Food Stamp Challenge Update Three

Well, Mrs. Roy hit the farmer's market a couple of days ago and got some great food at a low price (13.50) - and I had to stop at Save-A-Lot on the way home from work yesterday and pick up milk (2.69), peanut butter (2.49) and garlic salt (1.39). Here's what I got at the farmer's market:


Watermelon - $5.99
20 bell peppers @ 10 for $1
5 cucumbers @ 10 for $1
2 tomatoes - .89 per pound
5 yellow squash – 3 lb for $1
1 Vidalia onion - .89

The bell peppers were an exceptional deal - they had packaged them in bags of 10 for $1 because they each had a bad spot on them or were starting to get too old.  Mr. Roy cut them all up and we put 4 gallon bags of chopped peppers in the freezer.  That will keep us for a long time.  Mrs. Roy will be making refrigerator pickles with some of the cucumbers today, one of the squash got sauteed with some onion last night for dinner.  Mrs. Roy asked the lady at the farmer's market for a "sweet" watermelon and this one is wonderful!  We've already eaten nearly half of it.

Remaining food stamp funds for the rest of the month - $101.20.  That's 5.62 per day for the next 18 days.

This morning, Mrs. Roy asked herself why she was doing this whole exercise.  Mrs. Roy can't really say it will make me more sympathetic because I deal with folks who call themselves indigent at my job.  I don't recall anyone only getting $101 per person; it's usually closer to double that amount or more.  And 99.9% of those folks have cellphones, wear lots of nice jewelry, are chronically unemployed (as in NEVER had a job) and live with an older family member who pays all the other household expenses.  There's a lot of abuse of our social welfare system in this country.

Mrs. Roy is continuing this challenge because I started it and I'm going to see it through.  It is good for Mrs. Roy to have to stop and think before running up to the Winn-Dixie for this or that.  We are eating well and eating plenty with what we had on hand and what we are purchasing.  Mr. Roy is an exceptional cook and he's taught Mrs. Roy a trick or two so I don't think we'll have any trouble staying within this budget but I don't think we will have proven anything by doing it. 

You might want to visit Katy over at The Non-Consumer Advocate - she's having some interesting discussions about food waste and habit shopping and being judgmental of other folks' food purchases.  http://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/june-food-stamp-challenge/