I want to do a final wrap up of my experience with the SNAP Challenge to record my overall thoughts and impressions. I learned so much, not only from doing the challenge myself, but from reading the comments, thoughts, and experiences that all of you have shared along the way.
I want to thank all of you for your kindness and support during the challenge. I was really reluctant to do the SNAP challenge because I didn’t like the idea of sharing something so detailed and personal as my daily diet, but the overall response was very positive. You helped me dive deeper into the experience and get so much more than if I had kept it to myself. Thank you!
When I started Budget Bytes in 2009 I was living on less than $4 per day for food (without SNAP benefits), but I have slowly gotten out of that habit over the years. It’s amazing how quickly you forget the techniques and tips to help you stay afloat with so little. I felt as if I was starting over from scratch and had to learn from my mistakes all over again. I’ll start with what I found most challenging:
Biggest Challenges:
- Making myself plan and cook, despite a busy schedule. This step is absolutely crucial to living on a restricted budget, but it’s really tough when you’re busy (and who isn’t?). Sometimes you’re so tired that you don’t want to do anything, even if the consequence means not having anything to eat later. And guess what? I have it easy. I do work a gazillion hours, but I don’t have kids or an extended family to take care. Plus, I have the benefit of reliable transportation, which saves a lot of time and makes daily tasks easier.
- Not knowing if what I cooked will be filling enough or delicious enough. This part is a gamble. You can plan all you want, but you never really know if it’s going to be enough until you’re in the moment. The weeks when I didn’t plan for enough food, I just had to wait it out until the next week when I could plan and cook something new. Cooking can be scary when you only have one shot!
- Not splurging. It’s unbelievable how much power food has over our brains. I always knew it, but never experienced it to the extent that I did during this challenge. One little morsel of food can make or break a day. Food is one of the easiest and most accessible stress relievers, and it’s really challenging when that simple release is not available.
- Dietary variety. Variety means buying more food items, which is really difficult with a restricted budget. Unfortunately, variety is also key to good nutrition. I think variety would increase over time as I built my stockpile of freezer goods, but in the beginning, you’re going to be really restricted. Luckily, I’m used to eating the same thing for multiple days in a row, so mentally it wasn’t that hard. I just knew that nutritionally I was not getting quite what I needed.
- Social restrictions. Food is so embedded in our culture (in all cultures, really), so when you restrict food it restricts your social experiences. Not being able to buy or give food freely can be awkward and I learned to be more sensitive towards others in that regard. By the end of the challenge, I was longing for the freedom to go out to eat with friends and not have to worry about every penny. What a luxury! I’m so much more grateful.
Every time the challenge got difficult, I couldn’t help stopping to think about how easy I actually had it. Here are a few of the luxuries that made my experience so much easier than it probably is for most.
My Advantages:
- A well stocked pantry. I have all the basics, like flour, spices, butter, baking soda, vegetable oil, and the lot. I did have to replenish a few during the challenge, but being able to start out with them made a huge difference. If I was starting from scratch, I would have had to eat super simple things like spaghetti and jarred sauce for a week or two until I was able to build up some of the basics.
- Kitchen equipment. I have pots, pans, a food processor, a knife, cutting boards, baking dishes, etc. If I didn’t, what would I do? PB&J sandwiches? Even buying second hand equipment, it would take a while to acquire these essentials.
- Easy access to grocery stores. I lived four blocks from TWO huge grocery stores and about a mile from a third (Whole Foods). I have reliable transportation and could quickly walk to either, if needed. That is a HUGE luxury. I read comments from readers who would literally have to shop once a month because of poor access to groceries. That is something I definitely took for granted before the challenge.
- Knowlege. I’ve been doing this budget cooking thing for a while. I know basic cooking skills. I know what tastes good and what doesn’t. Even with all this knowledge, I still felt a little anxious not knowing if my recipes would turn out and be edible for a whole week. Imagine if I was very new to cooking. Eek.
- Access to information. You can never underestimate the benefit of internet access. Just last week I learned how to repair my crumbling shower grout, with no prior knowledge. You can go from zero knowledge to well informed in just a few minutes. With videos and picture tutorials, it’s like having an expert teacher at your beck and call.
- Refrigerator and freezer. Not just in my home, but at work. I think a lot of people take this for granted, but there are still a lot of people out there who really don’t have this available. I know several people who only had mini-fridges in their apartment, let alone places to keep a home packed lunch cool at work. Honestly, if I didn’t have that at home, I don’t think I would have survived.
- I’m a small person. My normal calorie needs are somewhere in the range of 1500-1700 per day, so I have the advantage of just not needing a lot of food in general. For people with a higher metabolism (kids, teens, men, people with very physical jobs, or people who are just larger than me in general) would have a much more difficult time.
- Knowing that this was TEMPORARY. Just the knowledge that there was an end in sight made it easier to endure. I had a goal that I could lock eyes on and I knew that if I just made it there, I could let go and be free. If there was no end in sight, the experience would have been a lot more dismal.
Whether the experiment was a success or failure, there were a few things that I hoped to communicate through my experience. Here are a few of those points.
What I Want You to Know
- Hunger can happen to anyone. Your life can change in an instant. You may feel accomplished, stable, responsible, like you’ve got it together, but you don’t know what will happen tomorrow. You may find yourself between a rock and a hard place and in need of assistance to get back on your feet. You don’t know where people have come from or where they are going, or why they might need assistance.
- My experience is not everyone’s experience. I didn’t participate in this challenge to show people how to eat on less than $4 per day. My experience is unique and yours will be, too. I took the SNAP challenge to open a dialog about hunger and refresh my passion for learning how to eat well on a low budget. My technique won’t work for everyone.
- Just because you can make it work, doesn’t mean everyone can. Our lives are all different. We all have different challenges and advantages. Making a restricted budget work takes a lot of dedication no matter who you are, but some factors may be out of your control. If you are able to feed your family on $4 per day, I applaud and admire you! It’s not easy and it takes a lot of work, but please don’t assume that if you can do it, anyone can.
- Working with a restricted budget takes practice. I wasn’t able to perfect it in four weeks and you probably won’t be able to either. Keep at it! As you learn it will get easier and you’ll figure out what works for you.
- Food choices are complex. Making healthy food choices isn’t just a yes or no experience. It’s psychological, physical, social, cultural, and personal. We don’t have the right to judge the food choices of others.
- There’s always more going on behind the scenes than you know. I have to remind myself of this every day and this challenge helped me practice that. It definitely increased my compassion level.
Speaking of compassion, a lot of the feedback I received was full of compassion and I hope that this series has inspired a lot of you to give back and help those in need. Here are some ways you can help.
How You Can Help:
- Volunteer. Give some of your time to a local food bank or soup kitchen. I had to do this as part of my college degree and it was an absolutely invaluable experience. Help is always needed and a little effort goes a long way. I’ve pledged to volunteer with my local food bank after this experience and I hope you will, too!
- Spread the word. Take the SNAP challenge yourself or use social media to bring attention to the issue. It’s easy to sweep unpleasant things under the rug and keeping it at the forefront of our attention can make a big difference.
- Be an advocate. Write your congressman and vote on the issues that count. Visit feedingamerica.org for more ways to be an advocate for the hungry.
- Corporate Opportunities. If you have klout with your corporation, get them involved! It’s a great way to connect with your community and use those excellent corporate resources.
The challenge is finally over, and I have to say I’m a bit relieved. Here is how I feel after the fact.
Now That It’s Over:
- I have to say that I’m really glad that I’m not tethered to my notepad anymore. Recording everything you eat is really tough. Petty, but true.
- The first week after the challenge, I splurged on salads and pizza for a few days straight. It was like I wanted both ends of the spectrum. I was so happy to have tons of fresh, crunchy vegetables, and so glad to have the freedom to eat anything I wanted (pizza). I hit that Whole Foods salad bar like a boss!
- I feel like my Budget Bytes mission is renewed. When I stared Budget Bytes, I shopped once per week and spent about $20-$25 per week. I have slowly gotten out of that habit over the years as my income has increased. Even though I make more money now, I still love the idea of not over spending on food. I don’t like waste, so I’m going to continue to try to plan out my meals and spend less than $30 per week on food. I loved the freedom of only shopping once per week and I look forward to keeping that up.
- I want to find other ways to reduce stress than having a food “treat” or a glass of wine. That’s a tough habit to break, but probably worth it. I have to say that I kind of felt better physically without all of the mindless and stress eating.
I’m sure I missed many points that I wanted to make or bring attention to, but it’s hard to summarize a whole month of experience on one page. Once again, I want to thank all of you for your feedback and support during the process. I might just do this every year!
Thank you!
Read through my experience from beginning to end:
Beth I want to thank you for sharing your experience with such insight and honesty. It has certainly helped me think about this problem in new ways.
I love the spirit and thoughtfulness you did the SNAP challenge with. Hunger is a true problem in our own country, not just a third world problem. I’m very proud that the company I work for did a “Step Up for Hunger” challenge over the summer. For 14 weeks, we formed teams, signed up online and posted our steps taken for our company to donate money to hunger charities. I was already tracking my steps with the UP band I got for Valentines Day (good for my heart!), so putting those numbers in a system and trying to walk even more was easy to do to help combat hunger.
Beth,
I really applaud you for taking on this challenge. It’s something I would have great difficulty doing as I have a digestive syndrome that makes food choices very difficult for me. I grew up poor and my nutrition as a kid wasn’t very good as a result. Even though my financial position is much better as an adult I still strive to help food organizations and charities as much as I can. In fact the local grocery store I shop at allows me to earn rewards for the charity of my choice (I chose a local food bank.) You might check and see if there are any similar programs in your area. I only found out about it by chance while downloading some digital coupons on the store’s website. It’s so easy to take food for granted in our culture and I think it’s wonderful that you put yourself in the position of others who struggle with access to nutrition. It’s not easy to walk the walk and you did so candidly with empathy and grace.
That’s a really cool program! I’m definitely going to check into that.
Thanks for participating in this challenge and sharing your experience with the world. Following your updates has been extremely eye-opening and has made me realize my own privilege. It’s reminded me that while food is a joy, a hobby and an often even an art for people like me who can afford it, there’s another side to the food culture in America (and in the rest of the world) – one where the poor lack access to proper nutrition or go without food altogether with no end in sight.
Having followed your experience, I’m definitely going to try and be more mindful of minimizing food wastage and actively engaging with programs that provide food and health information to the needy. Thank you, Beth.
Dear Budget Bytes,
I noticed that there hasn’t been a dessert recipe for a while. Your pumpkin and molasses bread was such a win. Can your fans expect a dessert recipe soon?
Congrats on your succesfull SNAP achievement.
Maybe, maybe, maybe. ;D I was thinking about it, actually. I need to come up with something good.
I followed your post with a very high interest over the month. I even tried to do it myself for 2 weeks but failed totally! Why? Because I’m on a gluten-free and dairy-free diet for medical reason and I wasn’t able to figured out how to eat like that on a very tight budget. But you know what? I’ll do it again but this time with a little more planning. I’ll do the exercise as if I’ve just lost my job, which means I’ll use my pantry/freezer items to start and see where I can go from that. Anyway, I thank you to open my eyes (and my heart and mind) to the challenge many people have to deal with everyday.
One observation I have is someone with a metabolism like mine would get really fat because there is so much reliance on carbs. And I can attest to this because I grew up on food stamps.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. It was so very informative and inspiring.
I live in France and not in the US but I could definitely relate to your experience. I’ve been on a tight groceries budget for about 2 years now and I really understood all the challenges you had to go through.
I spend $50 on groceries every 2 weeks (that also includes stuff such as washing powder, toilet paper etc…). Food is more expensive in France than in the US but being a vegetarian definitely helps. Meat and fish are so expensive that I would never be able to eat the way I do if I needed to buy some. As it is, I can afford one “extra”: cappuccinos or lattes in the morning (the powder kind). It sets me back $4 or $5 but it’s worth it.
Like you, my biggest challenge is getting enough produce in my diet. Vegetables aren’t so hard because I buy mostly frozen or canned stuff (except for cauliflower broccoli and tomatoes) and that comes up cheap compared to buying fresh. But fruit is more difficult. I buy only the cheapest ones (bananas and apples) and I often have trouble stretching them for 2 whole weeks.
I could live on pasta, rice and sandwiches (gluten is my best friend) so having a diet based on them is no hardship. Since I found your blog, I’ve also tried some of your recipes and I’ve added them to my rotation (making a corn/tomatoes casserole this very evening as a matter of fact). I really love that I usually always have all the ingredients in my pantry. I don’t think you strayed as far from your budgeting roots as you thought. Your recipes are still excellent for people like me :)
I have a bit of a challenge when it comes to quantities though. I’ve reduced the amount of food I eat a lot (and boy, was that hard in the beginning!) but I still need more than what you consider a portion in your recipes. Depending on the recipe, I have to eat 1 1/2 to 2 of your portions to ensure I can last until my next meal without snacking or being hungry. And I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to live on the portions you had during your SNAP challenge without going hungry 2 hours after my meals. So portion control is something I might have to get back to to determine if I’ve found what suits me and my body’s needs or if it’s just a comfort zone I could get out of.
So thanks again for sharing your experience. I followed all your SNAP posts religiously :)
Can’t edit post so, just to clarify: the $4-5 for the lattes/cappuccinos are for a full box of the powdered stuff. I don’t spend $4 on a single cup.
As a young adult who grew up fairly well-fed, who worked in a bakery for 5 years, and who will soon move out with a 4-year cook, I really, really appreciated this series. While we may not quite qualify for SNAP, we’re pretty close. Your thoughts on how eating this way may affect people’s bodies and minds really touched me. I was close to tears during a couple posts, when I realized exactly how judgmental I’ve been, and how the same hunger pangs will affect me.
Thank you for this series, and thank you for Budget Bytes as a whole. You’ve inspired and, with this, emotionally affected me.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for this wrap up, your analysis, thoughts and insight. I am so proud of and amazed by you for taking this on – and for sitting down to process and digest the experience for us. Really really great, thank you.
The ‘advantages’ and ‘what I want you to know’ sections are very right on.
I have been talking about the SNAP challenge since I read the wrap up on Sunday. I figured out how much my family of 4 would have each week based on the SNAP amount. My family would have $126 for the week. We have a well-stocked pantry and freezer with probably enough food to last a month; we would have to get really, really creative to eat good meals but we could do it. We spend roughly $150 – $200 each week on food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. We eat out way too often (which is probably why we have such a well-stocked pantry and freezer). The Challenge made me evaluate what we are eating and how we can help others.
Thanks for doing the SNAP challenge. Obviously there were ‘slips’ but overall I thought it’s been a really great series of pieces.
Out of curiosity, did you gain or lose any weight? If so, any idea how much? A poor diet in general is pretty strongly associated with obesity. While the meals you came up with were pretty decent, I’m still curious.
I lost weight the first two weeks (five pounds at the height of it), but gained a few back in the second two weeks. I ended up a few pounds down, and attribute that to not doing any sort of snacking or mindless eating like I usually do. I can see how I might end up gaining over time, though, because of the hunger driven splurges and the fact that I was too tired and hungry to do any sort of exercise. I think my metabolism was slowing down and would have had a greater effect over time.
Fair enough. Thanks again for the (really excellent) series of articles, and the answer to my question.
The loss was likely the lack of food, before your metabolism adjusted. Once it slowed down to accommodate the lack of food, you gained some of it back (it’s a survival mechanism; the body is smart!). Add in “hunger splurges” where your body demands some energy (but you don’t continue to eat adequate amounts so your metabolism stays suppressed) and you’ve got a recipe for long term weight gain. If your metabolism never adjusted, you’d just whither away into nothing quite rapidly upon a food shortage.
Thank you so much for doing this. It has opened my eyes greatly. I really do appreciate the “My advantages” section because some of those things (lack of internet acces, no real fridge, lack of utensils) are things I wouldn’t even consider as disadvantages the folks on SNAP would face.
I have always appreciated your blog for all the great dishes I have been able to make thanks to it. I can now appreciate it for helping me recognize some of my privileges and make steps towards helping those less fortunate than me.
Well done. And I mean that as the superlative.
I just wanted to say again that I appreciate how thoughtfully you approached this! It’s so easy to do this challenge in a spirit that is unproductive, judgmental, or prescriptive, and you avoided all of those things. You were exploratory, empathetic, and open, and I love knowing people who read your words will get doses of those wonderful traits. Thanks again!
Oh wow, thank you so much for that. :)
thanks for putting this into words, julie. i so agree.
Yes Julie very much summed up my thoughts about your series.