One Week, $25

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HappyDaze
Posts: 4186
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:11 am

Re: One Week, $25

Post by HappyDaze »

LogicsHere wrote: Sat May 14, 2022 2:17 pm Happy, I'll try to provide you with something for your challenge but will be difficult for me as stated because of where I live and I think our Canadian friends would have it even worse. I reside in a very high cost of living area in the country (Metro NYC) and in one of the highest taxed counties in the country.

A challenge like this even a year ago would have been difficult (I've tried several) but now you're talking significantly inflated prices and starting with absolutely nothing. A year ago I was getting jumbo eggs for $1.50/doz; today they are $3.99 to $4.99 a dozen. A package of meat at sale price runs approximately $14 on average in my area. I can't go in and just ask for 1/2 lb of meat in my supermarket . . . they just won't do it because of COVID.

I will use the assumption as do all the internet challenges that you have at least some spices and cooking fat in your pantry. I will also try to stretch it to 5 days but more realistically I will probably only be able to make it 3 and for 2 meals day - - - 3 would again be difficult because I haven't eaten 3 meals a day in over 20 years.

It would also be totally unrealistic to say that I had absolutely nothing. Just salt and pepper, unless I walked into a McDonalds and stole packets of condiments which I absolutely am opposed to and would not do even to suggest it as a part of this challenge, would be almost $5.00 alone and then since I use pans that require at least cooking spray that's another $3.50 for the lowest price for a total already of 1/3rd of the budget. In some areas, there are grocery stores where you can buy in bulk and buy 1/8th of a tsp of something if you wanted it but not mine. Some people have gardens which they could pick from . . . I live in an apartment with no such luxury.

Also more likely than not, I could probably only feed 1 person, not 2 and it definitely wouldn't be healthy. Doing this a year ago was hard but now with the inflated prices not very likely and if someone can, I sincerely applaud them. I'm not too picky of an eater but I can't eat oatmeal (a texture thing) and don't like peanut butter.
Logics, I was amazed, not in a good way today when I bought chicken - I don't eat it so don't pay attention to the price but I'm making a meal for someone (crock pot ranch chicken) - and I definitely had sticker shock!
"All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. After all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog."

Charles M. Schultz
HappyDaze
Posts: 4186
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:11 am

Re: One Week, $25

Post by HappyDaze »

I knew everyone here on the forum would be pretty creative. Just thinking about this makes me so grateful that I'm able to have a well stocked with all the basics like olive oil and flour, different types of vinegar, spices, etc.
"All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. After all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog."

Charles M. Schultz
LogicsHere
Posts: 3126
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 9:49 am

Re: One Week, $25

Post by LogicsHere »

MackerelCat wrote: Sat May 14, 2022 4:34 pm Whoops, I read that as $10!

I would buy a canister of oatmeal: $1.80
A pound of brown lentils: $1.80
Pound of brown rice: $.80
1 can diced tomatoes: $.80
Pack of margarine: $1.00 on sale
Picnic set of salt and pepper from Dollar Tree: $1.25
Box of raisins from Dollar Tree: $1.25
Total: $9.70. If sales tax is not involved, I would buy one rib of celery for 30 cents.

The menu for the week would be oatmeal with raisins, salt and margarine for breakfast.

For both lunch and dinner, the meal would be lentils and rice with tomatoes, pepper, and chopped celery cooked in margarine. For something like bread to eat with the lentil stew, plain oatmeal made a little runny will be fried like pancakes in margarine.

No coffee or tea, although I would have done instant coffee or tea from Dollar Tree if there had been enough money.
I'd love to have an Aldi's or Dollar Tree close by, the closest to both is 30 mile round trip with a bridge toll of of $5.00.

A rib of celery here is $2.50 LOL.
LogicsHere
Posts: 3126
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 9:49 am

Re: One Week, $25

Post by LogicsHere »

HappyDaze wrote: Sat May 14, 2022 9:49 pm Logics, I was amazed, not in a good way today when I bought chicken - I don't eat it so don't pay attention to the price but I'm making a meal for someone (crock pot ranch chicken) - and I definitely had sticker shock!
When I tried these You Tube challenges a year or so ago, I would literally cry because of the things some of these people could buy for the $5, $10, $25 or $1.00 - $2.00 per meal etc. knowing that there was no way that living where I do could I achieve anything even close to what they did. And these women were so unbelievably creative, it was truly amazing. When I would do a comparison of their prices versus the available prices here, it would cost me double and sometimes triple that amount.

My favorite one was Ardent Michelle who lived in S. Cal.
HappyDaze
Posts: 4186
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:11 am

Re: One Week, $25

Post by HappyDaze »

LogicsHere wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 5:28 am When I tried these You Tube challenges a year or so ago, I would literally cry because of the things some of these people could buy for the $5, $10, $25 or $1.00 - $2.00 per meal etc. knowing that there was no way that living where I do could I achieve anything even close to what they did. And these women were so unbelievably creative, it was truly amazing. When I would do a comparison of their prices versus the available prices here, it would cost me double and sometimes triple that amount.

My favorite one was Ardent Michelle who lived in S. Cal.
Logics, I am sure your prices are higher than mine even - if I've got it right, I think you live quite a bit closer to NY City than I do.

I have seen some of those challenges and thank my lucky stars I don't have to live that way. Granted, they are showing the challenge to give people ideas, etc. but when I think of people who have to do that - it is so sad.

Once in awhile I will skip a grocery trip - it saves some money and makes me mindful about using up what I have on hand, so I think it's a good thing. But skipping on purpose and not being able to buy food are two different things entirely.

Nobody has left us a bag to fill for the food donations but I think it's time DD and I take a box to the food pantry - and/or write a check.
"All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. After all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog."

Charles M. Schultz
Grannysewstoys
Posts: 4156
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:37 pm

Re: One Week, $25

Post by Grannysewstoys »

When my husband was transferred over seas. To Germany I had to start all over with a lot of items that just weren't worth shipping. It is very expensive.

Again when we came back. You can't store food in storage for 3 years. So again you buy everything again.

This was several years ago the army messed up my husbands pay. So for one week we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I bought margarine in a tub that was designed to be reused. We saved those. When the peanut butter jar was empty I had a bowl. To make tuna fish sandwiches.

We only had one car, I walked with all three children to the store that was half a block away. It was a local major supermarket.

After a few days I was able to get to the Commissary, do a minor stock up. Part of the problem is that we were told we were moving in to quarters when we got there. But when we got to the new town we had been bumped to a higher number. So more of our stuff was in storage as we had planned to move right in. Plus we had to pay rent at a mobil home behind a hotel.

Later I remember going to the commissary the day before payday with just $25 to spend. Now in 1974 that $25 went much further than today. But I had taken the 4 year old with me he was counting accurately out loud in the 400s. I am trying to do math in my head to stay under the amount of cash I had, it was not easy.

Penny
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