A dollar a day challenge

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Replies

  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    I figured I would go that route. So far it's rice, beans, chicken I got for 99 cents, oatmeal, eggs, ground beef I got for 87 cents a pound, peanut butter, apples (10 pounds for 1.50), bananas and bread. Tomorrow I'm getting chicken broth and veggies for soup!
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
    You might find this blog a good read: http://cookingonabootstrap.com/
    They were a single parent on a seriously tight budget and have written a lot about the experience of poverty and hunger, as well as including lots of practical (and cheap!) recipes.
    Look for the link to "hunger hurts". It's not an easy read, but reflects reality for many people.

    And this one looks like an Aussie equivalent (on AU$2/day for 5 days, which is about US$1.50 - you don't say what kind of dollar, so I'll guess USD).
    https://www.livebelowtheline.com.au/
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    pebble4321 wrote: »
    You might find this blog a good read: http://cookingonabootstrap.com/
    They were a single parent on a seriously tight budget and have written a lot about the experience of poverty and hunger, as well as including lots of practical (and cheap!) recipes.
    Look for the link to "hunger hurts". It's not an easy read, but reflects reality for many people.

    And this one looks like an Aussie equivalent (on AU$2/day for 5 days, which is about US$1.50 - you don't say what kind of dollar, so I'll guess USD).
    https://www.livebelowtheline.com.au/

    Thank you! And yes, US dollars.
  • Pinkylee77
    Pinkylee77 Posts: 432 Member
    There is a book called Good and Cheep by Leanne Brown. I got it from Amazon but it is on how to eat well on $4.00 a day this may have some good ideas. Good luck
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    Pinkylee77 wrote: »
    There is a book called Good and Cheep by Leanne Brown. I got it from Amazon but it is on how to eat well on $4.00 a day this may have some good ideas. Good luck

    Great thank you!
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
    Lentils!
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    bebeisfit wrote: »
    Lentils!
    Never made them but I'll try!

  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    Wow - $30 for the whole month? I dont think Gwyneth whats her name could do that!! And of course, you are doing the challenge when the snow has barely left the ground (Canada - maybe not where you are) but there arent any farmers markets yet and not much is "in season" here. I see lots of potatoes in your future! You can bake them and put different toppings on them to make different flavour profiles. Thats $30 for the month for 1 person? Just wow again. Good luck!
  • rnelson88
    rnelson88 Posts: 122 Member
    I would just go hunting
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    rnelson88 wrote: »
    I would just go hunting

    Ha, me too! Small game and fish for my daily protein (free). Spend $20 on 20+lbs total of rice, potatoes, beans, and grains (whatever is less than $.50- $1/lb). Use rest of money for oil, salt, pepper, maybe couple gallons of milk and eggs, and a bottle of vitamins from Dollar Tree and local deep discount food center.
  • IILikeToMoveItMoveIt
    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt Posts: 1,172 Member
    See if you have a Grocery Salvage store in your area. I can get food for a month for 4 people with 60 dollars...(freezer will get used well)
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    cross2bear wrote: »
    Wow - $30 for the whole month? I dont think Gwyneth whats her name could do that!! And of course, you are doing the challenge when the snow has barely left the ground (Canada - maybe not where you are) but there arent any farmers markets yet and not much is "in season" here. I see lots of potatoes in your future! You can bake them and put different toppings on them to make different flavour profiles. Thats $30 for the month for 1 person? Just wow again. Good luck!

    Gwyneth has no grasp on reality. It's warm where I am at, it can rage from 70-80s this time of year. It's cool today at 65, but definitely no snow. We have lots of produce, as I live in the #1 produce producing city for the nation. Makes things easier.
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    williams969 wrote: »
    rnelson88 wrote: »
    I would just go hunting

    Ha, me too! Small game and fish for my daily protein (free). Spend $20 on 20+lbs total of rice, potatoes, beans, and grains (whatever is less than $.50- $1/lb). Use rest of money for oil, salt, pepper, maybe couple gallons of milk and eggs, and a bottle of vitamins from Dollar Tree and local deep discount food center.

    Can't hunt! Have to buy it. Plus I don't live anywhere close to good game.
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt wrote: »
    See if you have a Grocery Salvage store in your area. I can get food for a month for 4 people with 60 dollars...(freezer will get used well)

    That's amazing! I have something similar to that. Went there yesterday and was pretty successful.

  • nicolecfut
    nicolecfut Posts: 14 Member
    I am super impressed by all the advice and agree with a lot of it. A freezer will be your friend through this I'd say. Good luck and let us know : :)
  • marinagraber
    marinagraber Posts: 49 Member
    Can you forage? Many 'weeds' are edible and healthy. Dandilions, violets, wild onions, etc are popping up right now.

    I remember my grandmother telling us about the foods they ate during the Depression. Some research might help you out. And since beans, potatos and cabbage are cheap now I will say that they were eaten alot during that time. Beans cakes or potato cakes are cheap and quick to make. My grandmother used to make a soup from green beans, cabbage, potato, and a ham bone or broth. It is one of my fave comfort foods. Pancakes and syrup and also reasonable cheap to make or use a jelly or jam instead of syrup.
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    marinagraber wrote: »
    Can you forage? Many 'weeds' are edible and healthy. Dandilions, violets, wild onions, etc are popping up right now.

    I remember my grandmother telling us about the foods they ate during the Depression. Some research might help you out. And since beans, potatos and cabbage are cheap now I will say that they were eaten alot during that time. Beans cakes or potato cakes are cheap and quick to make. My grandmother used to make a soup from green beans, cabbage, potato, and a ham bone or broth. It is one of my fave comfort foods. Pancakes and syrup and also reasonable cheap to make or use a jelly or jam instead of syrup.

    I'm not sure if I could, but I live next to a college and it's a farming college, I wouldn't want to get a load of manure with my foraging haha.

    I found a lot of recipes on YouTube by a lady who lived through the Great Depression. It gave me a lot of ideas to use along with these responses!
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
    The interesting thing to me about this challenge is that it assumes that you have everything to prepare meals. What if you have no pots/pans/hot plate? No fridge or freezer? I mean, this isn't as dumb as it sounds if you have somehow gotten yourself into a situation where you only have $1 a day to eat on for a whole month. How are you funding the rest of your life?
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    CrabNebula wrote: »
    The interesting thing to me about this challenge is that it assumes that you have everything to prepare meals. What if you have no pots/pans/hot plate? No fridge or freezer? I mean, this isn't as dumb as it sounds if you have somehow gotten yourself into a situation where you only have $1 a day to eat on for a whole month. How are you funding the rest of your life?

    No idea. This is just an assignment given to me. Lol I'm assuming that it assumes that since you have a place to live, you have the basic cooking tools. Back in the day when I was almost homeless, all I had was one pot and pan that I got at the thrift store for two bucks. If I had to buy them, I would take that out of my budget.

    I like this challenge since where I live, it has one of the highest unemployment rates per capita in the US. It makes you realize that many people have this to work with and somehow get through it.
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
    My mom was a child during the depression. Her family survived on lentils and what they could grow in their city yard. She said her dream was to someday be SO rich she wouldn't have to eat lentils ever again. That seemed like a wild dream to her at the time.
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    That's really sad but also amazing that she wanted something so simple.
  • Cynsonya
    Cynsonya Posts: 668 Member
    californiansun wrote: »
    I figured I would go that route. So far it's rice, beans, chicken I got for 99 cents, oatmeal, eggs, ground beef I got for 87 cents a pound, peanut butter, apples (10 pounds for 1.50), bananas and bread. Tomorrow I'm getting chicken broth and veggies for soup!

    Wow! Amazing! Here I get 2 apples for $1.50 and a pound of ground beef is $4 :/
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    Cynsonya wrote: »
    californiansun wrote: »
    I figured I would go that route. So far it's rice, beans, chicken I got for 99 cents, oatmeal, eggs, ground beef I got for 87 cents a pound, peanut butter, apples (10 pounds for 1.50), bananas and bread. Tomorrow I'm getting chicken broth and veggies for soup!

    Wow! Amazing! Here I get 2 apples for $1.50 and a pound of ground beef is $4 :/

    Thankfully we had good sales this week! I've never seen stuff for so cheap. I went to the discount store though.
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