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$30 per week for food - could you do it? UPDATED

By
Real Estate Agent with Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage

Living On Food Stamps: Newark Mayor Cory Booker Starts Challenge Today

This amounts to $30 a week for food - no, not for your lunch today . . .  

FOR THE WEEK!  Could you do it?

UPDATE:  STUNT OR LEARNING EXPERIENCE?

UPDATE:  WHAT ITS LIKE TO EAT ON $4.32 A DAY   (I don't think he's a very good shopper:  Booker will have to survive off 17 cans of beans, seven yams, two bags of frozen vegetables and two apples for the next seven days)  {now we also know he bought Organic Olive Oil and 2 packages of premixed salad greens ???}

Mayor Booker is quoted as saying he used the majority of his food stamps to buy mostly on fruits, some vegetables and "lots of beans". 

I don't know where he shops but he's not going to get a good amount of fresh fruit and veggies for $30 let alone the rest of his meals!

 

 

Using only the PC Half Price Sales flier from this week and Food Prices In Canada site,

I wanted to see what we can buy for $30 that will last us 3 meals a day for a week:

Breakfast:

Simply Orange or Apple Juice:  $3.99 or a bag of 8 oranges for $4.99

Corn Flakes:  $4.67

Milk:  $2.38

Tea and/or Coffee I'll do without because it is too expensive to add in cream and sugar as well!  Forget any juice or fruit too - Breakfast is expensive!  

Maybe a 1 egg special at a greasy spoon diner might be a better option?)

((with a bottomless cup of coffee!!))

Lunch:  Sandwiches every day!

Dempster's Whole Grain Bread:  $2.49 a loaf

Butter:  $3.00 (half price)

Eggs:  $3.09 (I'll assume there is Mayo in the fridge for egg salad sandwiches!)

Onions:  $1.48

Cheese Slices:  $2.73

Canned Soup:  $1.00

Canned tuna:  $1.25

 

Dinner:

Hunts Pasta Sauce:  .97

Package of Pasta:  .97 (2 meals)

Mini Potatoes:  .99  (for soup or hash with onions and eggs)

Brocolli:  $1.99 

Carrots:  $1.99

Long Grain Rice:  $3.00

Chicken leg/drumstick (approx 1 lb):  $4.00  (can make stirfry or stock for soup with left over bones etc)

Grand Total for the week:  $30.92  (hopefully rice will be on special and I'll save my .92)

 

As you can see, I had to remove a few items from my list as I hadn't enough money for them.  What I left in can be mixed and matched for a variety of meals, but none too exciting!  Obviously, if you have a well stocked pantry and you're using the $30 to build on what you already have, it would be much easier.  But I'm assuming if you're on food stamps, you've already eaten everything in your pantry!

I tend to stock my pantry at The Bulk Barn so I have everything I need on hand and can whip up anything.

Food prices may be cheaper or more expensive in your area;  See what you'd be eating for a week for $30, you might be surprised!

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by

If you're thinking about selling, I'd love to meet with you and provide a Market Analysis and go over my Marketing Plan - it is the little things that make the difference.**

 Susan Emo
Sales Representative,
Sotheby's International Realty Canada, Brokerage*
Kingston, Ontario

www.SusanEmoSellsHomes.com

 Serving the Kingston, Gananoque and the 1000 Islands Region
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Comments (34)

June Piper-Brandon
Coldwell Banker Realty - Columbia, MD
Creating Generational Wealth Through Homeownership

Having only $30/week takes a lot of planning.  18 eggs is $1.99, margarine 0.69 for a lb, a gallon jug of milk $1.99, bread at H & S Bread Store 3 loaves for $1, chicken legs $0.59/lb, 5 lbs of potatoes $2.99, 5 lbs of rice $2.99, 5 lb bag of carrots is $2.99 but it does take some doing.  

Dec 04, 2012 07:14 AM
Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®
Lewisburg, WV
Lewisburg WV, the go to agent for all real estate

Susan, I guess if we had to we would live on $30 a week....I am stocking by pantry as the food prices continue to rise.

Dec 04, 2012 07:24 AM
Sharon Lee
Sharon Lee's Virtual Assistance - Jonesborough, TN
Retired and loving life

Susan-One thing for sure is I know it can be done but you don't eat a lot of healthy type foods. Spunds like your prices in Canada are higher than the U.S. I remember a lot of Canadians coming across the border to shop for groceries.

Dec 04, 2012 07:49 AM
Susan Emo
Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON
Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area
June - your prices are amazingly low! The pices I quoted are SALE PRICES up here. You pay less for a gallon of milk than I do for a litre - forget about your egg prices. I remember telling someone in the summer about my Mother paying $8.89 for a pound of butter!
Dec 04, 2012 07:54 AM
Susan Emo
Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON
Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area
Rebecca - we can do anything if we have to but health is sure to suffer!
Dec 04, 2012 07:55 AM
Susan Emo
Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON
Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area
Sharon, people still make their way down to Watertown to get their food. Especially during the holidays and turkey time. Our food prices are beyond ridiculous!
Dec 04, 2012 07:57 AM
Liz Hill
YOUR CHOICE REALTY CORP BROKERAGE - Barrie, ON

Definitely not for fruit and vegetables, or even bread. The price of food here is very expensive and yet it puzzles me that even unemployed people still get their fix of Timmies....

Dec 04, 2012 11:32 AM
Rob D. Shepherd
RETIRED - Florence, OR
RETIRED

A similar challenge was raised in Oregon a couple weeks ago. I believe it can be done if you can partner with someone at $30 each. Otherwise its tuff.

Like the new picture!

Dec 04, 2012 11:39 AM
Susan Emo
Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON
Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area

Liz -  LOL, I swear they have drugs in Tim Hortons coffee.  I can't stand it myself; tastes like a dirty ashtray. 

Dec 04, 2012 11:58 AM
Susan Emo
Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON
Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area

Hi Rob -  $60 is doable, I agree.   Thanks for the compliment!

Dec 04, 2012 11:59 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Hmmmm, I think I do $30 a day easily when I shop.  I think it's so sad. 

Dec 04, 2012 12:31 PM
Pete Xavier
Investments to Luxury - Pacific Palisades, CA
Outstanding Agent Referrals-Nationwide

I think one could do it if they attend several broker's open houses along with sampling at Costco.

Dec 04, 2012 01:47 PM
Paula Bradfield
Bradfield Ramsey Group - Salida, CO
Your Salida Colorado area Realtor Team

Susan, so glad I found you on Rain. What a great post! I was hooked right in, thinking about how WE could do it..as my husband heads to the local italian butcher, then to the organic food store and ending with a 6 pack of local beer...2/3 of our weekly budget of 30, right?

Dec 05, 2012 07:38 AM
Susan Emo
Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON
Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area

Tammy, I think many many people would spend that in a day without thinking twice about it.  It was a real eye opener for me with our food prices so much higher than in the US.    June in#15 just shocked me with her reduced costs!

Dec 05, 2012 07:42 AM
Susan Emo
Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON
Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area

Pete -  you are funny!

Dec 05, 2012 07:43 AM
Susan Emo
Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON
Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area

Paula -  I want to come dine with you and your husband, LOL !!   I think it could be done but I wouldn't want to do it for very long.  My health is too important to me!

Dec 05, 2012 07:44 AM
Jo-Anne Smith
Oakville, ON

Susan,

Perhaps a big bag of lentils, a dozen eggs, some potatoes, carrots, a head of romaine, and bananas. I think a fishing rod would come in handy too!

Jo

Dec 05, 2012 11:57 AM
Susan Emo
Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON
Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area
I think the fishing rod is a must! Hope there are still worms about!,
Dec 05, 2012 09:41 PM
Kathy Clulow
Uxbridge, ON
Trusted For Experience - Respected For Results

Living in the country I suppose we could do a little hunting and fishing for the fish/meat/poultry side of things

Dec 09, 2012 02:18 AM
Susan Emo
Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON
Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area

Perhaps some road kill Kathy?    I would love to see him extend this experiment to a full month, or two!  To see him deal with the cycle of running short by month end and buying too much at the beginning of the next month.  

Dec 09, 2012 02:34 AM