Day Two $25 Illinois Food Bank Challenge
I woke up a little hungry this morning, but this time I was better prepared. I went to Aldi and purchased nearly Ten Dollars worth of food, that hopefully will carry me halfway through this challenge. For Breakfast, I had an english muffin and a banana. Unfortunately I missed out on any sort of protein, so tomorrow I will probably have some scrambled eggs. For Lunch, I had Peanut Butter and Jelly on Oat Bran bread. I might eat this for lunch the rest of the week. Now I have to admit that I had a salad (just a few bites!) at an event that I hosted this afternoon. Now I did avoid the delicious looking desert (and it was delicious looking), but it wasn't easy to resist. Since it is only 6pm right now, I haven't had dinner just yet. I will probably have beans and rice again. I have another shopping excursion planned for Thursday so I can get some eggs, and meat for the 12 to 13 dollars I have left. This is not an easy assignment. It makes you truly realize the tough times some families are living in right now. For me it will end in a week, but for others it's a reality that probably won't end anytime soon. This is eye-opening.
Labels: Illinois Food Bank $25 Challenge
posted by WTTW 11 at
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6 Comments:
If you are looking to save money, shop at Aldi, tomato sauce has $.10a can. I always go for the reduced produce at some stores-Garden Fresh Market always has reduced fresh fruit. I cut off the bad pieces and just use the good ones. I use coupons ONLY if the coupon makes the product less than the store brand. Also, when I make large dishes, I always freeze some for fast meals later. It's hard but meal planning is a key, just like in losing weight.
As a single mom of a 3 year old who is extremely picky,I have received food assistance and it is almost impossible to prepare food that is nutritious enough. Another alternative for food is the WIC program, if you are a mom with children under five. It provides one with cereal, milk, orange juice from concentrate, cheese (american or cheddar), dried beans, etc. It is a challenge to say the least. I think the income guidelines for food stamp eligibility should be revised to coincide with the increase in food prices.
This post is from someone who receives $10 in food stamps, monthly. Fortunately, I also receive social security benefits; but after I have paid my rent and utilities, there is very little left for essentials, such as groceries and medicine. As a result, I prioritize and omit items that are needed, but can be postponed. Yes, my options are limited. Mostly, I buy my basic pantry - fillers (canned vegetables, cooking oil, etc.) at Aldi; but I also shop at the various mom & pop produce markets along Devon Ave., in the West Ridge neighborhood (aka 'Little India'). Basically, I avoid the major grocery chains, as they are WAY too expensive. I cannot afford to buy fresh produce, so I buy frozen vegetables (again, at Aldi). Except for an occasional purchase of ground beef, meat is pretty much out of the question for me.
I run into trouble at the end of the month when I find myself with no funds with which to buy groceries. In that case, I will stop at a local food pantry where they provide me with enough provisions to last me until the beginning of the following month when my food stamps are replenished and, later, when I receive my social security benefits
Yes, it IS a challenge; but, so far, I have managed to avoid going to bed hungry.
The $25 challenge is all hype. While the average food stamp allotment might be $25, the allotment is calculated based on making up the difference between 30% of the recipient's income and the cost of the "thrifty food plan" which is $40.20 for a man Christian's age. So, you should have $40 per week to spend, not $25. Furthermore, to take advantage of economies of scale, the challenge should be to live on $160.80 for a month rather than speinding $25 for one week. I can buy staples that will last for weeks if I buy in bulk.
It isn't difficult if you plan ahead, and cook from scratch, and use ingredients "in season" or on sale.
Thank you for participating in this fair and important challenge! What you are doing is shedding light on a problem that so many people struggle with... silently and often for years if not their whole lives.
You're an inspiration to me because if someone who genuinely lives in abundance chooses to put themselves in the shoes of those who are in pain... there's hope for this civilization yet.
I just stumbled across this challenge today but I'm going to try it next week on my own.
And to those who say this challenge goes too far... they need to deal with their fears better and try to inspire others instead of trying so hard to drag others down.
Since I'm a vegetarian I used to get that kind of attitude all the time from insecure people who are intimidated by my taking positive action to make a better world.
People who work to improve the world around them are bound to make some (scared of change) people uncomfortable... you just have to ignore those negative messages and keep on doing what you believe in. Hopefully, eventually, they'll catch up!
Thank you again for your good work!
Very cool challenge. We have a family of five and live in Westchester so I think I'll need to check out some places I'm not used to shopping at to find products priced at that point (one day in the usual shops would blow that budget)... Glad it's a choice for me (right now anyway... it may not be soon...) Even if we stay financially well enough to not have to limit ourselves to $25 per person per week, it's important to understand the challenges our decisions indirectly create for others.
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