Cory Booker and #snapchallenge

[El]

This morning, I will begin living on a food budget of $30 a week / $4.32 per day.  This is the financial equivalent of the budget provided to people participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, in the State of New Jersey.  I will live only on a SNAP equivalent food budget for the next seven days.

Undertaking what is referred to as the #SNAPChallenge began with a social media-based conversation on Twitter.  A Twitter user tweeted me her opinion that "nutrition is not the responsibility of the government".  This comment caused me to reflect on the families and children in my community who benefit from SNAP assistance and deserve deeper consideration.  In my own quest to better understand the outcomes of SNAP assistance, I suggested to this specific Twitter user that we both live on a SNAP equivalent food budget for a week and document our experience.

A simple conversation on Twitter drew me into the #SNAPChallenge I am beginning today.  My goals for the #SNAPChallenge are to raise awareness and understanding of food insecurity; reduce the stigma of SNAP participation; elevate innovative local and national food justice initiatives and food policy; and, amplify compassion for individuals and communities in need of assistance.  Over the next seven days, I plan to highlight the voices of people involved in local food policy, the SNAP program, and other related initiatives.

As I begin this journey, I am doubling down on my commitment to the Food Justice Movement that is gaining awareness and participation in this country.  We have much work to do at the local level to address a legacy of structural inequities in the American food system.  As more and more working people and families - many holding down more than one job - face greater and greater challenges to juggle housing, medical, and transportation costs, meeting nutritional needs becomes a serious problem and a social justice issue.  The struggle of children, seniors, and families to have access to essential nutrition is a struggle we are all invested in and we all benefit when families succeed. Now more than ever we are all in this together.

Throughout this week, I will document my #SNAPChallenge experiences and reflections on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and through video on #waywire.  If you are interested in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, I encourage you to click the reference links below.

[Queen Victoria]

I usually manage to feed the 3 of us on $15 a day.  I buy a lot of bent and dent, Save A Lot (like Tesco I think), generic brands, shop the sales and markdowns, eat soups, sandwiches, stockpile, etc.  Just tonight I picked up 4 boxes of bent and dent with 14 - 16 items in a box for $4 each.  The box I opened had 3 cans of artichoke hearts, which run $2.79 each, so I made out like a bandit.  The average price per can of the items in the box is 35 cents, which is dirt cheap.  I also shop at Sams for bread, lettuce, and soy milk.  Significant savings on these things there.

A friends daughter doesn't eat hot dogs buns, but eats the hot dogs.  At bowling she gives me the hot dog buns.  She gave me her turkey carcass from Thanksgiving.  That yielded 2 bags for pasta and enough stock and meat on the bones to make a turkey pot pie.

[earthboundmisfit]

This morning, I will begin living on a food budget of $30 a week / $4.32 per day. 

Fuck. I spend about five times that.

[renaeden]

When I lived with Ceilidh, sometimes we would get food vouchers from charity but they were really hard to get, we almost had to beg for them.

I don't know how much per day I live on now but when I live alone it will most likely be more than $4.32.

[El]

According to the records I keep (which are imperfect- I go out to eat, albeit infrequently, eat free at social gatherings, get random free leftovers at work sometimes, etc etc., and count gum seperately, but it's the best ballpark I have access to), since January I've spent about $9.35/day.

["couldbecousin"]

This morning, I will begin living on a food budget of $30 a week / $4.32 per day. 

Fuck. I spend about five times that.

  Me too, even though I eat a lot of free food at my job. 

[midlifeaspie]

This morning, I will begin living on a food budget of $30 a week / $4.32 per day. 

Fuck. I spend about five times that.

I spend eight times that on a family of four.

[midlifeaspie]

According to the records I keep (which are imperfect- I go out to eat, albeit infrequently, eat free at social gatherings, get random free leftovers at work sometimes, etc etc., and count gum seperately, but it's the best ballpark I have access to), since January I've spent about $9.35/day.

$33.00/day

[Parts]

Lunch from a deli today, a treat I don't have often, was 12.50.

We spend about $120 a week for four people, my son though eats a lot where he works or at his girlfriends house

[Queen Victoria]

As an example:  Cabbage @ 29 cents/lb, pork chops at 99 cents/lb, potato salad @ 2.29, can of carrots @ 68 cents.
1.58
  .99
2.29
  .86 =5.72 for 3 people.

Lunch today was salami sandwiches with chips for the PR and I and a can of soup for PA = 3.50

B'fast was oatmeal for us and cereal for the PR = 2.00

About $11.50 or so for the day, less than $4 a day for each of us.

[El]

According to the records I keep (which are imperfect- I go out to eat, albeit infrequently, eat free at social gatherings, get random free leftovers at work sometimes, etc etc., and count gum seperately, but it's the best ballpark I have access to), since January I've spent about $9.35/day.

$33.00/day

Yes, but if that's for a family of four, you divide it by four.  $8.25/day.

[El]

Lunch from a deli today, a treat I don't have often, was 12.50.

We spend about $120 a week for four people, my son though eats a lot where he works or at his girlfriends house

That's actually pretty close to the EBT limit, though your son eating out prolly throws it.

[midlifeaspie]

According to the records I keep (which are imperfect- I go out to eat, albeit infrequently, eat free at social gatherings, get random free leftovers at work sometimes, etc etc., and count gum seperately, but it's the best ballpark I have access to), since January I've spent about $9.35/day.

$33.00/day

Yes, but if that's for a family of four, you divide it by four.  $8.25/day.

Yeah.  Skewed a bit since the baby doesn't really eat that much.  I'm pretty much hung over a barrel because of my desire for locally grown organic vegetables.  That shit doesn't come cheap.

[El]

According to the records I keep (which are imperfect- I go out to eat, albeit infrequently, eat free at social gatherings, get random free leftovers at work sometimes, etc etc., and count gum seperately, but it's the best ballpark I have access to), since January I've spent about $9.35/day.

$33.00/day

Yes, but if that's for a family of four, you divide it by four.  $8.25/day.

Yeah.  Skewed a bit since the baby doesn't really eat that much.  I'm pretty much hung over a barrel because of my desire for locally grown organic vegetables.  That shit doesn't come cheap.

*nod*  I'm extra-expensive because I eat so much fresh fruit.  I justify it by higher food costs now maybe equaling lower medical bills long-term.  Couldn't do it if the money wasn't there though.