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Comment by selcuka | Hacker News Reader

> I watched the same thing happen at the grocery store earlier where a couple picked up a package of steaks, lamented that it was going to cost them X hours of work, and then threw them in the basket anyway.

What are they supposed to do? Meat is generally considered an inelastic good [1] unlike your concert example.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_elasticity_of_demand

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Meat is maybe non negotiable for some folks but surely steak can be subbed with a cheaper cut, different animal etc...

Also let's not judge the shoppers in the original comment. Maybe they wanted it for a special occasion which made it less optional.

Preface, I'm not a vegan or vegetarian. I also hunt and have killed and butchered animals for meat.

That people consider meat an inelastic good shows a cultural and commercial brainwashing. The idea that an individual or family could go without meat is practically heresy in the United States. Frankly, it's ridiculous and shows a fundamental lack of imagination and willingness to accept that reality doesn't guarantee anyone's ability to acquire cheap hamburger, chicken breasts, bacon, or any other meat.

Reality has done exactly that for decades in the US. What's so weird about people complaining that this is not continuing.

This is the long-form version of "eat ze bugs".

Eat chicken. Or ground beef. Or pork chops. Or any of the other meats that are cheaper than steak.

And lots of people do substitute; but the reality is that even steak is a small portion of most people’s expenses.

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