Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A couple of years ago, on a different board, we did that type of challenge - family of 4 on $4 a day ($28 a week) - our goal was to at least try for something somewhat healthy. The thing is it's cheaper with more people, you can pool the money and get a bag of apples for snacks and meals or a tub of oatmeal. We also allowed for some staples in the house (salt, pepper etc)
Interesting but I think it would be very hard to stick with long term.
Right or wrong, people associate food with happiness and comfort. Few of us would be happy to exist on a bowl of oatmeal, beans, broccoli, peanut butter, and half an apple per day for long. We have been too long accustomed to more variety and foods that satisfy us. We aren't much good at subsistence eating.
I prefer to concentrate on eating well and paying less. Quality foods. I tend to do bulk cooking and shopping that lets us eat for less and makes our lives less food-centric. I know we don't eat for $1 per day. Maybe 3 or 4 per day. But we eat well.
I have Rocky Road and Key Lime Gelato in the freezer. But I made them myself. I have a stash of pureed chestnut spread in the pantry that I paid 99 cents a jar for. I have quite a bit of quality candy and snacks that I picked up on clearance after whatever holiday was past. I buy illy coffee wholesale by the case in 6lb tins.
My first grocery stop is always the 99 cents or less store. Next is a Hispanic grocery. Finally, anything left on my list is bought at the regular, higher priced, store. My eyes are always open for bargains. If I find chicken for 79cents a lb, I will buy 10 lbs or more.
Over time it becomes a habit to bargain shop. I feel guilty if I just walk in and buy something without checking prices first.
My latest guilty indulgence is Pringles Horseradish chips. I found them at the 99 cent store and they are wonderful. They just looked too good to pass up. I don't buy a lot of junk but every now and then nothing else will do.
A couple of years ago, on a different board, we did that type of challenge - family of 4 on $4 a day ($28 a week) - our goal was to at least try for something somewhat healthy. The thing is it's cheaper with more people, you can pool the money and get a bag of apples for snacks and meals or a tub of oatmeal. We also allowed for some staples in the house (salt, pepper etc)
I think we as a society eat way to much processed and chemical foods, going to a $1 a day would probably keep you eating rice, beans, etc but a dollar a day isn't enough to get proper nutrition, fruits, veggies, dairy, some meat.
Whatever you save on eating for a dollar a day you'll probably pay for in the long term being undernourished and in poor health.
Whatever you save on eating for a dollar a day you'll probably pay for in the long term being undernourished and in poor health.
I have never seen any evidence that anyone in America is "undernourished or in poor health" as a result of reducing the amount of money they spend on food. Health may be harmed by making poor choices of food, but the cheapest foods available (beans, rice, potatoes, corn meal, bananas, canned fruits/vegs, organ meats) would probably improve the nutrition of most American, even if exclusively relied upon day after day, year after year. And could probably be eaten regularly for about a dollar a day with adequate intake.
It would certainly be no more healthful to eat organic lentils, basmati rice, baking potatoes, corn-muffin mix, mangoes, fresh fruits/vegs, sirloin steak. Those would cost several times as much, and add no additional nutrition.
By eating for a dollar a day, one could save about $2-3 thousand a year per person in your household, which over 50 years, well, you do the math. That kind of money can even buy happiness and peace of mind, which is an essential ingredient in good health and long life.
Living deeply in debt is far more likely than frugal nutrition, to result in costly damage to your health. If you think frugality is that risky, go ahead and pop for a daily $1.25, just to be on the safe side.
I think we as a society eat way to much processed and chemical foods, going to a $1 a day would probably keep you eating rice, beans, etc but a dollar a day isn't enough to get proper nutrition, fruits, veggies, dairy, some meat.
Whatever you save on eating for a dollar a day you'll probably pay for in the long term being undernourished and in poor health.
I'm a little lost here...How many thoughts are here?
We eat to many processed and chemical foods, then going into eating rice and beans which are not processed nor chemical foods. Then not enough nutrition with a list...beans are proteins (with rice a complete protein) which is what meat is.
I don't think anyone was saying that we should all do this, but it's an interesting excerise, food for thought if you will.
I'm a little lost here...How many thoughts are here?
We eat to many processed and chemical foods, then going into eating rice and beans which are not processed nor chemical foods. Then not enough nutrition with a list...beans are proteins (with rice a complete protein) which is what meat is.
I don't think anyone was saying that we should all do this, but it's an interesting excerise, food for thought if you will.
It's realy not hard to follow.
I commented on how we eat too much processed foods and going to beans rice stuff like that would be a positive change.
My point however was that on a dollar a day you'd have a tough time getting fresh fruits, veggies and protein.
My latest guilty indulgence is Pringles Horseradish chips. I found them at the 99 cent store and they are wonderful. They just looked too good to pass up. I don't buy a lot of junk but every now and then nothing else will do.
those sound delicious. i've never seen them in the store before.
as for eating on a dollar a day, it could be done, but one's diet would be pretty bleak. now, kick it up to say, 3 dollars a day and you might have something you could actually live with..
I have never seen any evidence that anyone in America is "undernourished or in poor health" as a result of reducing the amount of money they spend on food. Health may be harmed by making poor choices of food, but the cheapest foods available (beans, rice, potatoes, corn meal, bananas, canned fruits/vegs, organ meats) would probably improve the nutrition of most American, even if exclusively relied upon day after day, year after year. And could probably be eaten regularly for about a dollar a day with adequate intake.
Yeah, I think the media sometimes gets it wrong by implying that poor people can only afford chips/soda/other junk food. The problem is that people don't know the right healthy foods to buy. Things like beans, peanut butter, pasta, rice and bananas are cheap and healthy.
those sound delicious. i've never seen them in the store before.
as for eating on a dollar a day, it could be done, but one's diet would be pretty bleak. now, kick it up to say, 3 dollars a day and you might have something you could actually live with..
I live on $3 a day, and that includes a few splurgy things that could be cut to get down closer to $2, and I feel like I eat pretty well. I enjoy eating, but I've reduced my portions, and I've organized my leftover cycling so that nothing ever gets thrown away. I think attention to both of those details is the key to reducing cost of eating.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
