By signing up to take the Hunger Challenge, participants like me agreed to spend just $28 per person for their entire food budget for the week of September 12-18. This is the equivalent of living on the same food budget as an average California food stamp recipient – currently just $4 per day.
 |
| Photo by nosha |
The Hunger Challenge is all about experiencing first-hand what it’s like to shop and eat on a limited budget, then sharing those impressions with others, which is why I'm mentioning it here. It's not just about eating cheaply, or being creative enough to survive cheaply, it's about acknowledging that proper nutrition & access to healthy foods isn't cheap at all.
I typically spend about $150 every month on groceries. That equates to a little less than $40 per week, or $6 per day. At first, the thought of cutting that number down to $28 per week / $4 per day didn't sound like much of a challenge, more like an adjustment. Then I realized I also spend anywhere from $50-100 per month on meals purchased from restaurants or eateries. This brings my estimated average weekly food budget to right around $60. The challenge became more evident. I'd have to cut my budget in half!
My first idea was to prepare meals from home for the week, but that soon became out of the question when I realized how busy my schedule was going to be. The first few days, I brought leftovers from home, keeping my total spending at $0.
The middle of the week, when work got more hectic than usual, I found myself craving things like coffee & restaurant foods. I managed to stick to home-brought foods & snacks until Thursday, when I broke down & spent money on lunch at a local restaurant. Boudin Bakery... the place that serves their steamy, delicious soup in a big bread bowl. I skipped the bread bowl & just ordered a cup of clam chowder. Total: $4.89.
 |
| Photo by riacale |
One item of food, no drink, not even what many would consider an entire meal, and already my daily budget was spent.
The next day, feeling more tired than usual due to the busy week, I bought a mocha from a local cafe. Total: $3.50. Not even enough left over to afford one can of soup for lunch or dinner.
People who rely on a very small fixed income for a basic necessity like food do not have the luxury of going back to their grande mochas or fancy bread bowl lunches after a week. They are forced to make choices of survival, rather than making choices that will benefit their health. If I had gone to any fast food joint with my $4, I could have had a much bigger meal from the various value menus than I did with my measly bowl of soup, but I'd be paying the price with my health.
I believe that the goal is not as simple as making healthy food cheaper and unhealthy food more expensive, but to put them on equal playing fields so that everyone, not just those who can afford it, can make decisions based on nutrition & quality rather than on cost & quantity.
I learned a lot about myself by taking this challenge. I learned that I'm lucky to have a flexible budget with which to nourish my body. I learned that I have more willpower than I used to when it comes to eating in restaurants. I learned that I'm far too lazy when it comes to attempting to make well-balanced meals using grocery-store ingredients which would not only be healthier, but would save a lot of money in the long run.
 |
| Photo by drooooo |
It also showed me that some people, myself included, are more gluttonous than they would like to admit. I'm not saying that spending money on a nice meal once in a while is unreasonable if that's the lifestyle you can afford to enjoy, but why wait until money is tight to cut back? Why wait until you need a handout to step inside a food bank? Why not pick up a few cans of veggies next time you're shopping for groceries & donate them to your local food bank? You could be helping a single parent feed his/her child for the day. You could be helping a senior citizen feed him/herself for the week. What is $4 to you? And how grateful would you be if someone offered to buy your next meal if you couldn't afford to buy it for yourself?
If you missed the hunger challenge, you can always try it on your own. Designate one week to attempt a $4-per-day budget, and share your experience on your own Facebook/Twitter/personal blog. It could teach you a thing or two about your own spending/eating habits, and it will definitely remind to be grateful for the many options available to you while others' options continue to be based upon help from others.
Please share this post with your friends if you would like to help spread the awareness & education of hunger problems in your own community. Thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment