If you read the thread about Ted Kulongoski, governor of Oregon, and how he shopped for a week on $21 worth of food stamps, maybe you've already thought about this. Eating on $3 a day doesn't sound like such a hard thing to do, but prices are going up, and different areas have different prices. 

From what I saw of the original article (linked in the thread above), prices in Oregon are only slightly higher than they are here, yet I can comfortably eat on $21 a week by myself - a one person household. The Challenge: Can you?

Read this, look at her list and make your own or come up with your own ideas. $3 a day is not an impossible goal, but I think we can be more creative than this woman.  

http://www.opb.org/townsquare/articles/2007/04/25/whats-the-governor-eating-this-week#comments 

To clarify this, let's say that we have the basics on hand: Flour, sugar, salt, spices, coffee and/or tea. What would you buy if you had $21 for the next week and you were out of everything else? Let's pretend it's just for you. If you have a family, pretend that they've gone away for the week.

Here's my list, rounding of prices for simplicity:

• ground beef: $2.00 (1 lb)
  
• chicken        $3.50 (whole)
  
• rye bread     $1.50
• tomato          $1.00
• lettuce          $1.50
• potatoes       $2.00 (5 lbs)
  
• frozen corn      .75 (1lb)
  
• frozen veg mix  .75  (1lb)
  
• eggs             $1.00
• butter            $1.50 (1/2 lb)
  
• milk               $2.00 (quart)
• fruit               $3.00 (in season: apples, oranges, grapes, etc.)
  

If my math is right, that's $20.50 The ground beef will make at least three day's worth of meals and the chicken will make up the rest. There would be butter, bread and probably potatoes left over.

Do one better!

 

 

 

I can't. Not and have a healthy diet. Her list isn't too bad, but yours looks tastier to me!

It got me thinking, though. I usually spend around $50 a week for two of us, so I'm not that far off, but I could probably cut that back and not notice it too much.

This is an easy challenge for me.  a typical day = about $3 if I haven't gotten a really awesome sale on something.  I don't eat meat or dairy, though I do eat fish if it's cheap, and I try to eat my veggies and fruit.  I doubt very many people have healthier diets than I do.  I am working/studying from 12-14 hours a day so I need stamina and you don't get that from eating crap.  I also take additional calcium and a multivitamin like everyone should but i don't calculate that in my food bill.  I recently got a bone density test and the doctor told me she's never seen anyone with zero signs of osteoporosis at my age.  yes!

Here's a sample menu for me but obviously I vary depending on what's on sale.  I have actually way overestimated the prices here because I didn't want to seem too optimistic.  For instance, I know the rice and veggies only cost me 30 cents a serving because I always get it on sale or with coupon if frozen.  also, during the summer months, I get a lot of veggies from the garden, which even after factoring in water and natural fertilizer are less than 50 cents a pound for me.

 

breakfast is organic oatmeal  = about 10 cents a serving.   i eat this for breakfast every day with some water and a calcium citrate tablet.

snack is 1 large banana (25 cents)  sometimes i eat a steamed sweet potato if they're .29 a pound.

lunch is 1 cup brown rice with steamed broccoli or other veggie.  about 10 cents for the rice and 85 for whatever cheap veggie is avail.  sometimes I add a couple slices of tofu for about 25 cents.

snack is  2=4 organic fig bars  (bought at outlet for 99cents a package = roughly 6 servings a package so 16 cents a serving. with tea (about 10 cents for 3 cups)

dinner is 4 oz mackerel or other sale fish (50 cents) + about 1 cup rice and veggies (95) 

 

Okay, So I know this isn't very healthy, but hey im a collage student what can I say.

I get free range eggs from my chickens, (Does that count?) I have that for brakefast along with Toast, .99 a bag.
(This is between my significant other and I)
For lunch we will have either Cup of noodles, which are 3 for a 1.00 or we will have mac n cheese, 10 boxes for .28 which is
2.82.
Then for lunch we have TV dinners 10 for 10 - 10.00
And a snack we can buy lunch meat for .77 or pop corn, a box for a 1.00.

If im correct, thats 16.58  a week. Not very healthy but hey i did it!!

Without doing the math, I can safely say I feed us well on just a little more than that.  Last week I spent (horrors!) $90 for the week which included a lot of meat for main dishes and produce for three of us, DH, myself, and DD (who has type 1 diabetes, low carb diet) so that worked out to approx. $30 each for the week. This week I spent $50 for the week which included stuff for easy meals as my kitchen is sort of out of commission (remodeling) right now, and that is less than $20 each for the week.  That said, I do have three pantries, 2 freezers, and 50 years of experience to draw on, so I really can't join in the experiment.  It surely must be very difficult for those who must be on special diets....no gluten, low carb, etc.  I think I would be willing for more of my tax money to be used for more nutritious foods.  In the long run, nutrition is cheaper than medical care.  A  healthy work force should ideally be the goal. However, I do understand that one can't cook very well when living in one's car or under a bridge!!!
Patrink

With my $155/mo in Food Stamps, I have in 4-1/2 weeks weekly $34.  San Francisco has a very high cost of living, though.  I spend what they give me because I have it (I generally have money left over at teh end of the month, though, & it rolls over.).  But I could easily live on $21/week because I have so much in dry legumes & grains in the house. I would just buy produce, soy milk, & tofu.  But I'm not within the terms of the Food Challenge, because I have so much in the house.  It is difficult for me to imagine lilving on $21 while having to buy fresh dried legumes & grains!  I CERTAINLY would not rely on artery-clogging ramen noodles & macaroni-&-cheese, though.  I would spend what money I had on the produce, soy milk, & tofu, dried legumes, & grains, & pray that I wouldn't be out of money at the end of the week!

I live in Utah and it seems that some of our officials will be joining this challenge.  However, Bob Longsberry, radio commentator, brought an interesting point.  He said he is not impressed by the feat because it is not accurate.  Most if not all low income families on food stamps have young children who probably get WIC (eggs, cereal, juice, etc), school children can get free breakfast and lunch,  after school programs have snack, all year round.

 

So, what do you think?

 I have to agree with the radio commentator, I'm not impressed... but other circumstances make it harder or easier for others, so I can't make a blanket judgment. My personal opinion is that, with a little common sense, anyone except those with severe dietary limitations, could eat well for $21 a week per person. (I don't know how the amount is rated, so I'd better not get into that, either.)

I don't think the food stamp program needs to give people more money, I think it needs to figure out how to teach them how to use what they're getting. Money is not the solution to every problem we face.

ok, I'll try, but not giving out a menu.

I whole chicken  $3.00

1 doz. eggs   $1.00

1 10 lb. bag potatoes  $2.99

1 large onion   $.89

3 bags of frozen veggies at $1 ea.

1 loaf bread @ 2/$1.19  $.69

1 lb. margarin   $.89

2 boxes mac n cheese  $.49 ea.

1 qt. milk  $1.98

1 2 litre of coke  $1.89

2 lbs. bananas  $1.00

1 bag shredded sharp cheddar cheese $2.69  Total $21.00 even

This is based on things that I would eat. I can't really eat eggs too much, but I could mix them in other things, like a fritata, and I love baked potatoes with steamed veggies on top and a pat of butter. That's a meal in itself. Since I have some basics around let's say I already have the miracle whip and pickles and I make potato salad to go with a chicken *** or a chicken salad. I know it's not the healthiest of drinks to buy coke, but it's my coffee and I hate coffee and only drink tea on ocassion. The rest of the time I drink water. I could get by on these foods by myself and I know there would be some bread and butter left as well as potatoes and milk. If I had to do this every week, I am sure I could add to and eventually have a small stocked pantry, but I wouldn't say it would be all that easy.

Pat makes a really good point.  While I know some people who made very good choices with their food stamp money, there are others I know who run short or buy only packaged foods that are high in sodium and fat.  Education, instead of money, may be more helpful in this situation.  On the other hand, others might dislike having their tax money go to educating people on health choices that they should have learned on their own.  I don't know what the right answer is.