The $25 challenge: could you feed yourself on $3.50 a day?
Filed under: Food
The Illinois Food Bank Association recently concluded an interesting challenge. Volunteers agreed to feed themselves and their families for a week on $25 per person, the average weekly food stamp benefit given to Illinois residents. How would you feed yourself for $25 a week? That wouldn't even pay for my brie.
How did the volunteers fare? Poorly, according to the blog documenting their experiences.
- Frank Finnegan tried eating a granola bar for breakfast, two hard-boiled eggs for lunch, and for dinner, pasta, chicken nuggets or ham and beans. He declined handouts. He found himself growing grumpy in the hours before a meal, happy after. No wonder the people on the 4 p.m. bus look so glum.
- He also found it impossible to shop for proper nutrition on such a budget, forced to choose instead foods that were filling. Imagine a child raised on such a budget.
- Kathy Chaney took a well-planned approach, visiting Aldi's for bulk ingredients for homemade chicken soup and fajitas. Her family balked, though, and although Kathy alone stuck it out to the end, she wrote "Boy, am I starving".
- Chris Strupp lost five pounds in four days.
- Barb Shreves found herself counting the obscene number of fast-food restaurants on her trip to the grocery.
- Dennis noted how carbohydrate-intensive his restricted diet was. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes among the poor is no coincidence.
- Kate eased a hunger pang with a banana far beyond ripe and three glasses of water.
- Becky found herself at the end of the week with six boxes of cereal, but no milk.
How well would you eat on $25 a week?
It would rob me of a great deal of time. Time pursuing grocery deals (and I think it would be unfair to squander $100 of gas to chase deals across town; the poor would shop somewhere nearby, on the bus line.), time in preparation.
It would rob me of choice. It would rob me of nutrition. Fruit is damned expensive, as are fresh vegetables, and don't even mention milk to me.
How many Americans dogs are fed more than $25 worth of food a week? A lot, I'd guess.
Is that right?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-08-2008 @ 12:35PM
Tracy Coenen said...
I've done it, and I could do it again if I had to. It's really about priorities and looking past the chicken nuggets. Yes, It would take more planning to eat a nutritious diet on $25 a week, but if you're not working (presumably), I'd suggest you've got the time.
And food stamps aren't a permanent solution. They are supposed to be a temporary supplement in a time of need. If I was down on my luck, you'd better believe I'd be making the most of that $25 a week.
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10-08-2008 @ 1:17PM
mrmatero said...
Egads! That amount is TWICE what I can afford per day! I should quit my job and go on food stamps. Oh. And then I'd get free health care. And a free apartment. Sure it's not much, but gosh darn it, it's free, right? Besides, I could probably find a doctor to get me some SSI disability checks too. All in all, not a bad life at all. And if I shack up and baby's mama has more kids, we get that juicy earned income tax credit. More money. Sho me the money! Where do I sign up to be a societal drag and drop out????
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10-09-2008 @ 12:10PM
Terry Ackley said...
"societal drag and drop out"?! WTF? Not all people on Soc. Sec. Disability are "drop outs" and "societal drags"!!! I'm on disability because I worked my back to the bone for 25 years, literally! I hurt my back while working but could not prove it! Being a carpenter, the companies I worked for did not provide health insurance. I could not afford to buy it on my own because I pay child support that takes 65% of my paycheck every week. I worked on average of 50-80 hours per week and still lived week to week! I've had 6 different surgeries on my back over the past 15 years! Now I'm restricted to my bed or the couch 24 hours a day. Thank God for those food stamps and my disability check!! If you would like to change places with me, let me know!
12-04-2008 @ 11:12PM
HouseMouse said...
What? So you only have $1.75 to spend on food per day? And you think $3.50 is a lot of money to spend on food per day? Surely you read this article wrong!
Regarding societal drags, let's just hope you are never down on your luck. I have an aunt and uncle that are disable and can not work. It's painful to watch people that want to work, but can't. Getting a soda for them is a big deal. You are obviously so shallow and self-centered. I'd be ashamed if I were your mother!!
12-07-2008 @ 3:46PM
Show said...
You are a F'ING IDIOT mrmatero !
10-08-2008 @ 1:33PM
Mary said...
The trick to feeding a family on $25 a week per person is to know how to buy in bulk and cook from scratch. I could feed my family of 6 on this budget. I would have $150 to work with. Here's how I'd do it, and I "shopped" on line at Sam's for my grocery list.
SAM'S CLUB reserves the right to limit quantities of any item.
Item Description Sku # Qty Unit Price Totals
WHOLEBEAN COFFEE BREAKFAST BLEND 40OZ 022785 $13.82 $13.82
Delete item
BROWN SUGAR 7LBS 924101 $3.84 $3.84
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Butter SALTED SOLIDS 4-1LB 907588 $8.32 $8.32
Delete item
BB CH LT TUNA 66.5OZ 66.5 OZ 714105 $9.22 $9.22
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2% MILK 1 GALLON 114568 x3@$2.73 $8.19
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EB LG GRADE A EGGS 18 CT 663453 $3.02 $3.02
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ORGANIC MINI CARROTS 5 LB 908032 $5.44 $5.44
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BROCCOLI FLORETS BE 4 LB 246681 $4.83 $4.83
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BANANAS 3LB 362153 $1.44 $1.44
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EX FINE CANE SUGAR 10 LB 537672 $4.74 $4.74
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WHEAT SPAGHETTI 4 LBS 718414 $5.52 $5.52
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RED DEL APPLES 8 LB 749615 $9.42 $9.42
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BREAD & PIZZA FLOUR 25LB 415788 $10.69 $10.69
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CALIFORNIA BLEND BE 5 LB 246667 $5.82 $5.82
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subtotal for products $94.31
The remainder I would spend on a whole eye round roast for $20.00
3 whole fryer chickens for a total of $15.00
4 pork tenderloins for $15.00
old fashioned rolled oats for $2.00
10 lbs. potatoes for $5.00
With this I can make a delicious meat, potato or pasta, and veggie dinner every night with leftovers for lunch the next day. I would probably cook the pork loins in the crock pot with jerk seasonings and serve it over the whole wheat spagetti and I'd roast the chickens with potatoes. The eye round roast can be cut thinly on the meat slicer and last for 2 dinners and several sandwich lunches. Tuna salad and fresh fruit and fresh mini carrots with homemade cookies can be packed for a for a bag lunch. Breakfast could be hot oatmeal with apples and cinnamon, eggs and homemade biscuits, or pancakes topped with fresh fruit syrup (homemade) with coffee or milk. The possibilities are endless with a little planning and creativity. If you need help, go to the library and check out "Whole Foods for Whole Families" and similar cookbooks.
The flour, sugar and butter would last at least a whole month because I bought in bulk at Sams. I also purchased 3 gallons of milk to last the whole week. Throw in a few large cans of tomato sauce and some beans and you can make chili. Homemade pizza can be made on the cheap with homemade sauce and crust.
These are good skills to have and use no matter what your income!
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10-09-2008 @ 8:13PM
Monique said...
Hi Mary,
Dana from Philly, Sam's club, and BJS do not accept food stamps. At least not here in Philadelphia. I am a single Mom, work from home, and I do get food stamps due to a low income of cash. Foos Stamps are a big help, but by the end of the month I'm spending some cash on food. And I do cook everyday, two to three times a day seven days a week. And have one child away at college who I still have to buy food for 1x a month.
But there are just some things that have to bought on a weekly/biweekly basis, due to freshness (fruit, veggies,bread, milk, eggs, cheese) and these things do have to be considered.
And for the record, I did attend college and worked in a profession for over 15 years. I was hurt on the job five years ago, and here I am doing what I can to support my family and maintain some sort of normalcy without haveing a "meltdown" about where and or how we'll get our next meal. Also, I do find myself in food bank lines when I can get a ride from someone or can make the 2 mile walk. Things just are not as easy/simple as some may know, want or care to know.
10-09-2008 @ 11:50AM
neilinks said...
Wow someone who can think & do for them self.This is what we did before FDR & LBJ.Just proves if you subsidize crap you get more crap.But leave people alone & they just might figure out how to do it for themselves.
10-09-2008 @ 3:41PM
kristin said...
you need to teach me how to do that. im a widow lost my husband 2 years ago. i have a mentally retarded daughter that was turned down for ssi. anyway i am on a very tight budget and i found my kids dont get the healthy food they used to because of my lack of money. thanks kristin
12-05-2008 @ 7:35AM
Julie said...
I'm coming to your house for dunner...... What time ?
12-06-2008 @ 10:01PM
Karen said...
Wow, great examples Mary and Carolscm! I could really use a few tips from you two. I would add $30 for Angelfood box. With that I could extend a week or two and broaden the menu choices. I think I'll make a copy of these posts and keep it in my purse. I know I can find these or better deals in my city. Thanks for posting Mary and Carolscm!!
10-08-2008 @ 3:42PM
punkmom said...
Our grocery budget is $120/week for a family of four, or $30/person. It isn't lavish, yet very do-able. I think it would be tougher to feed one person for $25/week, since with a family you get sort of an economy of scale going. It's more expensive to buy single servings, for example.
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10-08-2008 @ 9:49PM
BK said...
You can buy oatmeal or eggs for breakfast. Buy frozen vegetables and bananas and peanut butter and wheat bread for snacks. Thats a vegetable, fruit, wheat and protein. A nutricious meal for about $25 a week.
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10-09-2008 @ 9:01PM
Michelle said...
That would be $73.50 for my husband, my daughter, and myself. That's amazing. We can "make do" with this since what we're currently spending on groceries is already quite a bit less than this. Just imagine what more we could buy if we had that amount! Seriously.
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10-09-2008 @ 3:08PM
Bas said...
I know it can be done, but it's neither extremely easy or nutritious. Even the grocery list that Mary printed out - you go through 1 gallon of milk in a week between 6 people?? You are also not getting enough fruits per person with just 3 lbs of bananas and 8 lbs of apples, nor are you getting the variety that you need. If that's the way you really eat, I didn't see the price of the multi-vitamin that you all would need to take every day.
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10-09-2008 @ 6:20PM
Janet said...
I taught at-risk kids for about 20 years. 99%+ of the school came from families living below the poverty level with food stamps. All of the children received free breakfast & free lunch every day - even in the summer. That would make those weekly food stamp amount stretch much further, don't you think?
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10-09-2008 @ 7:36PM
Jen said...
Has anyone tried going to a farmer's market? I've gotten 7 pieces of corn for a dollar depending on the farmer, and at least 3-4 pieces with others. I've gotten a quart of apples for $1-2. People EAT TOO MUCH, when you really listen to your body you'll realize that we don't need much food, that undereating extends your life, and that cereal and crap makes you MORE hungry because your cells aren't getting any nutrients and they're demanding more food. I easily live on $25 worth of food a week, and I feel great. The problem isn't money as much as a lack of education.
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12-24-2008 @ 10:09AM
Tom said...
It's not lack of education. A good majority of families who are on the food stamp program are working families. Have you been to a food pantry before? These people are not necessarily societal drags. These are individuals just like you and me. At any roll of the dice, we could be face the same exact situation. There are a few people out there who abuse the system, but with any program you will have that. These people are still paying for rent, child car, transportation and other misc. costs. Food stamps help supplement and provide food where there may have not been food in the first place. People using food stamps are not uneducated. They need help through a rough period. If you went on the program, would you say you are not educated
11-05-2008 @ 12:47PM
Sergio ML said...
Now try to live with the minimun salary in Mexico, thats:
$0.63 dollar the hour....
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10-11-2008 @ 9:07PM
Adrien said...
I'm pretty sure I could do it, but I think it's the quality of food we should be concerned with... why should poor people have low quality food ladened with MSG and hormones. But as a whole I think the entire food stamp system is messed up.... I remember being a cashier and seeing people with their nails done and hair done and nice clothes buying a few things with stamps and buying more with cash than my lower middle class family could afford. I think those who need them to to get more and those who could do without them need to be weeded out.
Just my opinion,
Adrien
http://www.TheNakedHippie.com
Organic Tshirts
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