stores but for most other staples, Aldi is easily 30-40% cheaper than everywhere else around here. I love them!

    • @srgriffithauthor
      @srgriffithauthor 20 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +3

      Not every area has aldi. I used to go but because I would stick up on certain things my husband banned me cause I would overspend in the now

  • @boofriggityhoo
    @boofriggityhoo 20 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +145

    I'm in one of those rural places where dollar stores dominate and are often the only option. I refuse to go there, but your experiment surprised me in terms of just how not-cheap the food is. I used to grab a bag of dried beans and a bag of rice and some frozen veggies and live off of that during hard times -- your experiment highlighted just how much more expensive food must be for people living out of their cars or homeless who don't have access to stoves, who can't take advantage of affordable food options like that. Not only was the food junk, it was pricey junk. Such a shame those stores take up so much space out here. Great video, subscribed.

    • @Alchemeleon
      @Alchemeleon 15 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +10

      You'd be surprised how many people also just don't know how to cook something as basic as rice and beans, and are intimidated or have some kind of mental block that stops them from ever trying to learn. I've had so many roommates who live off canned or microwavable crap or frozen pizzas and claim to be so broke. I've had literal years where my food budget was $30 a week and I made it work with a lot of dried beans, lentils, rice, and potatoes.

    • @lyndza1989
      @lyndza1989 5 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @@Alchemeleon i hear u...being able to cook is a blessing...i can make a lasagna for like 8bucks n feed me for 3 days

  • @alycop9312
    @alycop9312 19 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +15

    The nearest grocery store is 2 miles away from me. In that same radius is 1 dollar tree, 3 family dollars and 4 dollar generals. Even if you have the capability to get to the grocery store, the shear mass quantity of dollar stores makes you consider "why would i go all the way over there when this is right here?" Each time you pass one.

    • @connorallen1683
      @connorallen1683 6 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      My hometown just got a dollar tree a few years ago before that it was gas station food or a 20 minute drive to the closest non branded grocery store, 45 minutes for food lion, an hour for Walmart

    • @kayd9405
      @kayd9405 5 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      ​@@connorallen1683dollar stores do that on purpose to prey on people in food deserts

  • @wheels3973
    @wheels3973 วันที่ผ่านมา +522

    From a former Dollar General employee:
    Another huge problem with dollar stores is that the amount of food waste that happens is INSANE. Every time we got a shipment of refrigerated/frozen foods, we would get WAY more than could possibly fit on the shelves. We would sometimes get full shipments of items that were already fully stocked, like getting eight tubs of a flavor of ice cream that there were already eight of on the shelf. There was a fridge and freezer in the back but they could only hold so much and in the end, we ended up throwing out countless tubs of ice cream, boxes and boxes of frozen food and sometimes even gallons of milk.
    In terms of the non-refrigerated items, it was better but not by much. There would be overstock of foodstuffs sitting on the top shelves for months (occasionally even years) after they expired until we eventually threw it out. I remember one time throwing out well over 100 boxes of twinkies and tastycakes at once because they were expired/expiring soon. My coworker and I salvaged what we could but of course we had to throw out most of it.
    TLDR: Supply practices carried out by dollar stores creates a ton of food waste. Dollar stores (or at least dollar general) irresponsibly over ship food to their stores, resulting in a surplus that often has to be thrown out.

    • @notyaunzzz
      @notyaunzzz วันที่ผ่านมา +31

      this feels like an issue with your store....? i also worked at dollar general and my store itself didnt even deal with any stocking of fridge items- that was all done by a vendor who would stock our shelves and take anything extra that didnt fit. my store also didnt handle the twinkies or hostess items because a hostess vendor took care of those, too. vendors also took care of coke products. we rarely were overstocked on perishables, and we rarely were throwing out expired goods. the only time i remember us throwing out tons of perishables was when wed had a ton of expiring off-brand 2-liter sodas expiring, but despite company regulations to toss them we just... picked which ones we as employees wanted, bagged them up and put them outside so we could "throw them out at the end of the day" then wed just pick up our bag of goods after we clocked out. usually when goods were close to expiring wed just discount them and stick them by the registers and usually everything would go because cmon. who can resist a 50 cent candy when its right there at checkout so you dont even need to go get it... i imagine keeping up with expiries would be difficult at a store thats exceptionally understaffed or has somewhat less dutiful employees. most of the 5 people i worked with at my store were very hard workers, my store manager even more so, so we kept our extremely busy store in tip-top shape all the time.

    • @scot_more
      @scot_more วันที่ผ่านมา +4

      I dont really know shit about anything on the financial side but i imagine they get some sort of tax or allowance for wastage, otherwise i'd imagine if they just had lower prices that they'd sell more stock and have less waste? especially for a store that's apparently known to be cheap. (from australia but we have equivalence)

    • @wheels3973
      @wheels3973 วันที่ผ่านมา +16

      @@notyaunzzz Yeah this problem for sure is a store-by-store basis thing, I worked at two different locations and one was much worse about it than the other, so it likely varies quite a bit by location but at least from what I heard from my manager there were a lot of other stores having the same problem. It's definitely a case-by-case basis issue but it's likely not too uncommon
      I wish my store discounted them and sold them, sure could've saved a lot! My coworkers and I also tried to take home some of the expired/soon-to-be expired stuff that was getting thrown out, it's crazy to me that the official policy is that you're not supposed to.

    • @LexiePersonForever
      @LexiePersonForever วันที่ผ่านมา +14

      It’s shocking that corporate doesn’t work with local food pantries, but I guess it’s not because that would keep people from shopping there

    • @FlickMcNasty
      @FlickMcNasty วันที่ผ่านมา

      I had the same experience with the store I worked at, although I always made the choice to contact churches and other places that take food donations and I would donate what I could. However there was still A LOT of wasted food. It's sad, there's people who can't afford food at all and here they are throwing it out by the dozens. Im glad I was able to at least donate some of it in my time working there. Another issue I saw a lot was having to put up ads for "lower prices" or "deals" that were the exact same price as before. There was a lot of false advertising, or some kind of catch to the so called "deals" that was only noticeable through reading the fine prints. The only reason I no longer work there is because I was fired due to write ups. I kept being scheduled to run the store by myself, which meant me being stuck at a register dealing with angry customers and not being able to put up stock or do anything that involved being more than 15 feet away from the register. Of course it was them breaking their own policy but writing me up as if it were my fault I was getting no help. Very poor treatment to their employees, dirty stores, wasting food and finances massively, and lying to the loyal customers through false advertising and prices that are higher than every other store nearby. Dollar General is a terrible company and I've been saying that they will inevitably run themselves out of business or lose everything through lawsuits and court cases.

  • @ScathyPlays
    @ScathyPlays วันที่ผ่านมา +227

    I used to work at Dollar Tree, and I can tell you we would be given 5-10 hours a week, in terms of our schedule. Unloading the truck would last a full 5 hour shift most times with us unloading 1300+ boxes of product. Meaning some weeks you'd only have one other 5 hour shift to put out as much as possible.
    (That would be why you were told to come back on a certain day, because the day/night before was when all of the stockers got their hours.)
    Most of the time, it's the managers working far above 40 hours a week (Paid salary, so they're not seeing any extra money past those 40) that actually keep the store functioning as well as they possibly can.
    For those of you who DO shop at these stores (and I cannot stress this enough) please, please, please check the expiration dates. We would only have 5 hours to restock a shelf, rotate all the products, and pack our own carts. With all of the things we would have to do, we'd be lucky to get 3 hours of actual stocking time. Leading to products being out of date on the shelves due to us not being able to get to them, or simply not having the time to look everything over in our singular section. I'm not saying everything in the store is out of date, but typically Dollar Tree buys cheaply because products are closer to the end of their shelf life, or they're lower quality/quantity.

    • @kingbenjai2685
      @kingbenjai2685 23 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +15

      Not to rag on you at all here. But the fact that it is likely they are selling expired product should be criminal.

    • @k8g8s8
      @k8g8s8 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      ​@@kingbenjai2685Yeah they mistreat their employees, so it's not their fault as much as it's the fault of the company.

    • @ScathyPlays
      @ScathyPlays 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +6

      @kingbenjai2685 I wouldn't see it as ragging on me at all. Fact is because of how little we could get out in our short weeks, a lot of the food has to be non-perishable. But I've seen then have to toss plenty for that reason.

    • @surgeonnamedbub3510
      @surgeonnamedbub3510 20 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @@kingbenjai2685 I've worked for Walmart, Meijer, and Spartan Nash. All three companies will tell you during training and in all written materials/correspondence that every employee *must* rotate product when stocking, following FIFO protocols (first in, first out). However, in practice, every single one of my managers stopped me from rotating when they saw me doing it. The common sentiment these managers used every time was "products fly off the shelf too fast for it to matter / as soon as we run a sale on these items, the shelves will be empty / these products have an expiration date two years out" etc.
      I should note that despite managers saying they'd only do this for nonperishables like canned or dried foods, underpaid and overworked employees applied that same lackadaisical attitude toward fresh products also. Can't even tell you how many times I saw someone putting lunch meat or dairy products in the cooler by simply shoving the older product to the back and putting the new load in front of it. Next time you stop into a Walmart, if you want to get grossed out, look toward the back of those cheese/lunchmeat coolers and see how much rotten stuff is back there, forgotten and ignored. It's a lot.
      They say these things during your shift but of course they would never put any of this in writing because they would face actual repercussions for not following food safety protocols. I ignore them when they tell me not to rotate, because it's the right thing to do and I'm not getting paid more by cutting corners. I'm not getting out early, either, so I'm going to continue doing it the correct way despite the fact that it pisses off my bosses. Just typing that out sounds insane but this is my experience in grocery across all three companies. It's unreal, man. Getting yelled at for doing the job correctly...
      I'd be willing to bet this isn't just happening in my local area either. It's probably (hopefully) less of an issue at small, locally-owned grocers... assuming there are any left. Big Box Grocery is pretty much all we have in my area.
      I agree. It should be criminal, and companies should be held responsible since it's up to them to provide the employee with enough time and resources to do the job correctly. These problems aren't going to be fixed until we start holding the corporate overlords accountable.

    • @orbitingpluto3213
      @orbitingpluto3213 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      ​@kingbenjai2685 fun fact, best buy dates are entirely optional, largely meaningless, and unregulated. Actual expiration dates are highly regulated and limited to items such as milk, eggs, dairy, baby formula, etc. Selling expired food is illegal. Selling food that is past it's best buy date is not.

  • @TheSunnyOne
    @TheSunnyOne วันที่ผ่านมา +476

    There was a time in my mid-twenties where a partner and I at the time were almost totally broke and had to spend ~6 weeks of summer living off of a giant bag of pasta and a cheap block of cheese. Tasted great at first, but we hated it by the 2nd week.
    Also spent the last week before payday eating crackers & mayonnaise once.
    I truly feel sorry for anybody put into similar positions, food deserts are awful and the hiking of prices is literally leaving people starving.
    Thanks for this video.

    • @FormerRuling
      @FormerRuling วันที่ผ่านมา +24

      This took me back. As a teen there was one time I remember for like 3 days all I ate was a box of saltine crackers. Its also surprising how many different preparations you can do with just white loaf bread and cheese.

    • @dirtpounder
      @dirtpounder วันที่ผ่านมา +11

      @@FormerRuling the wonders of a $50 monthly budget...

    • @notebeans3134
      @notebeans3134 21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +11

      yeah, fuck. i'm not in a food desert or even well and truly broke right now, but one of my jobs stopped giving me hours last month which means I don't have the extra to buy groceries. been surviving off my college's food pantry and the generosity of friends. i have plenty of food to eat right now, but it's still hard to figure things out sometimes when I'm too tired/ill too cook (got several chronic illnesses) and it truly is exhausting.
      you can kinda tell what my life has been like, that i consider "money to buy groceries" an 'extra' right now. i have 34 food allergies and almost everything i eat makes me sick, but that would be true even if i was buying my own groceries because in order to avoid my allergens my grocery budget would have to be over $400 - 500 a month. it's $150 - 200 a month, and only when my second job actually gives me hours.

    • @c1h2r3i4s56987
      @c1h2r3i4s56987 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +3

      Hey man the mayo sandwiches I've been eating ain't half bad kinda want some mayo crackers now 😅

    • @lainiwakura1776
      @lainiwakura1776 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      @@notebeans3134 You should just try to have a meal prep day or just make extra of what you're making already and toss the leftovers in the freezer or fridge (eat within the week if in the fridge) for those days you're too tired.

  • @NateTheMeh
    @NateTheMeh 15 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +14

    Another one for the best hits!! Showing the scam of dollar stores makes it even more upsetting when you see just how aggressively they try to corner lower income areas. Food deserts break my heart, used to work for a conservation nonprofit that targeted food deserts in AL. One of our biggest programs was developing and supporting community gardens while equipping the communities with the resources and knowledge to utilize it.
    Since you showed there are better deals to be had at Walmart, maybe you could explore just how healthy you can eat on a similar budget.
    Keep up the great work, Zack!

  • @izukukageyama7552
    @izukukageyama7552 13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +5

    4:41 The quiet giggle behind the camera was so wholesome

  • @icameheretolaughatyou774
    @icameheretolaughatyou774 วันที่ผ่านมา +490

    zackary and Eddy Burback uploaded videos within 24 hours with each other was the best great gift for the holiday

    • @CrimsonRequiem1
      @CrimsonRequiem1 วันที่ผ่านมา +8

      haha same, I just finished Eddy's video

    • @JacksonBeeves
      @JacksonBeeves วันที่ผ่านมา +5

      I'm going to go watch Eddy's video after I finish this one!

    • @lens_hunter
      @lens_hunter 21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Eddy's vid is great.

    • @Lyney_Baby
      @Lyney_Baby 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Why do people care so much for the holidays?

    • @quadzilla7572
      @quadzilla7572 14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Eddie sucks, his forced haha I'm cringe humor isn't for me. 10 minutes in the video he's standing in front of the restaurant saying "does it look like I'm holding it up" is that supposed to be funny?

  • @Alex-cw3rz
    @Alex-cw3rz วันที่ผ่านมา +209

    Additionally because most of the money apart from employee pay is taken out of the local economy meaning there is no velocity of money. I.e. you have $1 you give that to a baker, who uses that dollar to get more flour and it goes on and on. This is a very recent phenomenon due to the proliferation of national and international chains. There were places in the USA in the late 1800s early 1900s where $1 would stay in the local economy for an average of a year and ciculate 25 times. In low income neighbourhoods today 1 dollar stays in the lcoal economy 32 minutes and does not circulate once. It just goes to national and multinationals.

    • @kyle_mk17
      @kyle_mk17 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Fuck

    • @notebeans3134
      @notebeans3134 21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +6

      may i ask where that statistic on a dollar staying in the local economy only 32 minutes comes from? I'm curious about that and I'd love to read more about it

    • @Fazmukadar
      @Fazmukadar 18 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

      Give me a link to the journal

    • @SprinkledFox
      @SprinkledFox 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

      Source please! I'd love to read more about this!

    • @kyle_mk17
      @kyle_mk17 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Source please

  • @Gimmick_
    @Gimmick_ วันที่ผ่านมา +154

    30:00 - You notice how it says Guacamole-style dip? That's probably a surefire sign that it's not even remotely close to guacamole.

    • @dappuruduck
      @dappuruduck 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +6

      Probably not real avocado, since avocado is really expensive

    • @dopaminedrought395
      @dopaminedrought395 19 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +22

      it's not. I paused to read the ingredients.
      it's basically some tomato sauce and then vegetable oil and whatever else it needed to get the consistency close to the real deal and make it stable. it has flavoring and color, ofc, and a teeny tiny bit of dried avocado dust.
      the ingredients that sound unfamiliar are stabilizers, basically to ensure it doesn't change color, taste, consistency and nutritional value until the best by date.
      So it's vegetable oil disguised as mashed avocado

    • @lainiwakura1776
      @lainiwakura1776 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @@dappuruduck Not if you're closer to the southern border.

    • @BrandonDenny-we1rw
      @BrandonDenny-we1rw 14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      ​@@lainiwakura1776 I live in Montana and Avocados are a $1 each.

  • @fattysenpai749
    @fattysenpai749 7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +7

    Fun fact! The Toast ‘Ems actually came out before Poptarts!

  • @AnnaReed42
    @AnnaReed42 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +40

    As a lover of Vienna sausages, I think if you'd bought the original instead of the chicken, they could have easily been a 2/10.

    • @reda-exe
      @reda-exe 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

      LOL! love your humor 😂

    • @John-bi1lv
      @John-bi1lv 9 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      All of them are nasty I would gladly go hungry before I eat those nasty things

    • @Bakerboyz19
      @Bakerboyz19 6 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      I call bs. 😂 Those little sausages have to be put on saltine crackers and is a meal for a king. We even made Vienna sausages and mustard sandwiches on white bread. 7/10 all day. Oh yeah and also have to drain them and rinse with water in the can.

    • @plutoyoon
      @plutoyoon 6 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

      or if he drained it at least. my sister rinses them too. but, vienna sausages are definitely an acquired taste

    • @yummymommy2275
      @yummymommy2275 3 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Drain then eat with hot sauce and/or mustard, with crackers 😋

  • @CC-vv2ne
    @CC-vv2ne วันที่ผ่านมา +187

    As a European its so weird to see how US still doesn't have mandatory price per weight of contents on all product labels.
    Its so useful for people, you can easily follow your costs of shopping and especially between different brands who try to fool people with packaging.

    • @gpzeke908
      @gpzeke908 วันที่ผ่านมา +31

      Do you want to know something whack? As a kid (home schooled for 3 years of that, this game starting between then) it was a game where I would calculate the price per weight when selecting goods off the shelf to find the best deal. At the checkout, I would provide my mother with the total, including tax (calculated in my head, and no we don't include the tax in the sticker
      price). If I was right, I'd get to pick a candy bar for the trip. It's no shock us americans suck at cost evaluation, everything is so obfuscated.

    • @JessicaFEREM
      @JessicaFEREM วันที่ผ่านมา +14

      walmart and amazon's online website both have this feature and it's so handy.

    • @Zomana9
      @Zomana9 วันที่ผ่านมา +10

      At least where I'm from, it does have them on the price, but not the product itself. Not sure if it varies by state law though

    • @Dyanosis
      @Dyanosis วันที่ผ่านมา +15

      As an American, it's weird that all of you individual countries still aren't your own union yet you continue to compare your little countries to a country whose states could swallow yours and still have room. Weird.

    • @TreesPlease42
      @TreesPlease42 วันที่ผ่านมา +9

      A dark pattern is how Costco will have two items next to each other, one showing price per kilogram and the other price per 100 grams

  • @jahx8148
    @jahx8148 วันที่ผ่านมา +185

    You’re probably not going to see this but you’re one of my favorite content creators and your videos feel so real and genuine content like this now a days feels really rare so every time you upload I’m immediately watching

    • @ZackarySmigel
      @ZackarySmigel  วันที่ผ่านมา +40

      That means a lot, thanks for watching!

    • @Marcuskwok-hn5yi
      @Marcuskwok-hn5yi วันที่ผ่านมา +11

      he saw it

    • @thepantsarehidden
      @thepantsarehidden วันที่ผ่านมา

      Nah​@@Marcuskwok-hn5yi

    • @auby1212
      @auby1212 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +3

      he did, in fact, see it

  • @AnonymousJohnAutobon
    @AnonymousJohnAutobon วันที่ผ่านมา +127

    As someone who grew up really poor, I recognized a lot of brands in this video, like Hunts sauce and Tony's frozen pizza.
    The secret to Hunts sauce is you need to get either the herb or original flavor (not meat), add white sugar, oregano, and a little garlic powder, then cook it down for a few minutes.

    • @AnonymousJohnAutobon
      @AnonymousJohnAutobon วันที่ผ่านมา +17

      Also, you want to fry those Vienna sausages by rolling them around in a hot frying pan to make them less mushy

    • @Dyanosis
      @Dyanosis วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      @@AnonymousJohnAutobon Putting something in a "frying" pan doesn't mean you "fried it". Frying involves oil. All you did was pan sear.

    • @sonicSnap
      @sonicSnap วันที่ผ่านมา +7

      as someone who really likes hunts sauce i'll try this :) thanks for the tip

    • @Weston-Riley-88
      @Weston-Riley-88 วันที่ผ่านมา +8

      @@AnonymousJohnAutobon dude I love Tony’s pizza for a cheap quick snack and I add olive oil on top and Italian seasoning . It’s good!

    • @shawgeasland2096
      @shawgeasland2096 21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +24

      ​@@Dyanosisso technical.... You obviously understood without expectations...

  • @masonblair3182
    @masonblair3182 29 นาทีที่ผ่านมา +1

    There was a period of about 2 years in my life where I literally survived solely off Dollar Tree food because I couldn’t afford anything else at the time.
    I would get a box of toaster pastries, a loaf of bread, bologna, sketchy cheese slices, chips, then like 6 cans of soup for dinner.
    I remember finding a $5 bill getting out of my clunker car and got excited that I could get 5 more things lol.
    I’m doing much better now, and look back on those more unfortunate times with a humbling appreciation for what I’ve got now.

  • @lainiwakura1776
    @lainiwakura1776 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +17

    Dollar General and Family Dollar are NOT dollar stores. Only Dollar Tree is the true dollar store (they've taken all the 99 Cent Only store spots where I live).
    Imperial is NOT butter, it's made from oils, so it's closer to Crisco, but disguised as butter.

  • @TheMFYeti
    @TheMFYeti วันที่ผ่านมา +57

    "I did not like the shrimp"
    Bro cooked those shrimp to pure rubber status, for sure. I never thought I'd feel bad for dollar store shrimp, but damn.

  • @straphyr
    @straphyr วันที่ผ่านมา +82

    **says he has to be careful with the frozen pizzas to stay in budget**
    idk, if we pretend it's healthy and ignore his decisions and rules, 25 frozen pizzas would likely last 10 days

    • @BlushinGun
      @BlushinGun 10 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +5

      That's 2.5 pizzas a day. Each pizza is 1,360 calories. So that gives you 3,400 calories a day for 10 days.

    • @JoshuaClark211
      @JoshuaClark211 9 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      ⁠​⁠@@BlushinGunthanks for doing the math on the calories. Protein shakes and frozen pizza 3 times a day to bulk. Done deal

  • @HyrulianArcher
    @HyrulianArcher วันที่ผ่านมา +85

    Fun fact. Toast Em's actually came out before Poptarts so they are technically the off brand.

    • @War7123
      @War7123 วันที่ผ่านมา +6

      Actually while toastums came out commercially first, Pop-Tarts (or what would later be known as Pop-Tarts) we're being tested and shown off to see public responses before to see if it's a sellable product and the toastums designed a copycat before they did a full release

    • @Raddish-Is-Radd
      @Raddish-Is-Radd วันที่ผ่านมา +15

      ​​@@War7123That's super wrong and actually sorta the opposite.
      Post(Toast'em) actually announced their product first which was originally called Country Squares but Kellogg (Pop-Tart) rushed out their product before Post made theirs and thrived. Post basically got left in the dust because of this, and sold their idea to another company later on when their product wasn't selling well.
      TLDR, Pop-Tart's are the copy and Toast'em up's aren't as they were announced earlier.

    • @Bai-Hui
      @Bai-Hui 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      You guys are forgetting Vanilla Jump-Ups which actually preceded both!

  • @Xxdix_sysxx
    @Xxdix_sysxx 13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

    I really appreciate the maturity you approached this challenge with. As someone who had no access financially to better grocery stores and very little public programs in my area as a child, a lot of my family's groceries were purchased at Dollar Tree when we could afford to, and seeing someone take this seriously and use it as a way to reflect was something I really needed today. I was already looking back on my childhood today in reference to the lack of public resources in my (multiple) hometowns, and I ABSOLUTELY appreciate you shining light on how it can affect local economies. Thank you, and uhh gained subscriber 👍

  • @jwcarlson
    @jwcarlson 13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +9

    That shrimp was so overcooked that you might end up getting sued by their grandshrimp.

  • @Detoxpain
    @Detoxpain วันที่ผ่านมา +79

    For future reference, shrimp cooks very quickly. If you're doing a stir fry style, you're better off removing the peels and cooking them raw in the pan instead of boiling them first so they don't get overdone and turn hard and rubbery.

  • @WinterWind
    @WinterWind วันที่ผ่านมา +108

    Rebecca from Dollar Tree Dinners has an excellent channel which informs about the options for living off this kind of food. I'm not from the US but her videos are so interesting to me. Your video is the other side of that

    • @nibblitman
      @nibblitman วันที่ผ่านมา +7

      It is really interesting because I have never seen food in the dollar stores. I have Dollar tree and Dollar General around where I live but the most food I have seen are snacks and pop, one has a small freezer with ice cream.

    • @lilcotorro
      @lilcotorro วันที่ผ่านมา +4

      ​@@nibblitman The one near my home sells canned and frozen foods, but I never really tried them

    • @nibblitman
      @nibblitman วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      @@lilcotorro I mean canned food is canned food generally as long as it isn’t expired it will probably be, fine but not great.

    • @lainiwakura1776
      @lainiwakura1776 15 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      I used to watch Frugal Fit Mom on here and she's good too.

    • @audreysavard3248
      @audreysavard3248 7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      I was about to day her name. She is so sweet and imaginative. She look to make healty meals.

  • @q0rpz368
    @q0rpz368 วันที่ผ่านมา +75

    The dedication of not even using salt he didn't buy during the challenge is reason enough for Zach's deserving more subs! 🙌😭💕

    • @joannaskoch7655
      @joannaskoch7655 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

      But everything else had so much salt he probably saved his heart from exploding

  • @BradMakula
    @BradMakula 14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +5

    Man, I'm hesitant to listen to the algorithm because there's so much garbage peddling here but I'm glad I checked this out. What a respectful video and really entertaining. I can't wait to go check out more of your videos!

    • @rainwhenidie666
      @rainwhenidie666 2 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Same. If I didnt listen to the first 10 seconds I would have passed. Initially I thought oh swell another baffoon yter trying to belittle the poor folks by pretending to want to understand and relate to my people who have to live this on a daily basis. Most of these types of videos just piss me off. He seemed to at least have a direction and had good intentions.

  • @PlantMan5823
    @PlantMan5823 9 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +5

    If anyone goes to Dollar Tree and they have a freezer with Speedway brand frozen sandwiches- that’s the exact same food I got as school lunch in high school.

  • @FuzBrain
    @FuzBrain วันที่ผ่านมา +47

    Watching you eat the food it pretty funny, because you're getting grossed out by stuff that was just my basic diet growing up and even some of our treats lmao. Vienna weenies are good imo, we'd get them when we had a little bit extra money and wanted something salty. Thank you for the video!

    • @sonicSnap
      @sonicSnap วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      this!

    • @TWNTY7EVEN-mj7dp
      @TWNTY7EVEN-mj7dp 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +9

      Dude bougie as hell lol

    • @bernadettelovespie4734
      @bernadettelovespie4734 2 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      I grew up on Hunts pasta sauce, Vienna sausage and potted meat. Hunts was pretty much what was available (or that is all mom would buy because she liked it) until Ragu was more at the forefront and we finally convinced mom to go with Ragu. Dad always liked Vienna sausages and potted meat as a snack. I liked them too. I remember the canned deviled chicken salad and ham salad which I loved as a kid (now not so much). 🙂

  • @mrzozelowh
    @mrzozelowh วันที่ผ่านมา +17

    This makes me incredibly thankful that I lived near a Grocery Outlet through my University days. While they don't always have a consistent stock, I could always get cheaper fruits/veggies on my stingy budget (and sometimes some really good stuff too). Having to live with going to a worse version of that, with mostly highly processed crap, sounds awful.

  • @milligoree
    @milligoree 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +14

    I really like these kind of videos that you do, which focus on elements of life in the US Heartland. You take things to the a degree that's wacky for most, though many are forced or choose to live that way too, and you manage to do it all in a way that's respectful of everybody and takes things seriously.

  • @peterpaoletta9091
    @peterpaoletta9091 14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +5

    The narrative pacing on your video essays are masterwork, can't wait for the next one!

  • @ItsJustMe0585
    @ItsJustMe0585 8 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

    Herring is the fishiest of all fish, I'm pretty sure... I love it, personally, but I can understand anyone else saying it's not good. Props to you for having the balls to give it a shot. :)

  • @trainer_nikki
    @trainer_nikki วันที่ผ่านมา +21

    really appreciate how you balance a fun "challenge" with real facts and a throughput narrative that tells a larger story

  • @MrBaskins2010
    @MrBaskins2010 วันที่ผ่านมา +7

    THAT BABY BOY JOKE at 3:34 made my whole day worth it. watching this video at 5am when i should be heading to work

  • @seanking4351
    @seanking4351 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +26

    As a hispanic, it is very common to toast tortillas on an open flame and usually that just means the stove. Its also done with banana leaves as prep for certain dishes

    • @SleepLessThan3
      @SleepLessThan3 8 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Same with dried cuttlefish for me

  • @hsiaying3161
    @hsiaying3161 11 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

    Another amazing video, Zackary! I was so excited when I saw you posted. Your eating challenge videos are always so entertaining and informative! I've watched tons of eating challenge videos on TH-cam, and by far yours is the best - entertaining, informative, poses great questions that then get answered and is food for thought! Watching other eating challenges that only test if it's possible to do so (which like, 100% of the time obviously is) feels empty because I don't walk away with the same educational value I get from your videos. I very much enjoy all the talk about prices and how you budget your money (very relatable for viewers who don't have that much to spend and would like to save up), how you FEEL after eating those meals (never thought much about how my food affects my mental health + no other youtuber I've seen does this which I think is so important. Anyone can eat frozen pizzas for 30 days straight but I want to know how it affects my health) and trying to stay healthy while having a diet like this! Very much enjoy how you approach these challenges. Please keep making these videos (but prioritise your health)! I've seen most of yours thrice now haha

  • @BudJr
    @BudJr 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +18

    10 days? I’ve literally survived off of dollar store food my whole life.

    • @sweetpoison.420
      @sweetpoison.420 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

      27 years*

    • @rainwhenidie666
      @rainwhenidie666 2 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Most of the stuff not branded by the dollar stores themselves are in my local grocery store. The bigger branded company foods are more than fine. I can see a problem with the businesses but at the same time if I only have 2 dollars for ex and a tiny sized shyte and withit is all I can afford Im going to the dollar store with a pep in my step. That overpriced smaller portion is still better than nothing. Some people just wont understand until they have a few spare quarters to eat off.

  • @dewyeyed
    @dewyeyed วันที่ผ่านมา +14

    Your videos are always so thorough and informative but still funny and entertaining. I imagine a great deal of work goes into creating them, especially the longer ones. Just want to say good job, and keep it up! Your videos are a diamond in the rough.

  • @aaronbryanlopez3155
    @aaronbryanlopez3155 วันที่ผ่านมา +22

    The RuneScape music selection during the video sounded really fun!
    Thanks for this very informative video

    • @Alexa-Raine
      @Alexa-Raine 3 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Did he just steal it, or...?

  • @q0rpz368
    @q0rpz368 วันที่ผ่านมา +15

    Love the mention of this being a documentary now I get to feel productive for watching a man eat potentially questionable, cheap foods for nearly an hour. Your video essays were a GOATED find this year, I hope you become full time in 2025! 🙌💕

  • @jujujj63
    @jujujj63 11 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

    I shop at DT when I absolutely avoid busy big stores. Especially for quick items. You can find some good bargains on storage baskets and household items. 💚

  • @Blandco
    @Blandco วันที่ผ่านมา +28

    YES! The Dollar Tree used to be the best store for tabletop crafting. You are brave for trying this. Sometimes I go into the local dollar tree and the shelves are empty. Other stores nearby have interesting items that are heavily discounted. It's a toss up!

    • @Blandco
      @Blandco วันที่ผ่านมา

      Dang. He is learning the harsh lesson of Hunts sauce.

    • @sonicSnap
      @sonicSnap วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      @@Blandco is it being bad a common thing? it's THE sauce in my household, if you see hunt's in the cabinet you know someone's gonna make some banger spaghetti that week

    • @Blandco
      @Blandco 18 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      ​@@sonicSnap I haven't had hunt's sauce over a decade so I have no idea if they improved or not. Back in the day there were better options. Nowadays I can always find sauce on sale or clearance.

  • @sonicSnap
    @sonicSnap วันที่ผ่านมา +10

    as someone with 2 cans of that exact flavour of hunt's in my cabinet right now (it's the best i've ever had so maybe i'm insane). this video hit rlly hard, i wasn't expecting to see this many brands that i recognize and also to realize how similar dollar general (my main grocery store for years) and dollar tree are. loved the challenge and loved the commentary alongside it :) you've definitely earned another subscriber

  • @Cyberb21
    @Cyberb21 วันที่ผ่านมา +97

    DUDE the vienna sausages ur supposed to remove the excess water that's in the can before eating them I used to eat them back to back when I was a child they are sooo good

    • @kungfubrandon6886
      @kungfubrandon6886 วันที่ผ่านมา

      So good

    • @five_pennies
      @five_pennies วันที่ผ่านมา +13

      On saltines with hot sauce is the ultimate struggle meal

    • @heykalei
      @heykalei วันที่ผ่านมา +11

      And fry them in the pan too! Not really needed but it definitely helps

    • @joannaskoch7655
      @joannaskoch7655 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      Are you supposed to warm them I was wondering?

    • @theplaystationimmortal8805
      @theplaystationimmortal8805 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

      No, you’re supposed to open the can and throw everything in the trash

  • @EmpereurSolstice
    @EmpereurSolstice 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

    Brother, just wanted to say I love your videos. They've been a breath of fresh air for me, with your chill personality helping me with anxiety and stuff, keep up the good work man!

  • @LiterallyJustAMoon
    @LiterallyJustAMoon 4 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

    was just bawling my eyes out over a bunch of different things, this video helped me calm down and was very entertaining. if you can make a sad man stop crying you know your good at making videos. 10/10

  • @MasterEth
    @MasterEth วันที่ผ่านมา +24

    Ever since their quarter price increase in all their stores, I will say the quality of dollar tree has skyrocketed, ESPECIALLY if your dollar tree has a fridge/freezer section

    • @aSoldiersGirlieGirl
      @aSoldiersGirlieGirl วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I wouldn’t paint with such a broad brush. There are SIX Dollar Tree’s in my area and none are ever stocked nor free the sane things

  • @BrandanLee
    @BrandanLee วันที่ผ่านมา +59

    Next challenge is hard mode: Survive on food bank and food pantry for 31 straight days. No DES, they say you make too much, so you've gotta string it while working full time.

    • @CompComp
      @CompComp วันที่ผ่านมา +15

      I had to do this for two yrs straight. I accidentally got knocked up by my husband.
      I still have to do this here and there if the electric/water bill is higher than normal.

    • @dirtpounder
      @dirtpounder วันที่ผ่านมา +8

      Added factor: Tight Schedule
      you can only go after work, 1 hour before closing, being 1hr30m away, getting the leftovers nobody wanted

    • @kitkatrina1337
      @kitkatrina1337 วันที่ผ่านมา +27

      or maybe just buy food instead of potentially taking it from people who need it so you can make a youtube video

    • @dopaminedrought395
      @dopaminedrought395 19 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +6

      ​@@kitkatrina1337agreed. it would be a harder challenge, but unethical. Just because you can doesn't mean you should

    • @overbeb
      @overbeb 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +8

      @@dopaminedrought395 What if you were to make a donation that far outweighed any food you take during the challenge? You could also partner with the food pantry to basically do outreach for more donations/volunteers. There's definitely an ethical way to do it.

  • @dr.flinch6745
    @dr.flinch6745 15 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

    Although I approve of this video as a whole, Vienna sausage is a national treasure and they got me through some very rough years.

  • @Paranitis
    @Paranitis 6 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

    A lot of the value also comes from how often you are actually going to use the item. Like the tiny Mayo, looks outrageous when you can get a much larger container for a cheaper per-unit price. BUT if you don't actually use the larger Mayo before it goes bad, then you are just wasting money.
    I love buying larger things because I get tricked by the per-unit price all the time, and then I realize I don't actually desire to use that item all that much. Take strawberry preserves. I had 2 jars of it from different stores. I haven't used it in a while and forgot about it. I go today to use the one that had been opened (and used ONE TIME) and in the fridge, only to find mold growing on the top layer. Realized it expired last year. Then I went into the cupboard and found another one that I noticed expired FOUR YEARS AGO, but was still safety sealed since it had never been opened, and it was perfectly fine (I may die in the night). So I used it, and put it in the fridge to replace the one growing mold.
    Will I ever use that one again that I just used today? I honestly don't know. I just suddenly had the desire to have it today.
    So it doesn't surprise me that someone could see a tiny Mayo and think "this is just right for me, even if the per-unit price is higher". Honestly, I should probably buy the smaller things myself, because if I have a choice between $2 vs $4 for more than twice as much, but I end up using half as much as the smaller one, I just wasted $2 (or $3 really).

  • @Rebeyells
    @Rebeyells วันที่ผ่านมา +14

    23:29 you dont like overcooked shrimp 😂 people do not boil your shrimp. 4 mins on a good cast iron flip halfway through. Done

  • @actually_decent.
    @actually_decent. วันที่ผ่านมา +6

    this is a really good video explaining how dollar stores work and eating the food they sell so we can see the quality and stuff. subbed

  • @cosmiies
    @cosmiies วันที่ผ่านมา +15

    The goat returns with another banger of a video

  • @abdallahnoor7816
    @abdallahnoor7816 20 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +8

    Just want everyone to know that Zackary is prolly the inspiration for a lot of these surviving off (insert place) challenge videos lately which gradually have become a genre themselves on TH-cam WITH a major exception: He does them for informing the common man and presenting everything in such a thorough and sincere way, be it the research or his recipes, something that other YTbers don't necessarily do, and for that, I will always think of him as the guy who started this genre, the right way.. Bless up buddy, way to go :)

  • @mariajose1131
    @mariajose1131 4 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

    I know I'm bias but I feel like dollar store were better back in the day. Around 10 - 8 years ago all I could afford was the 99 cent store. I remember being excited when they started bringing in fresh produce. Once I got a better job and was able to afford bulk I switched so I see that bulk buying is cheaper. However back when I could only afford 20-30 bucks a week for food the 99cent store is the only way I could eat. When they announced they were closing the 99 cents stores I went one last time and teared up a couple times in the store. At the end of the day without it I would not have been able to survive. I will always feel gratitude toward the 99 cent store for that.

  • @nailflail5313
    @nailflail5313 วันที่ผ่านมา +19

    Always love seeing your content, keep it up

  • @GoodSet1000
    @GoodSet1000 วันที่ผ่านมา +23

    I found this super interesting because I used to work at Dollar Tree back when everything was actually $1. I would do my shopping here for trivial things like chips, pop, cups, plates, etc and get meat and fresh produce from walmart. It felt like I was saving 😂

  • @Sarah-hm2pe
    @Sarah-hm2pe วันที่ผ่านมา +8

    33:14 those are totally normal! The skin is always there, and sometimes even the "bones," all of which are definitely meant to be eaten!

    • @I_am_Maul
      @I_am_Maul วันที่ผ่านมา +6

      It was one of the more palatable things he tried and he acted like he was risking his life over that fish. Very silly

  • @zhaneranger
    @zhaneranger 18 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

    We don’t have dollar generals where I am, so when I came across one during a trip, I was excited to check them out. I was shocked. Nothing in there was a good deal and most things were way above a dollar. Sucks for people who aren’t great at budgeting or math or those who have no other choice.

  • @enhydralutra
    @enhydralutra 15 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

    Bulk pricing is such a luxury! I usually buy things in bulk from costco and I'll easily spending a thousand dollars on a trip. The up-front cost is just the first barrier, though. I then have to take time to store things, and have a place to store it. But for that effort, I can get items at unit prices that are half or more what you'd spend at a dollar store. So because I make enough money, I get to save even more money. Being poor is expensive.

    • @dollarstorevodka
      @dollarstorevodka 12 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Im sincerely curious what you buy in bulk that easily costs you $1000

  • @nanchoparty
    @nanchoparty วันที่ผ่านมา +18

    Imperial is margarine, not butter. Margarine is hygrogenated oil. Margarine isn't all that healthy, either.
    Sorry I'm making so many live comments. Hope these help you do numbers! XD

  • @benjitb2955
    @benjitb2955 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

    This is a pretty big ask, but I bet people would love your creativity in making these meals. You should maybe list them in the description along with their score. Thanks for the lovely vid nonetheless

  • @lady_leaf_in_the_wind
    @lady_leaf_in_the_wind วันที่ผ่านมา +8

    7:25 You say this meal wasn't that bad like it's completely impossible to make a meal from Dollar Tree ingredients. @TheWolfePit has an entire TH-cam channel devoted to recipes using cheap ingredients like this.

  • @TheWildSideOfShorts
    @TheWildSideOfShorts 15 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

    How the hell are you uploading so many master pieces in this span of time, almost to good to be true

  • @atomicgoblin
    @atomicgoblin 18 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

    The trick of cheap mac n cheese if you don't have milk or butter is to leave a little of the water in the pan so the cheese powder can dissolve. I grew up in extreme poverty and even had stretches of bad struggle times in my adulthood so I figured out that trick.

    • @reda-exe
      @reda-exe 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      yeah i was staring like just cuz u don't have milk doesn't mean you can't add water... just dissolve the powder and if it's too thin boil off the water till the texture is right 🥲

    • @Xachremos
      @Xachremos 3 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      I use water because its how i did it when i was poor growing up. Now i mianly do it because I never have milk on hand because i don't drink or use it for anything

  • @easeoff5375
    @easeoff5375 วันที่ผ่านมา +10

    LMFAO the reaction to kippers is understandable, but in my house that was a treat maybe 2 times a month.

    • @JohnRNewAccountNumber3
      @JohnRNewAccountNumber3 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

      I always have my cupboard stacked with em, sardines, mackerel, and tuna. Not because they're cheap, because they're delicious.

    • @k8g8s8
      @k8g8s8 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      ​@@JohnRNewAccountNumber3Have you tried the ones with oil and lighting them on fire? I haven't but with certain people it seems to be a trend.

    • @rodionraskolnikov3853
      @rodionraskolnikov3853 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      He seems like he just doesn’t like canned meat

    • @easeoff5375
      @easeoff5375 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @rodionraskolnikov3853 Vienna sausage should be cooked and added to a meal. Fish cans are normally eaten raw.

  • @3rdtimesacharm84
    @3rdtimesacharm84 วันที่ผ่านมา +10

    A major problem in general is the complete reliance on food being shipped in. We should encourage more small scale local farming.

    • @Dyanosis
      @Dyanosis วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      Not everywhere is fertile enough to be that way. That's the problem with America. That and where are you going to find the space in some of these areas to do that?

    • @Dyanosis
      @Dyanosis วันที่ผ่านมา +5

      Also "small scale farming" isn't going to work for 250k+ population cities.

    • @3rdtimesacharm84
      @3rdtimesacharm84 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      @@Dyanosis never said it would. Just because say encouraging people to eat healthier isn't going to solve obesity, should it not be a good thing? That type of thinking is just objectively stupid.

    • @brandon9172
      @brandon9172 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      Reliance on food imports is not the issue, poverty and unemployment are. That being said, having more local farming, particularly community/family gardens would be beneficial as a way to cut costs and increase nutritional intake.

    • @3rdtimesacharm84
      @3rdtimesacharm84 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      @@brandon9172 I don't know... I'm not sure the data supports that. I've lived in several very poor countries over the last 10 years and even in countries with extreme poverty and unemployment they do not have the same issues as food is generally available everywhere due to people not having transportation. Families are forced to grow and sell local fruits and veggies to survive (as things in stores are LITERALLY unaffordable). Even looking at the US many years ago, where poverty and unemployment were MORE common. Food was more easily obtainable to the average person. Why? Because more of the food was locally sourced. As mass transportation increased, farms became larger and less local. This is basic history.

  • @MrNicvdb
    @MrNicvdb วันที่ผ่านมา +5

    Became aware of this channel after Asmon reacted to a video. Must say I really enjoy the 'I'll be the experiment' approach to your content. Another 10/10.

  • @cutiepatoot9697
    @cutiepatoot9697 8 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

    Those Vienna sausages are a staple in Spanish households 😂 We usually cook them tho, put them in rice or fry them up for breakfast or something haha

  • @bartonfarnsworth7690
    @bartonfarnsworth7690 5 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Been loving your videos, not only the "stunts", but that you take the time to contextualize to their broader societal and cultural implications.
    ...also, LOVED that Ravens/Steelers game yesterday afternoon. Love from Baltimore

  • @Alex-cw3rz
    @Alex-cw3rz วันที่ผ่านมา +17

    It is quite an interesting fact about the square footage of these stores. In europe you would get supermarkets in those footprints. They are much more adaptable to the requirements of the town rather than the other way round.

  • @professionalaccount8012
    @professionalaccount8012 วันที่ผ่านมา +9

    Day 4: You have Failed the RV Camper Culinary Test.
    How Dare You eat the Vienna Raw, only to have Pasta and Sauce later you could have cooked it in??
    You ate the equivalent of "Cooked Dog Food" in a park- I haven't felt this rabid since 2016.
    Thank you for doing math for the Provalone Homies who know there is never too much garlic. This Food Desert makes me hallucinate better times.
    TL,DR:
    9/10 video

  • @h8ney
    @h8ney วันที่ผ่านมา +7

    finished finals week and got a new zackary upload, hell yess!!

  • @ratcanine4053
    @ratcanine4053 15 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

    Watching Zackary is so sureal bc unlike other youtubers he sems to live at most two hours away from me (probably less) based on the fact that in several videos hes talked about or showed areas I have been too 💀💀😭

  • @Sev017
    @Sev017 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    The quality of these videos of the 200k Sub channel is nuts. What a great watch. Keep it up man, doing interesting stuff here.

  • @deadgiiveaway
    @deadgiiveaway 21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +19

    Don’t blame Indonesia for your double cooked shrimp

  • @kennysteen2761
    @kennysteen2761 วันที่ผ่านมา +5

    i'm still young and pretty poor, but when i was college level poor, $100 for groceries in the span of ten days was a luxury. usually i'd have about $100-150 every two weeks for all my groceries and household needs + anything extra that wasn't my bills. i'm so happy to be where i'm at now and i'm anticipating more positive life and financial changes soon, but really i'm celebrating being just above that college line poor 😂

  • @guitaher01717
    @guitaher01717 วันที่ผ่านมา +8

    I love the low key runescape music. IYKYK. Great video. Thank you for creating!

  • @anniecarola
    @anniecarola 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

    You seem to be such a nice person! I'm so happy that you're succeeding here on TH-cam. I hope that your channel will grow even more next year! 🙌

  • @BarrettCharlebois
    @BarrettCharlebois 19 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +3

    23:20 that shot with the desk raising is really cool…maybe with some sound substitutions it could be a easy go to on the shot list (the motor sound was a bit distracting but the shot had a really cool angle/movement)

  • @eternalspitfire9064
    @eternalspitfire9064 วันที่ผ่านมา +6

    Bro made that thin crust Altoona-style pizza. Only folks who live in PA may get that. But man the American cheese on that killed me lmao. Great video. Love your content.

  • @victorbaird8220
    @victorbaird8220 วันที่ผ่านมา +15

    6:56 to skip the ad 😊

    • @Weston-Riley-88
      @Weston-Riley-88 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@victorbaird8220 why not support the channel doing a ad every once in awhile you know that’s how they survive, a commercial won’t kill you is my vibe. If he did a ton of ads that would be different . He doesn’t .

    • @victorbaird8220
      @victorbaird8220 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      @ 😮😢😭

    • @kaydog890
      @kaydog890 13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Plugin: SponsorBlock

    • @K_man217
      @K_man217 8 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      What a homie

  • @DarkElf-lr9nl
    @DarkElf-lr9nl วันที่ผ่านมา +9

    I stopped shopping in these stores due to the prices. Dollar General also has fake "sale" prices that do not ring out "sale." Compare. They do indeed are ripping off the poor. So happy you made this. More people need to know.

    • @daytonsouthall1137
      @daytonsouthall1137 8 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      It’s because you need to put in a phone number to get the deals. Other stores do this as well

  • @DornishPrincessGaming
    @DornishPrincessGaming 4 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    I've been living off a $20 / week grocery budget for 6 weeks now and Dollar Tree has been a life saver. Appreciate your tips because I have 2 more weeks to go!

  • @EarthGlobe-b8w
    @EarthGlobe-b8w 20 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

    As a Dollar Tree employee I just wanna say a few things.(Other Dollar Tree or Dollar Store employees. please feel free to add stuff in the comment section.
    1) No one who works there actually wants to be there we just don’t have have a better option at the moment.
    2) please be patient with the cashier for some reason even though the store I work at has 3 lines they expect me one single cashier to be able to check everyone out quickly. I will have a huge line of people. Why is it that way I don’t know.
    3) we are not a bank please don’t ask me for certain amounts of change. Don’t try to give me a big bill $100 or $50 for a total that’s a small amount ex. $2.37. Don’t be rude if I tell you that I can’t give you a certain amount of money for cash back. Why do people think that were a bank idk.

    • @EarthGlobe-b8w
      @EarthGlobe-b8w 19 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

      4) Please stop asking me why did they change everything from $1 to $1.25+ I’m just a employee that gets paid $9.25 customers will always ask me questions as if I own the company.

    • @Minivanmusician
      @Minivanmusician 19 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      That's probably because you offer Cash Back. But yes, employees are treated like crap.

    • @G0thCrayon
      @G0thCrayon 15 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

      "Why do people think we're a bank?"
      The error in your question is the inclusion of the word "think." People don't think, they wander and occasionally react to stuff -but that's the extent of it.

  • @yungpropane2129
    @yungpropane2129 วันที่ผ่านมา +11

    perfect video to watch while eating some sheetz

    • @larissatucker5345
      @larissatucker5345 วันที่ผ่านมา

      I was so excited when I saw my first Sheetz while on a road trip after seeing his Sheetz video lol