So. It begins today. A month-long fast from the grocery store. And, taking the SNAP Challenge. Why are we doing this?
1. To break free of the tyranny of consumerism in general and the grocery store in particular.
2. To save time and money and push the boundaries of self-sufficiency, creativity, practicality.
3. To show that even budgeting below a "food stamp standard," we can not only survive, but thrive, having enough and to spare.
4. I have WAY blown my budget over the last 6 months by not planning, not tracking, and generally turning a blind eye to all things grocery related. No More Grocery Shopping helps me reign it and get back to good with my money. We do have some goals around here and they don't ALL involve food!
5. Finally, because, the last time we did this experiment, we saved $1000 in the month: not just from our grocery budget, but also from eating out, running around and having to fuel up all the time, impulse buying while we're out and about, etc. $1000. It was HUGE; and, motivating.
Not going to the grocery store for a month can be a scary prospect for a family of foodies who derive every bit of comfort and pleasure possible from fresh herbs and greens, savory sauces and seasonal desserts. Think of it. for 30 days, No More Grocery Store! in some ways that idea is totally liberating. in others it is completely daunting.
Thankfully, we've done this before. 6 years ago when I launched the original experiment, everyone was much younger and they all just sort of went along with it. Now, I have real help in the execution. So, here's how it will look.
1. We have $697 to spend on our family of 5-7.
Our per person count is a moving target because our newly-weds (our oldest son and his wife) share occasional dinners with us and take one of our homemade lunches with them to work every day. Also, though we don't count them as family officially, we entertain friends and guests almost every weekend. A typical Sunday dinner party at our house sees 12-16 people. We are never so happy as when we have extra people to share with. I especially love feeding my kids' friends during the school week.
Why the $697 allotment? Seems like a lot. Watch what we do with it. Though we don't participate in the program, this is the amount a family of 5 would get on federal food stamps, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP allots $1.50 per person per meal, or $4.50 per person per day. If I counted 5 of us for most meals, though sometimes there are 7 and sometimes there are 16, we would get $697 month. I can do it for less than that, but I'm gonna take every cent i can give myself credit for since we aren't going back for a month. And remember: it is less about the money, and more about the fast from the grocery store.
On the other hand, people have pointed out that the $4.50/day figure SNAP provides is low and is meant to be SUPPLEMENTAL to the people who need it. However, most hungry families in need use their food stamps as the PRIMARY source of purchasing power for all of their food. We want to raise awareness in ourselves that people all over our country eat every meal, every day, far below our privileges. And, we want to dispel some myths about being frugal with food; to show that even at a fixed low budget, we can access and prepare healthy, delicious food for our family. We will address the MUCH lower standard of people around the world in a later experiment.
Subtotals: $377
I spent $377 in stock-up prep for the experiment. I know this sounds like an outrageous amount to spend in a period of a few days, but we have depleted our in-home storage over the last many months. i mean, seriously depleted. And, I always feel better about life when I have 60 lbs of pasta and 50 lbs of rice along side a bunch of other staples in my basement.
B. 2 kids have $200 (total), and are each responsible for 10 lunches (for 6 people), 12 dinners (for 5 people) and 1 hospitality event (for 10-16 people). They each get 1 Fend For Yourself (FFY) dinner that they are not accountable for.
They have planned menus and shopping lists, done the grocery shopping and are ready to make dinners and lunches from now until Nov. 6. Menus, shopping lists, receipts and recipes to follow in later posts.
Subtotals: $200
They were each given $100 for their two weeks, along with a tour of what we already have in the pantry, freezer and food storage. They noted the inventory, planned accordingly, went shopping, and each spent about $70 for their two weeks and pocketed $30 in cash (this is their favorite part of the plan).
III. I am allowed to go to the farmers market for produce and the dairy for milk.
1 have $100 for milk and produce, and, i can only get them as long as I have someone with me to keep me accountable for my strictly itemized purchases. I can not be trusted on my own around food when money is involved.
Subtotals: $100.
That's it for all the milk and extra produce we need this month. I feed a bunch of vegetarians in my house who do drink milk. One of them is a 13-year-old boy. We go through a lot!
Grand total: $677
Wait!
That all only adds up to $677. See, I said I could do it for less than $697. So, I'll have to ask my trusted advisers what I can do with the extra $20.
End Note: I have two pressing fears: 1. What will happen when we run out of cilantro? And, 2. Am I going to be able to make it through a chili cook-off we host annually, Halloween, a birthday party and a birthday dinner without breaking my grocery store fast?
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