When people complain that groceries are unaffordable but they're buying beef and name brand.

Like bro, groceries are not unaffordable, you are unaffordable. I saw recently on r/frugal a type of post I've seen on there before: someone wondering what they're doing wrong with their grocery budget when they're buying steaks, fish, out of season fruits, name brand everything. Or people will post something like: "this is what $100 of groceries gets you in 2026" and it's only like 8 items, but those items are free range organic chicken breast and Oreos.

Get yourself some rice and beans, potatoes, peanut butter, cheap veggies (frozen is great too depending on the vegetable), and stop acting like Safeway is out to get you because steak and chocolate is expensive. It's not these are essential foods either--there's plenty of healthy alternatives.

If you really need meat, you can get like 7 or 8 chicken drumsticks for 5 bucks. Pork is a great option, too.

Relatedly: people will say "well just because you're poor doesn't mean you don't deserve steak too." Yes. As someone who cannot afford expensive meats every day, that is exactly what it means.