a challenge... Can you feed a family of four 6 days on 25 bucks?

[greenbriar]

I am going to try...



growing up, my dad worked at an aircraft plant in Wichita...Beechcraft he didn't make the big bucks like those at Boeing but he worked hard.

There were 6 children plus Mom and dad. We lived in a crappy house, but we kept it clean and it was ours...We each had our own room and they were big.


Every friday daddy would hand mom the grocery money ...probably 25 bucks which was HUGE in the 70's and she would come back with bags of groceries...

You could tell what day of the week it was by what we had for dinner

Sunday was potroast with potatos and carrots and creamstyle corn

Monday was some kind of fish...fishsticks, mackeral patties or salmon loaf with fried potatos and kidney beans.


Tuesday was ham and beans and cornbread

Wed was meatloaf and baked potatos with Greenbeans

Thursday was Fried Chicken mashed potatos and gravy with cream style corn

Friday she would go to the burger joint or the taco place and we got ONE burger or taco burger

Saturday was fend for yourself


I realize now, that she had the money down to a T


Can it be done today?

[grasswire]

1. the equivalent of food stamps is $3 per person per day.

Many people across the country took the food stamp challenge last year. $3 per person per day was allowed. It was possible to do that if you had some experience shopping and cooking.

I don't think $25 would feed two today, let alone eight!

Those who took the food stamp challenge reported being hungry at times during the week. The governor of Oregon and his wife took it, and failed miserably. They bought such things as a jar of honey to sweeten coffee (which they also bought).

[greenbriar]

3. Mom bought more than the dinner groceries...she had to buy

cereal

eggs

bread

milk

coffee

tea



Daddy took his lunch to work every day for 45 years. That is a LOT of bologna sandwiches oh and there was no cheese in those sandwiches

and the condiments too

[GOPNotForMe]

2. Interesting topic. I wonder about this sometimes myself.

How much do we REALLY need to get by?

I think that your scenario is possible but only under a few conditions:

No one can be picky!
Gotta buy everything that's buy one get one free that you can find.
Can't buy organic (unfortunately).
Generic/store brand everything.
Utilizing lots of leftovers!

But yes, I think it is possible. Good luck!

[flvegan]

4. Can we adjust for these times?

38 years later and all.

And no "6 days for 25 bucks" because that's a simplistic challenge. Like sticking Survivorman out in the wild and asking him to live 7 days. Fiscal quarter, 3 months.

Little nutritional training goes quite a long way. Shame they don't teach it. Not even to our doctors.

[Mr. Blonde]

12. I was going to say

seems like the equal cash amount would be a little more these days.

As for standing pat on 25 dollars, I think I could feed myself, but probably not 7 other people.

[mcctatas]

5. It depends....

could I supplement the $ with food from my garden? If so, then yes, I could and have. If not, I don't think I could do it unless we ate alot of "welfare suppers" (what my mom used to call the fried potatoes and eggs we had every other night when she was a single parent on foodstams)...

[greenbriar]

6. I think that would be fair if you included the costs of the seeds/plants

somehow

[mcctatas]

7. Well then this year I spent a total of approx. 60 dollars on seeds

and plants. That investment will provide me with fresh produce for at least 3 months (plus some that I freeze or can for winter). So if we divided it out over the 3 months of fresh produce that would be about $20 dollars a month (5 a week). I'd be left with about $21 for the six days, so I still think I could do it. Maybe I will try it for one week this summer, my teenage girls might actually get a kick out of it (as long as it's AFTER my zuccini's come up and it's only for six days, otherwise they might mutiny without Diet Dr. Pepper and tostitos with salsa ;) )

[Scooter24]

8. $25 was my lunch today lol

I don't think I would make it last very long :)

[UrbScotty]

9. Hope you like ramen!

[Emit]

10. I'm suddenly reminded of Heckedy Peg

I think it will be difficult, unless you have some of these things stocked ahead of time, having purchased them in bulk or on sale. I have 5 in my family -- try as we may, I can't do it for anywhere close to $25 a week, especially now that the kids are home all day.

[AccessGranted]

11. 6 Day Menu - $25.00 - 4 People

It costs more than that for gas to get back and forth to the grocery store, but you could only do it if you drank tap water only and just had ramen noodles for dinner and instant oatmeal (store or generic brand) for breakfast and no lunch or snacks. You didn't say everybody had to not be hungry through the day or that it had to be nutritious. This is about all you could do for $25.00 for that many people.

[Chan790]

13. Would anybody believe me if I said I could?

I know I could (or at least I could 4 years ago) because I've had to. (I was indigent, so legally homeless, although because my friends are amazing I always had a roof. :applause: to my friends.) Well...there was only one of me, but I managed to feed myself for an average of $38.50 a month which I'm positive is more difficult. I could have done it on 50% of that but I like to eat a lot. The secrets are these:

*There are some really amazingly healthy foods which are cheap in bulk. (Potatoes, Corn(though probably no longer), Dried Beans, Assorted Haricot, Cabbage, Onions, Apples,...)

*Meat is expensive. It's a good thing I don't eat it.

*Pasta is flour and water. 5lb. bag of store-brand flour yields 30 servings for about $0.15/serving. Used conservatively a can of stewed tomatoes will last as long and costs less than $0.75.

*Soup. What goes in soup? All the leftovers. Soup is good food. Simmered overnight, it gets thick and makes a great breakfast.

*Dented tin racks are your friend.

[redqueen]

17. Exactly... dented tins... huge bags of beans...

breads and other foods from the 'clearance' (nearly out of date) section.

[unpossibles]

18. good answer

I too have done similar out of necessity. It does take a bit more time, but if you're willing to buy dried beans, rice, flour, and some basic canned goods it can be done.

Also, some fresh veggies are cheap and can go pretty far.

I find it ironic when people say they cannot afford to be vegetarian since I first went veggie because I could not afford meat, then got used to not eating it often and eventually it started grossing me out when I did eat it.

Then again, two of the best lessons I learned from my mom before she passed on was how to make do with what you can and how to make what you need. Basically, she taught me that you can try to learn how to do something - you may fail, but at least you tried and it's usually not as intimidating as it at first may seem. Cooking, baking, etc. are within the reach of most of us, and eating leftovers (or making them into something new) is not something to be ashamed of.

[Flaxbee]

28. not just, "not be ashamed of", but something to be proud of --

there is wayyy too much waste of food in this country. Eating locally grown foods is often less expensive (hard to do in some parts of the country in winter, though), and eating smarter, using leftovers, etc., is not only good for you (far fewer additives and crap in food you prepare mostly from scratch than store bought stuff - has anyone here ever taken a good look at the sodium levels in prepackaged food?), but it is also good for the environment.

So, it's a win-win situation. If I could only convince my husband not to snack on everything I set aside for the next day. He's a human vacuum cleaner

[Flaxbee]

27. our grocer just said that 10lbs of potatoes will soon be over $10

... some sort of shortage, no doubt by big agribusiness so they can crank up their prices.

[Symarip]

14. I live by myself and I don't eat out

I typically live on simple meats, made from scratch lentil or green bean soup, and frozen vegetables. Occassionaly, I'll get eggs from breakfast.

My bill is about 30 bucks a week, if that.

[Rhiannon12866]

15. My cousin has three kids and she planted a backyard garden.

And this is in suburban Connecticut. She got the kids to help and planted all kinds of veggies, unusual lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots. They eat a lot of salad, LOL, but I had lunch with her and the kids, and it was terrific, still sticks in my mind. We had pasta, tuna salad and lots of green salad, wonderful right from the garden and certainly healthier than store bought. And her kids seem to be eating constantly... I know that you can't do this overnight, but it did work for my cousin...:hi:

[redqueen]

16. Yes...

but no pot roast or ham or even meatloaf.

It'd be mostly pasta and beans and veggies...

[MissMillie]

19. what's today's equivent of 1970's $25.00?

Do we get that, at least? or do we get just the $25.00

$4.00/gal for milk....


(on edit: I'm answering my own question...)

http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi

What cost $25.00 in 1970 would cost $139.92 in 2007.

Also, if you were to buy exactly the same products in 2007 and 1970,
they would cost you $25.00 and $4.59 respectively.


So, if we're talking dollars adjusted for inflation, yeah, I could do that.

[BlueJazz]

20. Here you go >>

The Value NOW of your 25 bucks would be: :)



$133.46 using the Consumer Price Index
$108.64 using the GDP deflator
$148.88 using the value of consumer bundle *
$135.30 using the unskilled wage *
$226.24 using the nominal GDP per capita
$333.20 using the relative share of GDP


So..Yes..I could do it. :)

[My Good Babushka]

21. That would be a tight squeeze

We try to stay in the $30-$40 range per week, for a family of four. Well, we don't "try" we "have to". Luckily, one and four year olds don't eat that much.

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. Adjust the $25 bucks to fit today's financial state, though, otherwise you will

spend it all on the pot roast. *sigh*

[CreekDog]

23. 25? I think 1 would do it.

[Magrittes Pipe]

24. Yes.

[jobycom]

25. Can, and is done today.

Beans and rice can provide a couple of meals at low cost. Flavor with onions. Frozen spinach or other veggies--discount brands. Margerine, white bread. Oatmeal is cheap for breakfast. Potatoes can always be found in cheap bulk. Canned goods can be bought on sale, even stocked up. Buy veggies at the right stores where they discount the older stuff, then cook immediately.

Planning goes like:
Day one: Breakfast--oatmeal, fruit (whatever's available), OJ from concentrate. Lunch--PB&J and water or Koolaide. Use cheap lunch meats of you want, I'm vegetarian. Dinner--Red beans and rice, spinach, homemade cornbread (biscuits, something made from inexpensive flour).

Day two: Breakfast and lunch, same, or bulk cereal and different sandwhich. Dinner--leftover beans and rice. Or, make enchiladas out of the beans and rice by simmering off the water and adding cayenne and cumin, and cheese if you have it.

Day three: Dinner, baked potatoes, roasted carrots or whatever you found on sale. Top with beans if there are any left. If not, use canned beans or whatever protein source you have.

Day four, Dinner, mashed potatoes flavored with margerine, or make a gravy out of oil or butter, flour, milk if you have it (or leftover bean liquids, or just improvise with broth). Whatever canned vegetables you have.

etc. Pastas are cheap, canned tomatoes to make sauces can be cheap.

For snacks, find stuff on sale. Crackers. Cheap cereal. Thrift store cookies or baked goods.

You have to learn the stores that carry specials, you have to get good at a couple of staples (beans, rice, and potatoes, in a multitude of combinations). If you eat meat, it might get harder. I don't even know meat prices anymore. Now and then you splurge on something--a watermelon is good, for example. You can get one for three to five bucks, and eat it over two or three days--salad with a meal, breakfast, snack. Bake a cake or muffins with inexpensive cake mixes.

Some of the best stuff I learned in grad school was outside of class! :rofl:

[annonymous]

26. During the 70's, my family of 6 had a food budget of $25/week

Here was a typical grocery list:

Powdered milk (I hate that stuff with a passion)
Eggs
Canned vegetables i.e. corn, peas, green beans
Chicken legs
Pork chops
Hot dogs
Whole wheat bread
Canned baked beans
Apples
Lettuce
Macaroni
Tuna
Processed cheese food

My parents had a small garden where they grew tomatoes and cucumbers. They also used to go to a restaurant supply house and make a bulk purchase of beef. They would then make hamburger and roasts. My parents could be a bit snobbish about food. Things like Spam, Vienna sausage, Wonder bread and ham hocks were not allowed in the house no matter how broke my parents were and that was fairly often growing up.

My parents did a lot of stuff to save money including do it yourself auto and home repair, home haircuts and accepting hand-me-down clothes from anyone. This could be horribly embarassing especially if someone recognized that you were wearing their old clothes. Some of the clothes were out of style or worn out when we got them. My brother suffered one winter with a coat that was years out of style and I was forced to wear a winter coat I thought was hideous.

I know I can't survive on a budget of $25/week for food because some of the choices are unappetizing i.e. powdered milk, Vienna sausage, ramen, white bread. Thankfully, I have a garden which allows me to stretch my food dollars.

[CreekDog]

29. that was the 1970's!!!

:banghead:

what's the point of the comparison today? to teach about inflation???