# Eat as if on Welfare- Challenge



## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

There was a time in the early 90s when we were dirt poor...I remember going to the grocery store with $1 in my pocket and wondering if I could make it stretch; I found saltine crackers for 99 cents; that was my big score of the day...when we were doing better, we had $20 a week for groceries to feed 2 people...still tough to make it work but somehow we survived.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Back in the 80's I worked a second job as a cashier in a grocery store and at that point in time the people on welfare/food stamps ate much better than I did.


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

Welfare in the US is controlled at the state level. There are some states without welfare. My state , NJ, does have it and I can honestly say it does nothing but encourage being a useless member of society. Our food assistance is separate from the monthly check and section 8 housing. These losers get enough money on their food card ( a credit card replaces the old food stamps) to fees their pit bulls fresh meat. Trust me, you would freak if you saw what went on here. When welfare first started it was meant to be a helping hand up not a lifestyle. Also, when it started the person on welfare had a food voucher , which they presented to the store manager of their local food store. They were then handed their food, it was a predetermined list of stables and the recipient had to cook it. These days it's a free for all with little restrictions


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

They still do and it has only gotten worse


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## DIYHorsemanship (Feb 22, 2014)

People on welfare/food stamps def. eat better (or should I say worse as far as health goes) than we do. I had a friend that would tell me how poor they were, yet they ate all this food we couldn't afford to buy. I was young and never believed her and thought for sure we were poorer than they.


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## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

I had a relative on welfare that had three kids.. the two of them plus the three kids she got something like $1200 a month for food.. I was like geez no wonder people do this


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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

Saddlebag said:


> In British Columbia, a woman is now fighting for more welfare money as it hasn't been adjusted in 7 yrs. By the time she pays the necessary expenses she has $3 per day for food.


Curious, you say after she pays expense she has 3.00 a day for food.

We call it Food Stamps here, should not only food be purchased with Food Stamps? 

Maybe I misunderstood, but sounds like she pays for all other expenses with Food Stamps money and then has no money left for food?

I have not read all of the Cato Study so I am not sure all the is included in Welfare Rates.



> The authors found that in 11 states, “welfare pays more than the average pretax first-year wage for a teacher [in those states]. In 39 states, it pays more than the starting wage for a secretary.


Depending on the State, welfare pay from 16,984.00 to 49,175.00

Work or Welfare: What Pays More? - Real Time Economics - WSJ

The Work versus Welfare Trade-Off: 2013 | Cato Institute

PDF Download, takes a while to load on slow connections
http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/the_work_versus_welfare_trade-off_2013_wp.pdf

.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The challenge wasn't to condemn others but to see what it's like to walk in their shoes. This morning I had one egg, two teeny tomatoes and one slice of bread for breakfast with weak coffee. Lunch will probably be a potato, carrot and a few peas or celery. I'm having to calculate the value of everything to stay within the $3. Since I always save and freeze veggie scraps, I'll be making a large pot of veg broth and adding brown rice for my supper and maybe tomorrows supper as well. 
Southern, there are no food stamps in Canada. People are issued a monthly cheque and it's up to them how they spend it. We have all watched groceries increase about 30% so now that $3 buys less than 7 yrs ago. There was a general consensus that food stamps were degrading so they were done away with over 20yrs ago.


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

Saddlebag, are you calculating $3.00 per person or for a family? I can easily feed someone on 3 dollars per day. Its going to take a little work, but you can do it. Actually, that is about the budget of many , who are not sucking up the system. Our deadbeats are getting closer to 30 per day or more, depending on how big the family is. They do eat or should I say can afford to eat better then many hard working people. I wanted to hug our local grocery store manager , he had one of those deadbeats yelling at a clerk, who told them that their prepackaged deli sandwiches were not included in their food assistance. They can buy all the deli , bread, whatever and make them, but can not buy them prepackaged. The store manager came over and when the loser said to them, that they can eat whatever they want, the manager replied NOT AS LONG AS I AM PAYING YOUR FOOD BILL< GET A JOB AND GET OUT OF MY STORE NOW ! NEED HELP FINDING THAT DOOR! He got a huge round of applause . The loser left and all of us just shook our heads, when they hopped in a 75K SUV.


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## bitinsane (Jun 5, 2013)

I know a family that brings in 1k a month and receives 1200 in food stamps and has the church pay their rent AND utilities so basically they have 1k laying around to do whatever the hell they want with. Infuriates me. it's sick.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

I can't even buy a little 16oz bottle of milk for $3 here lol.


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

Same garbage here! We had one showing the big breed shows, with their 100K plus custom trailer 60K plus horse and the kid in 5K outfits. They got 1200 in food stamps, $25.00 per month rent in a section 8 townhouse ( a brand new townhouse at that ) and "daddy" was a live in boyfriend and had been for years, just so they could keep all of it. Oh yes, and "daddy" was the owner of a million plus dollar construction company. Yeah gotta luv it.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I can understand the challenge - can you eat on $3 a day but what I would want to know is how much she had to start with and what these 'expenses' were before I passed any judgment
My DH went back to Uni. as a mature student (best decision we ever made) and we had to live on a really low income for that period - we managed just fine.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The lady pays for a room, basic cell phone as it's cheaper than a land line, bus tickets as she's expected to look for work and because she couldn't come up with the damage depost (equivalent to a month's rent) she has to make payments of $20 mo, No pets, doesn't drink or do drugs. My breakfast didn't hold me very long. I didn't make 2.5 hrs. I was so hungry I felt sick. My early lunch was 1.5 med potatoes, 1/2 a large carrot and a handful of chopped celery. Right now I feel satiated but wondering how long it will last. I made enough for two meals (a cereal bowl full) so the other half might be tomorrow's brekkie. I've been googling depression era recipes for ideas. Perhaps I'll add 1/2 of a chopped onion. I've save the cooking water to add to the veggie broth made from scraps. I even tossed in a well scrubbed egg shell to add a few minerals.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

Sheesh! I'm on a fixed SS income and do that every MONTH! Bet she has more than $811 a month to work with.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

Roperchick said:


> I can't even buy a little 16oz bottle of milk for $3 here lol.



You aren't thinking "poor". I just bought a half-gallon of milk for 2.49 this morning.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I reiterate, the challenge isn't about bashing those who abuse the system. There are many who don't but we never hear about them. If you're not up to the challenge, please stay off this thread.


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

with the computer, it hides the people since almost every thing is computer driven.

Used to be you could see how many people were on unemployment. You had to visit the unemployment office every week to do the paperwork that was involved with getting an unemployment check.

Same with welfare, you had to visit the office to sign up and receive your help.
People saw the people waiting in lines or cars in the parking lots.

when I was a kid in the 50's the county had a monthly hand out of government surplus food and you would go wait in line for a box of food that the Feds gave to the states . I remember such things as powdered eggs, 5 lb boxes of cheese which was hard as a brick but made good grilled cheese , cans of pork w/lots of fat, blocks of butter, etc.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

RegalCharm said:


> with the computer, it hides the people since almost every thing is computer driven.
> 
> Used to be you could see how many people were on unemployment. You had to visit the unemployment office every week to do the paperwork that was involved with getting an unemployment check.
> 
> ...


I'm old enough to remember that too. You can still buy that cheese; it's called American cheese.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Squirrelfood I'm in Hawaii haha a half gallon here is $6 plus dollars. Thank god for meal caeds in the army lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

Saddlebag said:


> I reiterate, the challenge isn't about bashing those who abuse the system. There are many who don't but we never hear about them. If you're not up to the challenge, please stay off this thread.




Saddlebag, your challenge really isnt much of one as with a little work 3.00 per day for one person is very possible, but it takes some effort. Here is what my elderly neighbor sent me to the store for last week:

18 eggs 1.69
2lb store brand oatmeal 1.99
bag of potatoes 1.39
loaf of bread .99
7 bananas .98
16oz container of plain store brand yogurt 1.99
1 lb ham sliced thin 3.99
2 onions .69
1/2 gallon of milk 1.69
1 jar pasta sauce .88
2 lbs pasta 1.98
butter 1.99

GRAND TOTAL $19.26 ( her budget is 25.00 per week, the extra will be put into a fund, so she can do some baking or buy coffee and other non weekly items like paper products )


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

BugZapper89 said:


> I can easily feed someone on 3 dollars per day.


Then why don't you actually do it and tell us what you made and your actual expenses for making it. 

That's one dollar per person per meal.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

We spend about $300 a month on groceries. That's around $10 a day for three people, $3.33 per person, eating WELL. Anything else we grow for virtually free, including eggs, the chickens free range. I've been increasing that to include almost all of our produce and sauces, and for the past few years we've been hunting for most of our meat.
That has given us wiggle room to buy "luxuries" like an occasional pizza, tortilla chips, chocolate...

Over the years we've qualified for FS, $750 a month... Really???

Not hard to do AT ALL. Just buy bulk, in season, and almost every store has clearance food. FREEZE. Make large meals like stew and lasagna and freeze, dehydrate, etc.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

RegularJoe said:


> Then why don't you actually do it and tell us what you made and your actual expenses for making it.
> 
> That's one dollar per person per meal.


Well, I basically did, with giving you the list of what my neighbor had for the week.


1 cup of oatmeal for breakfast
1 banana as a mid morning snack
2 eggs slice of ham 2 slices toast for lunch
1 serving pasta with sauce for dinner
1 serving yogurt for evening snack.

this is just a quick daily menu, that can be made by even the worst of cooks. If you take the time to grow some fresh food or barter services ( she does some sewing in exchange for seasonal fruit at times )


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

FlyGap said:


> We spend about $300 a month on groceries. That's around $10 a day for three people, $3.33 per person, eating WELL. Anything else we grow for virtually free, including eggs, the chickens free range. I've been increasing that to include almost all of our produce and sauces, and for the past few years we've been hunting for most of our meat.
> That has given us wiggle room to buy "luxuries" like an occasional pizza, tortilla chips, chocolate...
> 
> Over the years we've qualified for FS, $750 a month... Really???
> ...




And here we have a winner! YES, this is how its done and about what I do too. I feed 4 of us for $250 a month including my paper products. I shop sales, use coupons, make from scratch, etc . You dont waste either, which is a big issue in the USA as a whole. I can make a huge pot of rice and beans for less then 5.00, which would feed 4 people easily a week of dinners. I do put up my own beef, so I can have the higher end meals, but we eat very well on my budget.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

When you live on a tight budget you have to throw out anything that's not essential or can be replaced by something cheaper
The difficulty in trying to say how to manage on $3 a day is that you would already have your staples because you buy those in bulk from stores that do that and you use farm shops as much as possible and grow your own wherever you can
A good quality plain oatmeal (Quaker) costs around $3 for 42oz from Walmart and that can cook in a microwave. Half a cup is one serving and I weighed that at 1 ounce so that would cover your breakfast for needs for 42 days


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

FlyGap said:


> Anything else we grow for virtually free, including eggs, the chickens free range. I've been increasing that to include almost all of our produce and sauces, and for the past few years we've been hunting for most of our meat....
> Just buy bulk, in season, and almost every store has clearance food. FREEZE. Make large meals like stew and lasagna and freeze, dehydrate, etc.


If you're living in an apartment, and someone on welfare almost certainly is, you're not going to be able to have a garden for fresh vegetables or raise chickens. 

If you're living paycheck to paycheck, it's also not going to be easy to be able to buy in bulk. Even if you can afford large, bulk purchases (which you can't) you may not have storage for them. We already know the person whose circumstances launched this thread needs to use public transportation, which also makes buying in bulk highly impractical. 

Certainly you're not likely to have a lot of extra freezer space to prepare and freeze large batches of things, or store a hundred pounds of meat from the deer you bagged and somehow hauled home on the bus.


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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

FlyGap said:


> We spend about $300 a month on groceries. That's around $10 a day for three people, $3.33 per person, eating WELL. Anything else we grow for virtually free, including eggs, the chickens free range. I've been increasing that to include almost all of our produce and sauces, and for the past few years we've been hunting for most of our meat.
> That has given us wiggle room to buy "luxuries" like an occasional pizza, tortilla chips, chocolate...
> 
> Over the years we've qualified for FS, $750 a month... Really???
> ...



I agree that it is entirely possible to do this. Buying in bulk and growing anything you can at home makes a huge impact on a daily budget. 


You should realize, however, that there are many people and areas with severe limitations. Not everyone can hunt for their food due to their location. Not everyone can raise chickens at home either. Many people live in housing situations where the only garden they can grow has to fit in tiny pots on a windowsill (like herbs at best).


I'm not trying to say it isn't possible because I completely agree that it is. It just isn't as simple as it is for those with more space or a local hunting spot. 

That being said, while I could make it work, I choose not to because I worked to hard for too long. I lived that life for years as a single mother working part-time in food and retail industries while going to college full-time. 


Personally, I think it's ridiculous to try to guilt those who *can* live on more than $3/day for food into doing it just because some people are in that situation. I don't know what the other bills were, so who's to say there couldn't be cuts made elsewhere so that $3/day could be bumped to $5/day or even $5/day and putting $3/day into savings. I disagree with anything that tries to push me to feel bad because I have what I have.


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

If you're living in an apartment, and someone on welfare almost certainly is, you're not going to be able to have a garden for fresh vegetables or raise chickens. 


RegularJoe, it is very possible if not likely, to live in a house here and be on welfare or just food assistance. There are more government owned section 8 houses, then there are apartments these days. A garden is very possible and depending on the area so is a chicken coop.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Where there's a will there's a way. Notice that I said NOW we garden and hunt, that NOW allows us to buy luxuries. Didn't use to be that way.

You can buy in bulk online and shipping is sometimes free. It just takes thought and planning, which I have done for years, most of the time DH making only $1,700 a month. I doubt this person is working more than 30 hours a week. That leaves A LOT of time to spend being thrifty (especially compared to me who works 7 days a week, not including farm work). This is one person in one household. So I just bet they have a fridge/freezer with enough room to store meals and, Heaven forbid, cook from scratch. There are also community garden plots springing up allll over the country. And if she doesn't have one nearby maybe with all the time she has she can start one? 

Or oh my goodness, MOVE, to where there is cheaper cost of living and a half decent trailer house comes with a bit of yard?

I'm not "judging" anyone, but I was raised by a single mother who got no FS, no child support, who worked minimum wage. While we "suffered" like no cable or decent clothes, and survived off of ramen noodles and spaghetti, we survived... Without assistance.

Unless someone is handicapped, I have little to no compassion for long term assistance getters. Short term, ok.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

While I do not support the.... wide spread use of welfare as it is (though that would be a topic for a different thread ;-) I do live off of three dollars a day. It's doable and honestly I like it better than I probably should. 

I grow my own vegatables and fruit, AND can so that takes the majority of my grocery bill down. I do a lot of shopping at stores that sell meat that's on the sell by date or the day after for $0.25, etc. I probably only spend about ten dollars at the store on a given trip. Now I eat a lot of the same stuff, and have a lot of meat in a freezer but in the end it still tastes the same as food that would cost me more bought fresh or going out to eat!  (All the money I save on this goes into my education and horses! :lol


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

FlyGap said:


> Where there's a will there's a way. Notice that I said NOW we garden and hunt, that NOW allows us to buy luxuries. Didn't use to be that way.
> 
> You can buy in bulk online and shipping is sometimes free. It just takes thought and planning, which I have done for years, most of the time DH making only $1,700 a month. I doubt this person is working more than 30 hours a week. That leaves A LOT of time to spend being thrifty (especially compared to me who works 7 days a week, not including farm work). This is one person in one household. So I just bet they have a fridge/freezer with enough room to store meals and, Heaven forbid, cook from scratch. There are also community garden plots springing up allll over the country. And if she doesn't have one nearby maybe with all the time she has she can start one?
> 
> ...




Yep, I was out on my own by 18, paid for my own college ( worked my way through ), and bought my first house a week before I turned 20. My theory is, if you dont like what you are getting for "free", then go out and work for and earn what you want. Our disabled and retired vets earned their benefits and from what I see going on, the lazy losers of this country are getting more for doing less.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

The person saddlebag is trying to replicate does seem to live in a bed sit or similar so really growing their own food is probably not an option for them
Storing large bulk supplies would be difficult but a 20lb bag of rice from Walmart is $9 and that would last for ages, 1lb pack of spaghetti is only just over $3. 
Things like baked beans are cheap and good nutrition - easy to add to a baked potato and an egg
I'm curious as to how much a single unemployed person gets in Canada on Unemployment benefit if they're available to work (called Jobseekers allowance now in the UK) I took a quick look on a Benefits Calculator (UK) and a single person there on that benefit with no other income would get just over 72GBP a week with only 2GBP to pay in property tax a week (more or less depending on value of property) and in a small bed sit or apartment all rental costs would be covered by Housing benefit


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

> Or oh my goodness, MOVE, to where there is cheaper cost of living and a half decent trailer house comes with a bit of yard?


Hey, I have just that place for rent. Even room for a bit of garden.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

RegularJoe said:


> Then why don't you actually do it and tell us what you made and your actual expenses for making it.
> 
> That's one dollar per person per meal.


So far today, my breakfast (bowl of oatmeal) cost about 49 cents, my lunch (most of a can of beets, ham on italian bread)) was about 1.59 cents. Not sure about dinner yet, but it will follow.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

RegularJoe said:


> If you're living in an apartment, and someone on welfare almost certainly is, you're not going to be able to have a garden for fresh vegetables or raise chickens.
> 
> If you're living paycheck to paycheck, it's also not going to be easy to be able to buy in bulk. Even if you can afford large, bulk purchases (which you can't) you may not have storage for them. We already know the person whose circumstances launched this thread needs to use public transportation, which also makes buying in bulk highly impractical.
> 
> Certainly you're not likely to have a lot of extra freezer space to prepare and freeze large batches of things, or store a hundred pounds of meat from the deer you bagged and somehow hauled home on the bus.


I have a side-by-side Sears fridge, and can actually get that 100# of meat in there, along with some frozen veggies (broccoli in BIG bags!).
As for bulk, each month I buy one item bulk, usually enough to last 3-4 months. Beans, rice, etc, not hard to store in one plastic tote, which can also double as a side table if you are short on space. Just throw a nice towel over it.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

BugZapper89 said:


> Saddlebag, your challenge really isnt much of one as with a little work 3.00 per day for one person is very possible, but it takes some effort. Here is what my elderly neighbor sent me to the store for last week:
> 
> 18 eggs 1.69
> 2lb store brand oatmeal 1.99
> ...


Wow. Food where you live is cheap. We can't even get bread at the day-old bread store for $.99. Butter (real butter, not margarine) is $3.99 at the cheapest. Eggs are $3.69 for an 18-pack.

My boyfriend is currently unemployed. He qualifies for food stamps and gets $192 per month. I work full-time and make barely above minimum wage. I qualified for $16 per month (for what it's worth, I declined when offered that $16 per month). 

So, we have $192 per month to do our basic food shopping. We buy meat in bulk and freeze it so we can use it all month. We eat mainly canned goods when it comes to fruits and vegetables because they are inherently cheaper than buying fresh (even though we would MUCH prefer fresh). On average, we spend about $120-140 of our food stamp money at the first of the month when our card is reloaded. We come home with enough food to make two meals per day for two thirds of the month (we only eat twice per day because I work nights, so we wake up and eat our first meal around 11am, then we eat dinner around 7pm, and that's it). The rest of our food stamp money is used throughout the month for any essentials we need, like milk, eggs or butter. We shop the ads and I'm signed up for rewards cards at all the grocery stores so that we can stretch the money we do have as far as we can. It sucks because we only have one grocery store in our town and they are ridiculously expensive. To get to any other grocery store is a minimum ten miles, so we have to weigh the savings on food versus the time and gas money we spend out of pocket (and since my car won't fit very much in the way of groceries, we end up taking my boyfriend's big truck, which is a diesel [before you jump on that, the truck was his dad's before he died and is paid off...the insurance is paid by his mother through the vending machine business that she owns and my boyfriend runs for her]). If I want to make anything special for dinner or whatever, I go to the store and buy it myself, so I don't use the food stamp money.

On the other hand, my parents, who live on a fixed income, spend on average $300-350 per month on groceries for the two of them. Their fridge is always full almost to overflowing with fresh fruit and veggies. They shop at Costco and have a large chest freezer in the garage to hold frozen excess groceries. They also have a floor-to-ceiling cupboard in the garage that is dedicated to food storage. 

So, my point is, when you do the math, we live on $3.20 per person per day. It's not easy. We don't have snacks or extra food at the end of the month. By the end of the month, out fridge has more empty space than not, and our shelves have a few cans of veggies and random stuff in them, but nothing that we can just grab and eat. By the end of the month, we have to get creative just to come up with our next meal.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Ramen noodles 5 for a $1 add some frozen mixed veggies and it makes a good meal.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

churumbeque said:


> Ramen noodles 5 for a $1 add some frozen mixed veggies and it makes a good meal.


Canned veggies are cheaper. ;-) And yeah, that's pretty much what we're eating by the end of the month. With nutritional value of about nil. But hey, it's food,
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Let's take BugZappers list and convert it to Ontario dollars. Now, I am in Northern Ontario and some groceries might be a bit more expensive, but I am not in a remote area, so the difference shouldn't be much.

18 eggs 1.69 2.69
2lb store brand oatmeal 1.99 2.99
bag of potatoes 1.39 1.99 to 4.99 depending on the day
loaf of bread .99 1.99
7 bananas .98 hmmm... not sure but 59 - 79cents a pound allow $2
16oz container of plain store brand yogurt 1.99 don't do yogurt much; have to leave that one.
1 lb ham sliced thin 3.99 5.00
2 onions .69 the same or less
1/2 gallon of milk 1.69 4 litres 3.49 - 5.99
1 jar pasta sauce .88 1.00 on a good sale; usually 1.99
2 lbs pasta 1.98 same
butter 1.99 never; margarine for 1.99 though

GRAND TOTAL $19.26 up here that's $27.80 I got to; useing the lowest prices from above.

Then people assume that there is money to buy in bulk. When you live from one cheque to another, there is no way to buy in bulk; the extra $ just isn't there to begin with. Plus you need a place to put it. Then growing things - not if you live in a rented room or crappy apartment - no land, no room, no garden. Herbs and sprouts - that's about it. 

I've been there -not on welfare, but when the milk ran out, the kids drank kool-aid with 1/2c sugar not a cup. Rice is cheap and goes a long way. I can't even remember all the tricks I did then. I was just thinking a few days ago about how wasteful I am now compared to years ago. Shameful really.

A while ago, a local radio host tried to live off the foodbank for a week. His whole family took part. The only food they had was from the foodbank. Every day he told his tale and it was not a nice one. Made me change what I donate, the rare times that I do. 

The other thing wrong with the system is that they make it REALLY hard to get off of welfare up here. You have certain obligations you have to meet, one of which is looking for work if you are able, doing community work if you are able. If you earn any money, they deduct it off the welfare funds at some point. So you are spending more money to get to work, pack a lunch, dress appropriately, but they take some away. It's a really tough circle.

However, that all said, I did the math years ago and found out that a single guy on welfare earned more money in a year than I did. With the welfare funds, the taxi rides paid for medical visits (no buses in town), free dental, free vision care, free prescriptions (lots of stuff is not covered by our health care system), no taxes charged on anything he got from the system, he was getting over $35K a year. I was earning less than $30K and supporting the household: me, hubby and a kid; hubby was unemployed at the time. ****ed me right off solid. That guy was sitting at home doing squat to earn money besides selling pot and looking after his garden. I think he managed to put money away on welfare actually, but I can't recall for sure anymore.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

If someone is receiving welfare/FS they are not living "paycheck" to "paycheck", the card gets loaded at some point during the month. Actually people who get paid NORMALLY, say twice a month, will have x amount of dollars to buy bulk foods.
It's not like, unless they are a waitress, they get paid daily.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BadWolf (Oct 12, 2012)

It's just the two of us, and we average between $100-150 per month on groceries. 
That's $1.67-2.50 each per day.
It gets a little monotonous at times, but it's not hard if you're creative.
The worst part is that we don't get as much fresh fruit/veggies as I would like, except during the summer when gardens are growing. To be fair, we could probably try a little harder in that regard. 

I think the lowest we've ever done was $85 for a month - $1.42 each per day.
That was... unpleasant.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Actually, FG - here they do live paycheque to paycheque. The money is deposited into their bank account. We don't have food stamps or some kind of card that gets loaded.

Edited to add: by the time the next monthly money comes in, there are a million things to be paid and the money is basically all spent right away. Then 4 weeks with no money. It's really hard.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

FlyGap said:


> If someone is receiving welfare they are not living "paycheck" to "paycheck", the card gets loaded at some point during the month. Actually people who get paid NORMALLY, say twice a month, will have x amount of dollars to buy bulk foods.
> It's not like, unless they are a waitress, they get paid daily.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I live paycheck to paycheck. My paycheck is usually spent before it's deposited in my account. I can't afford to shop at Costco or Sam's club, nor do I have any place to put that much food. We have an old French door fridge with a tiny freezer and, let's be honest, who is going to eat 2lbs of osso buco? It seems that most of the foods at Costco are high-end entrees marketed to people who are planning a party, not your average joe trying to feed a family. The only thing we get at Costco is our toilet paper. Last time we went to Costco (two months ago), we got toilet paper and the kind of deodorant my boyfriend uses was on sale, I got it for him. We got two things and spent almost $50. When you bring home $500 per check, that's 10% of your income...on TWO items.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

We too live paycheck to paycheck. What I am saying is that WHEN you get paid (or money is loaded on the card), you must allocate x amount of dollars for food. Then go spend that x amount in bulk, it'll go further. It's not rocket science. 

That FS money is for FOOD alone, if it's for other things (how NICE!) a person obviously has to do this thing called BUDGET. A person can and SHOULD be able to figure out what they can make with x amount of food for x amount of dollars.

It's not like a person is handed $3 and told go buy your food for the day.

I live an hour away from the expensive store, an hour and a half from a SAMs. I go to the store once a month, maybe stop in at the expensive store if it's imperative.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Bugzapper, double the cost of that list as that's approx. what we pay. Large eggs are almost $3 here. Butter just hit $5 for a brick. Celery, 99c lb. etc. I'll buy yams on Monday at 79c lb. Last Christmas they were on sale at 49c lb. You guys get them dirt cheap.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

> Ramen noodles 5 for a $1 add some frozen mixed veggies and it makes a good meal.


I have done this many times.




> Canned veggies are cheaper


Yes, in a way. However a CAN is a lot more that is needed, and they have too much salt and taste like..............ewww. I will eat canned greenbeans, but not mixed veggies.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

FG - in Ontario, the money is not for food alone. The funds provided are for all necessities. Rent, utilities, phone, transportation, school supplies, clothing, entertainment (ya, not) and food. The OP is in Ontario, which is what started the whole thing. So you really can't compare our welfare funds to the US food stamp system.


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## mrsgrubby (Jul 6, 2014)

What a great challenge, I don't think I could do it for a week, let alone a month. 
You who do are really impressive. 
I was just at the farmers market buying fresh produce, and spent $35 just buying carrots, apples, potatoes, and broccoli. It's just not cheap and I don't garden, myself 
I feel like I am budget conscious, but certainly don't eat for $3 per day on a daily basis, maybe some days, but not probably most.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I live on $4/day (US) and that includes toilet paper and other non-food items. 

It's a real boon if I can do a chore for someone and get some wild game. I didn't have time last year, but will this year. 

I could spend more on food. I could eat out, too. But, I choose to spend, save, and give rather than stuff unnecessary dollars down my gullet.


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

boots said:


> I live on $4/day (US) and that includes toilet paper and other non-food items.
> 
> It's a real boon if I can do a chore for someone and get some wild game. I didn't have time last year, but will this year.
> 
> I could spend more on food. I could eat out, too. But, I choose to spend, save, and give rather than stuff unnecessary dollars down my gullet.


reminds me of the time my Dr. told me I should lose some weight.
I told the Dr. I got alot of money invested in my fat. :lol:


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## MsLady (Apr 18, 2013)

squirrelfood said:


> So far today, my breakfast (bowl of oatmeal) cost about 49 cents, my lunch (most of a can of beets, ham on italian bread)) was about 1.59 cents. Not sure about dinner yet, but it will follow.


I think it is great you are challenging yourself when you really don't have to, however don't forget you still some nutrition. Most families budget their meals on little income but still need to think about the nutritional value. Most have children with growing little bodies 😊. Some very cheap meals are red beans and rice (I make this once a month and it usually will feed my 4 for 2 days) or potato soup (potatoes, chicken broth and evoporated milk are the main ingredients). These meals cost less than $5 to make and last 2-3 days at least. 
When my budget is tight I try to think, what can I afford, what is good for us and what tastes good.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

One of my favorites to make, that is relatively cheap, is chicken noodle soup. I usually make it with a rotisserie chicken, but it's also good with canned chicken. A bag of egg noodles is $1, a bag of frozen veggies (or a couple of cans of veggies) is $2-3, then a box of chicken stock (or I like to use chicken bullion cubes) is $1.50. For around $10 (if I use a rotisserie chicken), I can make a huge pot of soup and it will last at least a week, or can be frozen and eaten later.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Even though I ranch, I don't eat the beef I raise. 

I don't know how many times people (who don't ranch) will visit and say "If I had all these cows I'd eat steak every night." Oh yeah? Then you wouldn't have any cows before long. lol


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

^^^^then when you ask them how they think they would make any money if they were EATING all their income they get really quiet lol


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Right now I'm doing what I call a "Pantry Challenge". I do go out and buy in bulk and of course, after a while you have dribs and drabs of just STUFF. So, I do the pantry challenge and see what I can make with what I have on hand and I go week to week. So far, I'm in week 3 and I've spent $120 for 2 people. That includes, Milk at $4/gal, fresh salad fixings, fresh bread and 2 lbs of a round steak ($5!!!/lb). The last time I bought a round steak it was under $1.99. So, I probably haven't met the $3/day challenge but I have saved a considerable amount of the usual grocery budget and I'm getting my freezer and fridge and pantry cleaned out. 

Since I do buy in bulk and have my own chickens, and used to have my own beef, it's frequently 4 or even 6 months between big store trips. This year, of the last 10 years, has by far had the largest raises in food prices. I have been shocked at what it costs to do basically the same menu I have done for the last 30 years, used to be less than $25/week for 2, now well over $200 if I go from scratch and have nothing in stock.


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## oobiedoo (Apr 28, 2012)

The increase in food costs have been rising kinda crazy but then so are the costs to produce it and get it on the store shelf.
I did just a rough ,quick calculation and we're probably averaging more like 4-4.50 per person. I have to say though that's 3 meals a day and some snack food and dessert too. Not too many meatless meals either, just have to shop really carefully. If it was only me I can eat a can of Chef Boyardee for a buck but with a 5 yr old in the house I try to cook meals and make most of it healthy stuff.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

MsLady said:


> I think it is great you are challenging yourself when you really don't have to, however don't forget you still some nutrition. Most families budget their meals on little income but still need to think about the nutritional value. Most have children with growing little bodies 😊. Some very cheap meals are red beans and rice (I make this once a month and it usually will feed my 4 for 2 days) or potato soup (potatoes, chicken broth and evoporated milk are the main ingredients). These meals cost less than $5 to make and last 2-3 days at least.
> When my budget is tight I try to think, what can I afford, what is good for us and what tastes good.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_



When your income is 811 a MONTH, "don't have to" isn't a part of it. and I do eat my share of beans and rice, just not yesterday. I LOVE my veggies!


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Saddlebag said:


> The challenge wasn't to condemn others but to see what it's like to walk in their shoes. This morning I had one egg, two teeny tomatoes and one slice of bread for breakfast with weak coffee. Lunch will probably be a potato, carrot and a few peas or celery. I'm having to calculate the value of everything to stay within the $3. Since I always save and freeze veggie scraps, I'll be making a large pot of veg broth and adding brown rice for my supper and maybe tomorrows supper as well.
> Southern, there are no food stamps in Canada. People are issued a monthly cheque and it's up to them how they spend it. We have all watched groceries increase about 30% so now that $3 buys less than 7 yrs ago. There was a general consensus that food stamps were degrading so they were done away with over 20yrs ago.



I do not know about Canada of course, but can say here in US it is in areas with the highest percentage of food stamp users, that you find the highest food products AND the worse grocery stores. 

Milk here in Dec '12 was, for name brand milk, 3.85 or so a gallon, and I went to see son in AL that year, stopped at wrongmart 30 miles from his house, to get a few things that I wanted to have on hand the next day.

Wrongmart name brand milk? 5.86 a gallon. 2 dollars more, because they know the food stamp users do not care how much they spend, and way too many of those EBT cards are in the hands of drug dealers too.

And it is very common in the even poorer areas, where people have no choice as to where groceries are bought, to find "fresh" lettuce, just put out, that is brown and mushy. Peppers that are blackening, and those too just came in. Meat that is going bad the day you buy it.


As for proof as to how well food stamp people do? Look at Schwan's Schwan's® Online Grocery Delivery Service | Delicious Food Direct to Your Door Check out their prices. Most expensive frozen foods you can buy...and they take food stamps...AND their drivers tell people "oh it's free". 24 dollars for 3lb pot roast and nothing else?

That's 8 dollars a lb for a roast, when you can catch them on sale for 3 a lb?



As for OP. Does this person have cable/sat, 'net, smoke, drug or drink, buy lotto tickets, leave lights on constantly, or?

I see too many here that scream they can't make it, and in one instance? Ran up 1K in utility bills, *all in one with the city* and got help AGAIN from action agency to pay it...left out fact they were heating 9 dog houses...one of which was open completely to the west wing? Not a dog entrance, but just nothing on that wall period, and no shelter for the house.

But there it sat, being heated by heat lamp. 

Dogs...9 houses for dogs...and they expect the taxpayers to pay it...and we have, year after year after year.

No attempts to plastic the windows, seal any cracks or do anything to winterize at all.



Back to OP. The rise if food stamp usage has, as I said, caused food to go sky high now. When you come out of the store with 10 dollars of items and there are only 2 in the sack? Something wrong there.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Something else to consider. Way too many people consider meat the MAIN course..or only one.

Talked to woman yesterday, who was prideful of the fact that her kids wouldn't eat anything but meat hardly. 

Told her what they tell folks down South, a dog will eat collard greens if that's all it gets for 7 days. She said hers would just starve, and wouldn't eat what was on table period.

Thought to myself, what a fool you are as a parent then.

It used to be that meat was very much a secondary thing, one piece for each person and one for the table is how it used to be, vegies and breads/rolls made up bulk of meal, and you didn't see how much you could cram down your throat either.

Now? Full course of meat, TBSP of veggies, and snack all day long.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Too, for what it is worth. The state of MO, pays a total of 5.07 a day per "consumer" in MR/DD homes. Not a meal, but a day.

Helps to have 6 in home of course, but still has to be cooked correctly.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Palomine, my challenge was to eat on $3 for one week, not a list of expenses or complaints. I'm more interested in hearing from people who are willing to take up the challenge. BTW I don't drink or smoke, do have internet and cheapest satellite tv but that's not the issue. 
Today I had potato carrot and celery from yesterday only added an egg this time to hold me a little longer. I'm not overweight but an egg and a slice of ww bread didn't hold me for two hours yesterday.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Saddlebag said:


> Palomine, my challenge was to eat on $3 for one week, not a list of expenses or complaints. I'm more interested in hearing from people who are willing to take up the challenge.


I'm not interested in living on $3/day, that's why DH & I both slaved our ways through college and got good paying jobs. I worked in law enforcement for 27 years and he's a Nurse Practitioner in an ER. $3/day or the $811 monthly stipend or welfare checks and food stamps in the US, weren't intended to support someone for the long term but to help them get through a rough patch. Or at least in the US that's how it was intended. I have no problem with someone using those benefits when they really need them, as taxpayers we pay for those benefits to be there. That kind of living should encourage someone to get busy and find ways to supplement that stipend or to find work that will replace it altogether. Here in the US we have generations who have never lived on anything but food stamps and welfare. If figure if they get tired enough of it, they'll find a way to get off it. 

Living on $3/day when you buy the food daily is also not the most frugal way to shop. $3/day = $21/week = $84/month and while it won't be luxurious, you can do a bunch more with $84 than you can with $3. Some of what needs to happen to help people living on these programs is to teach them how and what to buy, when to buy it and the most economical ways to fix it to make it stretch. A lot of them don't know how to shop and/or cook.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Palomine said:


> Something else to consider. Way too many people consider meat the MAIN course..or only one.
> 
> Talked to woman yesterday, who was prideful of the fact that her kids wouldn't eat anything but meat hardly.
> 
> ...


LOL! My dogs love greens, will beg for them. 

Our menu looks something like this:

Breakfast consists of an egg, bread of some kind and cheese or breakfast meat, or oatmeal and an egg. 

Lunch is soup & sandwich, or one or the other if you're not too hungry

Monday is meatless 
Friday is Fish or meatless

Sunday - meat, potatoes or rice, salad & vegs, occasional desert

Tues, Weds, Thurs, Sat - pretty much the same lay out as Sunday but not so much. For instance, Sunday might be pot roast, but the rest of the week will be Chicken & dumplings, Ham Hock & beans with spoonbread, pot pie, tacos, burritos, spaghetti w/meat sauce, and of course, LEFT OVERS. 

We still do the 1 piece of meat + 1 for the table, and all meals have some kind of salad & vegs (1/2 plate) and a starch, regardless of what protein I decide to cook. Desert is frequently whatever is in season, or if I'm feeling energetic maybe a cobbler or red velvet cake. 

The key is, I buy what's in season, I grow it and I stretch it. Every dinner meal I make is good for at least 2 nights of dinners.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

I shop once a month for the most part, and pick up more fresh stuff later, if I can. I eat healthy usually, and still pretty much what I like. I bake my own bread all winter. Heats the house up too much in the summer, but a $1 loaf of Italian lasts me a couple weeks. I usually get a piece of meat a day, the rest is mostly veggies. Fried rice is a BIG thing here, love it! Lots of onion and some veggies in it. Another use for frozen (store brand) mixed veggies. and yes, my dog likes greens too.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

It's a shame the original intention of the thread got derailed into greater discussions on the merits or otherwise of having a system in place that provides assistance, maybe that discussion should be moved off and hidden in the political section.

As to your challenge Saddlebag, well the cost of living varies so much from place to place it is really hard to find a level playing field to even start that. LOL, it reminds me of a much stated, but have no idea if it is true, statement attributed to Churchill in the war. He was shown a pile of food that brits were allowed on ration, and said "I could eat well for a day on that" trouble was it was a weeks ration.

Living where I do, it costs me more than $3 to drive to a store, the nearest one has little in the way of fresh produce, so I would struggle, heck lets be honest I would struggle anyway these days. When we were first married though, I could feed both of us on very very little, I had to, because we didn't have much. We famously lived for a week on the top layer of our wedding cake, that we had been saving for our sons christening, but we couldn't afford food having had to pay out for an unexpected bill.


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

Saddlebag said:


> Bugzapper, double the cost of that list as that's approx. what we pay. Large eggs are almost $3 here. Butter just hit $5 for a brick. Celery, 99c lb. etc. I'll buy yams on Monday at 79c lb. Last Christmas they were on sale at 49c lb. You guys get them dirt cheap.


If I had a store ad from your area I could do it. Last time I was up your way was a long time ago and I have no idea what foods are cheaper by you. However I can say our celery is 1.99 on sale and yams are NOT cheap. I love them so I do grow them. They grow well in trash bags along side my front steps If rice is still cheap in your area there are plenty meals to be made with that.


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

BugZapper89 said:


> 1 cup of oatmeal for breakfast
> 1 banana as a mid morning snack
> 2 eggs slice of ham 2 slices toast for lunch
> 1 serving pasta with sauce for dinner
> 1 serving yogurt for evening snack.


By my calculation (quick google searches) that's less than 1,000 calories a day. Adequate for a sedentary, elderly woman, perhaps, but an adult male would need to be eating twice that to not be continuously losing weight. 

Even an active child needs to eat more than that.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Golden Horse, thank you.


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

Palomine said:


> Something else to consider. Way too many people consider meat the MAIN course..or only one.
> 
> Talked to woman yesterday, who was prideful of the fact that her kids wouldn't eat anything but meat hardly.
> 
> ...



Your house sounds like mine a lot! You eat what is put in front of you and that is that. Don't like what's for dinner then go to bed hungry. I don't care how long you go without eating, it will not take more then a day or so and they will about eat the table Yes meat was a secondary and not always part of a meal
When I worked my way through college I worked at the race track 5 nights a week and tended bar the other two nights Those 5 nights I are rice and beans for dinner for 4 years and the other two nights were whatever the kitchen supervisor said I was eating for dinner. I was just happy to have a dinner


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## mrsgrubby (Jul 6, 2014)

Since this thread was started yesterday, I've thought a lot about it. 
It was also the conversation at our dinner table tonight. 
Thank you for bringing this challenge up. It really has been interesting to read the responses and also spend some time thinking about how much I spend to eat every day. 
Makes me feel thankful and blessed that I don't have to plan meals for a month that average $3 per day, I love to cook, and a budget like that would be so hard. 
Today I had a protien shake and coffee for breakfast, bacon sandwich for lunch, chicken spaghetti for dinner, with a small salad on the side, and I baked a cake. 
I'm sure I am way over the $3 budget even though there are leftovers of spaghetti and cake for tomorrow. 
I will be keeping track of this for the next week, per the challenge for sure. Ã¢ÂÂ¤Ã¯Â¸Â


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Yeahhh, a challenger. When I was sole support of two teenage sons, the kind with the bottomless pits, I had to buy 20lbs of potatoes weekly to fill them up. Meat was, per person 3 ounces, 3 x week. We also had pork and beans weekly, always two veggies. No manufactured food and no pop or junk food. Breakfast was porridge. Both boys got excellent dental reports, neither had pimples and both were the picture of health and neither was overweight. On this challenge I'm eating more potatoes than normal because they are filling me up.


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## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

BugZapper89 said:


> Saddlebag, your challenge really isnt much of one as with a little work 3.00 per day for one person is very possible, but it takes some effort. Here is what my elderly neighbor sent me to the store for last week:
> 
> 18 eggs 1.69
> 2lb store brand oatmeal 1.99
> ...


What so many of you are NOT realizing is that each area has VERY different prices. The OP is in Canada and some of the groceries on the west coast are horrendous, price wise. 
A dozen eggs can cost as much as $6.99, NOT $1.69 and if you quadrupled most of the other prices you mentioned one could only hope to get the items for those amounts. Groceries in many (not all) states are dirt cheap.


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## mrsgrubby (Jul 6, 2014)

Saddlebag;On this challenge I'm eating more potatoes than normal because they are filling me up.[/QUOTE said:


> Saddlebag, this is going to be the tricky part for me. I eat a very low carb diet, and normally only eat potatoes with Sunday dinner.
> So trying to figure out how to cook for $3 has me thinking outside my normal.
> Today for breakfast I had another protein shake and coffee ( it's my staple) but nearly a dollar. However it will be leftovers for dinner, and apples, carrots, and sandwiches for lunch, so today I think we can 'do it'
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

I've been doing this for years. It's really not that hard if you don't eat out, don't buy a lot of processed foods, and realize you can have a meal without meat.

Too many people are lazy and spoiled, and expect to be able to have what they want when they want it. A cup of coffee for $6.00 or more? Total insanity! Brew it at home for pennies, and add flavored creamer.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Mrsgrubby, in high school my son was involved in a health class project of breaking down dietary fallacies. He was 6' tall and about 180lb. His part was to eat nothing but potatoes for a week, any way he wanted but no condiments. Seasonings were ok. I wasn't sure I wanted him doing this because of deficiency concerns. Most of the potatoes he ate included well scrubbed skins where the greatest source of potassium lies. When it came time for the weigh in, he'd lost 5 lbs. We went thro 40 lbs of spuds that week. Carbs are important energy sources.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Ahhh, but I do not believe that every human breaks down food the same, some are better at converting carbs to energy, some better at fats. I also believe that veggie carbs are far easier than complex grain carbs for most people.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I'm often wondered if our systems are designed to eat grains and flours. Way back in our history we were hunters and gatherers and a few grains would have been available in the fall. Basically the available foods would have been roots and greens, seasonal berries. I live where wild berries are plentiful and like tree fruits, there are the early, middle, later and late berries.


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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

Saddlebag said:


> I'm often wondered if our systems are designed to eat grains and flours. Way back in our history we were hunters and gatherers and a few grains would have been available in the fall. Basically the available foods would have been roots and greens, seasonal berries. I live where wild berries are plentiful and like tree fruits, there are the early, middle, later and late berries.


From what I remember, people did not eat meat till after they discover Fire to cook meat.

I am not sure if I could live without meat, tried it for a while many years ago when I dated a vegetarian, dating her and not eating meat only lasted about 6 months :lol::lol::lol:

.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

It's not that hard to feed one person on $3 per day. The food is pretty simple, but you can do it.

Not doing the "challenge" though since I don't see the point in it. I know what it's like to be poor so I'm not sure what I'd learn from it.

BugZapper89: You do not need a garden for fresh vegetables. My mother lives in an apartment and has for about 50 years and grows vegetables in pots inside her apartment.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I think if you handled your welfare/unemployment money efficiently you'd have more than $3 a day ($21 a week to spend on food)


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

DancingArabian said:


> It's not that hard to feed one person on $3 per day. The food is pretty simple, but you can do it.
> 
> Not doing the "challenge" though since I don't see the point in it. I know what it's like to be poor so I'm not sure what I'd learn from it.
> 
> BugZapper89: You do not need a garden for fresh vegetables. My mother lives in an apartment and has for about 50 years and grows vegetables in pots inside her apartment.



I didn't mean you needed land for a
Garden. Yes you can garden in pots and as I said potatoes grow well in trash bags. My point was just a garden


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Interesting how the topic of meat was brought up indicating it is more expensive than other foods. In Ontario, meat is cheaper than fresh vegetables by far. One of the cheapest full-you-up meals you can make here is spaghetti and meat sauce. Not THE cheapest, but it's right in the neighbourhood. If you have old vegies that maybe aren't so good in a salad, toss those in.


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## STT GUY (Apr 23, 2014)

Saddlebag said:


> I am unfamiliar about the Welfare rates in the US. I am sure they vary. In Canada we have a higher cost of living but often earn more. In British Columbia, a woman is now fighting for more welfare money as it hasn't been adjusted in 7 yrs. By the time she pays the necessary expenses she has $3 per day for food. I've suggested to my brother he set up a FB page challenging people to do this for a week, $3 per person per day for one week. I'd like to challenge people on here to take up the Welfare Challenge and let us know how it goes.


 
Why would I want to even try that?

How about I challenge people to stop mooching off me/us/you and become productive members of society so they don't have to worry about living off $3 a day for food money.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

STT GUY said:


> Why would I want to even try that?
> 
> How about I challenge people to stop mooching off me/us/you and become productive members of society so they don't have to worry about living off $3 a day for food money.


STOP IT, you want to debate that go to the political forum, you don't want to try this fine, move along. I'm not trying it either, but that's because I have done my time making food last, because I had no money.


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## mrsgrubby (Jul 6, 2014)

Ok Saddlebag, what did you eat yesterday?

We managed to do it yesterday. Had the coffee and protien shake for breakfast.

Left over sloppy Jo's, carrots, and apples for lunch

Left over chicken spaghetti and cake for dinner.

Today I've had cake and coffee for breakfast. 

Apple and protien shake for lunch

And not sure yet about dinner.


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## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

Saddlebag said:


> I'm often wondered if our systems are designed to eat grains and flours. Way back in our history we were hunters and gatherers and a few grains would have been available in the fall. Basically the available foods would have been roots and greens, seasonal berries. I live where wild berries are plentiful and like tree fruits, there are the early, middle, later and late berries.


I don't think our systems are designed to eat grains to the _extent _we eat them _now._

Back in hunter / gatherer days, remember, you could more easily store grains for winter use than you could fresh produce :wink:. So they would have had them over winter, just not to the extent we do today in all the processed foods.


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## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

Now, going with the food prices in Vancouver (where the original lady lives who only has $3.00 per day for food, as quoted by the OP), if you check out this site, you will see the average prices for food in Vancouver.

Food Prices in Vancouver, Canada


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

Red Gate Farm said:


> I don't think our systems are designed to eat grains to the _extent _we eat them _now._
> 
> Back in hunter / gatherer days, remember, you could more easily store grains for winter use than you could fresh produce :wink:. So they would have had them over winter, just not to the extent we do today in all the processed foods.


Remember; DRIED food keeps a long time. Don't know about you but MY ancestors dried EVERYTHING for winter.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Big pot of macaroni noodles, enough for 4 meals. One can of cr of mushroom soup and a cup of peas (frozen, not canned). For breakfast a mini potato salad left over from the boiled veg of the day before with 1/2 small can of tuna added. Breakfast today was the macaroni mix with a sprinkle of soy sauce to change the taste. Lunch was a fundraiser so can't include that as it cost me $7. Supper will likely be toast. Altho I've never kept track before, I not really eating much differently than I usually do. I'm not big on food that manufacturers have monkeyed with. I get days I wish for something to throw in the micro and it's tempting but instead I'll keep a variety of good homemade soups on hand or frozen chili or pork and beans. I always cook freezable meals and freeze them in portions. I do not too badly on $3 per day but when coffee in a restaurant with a tip can cost $10, ( to give you an idea of the cost of living) those people on the west coast must have to do a lot of dumpster diving in order to survive.


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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

.
Have been trying the challenge

Whole Chicken 6.56lbs at .88 per lb.
Oatmeal 18oz 1.79
Rice 5lbs 2.99
Grapes .89 per lb
Block Cheese 3.89 lb.
Eggs 1.59 dozen
Sausage 2.49 lb.
Bananas .52 lb.
Potatoes 5 lbs. 2.79
Pepsi 2 liter .99
Tomatoes .99 lb.
Bread 18oz. .99

That's 3.32 per meal and I have some Chicken, Rice, Potatoes, Bananas and Eggs left after 3 days.

Have not gained or lost any weight in three days, btw. But I do miss my cookies, ice cream and hamburgers.

.


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## mrsgrubby (Jul 6, 2014)

Dinner for me was a baked potato and pile of steamed broccoli. 
If I'm hungry later, I'll have an apple, 
So that's 2 out of 3 days I ate for $3. 
Tomorrow work will provide breakfast treats, for a meeting I'll be in, and I'm going riding in the evening, so won't have dinner, so should be able to meet the goal again tomorrow.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## STT GUY (Apr 23, 2014)

Golden Horse said:


> STOP IT, you want to debate that go to the political forum, you don't want to try this fine, move along. I'm not trying it either, but that's because I have done my time making food last, because I had no money.


My comment was not political in any sense of the word. It was more along the lines of common sense. I lived on about 3 a day in college but that was 1982 and it was by choice.


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