Week 36
9/23/12
Ground beef 3.63
Flour tortillas 2.29
Half and half 1.89
Milk 1.99
Radishes .89
Avocado 1.99
Cane sugar 3.11
Bread 1.99
Cantaloupe 2.02
Eggs 1.69
Cheese 7.99
Lindt chocolates (2) .78
Kale 1.49
Apples 2.20
Potatoes 1.06
Cottage cheese 1.35
Total 36.36
Yogurt .79
Tax .06
Total .85
Total 37.21
I see the mayor of Phoenix gave this budget a shot and lost 4 pounds. Interesting. He got by on ramen noodles, pasta and coffee. If someone is going to try this for a week, why not give it their all; do some research and find the best deals; go to the market with a list and look for a food co-op. Why not try and help out a little. Nope, a budget this tight is not particularly fun, but it is totally do-able and really, quite frankly, nothing to whine about.
I freely admit, I am flexible, but at the end of the year I will have stayed well with and below my budget - including my little indulgences at the bakery next door. Preparing most everything from scratch is a must, but a loaf of bread doesn't hurt my budget when it's too hot or I don't have time to bake. (And, yes I am over-budget this week - but, watch when I post the spreadsheet).
I'm here to help. I am not about to say it's impossible or a horrible experience. It is neither. It's totally do-able and it has been a great learning experience. As far as buying food on this budget, it is actually, just fine. The things I'd buy more of to cook more of are items not particularly needed: spices, flavorings, cooking with alcohol, expensive nuts and oils. All of these things I am able make do with inexpensively or do without because I would rather have real food. But, quite honestly, I'm doing fine. And, I'm a real person, with a M-F, 8-5 job. Last year I had horrible ups and downs with jobs, and it was not the first time in my life. When I write on this blog, I truly write from my heart and honest to goodness experience. No joke. No experiment. Just one year of living within my means, and, I am sure it will be continued since this experience has been so valuable to me.
I'm here to simply say: Make it work. Learn. Use your kitchen to cook real whole foods, and keep that knowledge forever. This is real life, people, and, real life is not just a weekly experiment.
There's a lot of people in this boat. We can learn, grow and move on taking valuable knowledge with us.
~Julie
New Home Economics Cooking 101! Real cooking is healthy, economical and...Empowering!
I saw your comment on Huffpost, and I am adamantly in agreement, commenting here because it's way too long for Huffpost. I will read more of your blog in due time, and, in the meantime, bet the mayor approached it like a total amateur, and thus probably was starving.
ReplyDeleteI am a college student, and just starting out on this. Do I cook from scratch or live exclusively on fresh produce, or stay exclusively on budget? No, but, baby steps.
I grew up middle class. We ate out or lived on frozen food most of the time. My mother and stepfather were generally pretty awful cooks, unlike my grandmother (where most home-cooked food came from).
As a college student (senior), I've lived almost entirely on fast food and pizza (I deliver pizza, so this is free, but boy do I loathe it now.). I've been on the wrong side of the obesity column most of my life, with consequences (hypertension since my late teens).
Ironically enough, it was a bigger problem that broke the junk food habit. I turned 21, and almost instantly (bought my first six pack 20 minutes after, at 12:20 AM) turned into an alcoholic; I suppose they weren't joking about the family history stuff. For six months straight, I got absolutely plastered at least five nights a week on average, usually six or seven (there were a few visits home to bring the average down), with a day off after two weeks when I just felt too awful to continue. During the end, I almost entirely quit eating, no fast food or soda (needed the $$$ for booze), as I was drinking more and more, lost 20 lbs in the last month or so without even looking at a gym.
So, I'm quitting that now, (I hope... I can't live like that, certainly can't make acceptable grades in 400 level classes doing that.), and trying to eat healthier and exercise. Turns out, once you realize that fast food/junk is expensive and mostly nasty, and soda (a long time habit of mine) isn't really that great, also expensive, it's not so bad. Exercise is, in contrast to my relentlessly cynical expectations, actually useful in combating the anxiety that plagues me (said middle class family was also incredibly dysfunctional and quite abusive, and I'd be lying if I said I was over that).
(part 2)
ReplyDeleteGetting back on topic, there are little things that can be done to make even budget convenience food tasty and not totally poisonous. Take those beef and bean burritos that come eight for $3. Eaten alone, or with hot sauce, they're tolerable but can get pretty Dickensian. Thrown in some salsa and a bit of lettuce, and you have a pretty tasty meal, better than anything from Taco Bell, while costing less and taking less time (Drive-thrus are really quite slow, if you think about it.).
Rice a Roni or the like can be had for $1 a box. Throw in a frozen stir-fry vegetable mix (minus the water chestnuts, yuck) and a bit of judiciously purchased chicken, and you have several meals that are tastier, cost less, and are probably better for you than the version that comes pre-made in the bag. It really isn't that much more work.
A big fruit tray is a bit pricy ($7.50), but you get a lot, and it makes one feel clean to eat such food, in contrast to processed garbage. Likewise, powerade or orange juice (the good kind, extra pulp) are both prime candidates for heavy-duty watering down (I can't stand either full strength, too strong.) for low-cost drinking if water doesn't do it for you.
All told, I spent $40 to buy food that will probably last the week, with the addition of a few Subway sandwiches (My university forces students to buy credits every semester for their fast food court, so I might as well get something out of it.). I'm nothing more than a serviceable cook by any stretch of the imagination, and really don't have a ton of free time (full time student plus full time job). Yet, I don't feel like any of this is hard, I'm not hungry by any stretch of the imagination, and I'm probably eating better than I have in my life. In short, I feel like I can do this long term, have room to improve further, and have no reason not to. We shall see. In the meantime, perhaps I'll be able to find some serenity.
Hi there, thanks for your post! I am glad to see you can reflect and look at how you do things, a very good quality if you're young and want to make a life for yourself.
DeleteI sent my son to school with a crockpot and that has been one of his favorite things. Hearty, tasty, filling soups and stews can be made in it and at the end of a long day it's a welcoming feeling to know food is ready for you.
I understand about your upbringing. However, since this is about cooking, I will just make this one comment. A dysfunctional family is something many, many people come from. So put all that aside and look at yourself and decide the person that you want to be. And then work on being that person.
I'd like to know that you will learn to cook. Basic cooking is not hard and there are tons of resources out there. When you shop, buy whole ingredients, not things put together. Buy a loaf of bread, buy meat, vegetables, fruit pasta and grains. I have heard that crockpots are not allowed in dorms, I hope that is not your case, because that would help you out a lot. Another thing that would be of help is Foreman grill; it cooks fast - anything from meat to grilled sandwiches. They are common thrift store items that you may be able to pick up inexpensively. Soda costs a lot and is useless in my book. Drink water, nonfat or lowfat milk. If you have to, buy frozen juice and water it down like you mentioned.
As for all the other stuff, take a good long walk and get some exercise. Drink in moderation and figure out who you are and go be that person.
~Julie
I'm Schneb on Huffo,
ReplyDeleteI too saw your Huffpo comment on the Phoenix mayor's struggle with a food stamp budget and came here from there. I'm interested in how you make it work to live on your budget.
I haven't fully explored your blog but am wondering if that budget covers just you or others in your household, and would love to see a sample menu for a week. Recipes would take it to yet another level.
But great to see what's already here and thanks for sharing.
--and to anonymous above, hang in there. Sounds like you're on the right track and if you figured that out and keep making healthy choices you'll be way ahead of many who manage to get by while still drinking, etc. and only discover after losing a spouse and/or family, career, etc. that they have a problem. Stay strong and keep going to meetings and take it one day and so on.
Thanks for your comment! My budget is solely for myself, my son has gone to college, and I am by myself. It seems the need for more knowledge is growing. I will post weekly menus and the difference in shopping for a week, two weeks and a month. As, there are many people living paycheck to paycheck, as I well understand, getting a paycheck every two weeks and shopping at that time. More recipes will come! Thanks!
Delete~Julie
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteI saw your link on HuffPost and it seems to me that we have a pretty similar mind when it comes to living on (within) a budget. My take on living within a food budget is that yes its doable and possible and no its nothing to whine or complain over. It takes work, its takes creativity and it takes dedication but my boyfriend and I have been living on a $50 per week food budget for years now and we are probably healthier than people who lives on 10 times as much. No, we do not survive on ramen noodles, canned foods and white breads and no we NEVER starve, 2 to 3 meals a day with plenty of leftovers. I make delicious dishes like stir fries, curries, soups, pastas, roasts, etc. for our meals. Our diet includes meats, fresh veggies (tons)and fruits, diaries and even the occasional sweet treats. The main reason why people cannot live on a budget is they do not know to prepare meals on their own because they relied heavily on processed and prepared/frozen food. I thank my father everyday when he forced me to learn how to cook when I was a high school senior. I never had a problem with college weight gain b/c I never participated in the school meal plan, I enjoyed cooking for myself and roommates. Another reason is people do not know how to shop, do not buy things because you wanted them but because you needed them and they were on sale that week. You can always stock up when somethings goes on sale like chicken breasts or pork roasts. Granted it is a lot harder to do so for people who lives in packed cities like NY when your only choice of veggies is a $2 head wilted lettuce at the corner convenience stores. I live in an area where there are several main chain and ethnic grocery stores within miles of each other so I have a lot choices to shop. Its not impossible to live on $29 of food (person) in Phoenix, its not the most fun or glamorous but doable. We hardly eat out but when I can make what the restaurants serve for a fraction of the price why bother.
Yes, we are of like mind! Cooking is the main point I am trying to make. Cook and prepare food at home and get used to it, it can make a world of difference when you are choosing to live well on a budget. If a person does not want to bother to cook, the alternative, unfortuntely is processed, high sodium prepared foods. Buying whole foods and using these ingredients to prepare true meals will save money and be incredibly healthy. No, cooking is not glamorous; it not a spectator sport as it's shown on tv. But, cooking can be a soothing, soul nourishing part of the meal - by watching it cook and smelling the aromas - the soul nourishing aspects we do not get when we pour hot water into noodles or pop a burrito into the microwave.
DeleteI love the ethnic sections of the market for spices and flavors they're so much less expensive and are reasonable to buy on a budget. Shopping can be done well, sometimes it does take some research: Look for food co-ops and CSA's they are popping up everywhere.
It sounds like your father knew something many people have forgot and are now having to learn and reconnect with: Home cooking. Home cooking is a vital and important and powerful action. I am hoping a lot more people like you are out there, and the one's who need to start to veer more in that same direction.
Thanks for your comment!
~Julie