End of Round One

Okay, we are at the end of round one.  I draw new fund out on Monday.  It's Saturday night and we have $8.50 left.  No shopping on Sunday.  As a family, we went one month on $291.50.  According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities a family our size can get up to $952/month in food support if their need is sufficient.  I think the government has different priorities than we do.  After reading this article about living on a food-stamp budget, I actually feel REALLY great.  The author of that experiment was living on $44/week.  Another blogger spent $15 week.  We did it on $12.50/week per person.  That feels like an accomplishment.

Several people have asked me if we are doing this of necessity, and the answer is tricky.  No, we are not cash strapped to the point that we can't spend beyond $300 a month on groceries.  But, yes, we are determined to accomplish a few significant goals that make this sort of self-imposed squeeze necessary.  They are -

• Feed another family on the funds we spend for food each month
• Show ourselves and our kids that it can be done
• Get out of debt

I've learned a few little lessons with this experiment so far.  They are:

1. Food storage is key - some might say this actually inflates the numbers I'm working with, but I would argue that.  Most of the food in my cold storage was purchased at least a year ago with only periodic replenishment.  Plus, I say we've got three Boy Scouts and three clever girls in this house and "Be Prepared" is one of our most important mottos.
2. There are lots of ways to make preparation of "slow foods"quicker and easier.  Cutting and freezing onions, making soups and sauces ahead of time and freezing or refrigerating them, and having pastry and pizza crusts ready to go and in the freezer until we need them slashes prep time significantly.
3. Staying out of the store is key – This week, at the end of my self-imposed limit of funds I have had several hankerings to go to the store, “just to get a few things.” Most of the things I wanted were dairy/fat foods; heavy cream, sour cream, cream cheese, mayo, to name a few. I’m not sure about the theme. I don’t think I was feeling super deprived, I just ran out of all of my favorite fats at the same time. However, I knew going in for a even those few items would probably push me over my limit, and once I was ten bucks over, why stop there? I’m like an addict, so staying away was my best strategy in the end.

A few things I hope to do better next month are:

• Keep more accurate track – day to day – of exactly what money I’m spending, where and when, so we can all follow the funds from the cash envelope to the table.
• Master the menu – show the range of cuisine we consume beyond the predictable beans, rice and pasta.
• Record recipes – Right now I have two kids working on goals that center on improving their skills in the kitchen. It’s sad for them that their mom relies more on intuition than written recipes. I intend to record and share more recipes this month.

Anything else you’d like me to show better? Leave a comment here or on facebook. Tomorrow I’ll post the blessings that have come this month from attempting this experiment.