For the entire month of September, I’ll be participating in the SNAP Challenge and attempting to eat on $4.50 per day. Read more here.
Oh what a difference a week can make! I can honestly say that I rarely felt hungry this week, although there may be a few reasons for that. I picked better recipes this week, recipes that kept me both full and satiated. What I mean by that is that I was mentally satisfied with my food. I didn’t feel like I was missing out on the “good stuff”. The second factor is that I had a few freebies this week. When you’re on a restricted food budget, free food is like winning the lottery and this week I won twice! The third reason is stress. As the contract on the house I’m purchasing threatens to fall through in the eleventh hour, I may find myself couch surfing at the end of the month (my current apartment has already been leased for October). So, as you can imagine, that has been a bit of a distraction. Maybe I was hungry, but just didn’t notice because of more pressing issues?
This week was also quite a bit easier because I had more to work with. Leftover ingredients and recipes portions from week one meant more variety in my diet. It’s a lot like when I was first started Budget Bytes over five years ago. I had very little kitchen equipment, very few spices or pantry staples, but each week I purchased one or two more items until I eventually had a well stocked kitchen. It’s important to remember that when you’re first starting out (SNAP or no SNAP), that building a kitchen takes time. You don’t have to buy everything at once. You’ll have a narrow range of recipes to choose from in the beginning, but as you build your kitchen you’ll have more options.
So let’s get to it…
What Did I Buy?
I really hit the jackpot this week with sales. It was awesome. I got red peppers 4/$1! Yes, four red peppers for one dollar. Crazy, right? Usually those suckers are like, $3 each. Anyway, if I hadn’t have happened upon that sale, I would have bought green bell peppers or carrots instead. I also hit a sale on shredded cheese, 2 bags for $4. I bought more pita because I found it very useful last week and it’s pretty cheap. For fruit this week I got a pineapple for $2.99, which yielded about 6 big servings. I craved yogurt a LOT last week, so I bought a quart tub of that as well. Finding great sales is infinitely more satisfying when working with a restricted budget. It almost feels like a game.
I still had plenty of the staples that I bought from the bulk bins at Whole Foods last week, so I only needed to visit one grocery store. I didn’t have time to cook my beans from dry this week, so I had to opt for cans. I still came in at only $27.24, which made me feel good. I felt that I had a good variety of foods and had plans for some pretty tasty recipes. I was feeling optimistic!
What Did I Make?
My main meal this week was One Pot Chili Pasta. It was SO good and SO satisfying that I was a little sad when it was finally gone, even after eating it for an entire week straight! That’s the type of recipe you have to look for, something that is just so good you’ll love it till the last drop. This recipe was also very filling. I started out the week with 1.5 cup servings, but soon realized that was probably more than I needed. I felt overly full and sometimes not very hungry for dinner. So, I scaled back to 1 cup per serving for the rest of the week.
The second recipe I made this week was Peanut Butter Hummus. Hummus is so versatile that I knew I could add it to my daily meal plan in a variety of ways without getting sick of it. Plus, it’s very filling. I ate this with the red bell peppers as a light, but filling snack, and I also smeared it inside of a pita then added an egg for a hearty breakfast sandwich. YUM. <3 Hummus.
I filled out the rest of my days’ meals with pineapple, yogurt, and a couple leftover servings from week one’s meals.
What Did I Eat?
Day 8
- 1/4 cup oat bran $0.19
- 1/2 Tbsp butter $0.08
- 1 Tbsp sliced almonds $0.18
- Dash of cinnamon $0.03
- 1/4 cup soy milk $0.09
- 1 serving melon (week 1) $0.37
- 1.5 cups One Pot Chili Pasta $1.62
- 1/2 cup yogurt $0.41
- 1 Tbsp oat bran $0.06
- 1 Tbsp sliced almonds $0.18
- 1 oz. feta cheese $0.43
- 2 Tbsp hummus $0.11
Daily Total: $3.75
Reflection: I wasn’t really hungry for dinner that day, but I wasn’t sure if it was because I was over stuffed from the big helping of chili pasta at lunch or if my metabolism had just slowed down from last week’s starvation. Then I felt a little guilty because worrying about your metabolism slowing down probably isn’t something that a lot of people have the luxury of worrying about. Gotta meet those lower levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy before you can worry about things like metabolism. :/ Even though I wasn’t “hungry”, I still craved things like salt and cheese. So, I caved and ate a chunk of feta. It happens.
Day 9
- 1/2 pita $0.17
- 1 large egg $0.21
- 2 Tbsp hummus $0.11
- 1.5 cups One Pot Chili Pasta $1.62
- 1 portion melon (week 1) $0.37
- A LOT OF FREE POTATO CHIPS
- 1/2 pita 0.17
- 1/2 cup yogurt $0.41
- 1 portion pineapple $0.50
- 1 Tbsp oat bran $0.06
Daily Total: $3.62
Reflection: Someone brought a HUGE bag of potato chips from home into work because they didn’t want them. I went crazy on those chips. Consequently, I wasn’t hungry for dinner again, so I made a yogurt parfait with pineapple and oat bran. I can see how the starve/binge cycle can be a contributing factor to obesity and health disparities among lower income populations.
Day 10
- 1/3 cup oat bran $0.25
- 1/2 Tbsp butter $0.08
- 1 Tbsp sliced almonds $0.18
- 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar $0.02
- Dash of cinnamon $0.03
- 1/4 cup soy milk $0.09
- 1.5 cups One Pot Chili Pasta $1.62
- 1 serving Curried Chickpeas with Spinach (week 1) $0.85
- 1 serving pineapple $0.50
- FREE PIZZA!
Daily Total: 3.62
Reflection: Just after I ate my dinner, a friend called up and said, “Hey, how about pizza and a movie?” I got the movie, he got the pizza, and I was in heaven. Who knew frozen pizza could feel so extravagant? I was still super full from the curried chickpeas, so I only ate two pieces (that’s child’s play for me normally). It reminded me growing up in a big family. If there was something tasty or extra special, you ate it whether you’re hungry or not because if you don’t, someone else will and there won’t be any left when you finally do get hungry. I was completely full, but ate the pizza anyway. Just like old times.
Day 11
- 1/3 cup oat bran $0.25
- 1/2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp sliced almonds $0.18
- 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar $0.02
- Dash of cinnamon $0.03
- 1/4 cup soy milk $0.09
- 1/4 cup hummus $0.23
- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced $0.13
- 1 cup One Pot Chili Pasta $1.08
- 1 serving pineapple $0.50
Daily Total: $2.59
Reflection: I went out of town that day, so between the red peppers and hummus, and the chili pasta in the evening, there was a really long stretch with no food. I couldn’t just stop and get a snack or go out for lunch with my sister. I just had to tough it out. In retrospect, I could have packed a lunch, but those are new habits that you have to learn the hard way.
Day 12
- 1/2 pita $0.17
- 2 Tbsp hummus $0.11
- 1 large egg $0.21
- 1/2 cup yogurt $0.41
- 1 serving pineapple $0.50
- 1 Tbsp oat bran $0.06
- 1 cup One Pot Chili Pasta $1.08
- 1/4 cup hummus $0.23
- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced $0.13
- 1 whole pita $0.34
- 1 large egg $0.21
- 1/3 cup shredded cheese $0.33
Daily Total: $3.78
Reflection: I had left over shredded cheese from making the One Pot Chili Pasta and it was taunting me from the fridge. I finally gave in and hat pita/cheese/egg, my most favorite comfort food. It felt good, I felt full, I felt happy. It’s amazing how much food affects your psyche.
Day 13
- 1/2 pita $0.17
- 2 Tbsp hummus $0.11
- 1 large egg $0.21
- 1 serving pineapple $0.50
- 1 cup One Pot Chili Pasta $1.08
- 1 serving Soy Dijon Chicken bowl (week 1) $1.49
- 1/2 pita $0.17
- 1/4 cup shredded cheese $0.25
Daily Total: $3.98
Reflection: Again, feeling totally satisfied today. Why is cheese so powerful? My friends all ordered food for take out and I was a bit jealous that I couldn’t participate. Thank God I wasn’t still hungry, I would have had to leave. No, I take that back. Thank God I have such great friends because they would have insisted on feeding me. :)
Day 14
- 1/3 cup oat bran
- 1/2 Tbsp butter $0.08
- Dash of cinnamon $0.03
- 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar $0.02
- 1/4 cup hummus $0.23
- 1/2 red bell pepper $0.13
- 1 serving pineapple $0.50
- 1/2 pita $0.17
- 2 Tbsp peanut butter $0.23
- 1 bag cheese puffs $0.99
Daily Total: $2.63
Reflection: I gave in to the junk food. It was only a matter of time, wasn’t it? I wasn’t hungry, but I still craved a salty, crunchy snack. I think that’s just old habits that take a long time to break. It was a big bag, so again it left me not really hungry for dinner. That’s not a good habit to be forming.
Final Reflection
Total Consumed: $23.97
Grocery Total (incl. tax) $27.24
I’ll admit, I waited until just before writing this post to calculate my daily totals again, so I didn’t really know if I was on track throughout the week. I wasn’t really ever hungry, though, so I figured I must have been doing fine. I’m pretty sure that was the sluggish metabolism talking or just sheer stress from thinking that I’m going to be homeless at the end of the month. It looks like despite my increased portions, I can still splurge a little more. Overall, I think this week was a success. I felt well fed and stayed within budget. I did get a couple freebies and I did cave to junk cravings a couple of times, but that happens even when I’m not working on a restricted food budget. This week I felt okay, like this budget was doable. I even contemplated keeping this up after the challenge is over.
I think eating on a very restricted budget is definitely takes a lot of practice, skills, dedication, and tools. Even after all this time and with all of my resources, it’s still taking a while to get the hang of it.
Read through my experience from beginning to end:
Ok, I’m going to be “devil’s advocate” and a bit (or a LOT) of a Judgie McJudgery (I saw another commenter say that, i.e. not my original thought :) )
But first, I am so very sorry about your housing scenario and hope all comes right…however…the deal is NEVER done until close and although it is $$$, I can say that I would never depend on the close happening on time. See afore mentioned JMcJ and also call me Ms. 20/20 hindsight, but also a person who has bought and sold about 6 times…you always need overlap.
Anyway, I know from past recipes that you do rely on canned items, but it makes me cringe…especially tomatoes and especially this time of year. I get the time thing, but less in “judging” and more of a knowledge thing – which I know you know, but maybe others trying to get a sense of things do not… fresh or glass jarred tomato products, dried beans and a block of good cheese (sorry, I cannot stand the pre-shredded stuff and the blocks are a better buy in my area…I concede that every place is different!) present a healthier and at least in my area, a better cost version even given your sale price. (not the tomatoes, but everything else).
I was happy to read that you felt better, but a bit disheartened to see the why. The pizza was not “free” – you paid for the movie! Even so, I am guessing that if you included 1/2 of the pizza/movie cost, you are still below the 4.50 per day. I think there is a lot to be learned and there are a multitude of personal circumstances in the area of food insecurity.
I guess my expectation was different than just meeting 4.50 per day per person, BUT maybe your scenario is more realistic than my expectation. I’ll keep watching and thinking and as for your awareness goal – I’m passing your blog and SNAP info on to all in my sphere.
You know, once you realized your comment was going to be judgmental, it might have been a good idea to stop right there.
First off, I’m NOT very fond of your comment, because it’s very judgemental! You should try participating in the SNAP program, and tell me how you are going to be able to compromise, by purchasing certain ingrediants. Sometimes, you have to work with what you’ve got, and it seems that you don’t understand that.
As someone who’s lived off SNAP benefits, free food is how I got through some weeks. My friends knew I was really effing poor, so when we’d have get-togethers, I’d bring things like movies and games and they’d bring food. Beth’s experience is quite realistic, except she isn’t searching out free food nearly as much as I did. The challenge is to see what life is like when you have extremely limited food resources, so I think you need to take a closer look at what that means.
“Anyway, I know from past recipes that you do rely on canned items, but it makes me cringe…especially tomatoes and especially this time of year”
…
Interestingly, this is part of why I love Beth’s blog. I love how basic the ingredients are. I keep canned tomatoes, beans, and frozen vegetables on hand all the time, so I know that most of the recipes on her blog will work. But, when I do get some beautiful produce, I substitute the bejeezus out of them. I got some beautiful fresh tomatoes last week. Subbed. Fresh spinach? Throw it in.
I have to agree with Dana, as well. A few years ago, a friend of mine went through a financial rough patch. I ended up freezing dozens of single serving dishes so she didn’t starve. All of my friends made an effort to show up with meals whenever they came to her house. She relied very heavily on free food during that time. I don’t think the reliance on free food is unusual at all.
Thanks for the post, Beth!
No, I have NOT lived on SNAP or anything close to that kind of budget for 30 years, so I am playing a bit of “armchair quarterback”.
In hindsight, I think I could have written a better comment if I’d slept on my initial reactions.
BUT…
I did NOT object to free food or friends and family assisting. What I did object to was the pizza being called free since Beth did say she paid for the movie. I think it is “splitting hairs” to say the pizza was free. But I also acknowledged that even if Beth included ½ the cost of both the pizza and movie, that she’d be below the 4.50 per day.
My objection to canned tomatoes…my EXTREME bad for not being more explicit. The BPA leeching from canned tomatoes is my concern. Most store brand canned tomatoes are not BPA free. NOW…there have been some recent studies that suggest the BPA thing is not as dire as once proposed. And as Beth is employed in the science part of health care, I bow to her superior knowledge as well as her own option of choice in this.
But, yes – I don’t like canned food personally. It tastes like the can to me. But that is my issue and I expressed it badly in my initial comment.
Time. I am in a somewhat unique or at least a significantly different arena time-wise. I am self-employed (29 years) and work from a home office with no commute and although I do prefer to start my work day showered, some makeup and reasonable attire, it is NOTHING like having to dress and drive for a professional environment as Beth does.
I did read – several times the “Snap Challenge”. I also read Beth’s take on the challenge as well as her goals – a snippet below…a snippet that I applauded!!
And an initial comment I made about looking at the SNAP recipes and being disheartened to see how many recipes SNAP had relying on canned foods as well as boneless, skinless chicken breasts…that comment garnered a “full agreement” reply from Beth. ****
So, I was a bit nonplussed this week to see Beth write that so positively about her menu. As noted in my comment, I was happy to see she was feeling better. I was, though, stunned to think that she considered the pattern a pattern worth continuing. To me, it did not seem as though the fruit and vegetable goal had been reached. I only know Beth via this blog and her cookbook. And as I write this, I see that she did NOT say “as many FRESH fruits and vegetables as possible”
Beth has stated that she has an audience of 1,000,000 (One million). As such, Beth has a GREAT opportunity to provide an example of living as healthfully as possible on a small amount of funds.
Additionally, Beth has the knowledge and experience food-wise to provide an excellent example. I believe with all my heart – from reading this blog and Beth’s cookbook that she has the intelligence, knowledge and experience to provide an incredible example.
As stated in my original comment, perhaps my expectations (perceptions) were not accurate.
In summary, I would like to think that it is possible to live on more fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, organically and humanely raised meat …than has been portrayed so far. I also understand that at this time, there were other extra-ordinary stresses in Beth’s life and as for my perceptions…they are only that and untested.
Ultimately, food insecurity is a complex issue and SNAP is trying to be a bit of a “one size fits all” solution which obviously it is not.
Respectfully,
Liz Summers
***Note: if you do click over to my own blog, rest assured you are not contributing to my personal coffers. My blog is a hobby blog with no adverts – a venue for sharing my life with family and friends.
**** I believe this links to the page of the comment I referred to and Beth’s response…scroll down:
https://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/09/feeding-america-snap-challenge/comment-page-1/#comments
I very much enjoy your blog but must ask… I am very allergic to beans, chickpeas and lentils, and slightly allergic to nuts (per the doctor). How in the world can people like me even get close to the monetary amounts allowed in the SNAP challenge, when the only other proteins left are eggs and meats? It can’t be done. And, people who have food allergies are told not to eat the same thing for more than one day in a row, and then not again for 4 days. If you could shed some light on this conundrum, I may want to try the challenge next year.
I’m stumped! That’s a lot of allergies to contend with, so I’m not sure how you’d do it.
No worries, I get “stumped” with my narrow food choices…and bored with it too. LOL Guess I won’t be trying the SNAP challenge anytime soon. You will have to keep up the good work for me! :)
Canned tuna is an inexpensive protein source. Dairy is also good for protein, but likely more expensive and would require more planning. Egg whites are where the majority of protein is (though the fat of the yolk is important, too), so maybe even ask neighbors or bakeries that use only the yolk if you can have the whites? If you’re allergic to nuts, are you allergic to seeds as well? The usual thing people are allergic to in nuts is different in seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.), so you may be able to get away with that. Quinoa is a newly popular protein/grain, and that may be a decent substitute for rice in certain recipes. Basic protein powder (whey) is decent, too, but may require more planning for integration as it’s not a usual ingredient for most people.
Hey Mea! I have similar allergies, but not as bad as you (I can’t eat peanuts or lentils, but other nuts and legumes are fine). You should check out my blog! I post mostly vegetarian recipes that fit with my dietary restrictions. I totally agree with Jessica, seeds, dairy, and quinoa are a total life saver. Sunflower seeds are totally cheap and can be used to make “nut” butter, “cheese”, and many other things!
Mea, do you live close to an Asian grocery store? A large bag of rice can be made in umpteen ways (and can always be topped with a fried egg for cheap protein). Or, if your bored, you could just start dousing everything in siracha.
Wow! That must be difficult to contend with. It makes me very thankful for my trivial environmental allergies! :)
This is great. The recipes are yummy and practical, but my favourite part is the empathy and compassion you show in writing about your experience. Thanks for doing this, and for sharing it.
I enjoy when others participate in the SNAP challenge that’s a reality for so many families. I’m wondering if you keep track of calories to see if you’re getting a nutritionally sound meal. Cheap doesn’t always equal nutritious and healthy foods are not usually cheap (also kids don’t want to eat beans 23/7). I’m happy to see that you’ve noted the correlation between obesity and the poor. Can you imagine doing this challenge in a food desert?
Honestly, I don’t think I’m quite keeping up w/you. Being sick, having sick kids, etc, threw everything into turmoil. I’ll have to spend some time crunching numbers and see what I come up with.
Plus, I didn’t start from ‘scratch’ either, but figure on guesstimating the $ amts of things I’ve used that I already have. I already know that Wolf buying frozen pizza tanked one day.
Love your recipes – but what I REALLY want to know is where the heck to you get 4 red bell peppers for $1??? I’m happy if i find them under $1.60 each…
Yeah, I was really shocked at how awesome that sale was. I had planned to buy carrots for the hummus, but grabbed these instead. :)
I feel like I have won the lottery when I find deals like that! :-)
So very proud of you Beth – congratulations – and excellent post! Our family of four eats (and eats very well) on an average of less than $18/day (CDN). Finding ways to make it work and be both healthy and satisfying for all of us has been a game for me – I love it!
I think it’s so amazing that you are doing this challenge and sharing all the ups and downs! I used to work with many clients who received food stamps, and it is a tough way to live, let me tell you! I’ve always loved your blog, but now I love it even more. Thanks for sharing!
summerandatlantic.blogspot.com
I am so inspired by your blog and your SNAP challenge. I have a bad habit of being frivolous when food goes over. Just throw it out and get more but stumbling upon this blog really opened my eyes. I’m happy to report that old hash browns in the freezer were saved from the trash and turned into a breakfast casserole things.(So making that again) And wrinkly blueberries and old apples were turned into a cobbler crumble thing (Going to perfect that but tasted good). Great job and best of luck on getting the house!
Good stuff Beth.
If you feel like couch surfing down in sunny Fort Lauderdale, I’ll accept Budget Bytes Blog posts as rent!
Hahah, awesome, thank you. :)
I really enjoy reading about your SNAP challenge! I’m considering trying it myself next month because I feel like I have a bad habit of buying too much and/or wasting food.
Awesome work! A few more tips that help also is that you can buy dried beans, prepare a whole bag in the crockpot for the price of one can and freeze them for future use! You can do this with your humus beans too. So excited to see someone else eating as we do often! I also find that bell peppers freeze well so I might spend an extra dollar or two to prepare them for freezing. There are also bell peppers in the pickle area and if you watch for coupons, you can snag them for .50 cents a piece if you are diligent. This can go into food storage as well.
Say now, I just read your previous post and see that you did just that with the crockpot and beans. You are one awesome cookie!
Free food is the best. I’m doing the challenge as well this month (the first week was a ‘control’ to show myself how out of control my spending could get if I don’t strictly plan my meals through grad school, so I’ve only been budgeting for a week), and so far I’ve stumbled on at least 5 free food events. It really makes the food you’ve got stretch further.
Have you explored making your own yogurt to serve that craving? It is really easy and very cheap.
dave
Homemade yogurt is the best! And you can even make it in the crockpot!
Yep, I even blogged about it once. :D But, sometimes making things from scratch doesn’t work with my schedule, so I just gotta do what I gotta do. :)
Wooo hooo! Go you!
I’ve got a few things I still need to write up, but in case you missed it, I *did* put 2 posts on the reality of poverty here in Canada, b/c we don’t have food stamps, so what you get on assistance is all you get, period.
We’ve been totally side tracked w/sick kids…ear infections. Me too. Blargh. You’d be amazed (or not) at how an ear infection makes chewing painful, and totally screwed w/meal planning.
Plus, you know what happens when Wolf is left to cook? Kraft Dinner, that’s what happens. Days in a row. With hot dogs, if he’s feeling fancy. With ground beef, spaghetti sauce, and onions if he’s feeling REALLY gourmet.
There’s a reason he doesn’t cook.
Here are the links to the 2 posts I mentioned:
http://notastepfordlife.com/poverty-this-side-of-the-border/
http://notastepfordlife.com/poverty-part-two/
Awesome! I’m so impressed that you’re keeping up with the challenge right along with me! :)