Week 0

I'm doing the Food Stamp Challenge with Jon for the second year in a row and I created this blog to share ideas with him (and anyone else doing the challenge or just looking for ideas on how to save money on food). The short version is that we will spend no more than $40 this week on food. For details on specifics and how it started, click here. Last year, we spent $21 per week but Jon decided on $40 this year because 1) He ran out of food on day 5 and 2) After doing some research, he said the maximum assistance is $5.86 per person per day so we're limited to $41.02 for the week. I've allowed [anonymous, unregistered] comments but this isn't a forum for a political debate on why poor people are overweight (because unhealthy food is cheaper or taking the other argument, because they're too lazy to learn to cook healthy meals) or how it's impossible to live on food stamps (they're supposed to be a temporary solution for economic crises not a permanent solution to poverty). Let's focus instead on how it is possible (and easy and sometimes delicious). I've found some recipe ideas here and here and will post my grocery list and meals.

Aside from the obvious tips (buy food on sale, use coupons), the first thing I would advise is to organize your space to have food storage and buy food in bulk. Actually, I take that back. The most obvious way to save money is to eat less. I think we can safely assume a linear relationship. But I have a feeling people are going to think that telling them to eat less is unhelpful, mainly because they don't want to do it, so let's go back to buying food in bulk. Part of that is also sharing resources (with family, friends, neighbors) and saving money by buying things like 50 pound bags of rice or steel-cut oats, even if one person in the group couldn't afford the entire cost individually. Done this way, rice costs 3.5 cents per serving and is a much less expensive starch than pasta or bread. As an aside, I don't want to hear any excuses about how this is unrealistic unless you live on some farm in the middle of the country. If Sue, who lives in a 8x10 room in Manhattan (and shares a kitchen with 40 people who sometimes steal her food) can figure out how to store 20 pounds of rice, you can do it.

Today, two days before the challenge, I have some time so I'm going to prepare chickpeas (soak, drain, and cook dry beans), cut up the whole pineapple I bought on sale for $2 and plan my meals for the week. For various reasons, which I won't elaborate on here, I don't spend much more than $40 per week on food anyway, but the challenge for me is to eat healthy balanced meals since most of the criticisms from people doing the challenge is how difficult it is to incorporate fruits and vegetables into their diet. (The second criticism is that meals are repetitive but not surprisingly, these come from people "playing poor" who are tired of eating lentils all week because they bought a 2 pound bag for $1.50 and can't wait until the week is over so they can go out for sushi).

Oh, and in telling my friends I won't be able to go out to restaurants with them next week, I've been asked if I can go if they treat. Last year, I was able to find a free meal here and there and Jon considered that cheating (I didn't since I think being resourceful at finding free food replicates the experience of having a limited food budget, which is the point of the Food Stamp Challenge). However, if your friends pay for you this time, you'll pay for them next time, so that's more like a loan and should count against your food budget. I do think it's okay to trade food (taking turns cooking for each other or attending potlucks) if you count the cost of the food you make for other people. And, I'll allow people to buy me drinks since that's not a food cost but an entertainment one and drinks don't make me full in any significant way.

I was so excited about my first blog that I left the burner on high and burned my chickpeas! (My smoke detector is turned off because it's annoyingly sensitive). Not a good start.