Cory Booker and Food Stamps, Part II

Continued from yesterday's blog post:

So, I've been to the grocery store, and with the help of a notebook (and my 16yo daughter) I've done my hypothetical shopping for a hypothetical vegetarian, 40-something male.  I'm pleased with the results--when I'd gotten everything on my list, I still had $2.71 left over, with which I purchased a good-sized cucumber, one pound of carrots, and two oranges.  If I really had to eat this food this week, I'd be pretty happy about the extra produce.

Here's what I bought, and the prices:

$  2.34     1 box ramen noodles (12 packages)
$  1.89     10 bananas (3 1/2 pounds at $0.54 per pound)
$  1.57     two pounds brown rice (store brand)
$  1.68     two one-pound boxes of spaghetti for $0.84 each (store brand)
$  0.88     one 26 1/2 ounce can of spaghetti sauce, store brand (store brand)
$  1.98     two heads lettuce for $0.99 each
$  1.50     one 16 oz. bottle of salad dressing (store brand, on sale)
$  3.29     one large package (30) eggs
$  3.16     four 2-liter bottles soda pop (generic)
$  0.59     one large cucumber
$  0.79     one pound carrots
$  1.18     two oranges

$20.85     total

Total calories for the week?  15,924.  That's 2,275 a day.  A little more research, and, wow.

I have just barely enough calories for an average man of Mr. Booker's age.  It would be plenty for me, or one of my kids.  I'd hate to have to feed a teenage boy on this.

It doesn't seem to me to be too bad, though--four eggs and a banana for breakfast, two packages of ramen noodles with maybe a carrot and a few cucumber slices for lunch, plenty of rice or spaghetti and a salad for dinner, plus maybe another piece of fruit.  Not meals to write home about, but enough food to keep going.

It would be tough, though.

I spent (in reality, not on paper) less than $250 today for two weeks for six people.  That's just under $21 per person per week.  With six people, I can vary the diet a lot more--I'm not buying for one, let's say, person-week.  I'm buying for twelve person-weeks, so I can put some variety on the menu.  When our tax refund comes in, I fill our deep freeze with meat.  And once in a while I can supplement our grocery budget with some extra cash.  It's not easy (and I'd hate not to have that tax refund and occasional extra cash), but we're pretty stocked up here--we're even prepared to be snowed in for weeks.  There isn't any organic or name-brand food at our house, but at least my kids don't have to eat ramen noodles for lunch every day.

We don't go hungry.

I guess the secret to success on SNAP is to lower your expectations.  People in other countries eat lots of ramen noodles and rice, or lots of bananas.  On this budget, organic and name-brand foods, as well as highly prepared foods (frozen pizza and Oreos, darn it) are off the menu.  Soda pop is a treat.  Eating out isn't an option.

It's a good incentive to get a job, or to get a better job, if you're lucky enough to be able to find one in today's economy.



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