An exploratory power model analysis was conducted using data from Statistics Poland on 45 food products from 1999 to 2024. The data were deflated and divided into nine categories. Price sensitivity indices (quasi-elasticities) were then analysed for both individual categories and individual products. The results show that staple foods (including pasta, meat, and dairy) exhibit negative price sensitivity indices, which could indicate forced quasi-substitution with cheaper calorie sources, while products such as fats, confectionery, and fish exhibit positive price sensitivity indices. The definition of survival economy was proposed to describe the mechanism by which those most impoverished do not engage in substitution in the classical sense but eliminate products from the minimum basket.