In today's paper there was this article about a woman and her daughter who are trying to spend under $21 per week each on food (That's about $1 per meal if you can't do math and eat three meals per day). I guess the reason is that they are trying to get more funding for the federal food stamp program. $21 per week is apparently the average allocation. I think that this woman probably didn't understand that because this was the average, the people who are most dependant on food stamps (i.e. pay for most or all of their food via food stamps) probably get more than a buck per meal. But whatever. It still sounds like a fun game.
I spend waayyy too much money on food. I eat out for lunch almost every day. My primary lunch places are Jimmy Johns and The Waterfront Deli, due to their proximity to my office. I probably drop about $7 for lunch at Jimmy Johns, and close to $10 at Waterfront. That's like $40 or $50 a week just on lunch. If I wanted to get by on $21 per week, I'd probably have to start brown-bagging it, which I've been meaning to do anyway. I also go out to dinner on most Fridays and Saturdays. This often involves booze. But other than that, I think I'd be alright. So this Sunday, I am going to go shopping and spend just $21 and try to go all week (or at least until Friday night) eating only that food. What would you buy if you had just $21 to spend on food for a week? Here are some of my ideas:
1) Twenty-one 8oz bottles of Vitamin Water, pack of gum.
2) Seven Wendy's Junior Bacon Cheeseburgers, Seven Wendy's cup of chili, Seven Wendy's Frosty Dairy Deserts (those things are awesome). Do you think it's a coincidence that they have a dollar menu?
3) Bottle of Jack, Flinstone vitamins, nerves of steel.
4) 14 Power Bars, 7 Slim Fast shakes, 2 liter bottle of Diet Pepsi.
5) Dozen Eggs ($1.50), Gallon of Milk ($3.50), Loaf of Bread ($2.00), Jar of Peanut Butter ($2.00), Half-pound of Turkey deli meat ($2.50), 5 store-brand frozen pizzas ($7.00), OJ ($2.50).
That one doesn't sound too bad, does it?
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3 comments:
Potatoes can be bought for 49 cents per pound, and even less on sale. Buy a little salt and pepper, synthetic bacon bits, thats 7 lunches for like 6 bucks and change.
You'll need sour cream, or butter, or cheese, but that is included into be 6 dollar estimate.
Also, google the "freegan" movement on the interweb, there was a Newsweek article on it, it is the craziest thing. Freegans, you see, are dumpster-diving vegans.
Anon,
Potatoes, huh? I am of Irish ancestry. Maybe you're on to something. Those freegan's are hilarious. If there are two groups of people I find amusing, it's bums and vegans.
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