QFC had a promo on Thursday that if you spent $50 you would get $12 off (in honor of the Seahawks, of course). That was too good of a deal to pass up so we decided to use it to mainly stock up on some of the more expensive things we get that will last a while. We also picked up some binders and divider sheets Winter needed for school, so not quite all of it was spent on food.
About six pounds of Honeycrisp apples $14.72
18 oz honey $6.19
Box of six protein bars $2.00 (these normally ring up at $1.00 each, so not sure what happened there)
4 cans Campbell's Chunky soup ($1.25 each) $5.00
2 1 lb. Bags white quinoa ($7.49 each) $14.98
Watermelon flavored Sugar cookies (RFQS) $.99
Total after $12.00 discount $31.88
On Thursday Winter took a ham and cheese sandwich with pickles, grape tomatoes, cookies, and a juice box for lunch. For breakfast I split a bagel with her, and she also had a blueberry Petite Cream. For dinner I turned the crock pot on in the morning and put in some chicken tenderloin, soaked chickpeas, a can of petite diced tomatoes, garlic, curry, ginger, and garam masala. My boss also brought me back a small loaf of French sourdough bread from San Francisco, so we had that with dinner too.
Breakfast: half a bagel with chive and onion cream cheese
Lunch: coffee flavored Greek yogurt, leftover chili Mac
Dinner: curried chickpeas, chicken, and tomatoes with French sourdough bread
Snacks/desserts: watermelon flavored sugar cookies
Beverages: water
On Friday Winter had an appointment after school for a polio vaccine, and then went to her Friday night art class afterward. I was pretty exhausted in the morning so I didn't get up till after Winter left for school. She had cereal for breakfast and packed a sandwich, a granola bar, and a juice box for lunch. She ate a can of soup at home before heading to art class, and took a protein bar with her. They provide dinner at her art class, so I'm not sure why she did that exactly, but whatever. I hung out at work till she got done at 9:30 because her class is near my work. I had forgotten to bring something for dinner, so I got a frozen mac and cheese and a banana from QFC for a total of $2.76.
Breakfast: dark chocolate Cheerios, milk
Lunch: leftover tacos, Apple
Dinner: mac and and cheese, banana
Snacks/desserts: jalapeno almonds, mint chip ice cream
Beverages: water
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
My thoughts on the SNAP challenge
September is the month that many people do the SNAP challenge. For the SNAP challenge you must spend no more than $4.50 per person per day on food, which is the average amount a family recieves on SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps). Many people blog about their experiences doing the SNAP challenge, or write articles about it.
Ten years ago, back when they were still called Food Stamps, my family of three was living on $150 a month for food. If you have any income at all, no matter how little it is, the expectation is that you will be spending some of that income on food, and the food stamps supplement the rest. The reality is much much different from these expectations.
At the time we were getting $150 a month in food stamps, my husband at the time was working full time for minimum wage, while I attended beauty school full time. Winter was 4. Minimum wage in the state we lived in was the same as the federal minimum wage of $5.65 an hour. Our rent was $525 a month. We also paid for a landline phone and electric. We had no car. After paying for housing and utilities we were left with less than $200 a month, and we still had to manage bus fare, $50 a month for day care (the state paid for the other $250 it would have normally cost), clothing, toiletries and paper goods, health care items, and everything else. The reality was simply that there was no extra money for food above and beyond the $150 we recieved in food stamps. We had to make do.
We made it work, because we had to, but it wasn't easy. I clipped coupons and paired them up with sales, walking miles to four different stores so I didn't have to spend money on bus fare. We were lucky to live in a suburban area with a nice, cheap indoor farmer's market close by. That helped. In that way we had many options that people in more urban areas do not. We ate a lot of pasta. A lot of potatoes. A lot of pancakes. A lot of beans. Pretty much no meat. We did eat some fruits and vegetables, but since they didn't provide as many calories per dollar as starchier foods, we had to limit them.
We had few small appliances, and minimal cookware of very low quality. No crock pot. No rice cooker. Now that I have those things I realize how much more you can make from scratch, and how much easier it is when you have a good selection of good quality tools to use. We had to buy everything in the smallest sized packages we could, even though the cost per pound is much higher this way, because our budget was simply too tight to allow any wiggle room for buying larger quantities of things. Spending extra to stock up on something would mean not having enough to get the other things we needed for the rest of the month.
We were also lucky that we didn't live this way for too long. I only had a couple months of school left when we applied for food assistance. My now ex husband found a better job, and I finished school and started working. We were still poor, but not three people trying to make it on one minimum wage job. Some people, whether due to family size, disability, lower cognitive function, or some other barrier that cannot be changed, do not have a choice. Some people do not have a realistic way out.
Ten years ago, back when they were still called Food Stamps, my family of three was living on $150 a month for food. If you have any income at all, no matter how little it is, the expectation is that you will be spending some of that income on food, and the food stamps supplement the rest. The reality is much much different from these expectations.
At the time we were getting $150 a month in food stamps, my husband at the time was working full time for minimum wage, while I attended beauty school full time. Winter was 4. Minimum wage in the state we lived in was the same as the federal minimum wage of $5.65 an hour. Our rent was $525 a month. We also paid for a landline phone and electric. We had no car. After paying for housing and utilities we were left with less than $200 a month, and we still had to manage bus fare, $50 a month for day care (the state paid for the other $250 it would have normally cost), clothing, toiletries and paper goods, health care items, and everything else. The reality was simply that there was no extra money for food above and beyond the $150 we recieved in food stamps. We had to make do.
We made it work, because we had to, but it wasn't easy. I clipped coupons and paired them up with sales, walking miles to four different stores so I didn't have to spend money on bus fare. We were lucky to live in a suburban area with a nice, cheap indoor farmer's market close by. That helped. In that way we had many options that people in more urban areas do not. We ate a lot of pasta. A lot of potatoes. A lot of pancakes. A lot of beans. Pretty much no meat. We did eat some fruits and vegetables, but since they didn't provide as many calories per dollar as starchier foods, we had to limit them.
We had few small appliances, and minimal cookware of very low quality. No crock pot. No rice cooker. Now that I have those things I realize how much more you can make from scratch, and how much easier it is when you have a good selection of good quality tools to use. We had to buy everything in the smallest sized packages we could, even though the cost per pound is much higher this way, because our budget was simply too tight to allow any wiggle room for buying larger quantities of things. Spending extra to stock up on something would mean not having enough to get the other things we needed for the rest of the month.
We were also lucky that we didn't live this way for too long. I only had a couple months of school left when we applied for food assistance. My now ex husband found a better job, and I finished school and started working. We were still poor, but not three people trying to make it on one minimum wage job. Some people, whether due to family size, disability, lower cognitive function, or some other barrier that cannot be changed, do not have a choice. Some people do not have a realistic way out.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Wednesday
Yesterday was Winter's first day of high school! She packed a lunch in her Laptop lunches lunchbox we bought at Goodwill. She made a peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwich, green grapes, sour cream and chive rice cakes, sugar cookies, and a bottle of water. She had a good day and likes her teachers.
I bought a can of jalapeño almonds on my way to work yesterday for $2.39. I was planning to eat some leftovers when I got home from work, but I wound up eating half the can of almonds on my break, and wasn't all that hungry when I got home. Oh well. After I got home, Winter and I made Yonanas with frozen bananas and frozen mangoes.
Breakfast: smoothie made with milk, frozen banana, and strawberry Petite Cream (shared with Winter)
Lunch: sandwich with lettuce, turkey, salami, provolone and dijon mustard, and a chocolate pudding cup
Dinner: apple, jalapeño almonds
Snacks/desserts: sugar cookies, protein bar, mango and banana Yonanas
Beverages: water
I bought a can of jalapeño almonds on my way to work yesterday for $2.39. I was planning to eat some leftovers when I got home from work, but I wound up eating half the can of almonds on my break, and wasn't all that hungry when I got home. Oh well. After I got home, Winter and I made Yonanas with frozen bananas and frozen mangoes.
Breakfast: smoothie made with milk, frozen banana, and strawberry Petite Cream (shared with Winter)
Lunch: sandwich with lettuce, turkey, salami, provolone and dijon mustard, and a chocolate pudding cup
Dinner: apple, jalapeño almonds
Snacks/desserts: sugar cookies, protein bar, mango and banana Yonanas
Beverages: water
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
More grocery shopping yesterday
Yesterday Winter and I walked all over trying to find some place that could give her a polio vaccine and would also take out insurance. We only found one walk in place that actually had them and after spending tons of time on the phone (outside, by a loud busy road, because I got no reception inside the drug store) finally found out that they do not take our insurance. So we went home and made an appointment at the doctor, which the soonest one of us was available to take her is Friday. At least we have something scheduled.
While we were out we got burgers at Dick's Drive In for lunch ($3.29 after tax) and I used a buy one get one free coupon at Menchie's so we spent $5.90 there on two big cups of yogurt. The featured flavors right now are Oreo cookie and Oreo cream. The Oreo cookie was not frozen yet, sadly. But the Oreo cream was good. I added some regular chocolate to it and topped it with hot fudge, brownie bites, whipped topping and a cherry.
While we were out we got burgers at Dick's Drive In for lunch ($3.29 after tax) and I used a buy one get one free coupon at Menchie's so we spent $5.90 there on two big cups of yogurt. The featured flavors right now are Oreo cookie and Oreo cream. The Oreo cookie was not frozen yet, sadly. But the Oreo cream was good. I added some regular chocolate to it and topped it with hot fudge, brownie bites, whipped topping and a cherry.
We went to Goodwill also, and I bought two skirts for myself, and for Winter, two skirts, a t-shirt, a Laptop Lunchbox and a water bottle. We spent $36 there.
Before dinner Winter and I took the bus to Grocery Outlet to get something for dinner, and food for lunches. We had some veggie burger crumbles, lettuce, a little sour cream, part of a tomato, and taco sauce at home, so we decided to get taco shells, cheese, and more tomatoes to make tacos for dinner.
Here's what we bought:
Taco Bell Spicy Ranch sauce $.47
2 18 oz jars of creamy PB ($1.99 ea) $3.98
Refrigerated cookie dough $.50
Zucchini $.67
2 6 packs of lactose free chocolate pudding cups ($.57 ea) $1.14
2 packs of large pepperoni slices ($.50 ea) $1.00
6 plain bagels $1.99
Bag of alphabet pasta $.34
8 oz shredded jack cheese $1.79
Cucumber $.59
3 packages of low sodium deli ham ($.97 ea) $2.91
Chive and Onion cream cheese $.99
Grape tomatoes $.99
12 taco shells $2.19
Sliced cheddar cheese $2.39
1 lb cashews $3.99
3 Light black forest cake yogurts 3/$1.00
2 individual hummus cups ($.50 ea) $1.00
Sour cream and onion mini rice cakes $1.29
6 coffee flavored Greek Yogurts ($.50 ea) $3.00
Raspberry preserves $1.99
2 lbs green grapes $2.99
3 7 oz boxes of tomato sauce 3/$1.00
Chex lemon flavored muddy buddies $.99
Frozen mango chunks $3.99
6 pack cinnamon applesauce $1.49
4 pack pineapple tidbits $.99
Milk and cereal bars $1.49
2 strawberry banana yogurts with granola ($.50 ea) $1.00
Chewy chocolate chip granola bars $1.99
Dried cranberries $2.99
2 cans petite diced tomatoes ($.79 ea) $1.58
3 1 lb bags brown rice ($.69 ea) $2.07
Dill pickle slices $1.99
8 pack of juice boxes $1.99
2.5 lbs frozen chicken tenderloins $6.99
Dark chocolate Cheerios $.99
Fiber One granola cereal $.99
Total $69.73
Breakfast: protein bar
Lunch: cheeseburger
Dinner: tacos with veggie crumbles
Snacks/desserts: frozen yogurt, sugar cookies, half a red velvet cupcake, 1 mini box of Nerds
Beverages: water
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Sunday and Monday
Lately any time I try to update my sidebar from my tablet it makes my browser crash. Annoyed because it used to work fine.
We finished up the last day of the month with a total spent of $339.72, which is $.28 under goal. It wasn't too horribly painful toward the end of the month. We had plenty to get what we needed. Sunday evening I picked up a carton of mint chip ice cream on my way home from work for $2.50.
Sunday's food:
Monday: Honey Bunches of Oats with milk
Lunch: leftover chili mac, banana, protein bar
Dinner: peanut butter sandwich with raspberry jam, leftover alphabet soup
Snacks/desserts: mint chip ice cream
Beverages: water
Winter ate leftover chili mac for lunch as well. For dinner she had a sandwich, and she roasted the tiny potatoes from the window box with pepper and olive oil. She said they were good. She also had ice cream for dessert.
Monday, Winter and my friend Joel went to PAX Prime. It's a big deal videogame convention in Seattle. We live three blocks from the convention center. Winter had earned a bunch of money cleaning the house in the last week, but she didn't wind up finding anything she wanted to buy. She got a few things they were giving away for free though.
Jeremy and I went to the store in the morning. We bought the following:
Bottle of water $.79
Two bottles of store brand soda ($.69 each) $1.38
Pint of chocolate milk $1.39
Bag of fun size Nerds candy $.99
One banana $.27
Four apples RFQS $.99
Broccoli crown $1.07
Red leaf lettuce $1.25
Heirloom tomato $1.60
Dill pickle slices $2.99
1/2 lb deli ham $4.41
1/2 lb peppered turkey breast $4.90
6 oz provolone $3.12
3 oz salami $1.26
4 boxes of protein bars ($1.00 each) $4.00
4 red velvet cupcakes RFQS $2.15
7 brown bananas RFQS $1.61
Loaf of nine grain bread $1.88
Bag of sour cream and onion kettle chips $2.00
Total $38.05
I made lunch with sandwiches, fruit, chips, candy, and drinks and took them down to the convention center to meet Winter and Joel. We have lots of sandwich stuff left over for lunches. All the chips got eaten though. I went to work for five hours, and we made teriyaki chicken with broccoli and quinoa for dinner when I got home.
Breakfast: chocolate milk
Lunch: sandwich with turkey, provolone, tomato, lettuce, pickles, Dijon, and lite mayo, an Apple, and chips
Dinner: teriyaki chicken with broccoli and quinoa
Snacks/desserts: fun size Nerds, red velvet cupcake with mint chip ice cream
Beverages: root beer, water
Jeremy had his first workout with his new trainer. Todd has been a heavy weightlifting coach for 30 years. They did deadlifts yesterday and Jeremy said he got his ass kicked.
We finished up the last day of the month with a total spent of $339.72, which is $.28 under goal. It wasn't too horribly painful toward the end of the month. We had plenty to get what we needed. Sunday evening I picked up a carton of mint chip ice cream on my way home from work for $2.50.
Sunday's food:
Monday: Honey Bunches of Oats with milk
Lunch: leftover chili mac, banana, protein bar
Dinner: peanut butter sandwich with raspberry jam, leftover alphabet soup
Snacks/desserts: mint chip ice cream
Beverages: water
Winter ate leftover chili mac for lunch as well. For dinner she had a sandwich, and she roasted the tiny potatoes from the window box with pepper and olive oil. She said they were good. She also had ice cream for dessert.
Monday, Winter and my friend Joel went to PAX Prime. It's a big deal videogame convention in Seattle. We live three blocks from the convention center. Winter had earned a bunch of money cleaning the house in the last week, but she didn't wind up finding anything she wanted to buy. She got a few things they were giving away for free though.
Jeremy and I went to the store in the morning. We bought the following:
Bottle of water $.79
Two bottles of store brand soda ($.69 each) $1.38
Pint of chocolate milk $1.39
Bag of fun size Nerds candy $.99
One banana $.27
Four apples RFQS $.99
Broccoli crown $1.07
Red leaf lettuce $1.25
Heirloom tomato $1.60
Dill pickle slices $2.99
1/2 lb deli ham $4.41
1/2 lb peppered turkey breast $4.90
6 oz provolone $3.12
3 oz salami $1.26
4 boxes of protein bars ($1.00 each) $4.00
4 red velvet cupcakes RFQS $2.15
7 brown bananas RFQS $1.61
Loaf of nine grain bread $1.88
Bag of sour cream and onion kettle chips $2.00
Total $38.05
I made lunch with sandwiches, fruit, chips, candy, and drinks and took them down to the convention center to meet Winter and Joel. We have lots of sandwich stuff left over for lunches. All the chips got eaten though. I went to work for five hours, and we made teriyaki chicken with broccoli and quinoa for dinner when I got home.
Breakfast: chocolate milk
Lunch: sandwich with turkey, provolone, tomato, lettuce, pickles, Dijon, and lite mayo, an Apple, and chips
Dinner: teriyaki chicken with broccoli and quinoa
Snacks/desserts: fun size Nerds, red velvet cupcake with mint chip ice cream
Beverages: root beer, water
Jeremy had his first workout with his new trainer. Todd has been a heavy weightlifting coach for 30 years. They did deadlifts yesterday and Jeremy said he got his ass kicked.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Last day of the month
I had a chance to look at the reciept from grocery shopping on Friday. I spent $1.00 on the box of protein bars, $1.88 on the loaf of bread, $.89 on four bananas, $.24 cents on cayenne pepper and $.40 on dried onion. Total spent for the month right now is at $337.22.
Last night I decided to make chili mac so there would be some leftovers. I used a box of macaroni, a can of pintos, a can of black beans, a can of diced tomatoes, a 7 oz box of tomato sauce, about 12-13 oz of turkey sausage, 4 oz of pepper blend cheese, dried onion, cayenne pepper, chili powder, black pepper, mustard powder, and paprika. Winter really liked it.
After dinner I used the Yonanas machine to make "ice cream" out of one and a half frozen bananas, and the rest of the frozen triple berry blend. It turned out really good. Jeremy doesn't like raspberries and blackberries. He tasted it and declined to have any.
Tonight we'll have leftovers or sandwiches for dinner. Winter also requested I pick up some ice cream, which we have just enough in the budget for.
Breakfast: protein bar
Lunch: peanut butter sandwich with raspberry jam, banana
Dinner: chili mac
Snacks/desserts: protein bar, mixed berry Yonanas
Beverages: water
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