Last February, I took on the challenge of eating on a budget. A very tight budget - $30 per week. I did it for a variety of reasons. The first being...times are tough for a lot of folks these days. Living on a budget is a way of life for many, many folks. Secondly, hunger issues are the cause I most believe in. As a person who knows the joy of food and the memories that amazing meals can create, the notion that people go hungry in this country (and across the globe) is insane to me. The national average for those receiving food assistance is between $21 and $24 a week. Even the simplest food for us "food people" is luxurious for most.We lose sight of that.
So I lived on $30 for a week...and I didn't even spend it all. I came up with inventive ways to cook simple ingredients. I used every bit of what I bought. No fancy coffees. You know what? Those are things that I have carried with me to this day - I can count the number of times I've gotten a designer coffee since then on one hand. Those are small changes but it's hard to look at a latte when you think..."That's someone's food budget for a day!"
It's seven months later and the economic outlook for many isn't any better than it was - for some, it's far worse. I've chosen to do the $30 challenge again to draw attention to the food and hunger issues that many struggle with, particularly in our current times of layoffs and foreclosures. The facts speak for themselves:
- At some point during the year, 1 in 5 Americans receives food assistance from 1 or more of the 15 programs providing help.
- In 2009, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will help feed 31 million people per month. The average monthly benefit? $101.
- Between March 2007 and March 2008, the global price of food rose 43%. 1 billion people - 1/6th of the world's population - live on $1 per day.
As someone whose blog gets a good bit of traffic, I got great response from people during the last challenge. It wasn't enough. My voice isn't loud enough. So I put the call out to folks in the blogsphere to join me in the Eat on $30 challenge. The premise is simple - eat and drink for $30 a week. Salt, pepper, butter and oil are freebies - everything else you have to budget for. Talk about your week, the food you cook, your feelings about the challenge. Blog. Tweet. Post your status on your Facebook.
The response was great...and we're starting the Eat on $30 Challenge on Sunday, October 11th through October 17th. You can follow me here on the blog or on Twitter - the hashtag for the event is #Eaton30. These other 10 folks have joined their time and their voices to the challenge too. Follow along with them as they take this challenge:
- Betty Joan is a fellow Atlantan who blogs at Trouble With Toast. She's actually been doing it THIS week but will be posting about her experience while we're all doing the challenge. You can find her on Twitter @bettyjoan.
- Carrie Neal - also from Atlanta - is blogging at carrienealland and tweets under @carrienealland
- Paula of the gorgeous blog bell'alimento is taking part! Follow her on twitter @bellalimento
- The Broke Socialite of the eponymously named blog can be followed @brokesocialite
- Atlanta food blogger Jimmy of Eat It Atlanta will be taking part in a crash course week before a wedding he has to be in. Follow him @EatItAtlanta.
- Robert - @rdyson on Twitter - is also taking part from Atlanta. Check out his blog here.
- The amazing and fabulous Jen - who blogs from Colorado at Use Real Butter - can be followed @userealbutter
- Mike - who took part last time and made a blog especially for the challenge - will be doing it again. You can also follow him @boutte.
- Zach is kicking off a new blog with this challenge - Mise en Face. Follow him @drzachary.
- Kristina will be taking place from Tennessee via her blog TNLocavore.com and @TNlocavore
(the image used in this post was originally found here. i'm using it again because, well, i just love it)
