SNAP Food Stamp Challenge - Eat For Just $29/Week
I'm doing the SNAP challenge!
If you don't know what that is, it is to live off of $29/week for food. Nothing you currently have can be used, and I am following the rules of this challenge to the max and adding in my own personal extra challenges.
In preparation, I have blocked off half my refrigerator and locked up my cabinets so I will not inadvertently use any of the food I have.
I can use all my other kitchen instruments, like pots and pans, spoons, and other devices.
Let's begin!
The first thing you should know is that the 99 Cents Only stores have some great deals, and some that are cheaper elsewhere. It is a type of store that's good for supplementing your grocery shopping, but they don't have everything.
For example, they don't have fresh meats and a very limited produce section. It will make meal planning that much more difficult. I like a challenge though.
Here's what I got:
TOTAL: $28.16
After I got home I noticed I forgot to pick up peanut butter! I was going to have peanut butter sandwiches as a go-to thing if I needed something quick. Oh well, I said I would only go shopping once per week. Rules are rules.
I initially thought that this shopping trip was going to be easy, but starting from absolute scratch is hard! I found myself wondering what my last dollar was going to go towards. Should I get these carrots, or this pack of hot dogs, or maybe pasta sauce? Nope, I haven't picked up any oil yet. So that's where that dollar went.
Also, once I put the refrigerated items in the fridge, it looked so sad. I am the type of person to always have lots of food. I mean, how sad does this look?
Maybe future weeks will be easier as I will have some leftovers? We shall see.
Make sure you come back and check in as I will show you every meal I eat and about how much it costs!
Can I make it?
Who knows. I'm hungry, time to cook.
What do you think of my purchases, were they smart? What would you buy with just $29 to eat all week? Let me know in a comment below.
I did this for real for a year or two and the need to not use anything you already have is wrong. Unless the person is coming in off the street - they have spices and other food in the house. I also ride the bus or walk to everywhere with rheumatoid arthritis so weight and distance were factors for me.
I used the grocery ads and got all cheap stuff thoughout the month as they had it on sale. I did many trips per week instead of 1 since I could not carry all that anyway. I don't eat processed food so I would get flour - not bread, for example (way cheaper in the long run).
And I most definitely used dollar stores. I was in California and got my organic produce at the dollar store! They also had a place called bargain market which had very cheap healthy food. My other good sources for food were Mexican markets, small grocery stores, and gas stations which sometimes have cheap organic food - yes, this is true in California!
Now I'm in Bangkok and eat like a queen for about the same cost - all street food and open markets now :)
Good luck with your week. It is not easy to be plopped down into that lower level food supply. It gets easier if you do it for a lifestyle. I was getting $187 a month and ate very well. I fed my adult son a lot too but he was not on my stamps, so it can be done.
Thanks for writing about your experience on the program. Yea, I certainly made it more difficult for me. But I read some complaints about the challenge and decided to make it even more challenging to try to dispel some criticism.
Glad you are living it up now though!
People cannot imagine being on food stamps until it happens. You don't lose your house - you just have no money for food. I am sure to eat well no matter what :)
Well, I can tell you its doable, however, most people run into the great big problem of they don't know where their money goes.
Most people do not plan out meals, so they just by some of everything.
Like, I see you bought lots of pasta, but no pasta sauce. There are many things at the 99¢ store that would have made a good meal with the pasta. And you could have made a big batch and ate it most of the week.
I have also watched people purchase convenience items at grocery stores for 10x the material costs. Absolutely throwing money away, imho.
With what you bought you can make a quiche.
I was going to buy pasta sauce, but decided to buy the ingredients to make white sauce. That's butter/margarine, flour, milk (plus water). It's pretty tasty. Plus, I will make a fresh sauce with a few tomatoes too. Or a carbonara with the eggs.
You certainly pay for the convenience, don't ya! I'm not a fan of quiche tho, so not gonna make that. Will have 1-2 eggs for breakfast.
Ah, I see now. It was right there in front of my eyes.
I hope to hear more of your experiment.
I'm sorry, I'm laughing so hard at the Fake SPAM item. SPAM itself is pretty fake so play-doh, $1? lol ;-)
And with my metabolism, I wouldn't make it. People think I have a tape worm. I'm rooting for you brother....gonna be an interesting few weeks!
Hey, I lived in Hawaii for 4 years - SPAM is awesome! I'll make two meals of fake SPAM meat with that can. So good in pasta.
Hawaii for 4 years, not feeling bad for you :-)
Basic stuff that I eat to gain muscle. Absolutely cheap and impressive nutritional value - this is what real men eat on a daily basis.
MAN food!
Fo Shizzle
Very interesting, never heard of snap food challenge. My wife does all the shopping or picks what she needs, so I won't comment on if you picked good or bad :D
How much do you think your grocery spending is per week or month? That might give you an idea of what I have to work with.
Well the prices for grocers here in Australia are different, and depends on the season too, no way I could buy 6 tomatoes for $1 off season. Your milk seems cheaper as well $2.09 for gallon, we pay $2aud for 0.5 gallons :/
Not where I live, but some places of the US I hear that a dozen eggs are 40 cents and a gallon of milk is $1! It can get pretty cheap here. I live in southern Arizona along the logistics path of the veggies and fruits coming up from Mexico. We can get good deals on that stuff.
Amazing way to economize on food.
Thanks for posting!
Yea! Save money on food, then invest it. :)
Your list is pretty good. I would not buy margarine, strawberries and bacon . Instead Butter, 7 bananas, and peanut butter.
Its nice
I wanted butter, but it cost $3 while the margarine was $1. So went with what I could afford.