Paying for the privilege of not eating

I was in Whole Foods the other day (I know, *rolls eyes @ overpriced food*), and I heard this #FirstWorldProblems conversation:

Woman 1: Is this what you were talking about?

Woman 2: Yes! Agar agar flakes. This stuff is GREAT for when you’re fasting. It totally cleanses you out.

Note: It’s a type of gelatin, used to thicken things.

Woman 1: So you eat it?

Woman 2: Yeah, to feel full while you’re fasting and it totally cleans you out.

Woman 1: Hmm interesting! I’ll buy some. How much do you eat?

Woman 2: A pack or two per “meal” as you’re fasting. You can do a juice cleanse too.

$720 A MONTH TO NOT EAT

I checked the prices before I left and it was $8 for a small pack, so assuming one pack a ‘meal’, you’re looking at $24 a day plus taxes. $24 a day plus taxes, for the privilege of NOT eating food. That works out to $720/month (plus taxes) to NOT eat.

I spend about $200 – $400 (maximum) a month for eating organic and/or fancy foods, and a LOT of it. I can’t imagine spending $720 on non-food items!

I THOUGHT A FAST MEANT YOU DIDN’T EAT = FREE!?

I thought the whole point of a fast was not to eat… at all, and this a great result of that, would be that you don’t spend any money on food… right?

Instead, it’s probably costing MORE money to do a fast, than to just eat less or only veggies/fruit. It also made me think of other programs that celebrities check into to get fit and lose weight, charge you exorbitant amounts of money to NOT feed you anything but boiled carrots and cabbage.

And to think there are people out there in the world who aren’t fasting (read: starving) by choice. I don’t know about you, but I’d probably start eating table legs and chewing through doors if I tried to go on a self-imposed fast or cleanse.

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