2016 Welfare Food Challege: DAY 0

Although the official Welfare Food Challenge began Oct 16th and ran for seven days, mine is just beginning today.  If you are not familiar with the challenge, here's a brief summary.  For 7 days participants from the challenge will eat only the food they can afford for $18.  

https://welfarefoodchallenge.org/

Since my H.E.A.L. group will be presenting food insecurity as part of our seminar, I thought this would be the best approach to research the topic.  I knew I was up for the challenge.  Erica will join me as well.  The moral support will be more than helpful and necessary, I'm sure.  

Oct 30th: Planning Phase

I went to two grocery stores with my list of what I thought was really reasonable.  I priced the items out at each store and went home to my Excel spread sheet.  The plan was to be organized.  The reality was I was naive.  The totals from Store 1 and Store 2 were $54.70 and $69.18 respectively.  Yikes!  And that was from what I thought was being really frugal.  Obviously there was a need for some major editing on the meal plan.  Rice, gone.  Salsa gone.  Olive oil (obviously) gone!  

$15.35 worth of groceries

So here it is!  $15.35 worth of groceries and $2.65 to spare. I had to get the "expensive" macaroni because the last bag of NoName had a hole in it and half the bag had spilled on the shelf.   

I'm more than I little unnerved by what I have to work with.  A wave of panic hit me as I starred at my weeks worth of groceries.  I wondered if I had made the right choices.  Should I return the pasta and get the bean soup mix instead?  I have only 3 bananas, should I eat them Monday, Wednesday and Friday or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday?  What happens Sunday?  I only have $2.65 left! $2.65!!!!!!  I'm freaking out.     

The Happy Gardener 

I'm able to calm myself somewhat when I recall that I had prepped earlier in the day by digging up the garden.  Kale!  I have tonnes of kale.  I was sure I had potatoes in there somewhere too.  It's been two years since I've planted potatoes but every year I get one or two "volunteer" plants that just decide to grow.   Jackpot!  

The week's looking up already.  I decide it's not cheating to eat from my garden.  It's free after all.  The cost of the seeds is minimal and the money was spent ages ago.  I convince myself that this is okay because I'm doing a Welfare Challenge, which doesn't necessarily mean homeless and there are still some rentals available with garden space in the Lower Mainland, aren't there?  Or people must all be able to join a community garden in their neighbourhood, right?  I'm painfully aware of my naive approach to this challenge and feel embarrassed and ashamed but I forage ahead...