Last Tuesday, in my Advanced Reporting class, my professor clarified the harsh reality of food stamps. She said the average Nevada resident relying on food stamps is allotted only $91 per month by the program. This boils down to a meager $3.25 per day. As we discussed the limited possibilities such a person would have, I began to wonder how I would fare if presented with a similar food allowance. I imagined endless pangs of hunger and the cold sweat of caffeine withdrawal. Of course, this did not deter me from conducting such a ridiculously masochistic experiment. I wanted a small taste of what food stamps had to offer. On Sunday, I restricted my food budget to $3.25.
Before I get ahead of myself, I feel it necessary to explain the limits of food stamps. There are strict guidelines as to what can and cannot be purchased with food stamps. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service website explains the rules.
“Households CAN use food stamp benefits to buy:
| Foods for the household to eat, such as: | |
| - breads and cereals - fruits and vegetables - meats, fish and poultry; and - dairy products |
|
| Seeds and plants which produce food for the household to eat. | |
Households CANNOT use food stamp benefits to buy:
| Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco | |
| Any nonfood items, such as: | |
| - pet foods; - soaps, paper products; and - household supplies. |
|
| Vitamins and medicines. | |
| Food that will be eaten in the store. | |
| Hot foods “ | |
With $3.25 in hand, I took a trip to the supermarket after work Saturday night. I was preparing for Sunday, the day of my experiment. I had a rough outline in mind, but I felt somewhat lost as a scampered about the aisles of Smith’s Food and Drug searching meticulously for the cheapest possible meals. When I finally stumbled upon the breakfast aisle, I grabbed an 18 ounce package of store brand oatmeal (Kroger 100% Whole Grain Oats). The oatmeal was priced at one dollar, so I moved on to lunch. After much consideration and idle staring in the canned food aisle, I decided to buy two cans of Kroger chicken noodle soup. The two cans set me back another dollar, so it was time to find a hearty dinner. I spent some time pondering the possibility of bread, but, since I had nothing to fill the void between the slices, I came to the conclusion that dry toast and bread sandwiches would not make a respectable dinner. Instead, I made the terrible decision to wander down the frozen food aisle. It was in this unholy place that I was reunited with an old friend from my high school years; the frozen burrito. The Las Campanas burritos were only 33 cents each, so I grabbed three of them (two beef and bean, the other bean and cheese) and headed for the checkout line.
As I checked out, the cashier (Rebecca, according to my receipt) asked me for my Fresh Values card. As usual, I did not have one, but Rebecca graciously swiped the store’s card and saved me 33 cents. This brought my total to $2.77, leaving me with a surplus of 48 cents. I momentarily considered going back and spending my change, bit I figured I had plenty of food to sustain my existence for the following 24 hours. The items (and my change) are pictured below.
Since my word processor tells me I am well over 500 words at this point, I will break up the findings of my little experiment into individual posts for each meal.
