A person really needs to know which stores have the best deals when shopping with a $4.72 per day budget. This is what I've found in local stores for this week, which may save some the time of going to different stores to find out who has the best prices. I realize that many discount grocers may offer better deals for some of these things, I did the best that I could shopping at 3 different stores in the last couple of days. It took a lot of time! But if you find a better deal on one of these items, please share! I've not listed everything that I've purchased and am eating for the week, but these are the main items!
Whole Wheat Pasta (whole wheat being a splurge for something a bit healthier)
Target (sale): $1.16
Trader Joes: $1.39 (3 oz. more)
Safeway (sale): $1.50
Pasta Sauce
Target (sale): $1 (I purchased 2 jars and received a $1 off coupon i.e. free jar at checkout!)
Trader Joes: $1.79 (3 oz more)
Safeway: $1.74
Bag of 7 Fuji apples
Trader Joes: $2.49
Peanut Butter
Trader Joes: $1.79
Safeway: $2.50
Strawberry Jam
Safeway: $1.99
Black beans (dry)
Safeway: $1.29
Baby lima beans (dry)
Safeway (sale) $0.79
Brown rice
Safeway: $1.79
Oatmeal (indiv. packs - large containers are a better deal but cost more for an individual and I couldn't afford to buy one with my $33.04 for the week)
Target: $2.34
Safeway: $2.50
Baby carrots
Trader Joes: $1.49
Onions (bag of 7)
Trader Joes: $1.69
Frozen broccoli
Trader Joes: $1.49
(other stores had smaller bags for less, but I didn't see much difference in pricing)
Frozen spinach
Safeway & Target: $1.09
Instant Coffee (individual packets becauseas an individual I didn't have enough in my budget for a larger jar, etc.)
Safeway: $0.99 (for 10)
Multigrain, high fiber bread (a splurge for something healthier)
Trader Joes: $2.59
Zucchini (4)
Trader Joes: $2.29
Spice blends at Safeway are $1.79 for Italian blend to $1.99 for other blends. I am using spices, sugar, and oil that I already have. Spices, sugar, and oil that I use in cooking this week cost me about $0.30 per day.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Humble pie and pearl earrings. Day 1 of 7
Today was the start of my first Hunger Challenge. I packed my breakfast and lunch, and headed out of the door to work. The first thing that I noticed is how much lighter my lunch cooler was and I thought "uh-oh!" When I arrived to work, I looked inside to make sure that I had brought everything.
I spent $3.77 today for 3 meals and snacks, but I ran into pure luck when it came to the snacks. (including a "free" pear & candy gift aka +$0.60 included in this total)
Breakfast: Oatmeal, coffee (with regular sugar, not my normal agave), and a banana
Morning snack: 4 baby carrots (I wouldn't normally count, but today I only had a few - maybe 8 or 9 and wanted to save some for later)
Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly
Afternoon snack: Free pear and free 2 pieces of chocolate. 5 more baby carrots.
Early evening snack: Free Pinkberry frozen yogurt with raspberries, mochi, and kiwi, free lemonade, free Goldfish crackers, free glass of white wine, free cookie.
Dinner: Whole wheat pasta with sauce and spinach, sauteed zucchini.
Leftovers that I didn't eat: Apple, free cookie, free Goldfish crackers, free flavored water.
_____________
Overall: I worried most of the morning that I didn't have enough food and I'd get hungry at some point. Then I worried about timing out my meals and also drinking enough water. I already drink a lot of water but I was gonna drink more to feel full. I felt sick right before lunchtime because I was thinking about my PB&J for so long and holding off eating it. I ate especially slow so it would fill me up.
I wanted caffeine and/or sugar in the afternoon after a busy day. My colleague must have been able to see it on my face, she gave me a pear from her backyard tree. Then a patient brought our office 3 boxes of See's candy. I know that I should count the cost of the pear and the candy into my total if I was being strict - so likely 50 cents for the pear and 10-20 cents for the two pieces of chocolate, still under budget.
I stopped at the mall to buy some makeup and as I walked out of Bloomingdales no less, (on a food stamps budget and getting makeup at Bloomingdales! I NEVER shop there but what can I say, it was Clinique Bonus Time), there was a festival like atmosphere setup with vendors handing out free samples! It was Fashion's Night Out, a night of giveaways, modeling, makeovers, light bites and drinks!
I compromised and let go of one of my ideals for healthy eating. I decided in that moment to eat dairy, just this once this week, and I beelined it to the Pinkberry vendor, delicious frozen yogurt with fresh toppings! Veganism went out the window. I thought: I'm on food stamps, I'm poor, it's a lot of FREE food. I munched on a free, freshly baked cookie as I waited in line. And it's fresh raspberries! And kiwi! Things that a person like me can't buy on my budget! I got in the next line where I received a yummy lemonade. They had PRIME RIB appetizers, I could've had 8, but I didn't partake in any meat. I scanned the flyer where it listed every store and what they were offering. I played a ping pong game, throwing a ping pong ball into a fish bowl for a cup of free Goldfish (and to enter a raffle for a gift certificate). The store clerks thought I was just being enthusiastic about it all and they smiled and laughed, I brought them more business and attention by playing the silly game, but I REALLY DID WANT THE FREE CUP OF GOLDFISH CRACKERS! I went to another store, perused the shoes, and helped myself to a cookie to save for later.
As I was walking around store to store, the local Maserati dealership had 3 beautiful sports cars on display. Tesla also had a car out. The Maserati cars must have been over $200K, they were amazing! It was a weird place to be, amongst all of this wealth, and to be in the mindset of accepting the free samples of food and drinks because I was on a food stamps budget. As I waited in one of the lines, a Mom with her nicely dressed son who must have been around 7 years old also waited in front of me for a few minutes. Then, she left her son in the line, and tried to sneak up front. She did and waived him up to her, as she cut in line and was munching on the free prime rib and grabbing as much swag that she could. I thought to myself: 1. What an awful lesson to teach a kid, to cut in line. 2. She should be doing the Hunger Challenge with her kid!
When I got home tonight and unpacked the uneaten food that I had saved, I came across another gift. A beautiful pair of earrings that are white and pearlish looking, by a designer called Sheyna.
I felt so incredibly lucky and humbled, not only to happen upon this free event with food (which actually monies from the stores profits went to the Children's Hospital - and I had bought my makeup tonight from one of the participating stores), but to also have a kind colleague give me a pear from her backyard tree. For a patient to bring in chocolates for everyone as a thanks. There was a lot of gratitude in the air and I feel like I've already learned a lot, not even 24 hours in.
I also realized that I don't have to travel all the way to Tanzania to see poverty and hunger. It's right around us always, right here in our own community. I worked with a person today who told me that they live paycheck to paycheck, and a couple of times a year they have enough money to take their spouse out for a meal. As I listened I started to feel for the first time what it really means to not have enough money to buy food.
Can I really do this? Day 0 of 7
I've spent no less than 5 hours thinking about my plant based nutrition on $4.72 per day CA Food Stamps budget. Sure, many of us *think* that we can shop and eat on a budget like this, I mean, we're smart and have good bargain shopping skills, right? I've been making lists, checking prices on Safeway.com, and obsessing about what I am going to be eating over the next week. This doesn't include the time shopping for the food, which takes longer in some aspects to find the items that I can afford this week, but also shortens the shopping time because there is SO much that I passed up because I knew it was over that $2 an item magic number. So here I am, beginning my Hunger Challenge a few days early since I will be out of town at the end of next week. Others beginning The Hunger Challenge begin on Sept. 11, 2011, but maybe my early start will inspire you to see if you can do it, too?
I hear a lot of people criticize those that rob the system and "take" from social programs. I am doing this in part to have a better understanding of what it really feels like, because I think sitting back and judging vs. actually putting yourself in someone's shoes, even if it is just for a week, makes a huge difference.
I went shopping for most of my food tonight at Trader Joe's. I went there because I know that they have bananas for 19 cents (realizing now that there are surely much cheaper bananas somewhere, I just don't know where! many on Food Stamps don't know where the cheapest prices are either though), and I know that they have some healthier foods without a lot of junk added like high fructose corn syrup. But in reality, on $4.72 per day, you don't have a lot of wiggle room to add much to your food, even if it is cruddy ingredients. But high fructose corn syrup along with salt is obviously something that is added to a lot of cheap foods to make them tasty but cheap, and something that I'd like to try to avoid.
I had it in my mind that I could buy some of the basics; frozen veggies, pasta, pasta sauce, beans, rice, bread, peanut butter and jelly, as long as the item wasn't over about $2. Once you get over $2, your overall budget takes a big hit and it had better be a worthwhile item.
I have never in my life had to go grocery shopping with this mindset. I do comparison shop, comparing organic vs. nonorganic, what's on sale with what's not, etc. But I sorta, kinda, try to make money saavy decisions, but it's really based on personal preference, health, and taste, not truly on the amount of money in my pocket. Sure I've had ramen for a week in college here and there, but I knew that it wasn't going to be a lengthy, being-hungry-and-poor situation.
I arrived home with $29.06 worth of groceries. I have almost $4 left, total, for the next 7 days and frankly I dunno how I'm gonna make it. I'm kicking myself for "splurging" on whole wheat, high fiber bread that was $2.59. I may need a second loaf of bread by week's end! It was the cheapest bread at TJ's, but I could've easily gotten a Wonderbread type loaf for $0.99. I didn't want to compromise on unhealthy things, and I'll see if it makes me go hungry later in the week. I also splurged on zucchini, onions and whole wheat pasta instead of plain pasta. Like the bread, I went with a healthier version of pasta for $0.39 more. Zucchini seemed inexpensive for what it is, and onions are inexpensive and add a lot of flavor to things - however looking at the receipt, anything over $2 gets scrutinized.
I'm challenging own ideas around healthy eating, which includes a vegetarian, mostly vegan diet. I will be eating 100% vegan this week. No eggs. No dairy. Definitely no meat or fish. I keep thinking to myself, this would be SOOOO much easier if I ate eggs! Protein, cheap, filling, can be added to any meal. But then I think, this would be SOOOO much easier if I ate from the $1 menu at McDonalds. And it would be SOOOOO much easier if . . .
It's no coincidence that our Nation's poor have higher rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. I am already seeing the whole blame the victim in a different light. Take this challenge for a week, and you eat things that wouldn't make you at higher risk for disease! It's difficult, and would you have enough willpower to stick to your ideals of healthy eating? To avoid that $1 cheeseburger? (I actually don't know if you can still get a burger for $1 but I assume that you can at some fast food place!)
The Food Bank supplements food for a lot of people in our communities. This often includes fruits and vegetables, which is awesome. But I think of the strain on our local food banks with budget cuts, and times during the year when donations to the Food Bank are running low.
I am beating myself up over bread, zucchini, onions and pasta. Which with looking at overall health, the stress related to worrying about your next meal and how much money you have left in your pocket for the week takes a toll on your health too.
Stress. Anxiety. Self-doubt. Worry. Let the Hunger Challenge begin!
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5420/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=9056
I hear a lot of people criticize those that rob the system and "take" from social programs. I am doing this in part to have a better understanding of what it really feels like, because I think sitting back and judging vs. actually putting yourself in someone's shoes, even if it is just for a week, makes a huge difference.
I went shopping for most of my food tonight at Trader Joe's. I went there because I know that they have bananas for 19 cents (realizing now that there are surely much cheaper bananas somewhere, I just don't know where! many on Food Stamps don't know where the cheapest prices are either though), and I know that they have some healthier foods without a lot of junk added like high fructose corn syrup. But in reality, on $4.72 per day, you don't have a lot of wiggle room to add much to your food, even if it is cruddy ingredients. But high fructose corn syrup along with salt is obviously something that is added to a lot of cheap foods to make them tasty but cheap, and something that I'd like to try to avoid.
I had it in my mind that I could buy some of the basics; frozen veggies, pasta, pasta sauce, beans, rice, bread, peanut butter and jelly, as long as the item wasn't over about $2. Once you get over $2, your overall budget takes a big hit and it had better be a worthwhile item.
I have never in my life had to go grocery shopping with this mindset. I do comparison shop, comparing organic vs. nonorganic, what's on sale with what's not, etc. But I sorta, kinda, try to make money saavy decisions, but it's really based on personal preference, health, and taste, not truly on the amount of money in my pocket. Sure I've had ramen for a week in college here and there, but I knew that it wasn't going to be a lengthy, being-hungry-and-poor situation.
I arrived home with $29.06 worth of groceries. I have almost $4 left, total, for the next 7 days and frankly I dunno how I'm gonna make it. I'm kicking myself for "splurging" on whole wheat, high fiber bread that was $2.59. I may need a second loaf of bread by week's end! It was the cheapest bread at TJ's, but I could've easily gotten a Wonderbread type loaf for $0.99. I didn't want to compromise on unhealthy things, and I'll see if it makes me go hungry later in the week. I also splurged on zucchini, onions and whole wheat pasta instead of plain pasta. Like the bread, I went with a healthier version of pasta for $0.39 more. Zucchini seemed inexpensive for what it is, and onions are inexpensive and add a lot of flavor to things - however looking at the receipt, anything over $2 gets scrutinized.
I'm challenging own ideas around healthy eating, which includes a vegetarian, mostly vegan diet. I will be eating 100% vegan this week. No eggs. No dairy. Definitely no meat or fish. I keep thinking to myself, this would be SOOOO much easier if I ate eggs! Protein, cheap, filling, can be added to any meal. But then I think, this would be SOOOO much easier if I ate from the $1 menu at McDonalds. And it would be SOOOOO much easier if . . .
It's no coincidence that our Nation's poor have higher rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. I am already seeing the whole blame the victim in a different light. Take this challenge for a week, and you eat things that wouldn't make you at higher risk for disease! It's difficult, and would you have enough willpower to stick to your ideals of healthy eating? To avoid that $1 cheeseburger? (I actually don't know if you can still get a burger for $1 but I assume that you can at some fast food place!)
The Food Bank supplements food for a lot of people in our communities. This often includes fruits and vegetables, which is awesome. But I think of the strain on our local food banks with budget cuts, and times during the year when donations to the Food Bank are running low.
I am beating myself up over bread, zucchini, onions and pasta. Which with looking at overall health, the stress related to worrying about your next meal and how much money you have left in your pocket for the week takes a toll on your health too.
Stress. Anxiety. Self-doubt. Worry. Let the Hunger Challenge begin!
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5420/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=9056
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