An article in the paper today caught my eye. It was so profound that I had to share the gist of it with you.

A few politicians recently took up a challenge to see if they could eat on $21/week — the average amount a food stamp recipent receives. That works out to roughly $1.00 per meal.  They didn’t do well, opting for things like spaghetti and high-fat hamburger meat and declaring that it was almost impossible to make healthy choices on food stamps.

Others set out to see if you could eat healthy on a budget of $120 — the maximum weekly benefit for a family of four on food stamps. Here’s some of the things they discovered:

Dried beans: With an in-store discount card, they can cost as little as 55 cents/lb. That’s less than 4 cents/serving for putting in tacos, bean dip, soups, chilis, salads and more. (Be sure and check the bulk foods aisle of the grocery. Everything is cheaper there.)

Canned salmon: This healthy food cost just 14 cents/ounce compare with $7.99/lb. for fresh. Good for salmon patties or salmon loaf.

Eggs and tofu: At $1.89/dozen or less, eggs are a low-cost protein source. Tofu is too at $2.99 a container. (Eggs at Winco or Trader Joe’s can run less than $1.29/dozen.)

Whole grains: Whole-grain bread can be found for under $2.50/loaf. If you can find one with added fiber, all the better. (I recently found Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread on sale at Winco for $1.79.)

Salad dressing: Bottled dressing is way too expensive. Store-brand olive oil could be had for $7.59 and could also be used for cooking. Apple cider vinegar was on sale for $.099 to use for vinaigrette. To make faux balsamic vinegar, add 1 tbsp. of sugar, honey or molasses to 1 cup of vinegar. (I never buy bottled dressing.)

Vegetables: Many supermarkets offer a large selection of items at 10 for $10. These are usually really good buys. Remember that you don’t have to buy $10 worth of a product to get the discount. If you only buy one, you will only pay $1 for it. Look for frozen or canned vegetables for these savings.

In short, eating on a tight budget is challenging but not as difficult as some members of Congress think.

The USDA has recently launched a new web site that contains a 400-recipe database for food stamp recipients.  Check it out at Food Stamp Recipe Finder.

Check here to see how much $120 can buy at Giant Foods in Washington, D.C.

As a challenge, why don’t you try to eat as if you were on food stamps either as an individual or a family. Good Luck.

FYI: As an individual, my food budget is $150/month. Many months I find it hard to spend even that. Yet, I consider that I eat well — and healthy.

Happy Savings,

Candee Lynn Wilson
The Saving Lady

www.101WaysToSaveMoney.com