Lisa with Northwoods Final Thoughts

Here is the question I’ve been asked the most.

Were you able to eat on the food stamp budget?

The short answer is, yes. I stayed within forty cents of the budget and I was able to feed myself for five days. I also learned a lot and gained just a little insight into the lives of people who use food stamps.
But, I also made a lot of mistakes. I spent my whole budget at the very beginning so I had no room to make adjustments. I selected food based on assumptions about what was economical without considering any other variables. I bought rice and beans, pasta, and frozen vegetables – all good choices. But, I skimped on fresh produce because it seemed expensive. I made a pot of rice and beans, which was good for more meals than the two or three I planned. Instead of the pasta and the English muffins, I could have bought a head of lettuce and a few carrots and gotten several salads. Oatmeal for breakfast each day was great, and very affordable, so that was my best choice. But, I didn’t use all of the pasta, the rice, or the bread, so these could be available into the next weeks. If I were managing a month-long budget, I could buy rice during week one and pasta during week two.

Bottom line, I may have outsmarted myself by choosing a number for shelf-stable staple items and not giving myself any fresh fruit. I was out of balance in that regard. This is yet another example of how difficult it is to manage inside the confines of a budget for people relying on food stamps for most of their food budget.