The Food Stamp Challenge!

Yep, I've applied for food stamps.  Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), for those who need to know.  Hate the idea.  Hate it.  I want to be the person feeding the hungry, not the hungry person.  But I've crossed to the other side out of necessity.  We pray that necessity doesn't last too long.

I am a single person, with no money in the bank, now receiving unemployment, with rent, utilities, and medical bills to pay.  In a couple weeks, if things don't look up, I will be applying for federal assistance to help pay the utilities. . . . .hate it!  So, given these circumstances, they did the math and I get to try and feed myself on $3.15/day provided by the state government.

I accept the challenge!

Now, admittedly we are not starting from scratch.  I do have some things in ye olde pantry including basic sundries like oil, flour, sugar, salt and spices.  Rice, beans and potatoes.  And a whole chicken, some sausage and garlic and onions.  So not starting from scratch.  I go on the assumption that people in a similar situation such as I are not starting with a totally empty cupboard.  But any future grocery shopping will be based on $3.15/day per person.  That would include my boyfriend who lives with me, so a total of $6.30/day.  That's $44.10/week.  Ouch.  That's just  a little more than half of what we usually spend, and that was also on the assumption that I got at least one free meal a day at work.  Perks of working in a restaurant.

Okay.  $44/week for two.  Can we live a cheap and relatively nutritious diet on that?  We're about to find out.