This week, I am joining Greg Lukeman, the Executive Director of Food Outreach, in the Hunger Challenge.
Starting today, we will be limiting ourselves to a food budget of $25.36 for the week - this breaks down to $3.62 per day. The amount of $25.36 represents the average weekly allotment of food stamps for a person with a disability.
This morning, we went to Aldi's to shop. Although Aldi's has some great deals, trying to balance cost with nutrition proved to be pretty difficult!
I purchased the following items:
1 Gallon of Milk;
1 Dozen Eggs;
1 Loaf of Bread;
2 Yogurts;
2 Cans of Tuna;
1 Cannister of Oatmeal;
2 Boxes of Macaroni and Cheese;
1 Box of Pasta;
1 Jar of Pasta Sauce;
1 Container of mixed Peanut Butter and Jelly;
2 Boxes of Cereal;
1 Pack of Imitation Cheese;
1 Bag of Apples;
1 Small Bag of Lettuce.;
1 Can of Chicken Noodle Soup;
1 Box of Ice Cream Sandwiches.
My total was $24.81. I only have $.55 for the entire rest of the week!
While I was able to purchase some staples, I quickly realized that I would not have items like red meat or chicken. To my chagrin, I couldn't afford any coffee. Although I brought a calculator along with me, I worried during checkout that I might have gone over my budget and would be asked to put something back.
More than 37 million Americans are living in poverty. High gas and food prices are putting pressure on family budgets. An article in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that hard times "have food pantries scrambling." (Click here to read article.)
Please consider making a donation to Food Outreach or any other organization that provides food assistance today.
Starting today, we will be limiting ourselves to a food budget of $25.36 for the week - this breaks down to $3.62 per day. The amount of $25.36 represents the average weekly allotment of food stamps for a person with a disability.
This morning, we went to Aldi's to shop. Although Aldi's has some great deals, trying to balance cost with nutrition proved to be pretty difficult!
I purchased the following items:
1 Gallon of Milk;
1 Dozen Eggs;
1 Loaf of Bread;
2 Yogurts;
2 Cans of Tuna;
1 Cannister of Oatmeal;
2 Boxes of Macaroni and Cheese;
1 Box of Pasta;
1 Jar of Pasta Sauce;
1 Container of mixed Peanut Butter and Jelly;
2 Boxes of Cereal;
1 Pack of Imitation Cheese;
1 Bag of Apples;
1 Small Bag of Lettuce.;
1 Can of Chicken Noodle Soup;
1 Box of Ice Cream Sandwiches.
My total was $24.81. I only have $.55 for the entire rest of the week!
While I was able to purchase some staples, I quickly realized that I would not have items like red meat or chicken. To my chagrin, I couldn't afford any coffee. Although I brought a calculator along with me, I worried during checkout that I might have gone over my budget and would be asked to put something back.
More than 37 million Americans are living in poverty. High gas and food prices are putting pressure on family budgets. An article in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that hard times "have food pantries scrambling." (Click here to read article.)
Please consider making a donation to Food Outreach or any other organization that provides food assistance today.
