Half of Petalumans are spending less on groceries these days, but the other half say they are not, according to the results of the Argus-Courier’s online poll March 5, 2009.
Asked if they know people who are struggling to put food on their table, less than half (44.8 percent) said yes, while 55.2 percent said no.
Only one person responded affirmatively when asked if they are turning to resources in the community like the Petaluma Kitchen, the Salvation Army and food pantries for assistance with food for their household.
More than half (56.9 percent) said they have made a contribution to help those in the community who are having trouble putting food on their table, while 43.1 percent said they have not.
Here are some of the comments from those who responded to the survey:
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“I encourage eating at home, rather than taking my son to a hamburger place when he gets out of school or back from sports practice. Going out to a restaurant to eat is done less frequently, so when our family does go out it is appreciated more.”
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“I have gone back to clipping coupons and reading ads.”
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“Last week, water. This week, food. Pretty much the necessities of survival. We have the people who care and the institutions that can manage, but we need the money, largesse and volunteer time to keep our community from unraveling. We can’t just tell the victims of this downturn that they’re out of luck. We need to support the most fragile and those the least able to help themselves.”
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“All that you have to do is look at the increased business these days at Grocery Outlet for your answer.”
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“Coupons and other discounts are now dictating buying decisions in many instances.”
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“I shop Grocery Outlet because I save at least 50 percent on the price of the same item at other stores.”
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“We were surprised to see that the restaurants on Petaluma Boulevard were packed and we lost our table when we were five minutes late. That shows that people are eating at these wonderful establishments despite the economy. Petaluma is a dining mecca. It is great to hear that families are going back to the basics and eating at home. Swapping crockpot recipes and using seasonal produce. Brownbag lunches are fashionable.”
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“I am paying more for less in grocery stores.”
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“Thank God for the Grocery Outlet!”
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“I shop out of town for my basic goods to get more value, and also eat out of town while I shop.”
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“We are limiting our eating out to locally owned restaurants.”
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“Our winter garden still provides us with plenty of vegetables. We have increased contributions to community-based organizations to help others.”
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“I’m planting a garden for the first time in 10 years.”
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“Yummy food salad, pasta, chicken … home made.”