This is Day 13 of a month long food stamp challenge (on October 15th). If this is your first visit, please check out this link to see all of the posts and get a better understanding of what is going on.
NOTE: Because I’m an idiot, I accidentally lost the Day 12 entry and do not have a backup copy on my computer. Oops.
A week from now we will have a house guest for a couple of days when a longtime friend and colleague will be visiting while here on business. We are not adjusting anything for the visit and will still be living within the rules of the challenge for the duration. Because the colleague is a gardener though, I do suspect there will be something green and tasty arriving with them.
For all of the public commentary going on here, I have to admit to being impressed at the number of private messages I receive relating to what we’re doing. These messages are telling very personal stories, telling me of how some are seeing their own biases and being forced to face them head on as a result of this dialogue.
People’s attitudes are changing about those around them. They tell me they are more aware and that they appreciate what we are doing. As masochistic as it sounds, I’m appreciating this entire project more with every day. Sure, I want something I can’t have on occasion, but who doesn’t?
Oddly enough, the thing I’m looking forward to most about the end of the challenge isn’t eating. It’s the break I’ll get from the daily accounting for it all! Did I mention I’m not a numbers guy?
MEALS
BREAKFAST: $1.24
coffee
sugar
creamer
eggs
toast
LUNCH: $0.65
6.5 oz carrots
apple
peanut butter & jelly sandwich
DINNER: $3.60
roasted chicken
sautéed cabbage
rice
corn
Sierra Mist
TOTALS
- Consumed Today: 5.49 [+3.51 for the day]
- Consumed To Date (week): 29.30 [+24.70 for the week]
- Consumed To Date (month): 56.43 [+60.57 for the month]
- Spent To Date: 159.59
- Remaining Balance: $119.59
ANSWER OF THE DAY: Got a question to ask? Today’s your chance! Let us know what questions are lingering on your mind (pertaining to the challenge and related issues, please).
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t believe in coincidences.
I think each person who reads this journey, is supposed to read it either for whatever lies ahead on their own journey, or to help someone on theirs.
The biggest benefit to me personally… it’s odd, and you would think that all my years at the food bank would have already done this, but this is the first time I saw stories of things that I do/have done. I make that mac and cheese casserole! I buy that bread! I laughed and kept nodding my head at the other’s stories. It was nice :)
Wonder if your local food bank has a plot out back where they could grow veggies. Saturday was our biggest day at the food bank- families came in with the kids, off work etc. and would hangout for an hour and talk. I wish I had had a garden out back to do stuff with the kids while their folks talked about their troubles!
I think the greatest benefit is that it shows how useful a garden can be to someone on food stamps! lol I’m thinking of doing a public food stamp challenge from the prospective of someone actually on food stamps ($161 a month for our family of 5, plus WIC for 2 kids is what we get, for anyone that hasn’t seen my previous posts) and the strategies I use to make it work. As anyone that reads my blog knows, it isn’t a matter of just getting the cheapest groceries, since even that wouldn’t be enough to make it (lots of posts about uses for acorns lately! Plus, my usual garden updates, etc).
We discuss food a lot in our house too. It isn’t useful thoughtful discussions like I suspect you and John have been having. More like me fighting with my husband when he eats half a jar of salsa (either $2.50 a jar at the store or a LOT of work if it is homemade!) in one sitting all by himself, or me getting after the kids for wasting so much food. It saddens me that talking about food is so often negative around here, but considering we can only spend a MONTH what most families our size spend in a WEEK….Sometimes it is all I can do to keep plugging on until my husband finishes his degree and can get a better paying job or he no longer has to pay child support for grown children because of a screwed up system when his little children don’t even know how poor we are because I work my butt off to keep it that way or until we can get a bigger piece of land so I can grow even more food and don’t have to worry so much about stretching what I can.
So far……I think the challenge has made me more frustrated and wanting to ask questions (mostly from the comments).
But I’ll sit on my hands an behave ;)
There’s nothing wrong with questions. It is when we preface questions with our own impressions that things can become precarious.
Michael and John, I really appreciate the opportunity to follow your food stamp challenge. It’s made me remember how I used to feel when I worried if we would have enough food to last the week. It has also let me realize how truly lucky I am not to be in that position anymore. Thank you.
Chris K. it sounds like you’re carrying a heavy load. You must be doing an amazing job to accomplish what you do. Hang in there. I know it seems interminable now, but the day will come when you will mostly remember the comfort of a busy house. Signed – been there.