$13.30 for three days of food
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Amanda_Brit_Expat wrote: »sarahaflood wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »To figure that out yourself... that's sort of the idea of the project, isn't it?
The purpose of the project is to live off of $13.30 and recognize the difficulty of doing so. My professor actually recommended doing research online and to plan everything ahead of time. I thought this would be a great resource. I understand if you do not want to help because you believe that it is cheating, but I do not.
Maybe your professor meant online resources of information, such as looking up prices of foods, you can shop online at Walmart Grocery and see the exact prices of everything. He/she wants to know what YOU would do, not what other people you have asked online would do, and you would learn more doing it yourself too.
For example, I went to Wegmans.com and put together a shopping list to see what I could get into my cart. I've got a nice cart that's 13.45 and could drop it a buck with a smaller (but still large enough) package of meat.0 -
Shop at Dollar Tree. $13 goes a long way there. When I was younger and much much more poor, I just about lived at that store.1
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Pork'n Beans with cut up hot dogs is a cheap meal, same with Mac'n Cheese and hot dogs.
If you are buying a loaf of bread you can also use hot dog slices in grilled cheese. If you aren't buying cheese slices, wrap a buttered piece of bread around a hot dog (butter side out). Hold together with toothpicks. Bake for 5-10 minutes.....nice and toasty.1 -
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I can kinda see what you are saying here about doing the project on your own, but you've got to be kidding me if you don't think most school work starts by getting info and help from the internet. Asking is being resourceful.VintageFeline wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »To figure that out yourself... that's sort of the idea of the project, isn't it?
Yes. Isn't this an exercise in displaying how resourceful you have to be in order to manage such a small budget? I mean, sure I could point you in the direction of all sorts of resources and tell you how I have kept going on very little but I feel you need to work this out for yourself. Your fellow students and probably you will make some bad decisions and will be used in the analysis when the project ends.
Grown up teachery speech over.8 -
Not a problem, hunt, fish and grow your own food.5
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If this were a home economics course, learning comparison shopping would be part of it. Even 'off-price' stores (Big Lots, United Grocery Outlet) can have items that are more expensive than their mainstream competitors. Cereal and milk are the most prevailing examples.KeithWhiteJr wrote: »Shop at Dollar Tree. $13 goes a long way there. When I was younger and much much more poor, I just about lived at that store.3 -
I'd suggest a dozen eggs, a carton of old-fashioned oats, a bag of dried beans, and a box of rice. Then add fruit and veg with whatever money you have left. You'll eat similar meals all three days, but it would also let you cook once and then reheat. Good luck!
In my area that might go over.0 -
brandi8484 wrote: »My family of 3 survives on $10/day for our meals. Total. For all 3 of us.
Chicken, beans, eggs, and veggies are a way of life for us now. lol.
I survived on a lot less than I do now for a while, but I was able to have more than a three day supply of money at any given time. It's difficult, but not impossible if you have more than a three day supply for one person.
OP, is there any way you can team with a classmate and pool your money, so you can buy the items and split them? A dozen eggs is probably a 6 day supply for one person at that income. A bag of beans and a bag of rice can last longer than three days for one person.
Also, it's extremely rare for adults without kids to qualify for assistance. When I was living on less than $1000 per month I could get no help.0 -
Check out the Aldi prices if you have them in your area.... dirt cheap staples like canned veggies, in-season produce, pasta, and eggs there.0
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JosetteGetsFit wrote: »Not a problem, hunt, fish and grow your own food.
I'd be willing to bet that's not allowed by the assignment either.4 -
It's definitely doable (I've done it). But the parameters of the exercise are unrealistic and seem skewed to maximize rate of failure. The premise is flawed: it's "assistance" not "subsistence." It's an important distinction and I would include that in my report.
Also don't forget to deduct sales taxes.
I respectfully disagree with you. While it is called "assistance" for many poor people in this country, it is their primary or only way to pay for food. This is a learning experience. Important insights can be gained as well as the development of empathy for those who struggle to feed themselves and their families. Also, if tax is charged on food in her area, then it should be included because it is part of the total cost of purchasing the food; it's not optional.
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Most grocery stores have a couple of shelves with the scratched/dented stuff. It's heavily discounted. Like a box of cereal that has been opened, but the bag the cereal is in inside is still sealed. Perfectly safe, but no one wants to buy it. It will be super cheap. Mine will also have produce that is just on the right side of ripe. That stuff is also heavily discounted.3
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I manage performance for a large government agency and teach. We achieve more when we collaborate so continue to do so. If I were on so tight a budget I definately would ask for help and offer help to others. It appears that your professor wants you to feel the pinch of eating on a food stamps budget. My thoughts: DollarTree's dried beans, maragine to cook them in, rice. bags of mixed veg, eggs, oatmeal, cheese to put on them, milk. chicken. Tuna. etc. Onions from a grocery. I would give extra credit for foraging dandelion greens, berries, fishing, hunting, etc.
and FYI accurately telling people that they are cheating is helpful.1 -
OP, is there any way you can team with a classmate and pool your money, so you can buy the items and split them? A dozen eggs is probably a 6 day supply for one person at that income. A bag of beans and a bag of rice can last longer than three days for one person.
This is actually a school assignment, not a real life scenario. Regardless I love the concept of collaboration. In fact, I used to "meal share" with a friend. I would be tired of a big vat of split pea soup so I would split with a friend. She'd do the same when making bread.1 -
I agree it's a good idea to confirm this with the professor, if she hasn't. (Couldn't quite tell what the professor meant by doing research online.)Speaking as a professor: Unless you have explicitly been told otherwise, asking others to give you the answer to your homework problem is cheating. I'm confident that your professor's advice to take advantage of online resources did not include using the internet to ask others to do the work for you. If you disagree, confirm it with him/her--that is the way to do it with integrity.
But looking at the question, it sounds like the kind of guidance OP is asking for is very general - the kind of thing a person on assistance could also ask for and get. It would be different if the question asked for specific prices and stores. And, I couldn't really tell, but the assignment may be to actually buy and live off those things - not just to make a menu - and we're not doing that for her.1 -
Since we helped you I challenge you to do something nutritious like I suggested above, and not just purchase 9 $1.00 hotpocks or cut hotdogs into a can of beans. Please report back what you and your classmates learned.6
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mburgess458 wrote: »Rotisserie chicken for sure, you can stretch that to feed you for 4+ meals! Shred all of the meat from the bird and then boil down that bones/carcass and make a soup base for another meal. Get a small bag of beans and rice and you can eat beans and rice w/chicken and then make a bean, rice, chicken soup for another meal.
Awful advice. You're trying to stretch your money, don't buy something someone else cooked... do you think they do that for free? It's going to be much cheaper to buy a chicken (or chicken pieces) and cook it yourself.
Precooked food is for convenience. Great if you have more money than time, not a good idea if you're super poor.
If OP doesn't know how to cook, it's not terrible advice. The rotisserie chickens are usually only slightly more expensive than the raw birds at a lot of groceries (I've seen them range from $4-6 at various stores around here. The raw birds are sometimes just as much) and is more than enough for 1 person for 3 days. (The protein source is expected to be the most expensive item, and will come in at less than half the budget here).
If op had to actually live off that amount of good money I guarantee he/she would be learning to cook real fast.
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Take a look at http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/538130/feed-a-family-for-50-a-week for ideas. Although it says a week, the challenge was for the working week, so only 5 days, and they probably used herbs etc that they already owned, but it may give ideas. There are probably equivalent USD articles.
Also, check your local supermarkets for reduced price foods on items at their Use By date. In the UK, those on serious budgets (and even some of us that aren't) know when food prices get reduced. Periodically, I stock up on meats and put them in my freezer. I know that if it has a reduced sticker I just have to make sure I actually use it on the day I defrost it.
A roast chicken would do several meals and, once the meat is removed, could be used with carrots and onion to make soup for lunches too.0 -
kpeterson539 wrote: »
OP, is there any way you can team with a classmate and pool your money, so you can buy the items and split them? A dozen eggs is probably a 6 day supply for one person at that income. A bag of beans and a bag of rice can last longer than three days for one person.
This is actually a school assignment, not a real life scenario. Regardless I love the concept of collaboration. In fact, I used to "meal share" with a friend. I would be tired of a big vat of split pea soup so I would split with a friend. She'd do the same when making bread.
It sounded like she needed to live on it for three days. Education and sociology majors often have to live out the scenarios.0 -
One of the difficult things about this assignment is that you only have to do it for 3 days... Some of the items that are being suggested (oatmeal, pasta, rice) are less expensive in larger quantities that you wouldn't want to consume for every meal for 3 days--they're shelf stable so they last much longer. Even a dozen eggs is overkill for 3 days for a single person... Now you didn't say that this was specifically prohibited, but could you pool your money with another classmate and split the food? More of a cooperative effort, and that way you'd have more variety with less waste. Just a thought.
On the upside, it's really hard to do significant nutritional damage over 3 days...0 -
I've lived on that kind of budget temporarily - just a few observations:
Dried beans, peas, and lentils are very inexpensive, filling, and sustaining.
Whole grains that you cook, like oats or barley, are usually cheaper and more filling than pasta or bread.
Eggs are inexpensive sources of protein, and very versatile.
Pound for pound, peanuts or sunflower seeds are likely to be cheaper than peanut butter.
Don't waste money on beverages, unless they're also nutritious (milk, soy milk, etc.)
If you can live without condiments, that will save you money too. If you need spices, try to find a store that sells them in bulk and only buy as much as you need.
You'll want to eat produce. Some things that are often inexpensive are bananas, apples, onions, carrots, and potatoes. But you'll probably want to compare among several stores. Some will likely have produce on sale. Also compare the prices of frozen produce - it's just as good, and often cheaper than fresh.
You might want to check advertising circulars for stores near you, so you can see what's on sale. Some stores send out paper versions, and some are available online.
If you have time to look for them, you might be able to find coupons for some of your food.
I hope that's helpful.
Btw, those suggestions aren't specific to this assignment - they also work if you're just wanting or needing to eat cheaply.
ETA: I agree the "don't buy in bulk" parameter makes it a bit unrealistic. In practice, someone would be able to buy staples like cooking oil and salt to last for weeks. It's hard to buy just three days' worth of salt or cooking oil though. So food may not be cooked the way you like it - or at least, you may have to be ingenious in the way you prepare it.
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How is this cheating? It's brainstorming. Are you guys looking through adds for her, doing her cooking and shopping, or writing her paper? No we are just giving her ideas. No different then if she were to tell her friend about the project and her friend were to make some suggestions for her.
In fact, I would argue that the assignment is "what would you do if you had to feed yourself on $4.43 per day?" There are post on here all the time from people looking for cheap and easy food ideas. Therefore if OP were to have to feed herself on $4.43 a day, it would be reasonable to say that she would seek out guidance from sites like this one.
OP- you would want to look for things that you can use in multiple meals. Eggs, chicken breasts, tuna, rice, pasta, veggies, a loaf of bread, etc.
Apparently you've missed the multiple responses where people were literally picking up the circulars from chain grocery stores and/or posting links directly to recipes and other things. Also, OP has already clarified that it's not "what would you do to..." it's "how would you use this money to..." and the professor simply suggested doing research to gain information so that when they did the shopping, they'd be ready.
The fact that OP is taking at least part of their plans from the responses completely negates the purpose of the assignment... which is ultimately to teach the students how difficult the life is, particularly if you are on assistance and that's all you can use to feed yourself.7 -
Actually, I think the intent of the exercise is to prove that it can't be done.VintageFeline wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »To figure that out yourself... that's sort of the idea of the project, isn't it?
Yes. Isn't this an exercise in displaying how resourceful you have to be in order to manage such a small budget? I mean, sure I could point you in the direction of all sorts of resources and tell you how I have kept going on very little but I feel you need to work this out for yourself. Your fellow students and probably you will make some bad decisions and will be used in the analysis when the project ends.
Grown up teachery speech over.
I've lived on a similar budget. It can be done. Rice, beans, eggs, marked down produce.3 -
Yes, but many people in need of assistance would be likely to go to the internet to search for help, quite possibly here for suggestions.How is this cheating? It's brainstorming. Are you guys looking through adds for her, doing her cooking and shopping, or writing her paper? No we are just giving her ideas. No different then if she were to tell her friend about the project and her friend were to make some suggestions for her.
In fact, I would argue that the assignment is "what would you do if you had to feed yourself on $4.43 per day?" There are post on here all the time from people looking for cheap and easy food ideas. Therefore if OP were to have to feed herself on $4.43 a day, it would be reasonable to say that she would seek out guidance from sites like this one.
OP- you would want to look for things that you can use in multiple meals. Eggs, chicken breasts, tuna, rice, pasta, veggies, a loaf of bread, etc.
Apparently you've missed the multiple responses where people were literally picking up the circulars from chain grocery stores and/or posting links directly to recipes and other things. Also, OP has already clarified that it's not "what would you do to..." it's "how would you use this money to..." and the professor simply suggested doing research to gain information so that when they did the shopping, they'd be ready.
The fact that OP is taking at least part of their plans from the responses completely negates the purpose of the assignment... which is ultimately to teach the students how difficult the life is, particularly if you are on assistance and that's all you can use to feed yourself.
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Lots of great suggestions! I posted yesterday that I eat on $120 a month and people were surprised. I live near a big city and yet I shop at the same Krogers most of the time because they have great sales/specials. It's not that hard! You've got this OP, I do it every month.
I think in real life if I were on assistance I would ask these questions here. I don't see what all the knickers in a twist is about.
Oh. It's MFP.7 -
Even if the project was agenda driven. Doesn't successful completion of the project negate the idea of the project?3
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Beans and rice, cabbage, a dozen eggs, a whole chicken.
I second this.
It's actually quite easy with "$13.30 for three days of food" if you are a little creative.
Wait until after 8:30pm for rotisserie chicken to become half price. Cabbage, celery, loose carrots are like 3lbs a dollar.
Look into the section called Manager's Deals.
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My grocery store has a $1 markdown bin in the produce department where you can get some great bargains: 4 or 5 potatoes, 3 or 4 apples, etc. Try checking for that, too. Good luck!3
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