Could you eat on $30 a week?

blackdogdeek · Sep 22, 2011

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/09/21/could-you-eat-on-30-a-week/?hpt=hp_bn8

...(snip)...

That is the reality for the more than 40 million Americans who rely on food stamps. According to the Food Research and Action Center the average food stamp allotment is just $30 per week.

...(snip)...

i did a quick search on freshdirect, which probably aren't the cheapest priced groceries but here is what i got for $30 for what i think i could live on (tax puts it over the total i think):

5lb rice $5.99
1dz eggs $2.49
2lb ground meat $7.58
2lb pasta $3.38
2jar pasta sauce $5.58
2stick butter $2.39
.5gal whole milk $2.49

TOTAL: $29.90

my meals would get boring fast. i could probably sub the rice out for something else since i have so much pasta but i don't know. 7 days is a long time.

Saint Nick · Sep 22, 2011

I could but it would suck. I eat 4000+ calories per day.

Fausto · Sep 22, 2011

Probably. Rice and cheaper protein sources.

Demo24 · Sep 22, 2011

I use to get pretty close most weeks, but now some changes in prices and other factors mean I've had to up that to more like 50 a week.

CrazyAznDriver · Sep 22, 2011

No, some days I eat out 3 times.

sdifox · Sep 22, 2011

blackdogdeek said:
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/09/21/could-you-eat-on-30-a-week/?hpt=hp_bn8

i did a quick search on freshdirect, which probably aren't the cheapest priced groceries but here is what i got for $30 for what i think i could live on (tax puts it over the total i think):

5lb rice $5.99
1dz eggs $2.49
2lb ground meat $7.58
2lb pasta $3.38
2jar pasta sauce $5.58
2stick butter $2.39
.5gal whole milk $2.49

TOTAL: $29.90

my meals would get boring fast. i could probably sub the rice out for something else since i have so much pasta but i don't know. 7 days is a long time.

Where the fuck are you shopping? I can get a 8kg bag of jasmine rice for like ten bux. The regular rice is a lot cheaper than that. That would be good for a month at least. Chicken leg quarter is like 1.30 a lb. ground beef in tubes is often a dollar a lb. Pasta is more like 1.50 a kilo. milk and egg have gotten more expensive but still not bad. I just paid 5 dollar for 4L of micro-filtered homo milk which is more expensive than regular milk. If you cook at home, you can do 30 a week.

Wyndru · Sep 22, 2011

Yup, I used to not eat much to begin with (I only ate dinner) so I think I would be fine.

Lately I'm trying to be healthier though, so my current diet no.

M0oG0oGaiPan · Sep 22, 2011

You forgot the ramen.

TwiceOver · Sep 22, 2011

I think I could, but wouldn't want to.

tokie · Sep 22, 2011

Yes, I did in college as a vegetarian. It requires planning meals ahead of time though, and some bulk ingredients (rice, pasta).

Oil · Sep 22, 2011

Replace the ground meat with beans to make it cheaper

SlitheryDee · Sep 22, 2011

Yes, but I wouldn't like it. I probably spend about $80 a week on food right now.

I always assumed that food stamps are a supplement rather than a replacement. My mom had to get them once while she was going to school and just out of a divorce. She was working part time and her income was low enough that she was eligible. That couple hundred dollars a month meant a couple hundred dollars that didn't come out of her check, not that she only ate a couple hundred dollars worth of food per month.

rcpratt · Sep 22, 2011

Yes. Do I want to? No.

LookBehindYou · Sep 22, 2011

I think you could definitely eat for 30 a week. Depending on healthy you eat would matter though. $30 would by you a lot of great processed shit.

3.00 gallon of milk
3.00 box of cereal
3.00 package of lunch meat
2.50 package of cheese
1.50 loaf of bread
5.00 2 rolls of ground beef
3.00 2 packages of hamburger helper (lasagna and cheeseburger)
1.00 package of noodles
1.50 pasta sauce
1.50 can of clam chowder
1.75 dozen eggs
1.00 five bags of ramen

27.75. and you have bought enough for cereal every day, lunches, dinners, mix and match.

blackdogdeek · Sep 22, 2011

Fausto said:
Probably. Rice and cheaper protein sources.

i tried to go cheap protein with the ground beef and the eggs. is there a cheaper source? spam?

blackdogdeek · Sep 22, 2011

sdifox said:
Where the fuck are you shopping? I can get a 8kg bag of jasmine rice for like ten bux. The regular rice is a lot cheaper than that. That would be good for a month at least. Chicken leg quarter is like 1.30 a lb. ground beef in tubes is often a dollar a lb. Pasta is more like 1.50 a kilo. milk and egg have gotten more expensive but still not bad. I just paid 5 dollar for 4L of micro-filtered homo milk which is more expensive than regular milk. If you cook at home, you can do 30 a week.

i did a quick search on freshdirect.com since the local grocery store chain's website didn't have prices posted.

Macamus Prime · Sep 22, 2011

Yes.

And I would be much thinner.

Squisher · Sep 22, 2011

Substitute bone in chicken or some cuts of pork for that beef and you'll get more like 7.5 lbs. I'd also utilize dried beans, they're super cheap and a great source for protein.

blackdogdeek · Sep 22, 2011

M0oG0oGaiPan said:
You forgot the ramen.

that was the first thing i added. but then i found out that the pasta is actually cheaper though it doesn't come with super-awesome flavor packets. for this exercise i would have to forgo flavor for sustenance i think.

sdifox · Sep 22, 2011

blackdogdeek said:
i did a quick search on freshdirect.com since the local grocery store chain's website didn't have prices posted.

paying someone to deliver your grocery carries a huge premium.

waffleironhead · Sep 22, 2011

Those prices are high.

Let me reduce them to my reality.

5lb rice $5.99----------------->2.49
1dz eggs $2.49--------------->1.49
2lb ground meat $7.58 ------>3.98
2lb pasta $3.38--------------->1.99
2jar pasta sauce $5.58------->3.98
2stick butter $2.39------------>1.25
.5gal whole milk $2.49-------->1.49

$16.67

tokie · Sep 22, 2011

Wal-Mart sells 1lb of ground beef for $1. Make some chili and you're good to go with money to spare.

BurnItDwn · Sep 22, 2011

Smart people on food stamps do fine if they shop smart at Aldi's or some other discount grocery chain.

Stupid people blow it all on shit and then don't have staples.

Capt Caveman · Sep 22, 2011

blackdogdeek said:
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/09/21/could-you-eat-on-30-a-week/?hpt=hp_bn8

i did a quick search on freshdirect, which probably aren't the cheapest priced groceries but here is what i got for $30 for what i think i could live on (tax puts it over the total i think):

5lb rice $5.99
1dz eggs $2.49
2lb ground meat $7.58
2lb pasta $3.38
2jar pasta sauce $5.58
2stick butter $2.39
.5gal whole milk $2.49

TOTAL: $29.90

my meals would get boring fast. i could probably sub the rice out for something else since i have so much pasta but i don't know. 7 days is a long time.

Those prices are so expensive. You can buy a gallon of milk for $2.49. Pasta sauce for $0.99 a bottle. Pasta for $0.99 per pound. Ground meat for $1.99 per pound. Smarter shopping would allow you to buy additional food items including vegetables.

blackdogdeek · Sep 22, 2011

sdifox said:
paying someone to deliver your grocery carries a huge premium.

agreed. that's why i noted in the OP that my source for prices was possibly not ideal.

Could you eat on $30 a week?

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