What do we think about this?

amelisha · April 2015

thespeshulestsnowflake said:
So on the whole 7 lime thing. I bought 6 yesterday and have used them all. We have a recipe that called for them all and the leftovers from last nights meal will last the week. Limes aren't that crazy. And it depends on what they are used for.

I think the issue is that the percentage of your budget 6 limes would be (in my area, about $2.50 so nearly 10% of her food budget or more than half a day's worth) compared to their nutritional value (not a source of protein or fat and very little carbohydrate, some micronutrients but not going to keep you full or provide a lot of calories.)

lyndausvi · April 2015

amelisha said:

thespeshulestsnowflake said:
So on the whole 7 lime thing. I bought 6 yesterday and have used them all. We have a recipe that called for them all and the leftovers from last nights meal will last the week. Limes aren't that crazy. And it depends on what they are used for.
I think the issue is that the percentage of your budget 6 limes would be (in my area, about $2.50 so nearly 10% of her food budget or more than half a day's worth) compared to their nutritional value (not a source of protein or fat and very little carbohydrate, some micronutrients but not going to keep you full or provide a lot of calories.)

Yeah, I read somewhere they were 60 cents a piece. That would be $4.20. 14% of your budget going to limes is a little off IMO.

VulgarGirl · April 2015

I want to point something out here. People on food stamps don't usually have the time to prepare all fresh meals. Or even the ability to keep fresh food fresh. You don't buy cup o soup cause it's oh so good. You buy it because it keeps and is easy enough for the average 7 year old to prepare.

When you're living below the poverty line, you're play a lot of fun games like "Can we pay the electric bill this month?" and "How many jobs can I work before I pass out from exhaustion" and "Oh well looks like the fridge is dead, time to bust out the cooler and pray".

Making an oh so healthy lime filled organic vegan meal to keep you satisfied all week is a fucking pipe dream. Sure I'll do that, right after I get off from my second job, but before my third job starts if I'm done studying for the class I'm taking to better myself.

theartistformerlyknownas · April 2015

lyndausvi said:

On sale the best I can do here is about $4.50 lb. And that is me buying the 3 lb pack. Which I buy because I do a batch of meatballs and then freeze them individually. I can get a good 7+ meals out of that. Add in $1 box of pasta and I can feed myself dinner for pretty cheap.

Which makes me sound like an ass. See I can eat pretty cheap, why can't people on gov't assistance? Forgetting there is so much more to why people are on SNAP to being with. Do they even have gas for the stove? Can they afford to pay for the power to run the microwave? Are they disabled and do not have the accessibility to make their own foods?

Of course, there are some truly lazy people,entitled people out there. They do not or will not cook from scratch. They buy Pepsi instead of healthier foods or just plainly do not pick items that can be stretched. Those few bad people make the whole system look bad.

Agreed. It's easy for any of us to say we could get buy for ONE WEEK, especially knowing we already have the staples at home (those buying salad greens - which week did your whole budget go to olive oil and balsamic?), and the know-how based off years of trial and error where we can throw out the burned rice and buy pizza. But to do it reliably, every week, while dealing with other hurdles, is a totally different ballgame. This so-called "challenge" doesn't touch that.

thespeshulestsnowflake · April 2015

lyndausvi said:

amelisha said:

thespeshulestsnowflake said:
So on the whole 7 lime thing. I bought 6 yesterday and have used them all. We have a recipe that called for them all and the leftovers from last nights meal will last the week. Limes aren't that crazy. And it depends on what they are used for.
I think the issue is that the percentage of your budget 6 limes would be (in my area, about $2.50 so nearly 10% of her food budget or more than half a day's worth) compared to their nutritional value (not a source of protein or fat and very little carbohydrate, some micronutrients but not going to keep you full or provide a lot of calories.)
Yeah, I read somewhere they were 60 cents a piece. That would be $4.20. 14% of your budget going to limes is a little off IMO.

I agree. I was pointing out, admittedly not very effectively since it was about limes, that buying more of something makes sense if it will last the week.

sarahufl · April 2015

lolo883 said:

lyndausvi said:

On sale the best I can do here is about $4.50 lb. And that is me buying the 3 lb pack. Which I buy because I do a batch of meatballs and then freeze them individually. I can get a good 7+ meals out of that. Add in $1 box of pasta and I can feed myself dinner for pretty cheap.

Which makes me sound like an ass. See I can eat pretty cheap, why can't people on gov't assistance? Forgetting there is so much more to why people are on SNAP to being with. Do they even have gas for the stove? Can they afford to pay for the power to run the microwave? Are they disabled and do not have the accessibility to make their own foods?

Of course, there are some truly lazy people,entitled people out there. They do not or will not cook from scratch. They buy Pepsi instead of healthier foods or just plainly do not pick items that can be stretched. Those few bad people make the whole system look bad.
Agreed. It's easy for any of us to say we could get buy for ONE WEEK, especially knowing we already have the staples at home (those buying salad greens - which week did your whole budget go to olive oil and balsamic?), and the know-how based off years of trial and error where we can throw out the burned rice and buy pizza. But to do it reliably, every week, while dealing with other hurdles, is a totally different ballgame. This so-called "challenge" doesn't touch that.

I totally agree with you- I could probably eat on $29 for the week, but I would be relying on items already in my pantry (sauces, dressings, etc).

amelisha · April 2015

lolo883 said:

On sale the best I can do here is about $4.50 lb. And that is me buying the 3 lb pack. Which I buy because I do a batch of meatballs and then freeze them individually. I can get a good 7+ meals out of that. Add in $1 box of pasta and I can feed myself dinner for pretty cheap.

Which makes me sound like an ass. See I can eat pretty cheap, why can't people on gov't assistance? Forgetting there is so much more to why people are on SNAP to being with. Do they even have gas for the stove? Can they afford to pay for the power to run the microwave? Are they disabled and do not have the accessibility to make their own foods?

Of course, there are some truly lazy people,entitled people out there. They do not or will not cook from scratch. They buy Pepsi instead of healthier foods or just plainly do not pick items that can be stretched. Those few bad people make the whole system look bad.

Agreed. It's easy for any of us to say we could get buy for ONE WEEK, especially knowing we already have the staples at home (those buying salad greens - which week did your whole budget go to olive oil and balsamic?), and the know-how based off years of trial and error where we can throw out the burned rice and buy pizza. But to do it reliably, every week, while dealing with other hurdles, is a totally different ballgame. This so-called "challenge" doesn't touch that.

I agree completely (but I will add that on the bolded specifically, as that was me, I buy bags of salad that come with a packet of dressing inside, nothing extra needed, and I use it for three meals.)

But I understand that I just because I have the time, the knowledge, the kitchenware, etc., to eat cheaply and well if I had to (especially just for a week), doesn't mean it's not an entirely different story for someone actually dealing with the situation week in and week out.

sophhabobopha · April 2015

Ugggggggggggh I hate her.

And for the record, I'm pretty lower-middle class. Fi and I aren't rolling in the dough. That's a normal budget for me.

sophhabobopha · April 2015

MagicInk said:
I want to point something out here. People on food stamps don't usually have the time to prepare all fresh meals. Or even the ability to keep fresh food fresh. You don't buy cup o soup cause it's oh so good. You buy it because it keeps and is easy enough for the average 7 year old to prepare.

When you're living below the poverty line, you're play a lot of fun games like "Can we pay the electric bill this month?" and "How many jobs can I work before I pass out from exhaustion" and "Oh well looks like the fridge is dead, time to bust out the cooler and pray".

Making an oh so healthy lime filled organic vegan meal to keep you satisfied all week is a fucking pipe dream. Sure I'll do that, right after I get off from my second job, but before my third job starts if I'm done studying for the class I'm taking to better myself.

VulgarGirl · April 2015

I happen to know at my grocery store limes are 2 for $1 right now. I think that's a little lower than a lot of places, but that would still be $3.50 for limes. And you've only got $29 to spend. And those were not organic limes. We know Princess Lemon Water didn't buy non-organic limes.

cupcait927 · April 2015

MagicInk said:
I want to point something out here. People on food stamps don't usually have the time to prepare all fresh meals. Or even the ability to keep fresh food fresh. You don't buy cup o soup cause it's oh so good. You buy it because it keeps and is easy enough for the average 7 year old to prepare.

When you're living below the poverty line, you're play a lot of fun games like "Can we pay the electric bill this month?" and "How many jobs can I work before I pass out from exhaustion" and "Oh well looks like the fridge is dead, time to bust out the cooler and pray".

Making an oh so healthy lime filled organic vegan meal to keep you satisfied all week is a fucking pipe dream. Sure I'll do that, right after I get off from my second job, but before my third job starts if I'm done studying for the class I'm taking to better myself.

The bolded is so true. When another celebrity was doing the same challenge (maybe a year ago?), many of the commenters on the article said that one of the biggest hurdles people on food stamps face is food preparation and food storage. A lot of people that utilize assistance don't have a way to keep food fresh/stored properly and don't have resources/time to cook. They're busy juggling multiple jobs, kids, and keeping a roof of their head - cooking fresh meals every night just isn't happening. When I worked at Wegmans as a cashier, I saw a lot of people (not all) on food stamps buying non-perishables, bread, and pretty much anything that could be cooked/heated up in a microwave or one pot on the stove. Food becomes about survival first, not necessarily nutritional value.

sophhabobopha · April 2015

MagicInk said:
I happen to know at my grocery store limes are 2 for $1 right now. I think that's a little lower than a lot of places, but that would still be $3.50 for limes. And you've only got $29 to spend. And those were not organic limes. We know Princess Lemon Water didn't buy non-organic limes.

novella1186 · April 2015

sarahufl said:

lolo883 said:

lyndausvi said:

On sale the best I can do here is about $4.50 lb. And that is me buying the 3 lb pack. Which I buy because I do a batch of meatballs and then freeze them individually. I can get a good 7+ meals out of that. Add in $1 box of pasta and I can feed myself dinner for pretty cheap.

Which makes me sound like an ass. See I can eat pretty cheap, why can't people on gov't assistance? Forgetting there is so much more to why people are on SNAP to being with. Do they even have gas for the stove? Can they afford to pay for the power to run the microwave? Are they disabled and do not have the accessibility to make their own foods?

Of course, there are some truly lazy people,entitled people out there. They do not or will not cook from scratch. They buy Pepsi instead of healthier foods or just plainly do not pick items that can be stretched. Those few bad people make the whole system look bad.
Agreed. It's easy for any of us to say we could get buy for ONE WEEK, especially knowing we already have the staples at home (those buying salad greens - which week did your whole budget go to olive oil and balsamic?), and the know-how based off years of trial and error where we can throw out the burned rice and buy pizza. But to do it reliably, every week, while dealing with other hurdles, is a totally different ballgame. This so-called "challenge" doesn't touch that.
I totally agree with you- I could probably eat on $29 for the week, but I would be relying on items already in my pantry (sauces, dressings, etc).

Same here. Now that final payments are due for the wedding, money is a little tight, so we're doing low-budget groceries for the next few weeks.

However, we stock up on things when they're on sale. So we always have things like chicken broth, pasta, tomato sauce, etc in the pantry, and we have frozen meat and vegetables in the freezer, plus we're always well-stocked with olive oil, salad dressings, etc.

So yeah, we will probably spend $30 on groceries this week. But we'll be pulling things out of the pantry and freezer to supplement that from the weeks that we spent $120 on groceries.

As I said in an earlier post, I went through a span of time where I had a very tiny grocery budget. I would go to bar that had free hot dogs after 9pm or whatever time it was so that I could eat for free, and I would drink my free water and people-watch. To have a tiny budget on a normal basis-- not just a week or two for kicks-- is really fucking hard. And it means things like keeping the heat turned off, even when it's around 30 degrees outside, because you can't afford to have your electric bill go up by even $5.

And as Magic said, other things factor into that as well, like food storage and prep, kitchen tools, time-- it's an entire life. It's not "hehe I'm so fun and trendy I'm gonna spend $29 on groceries and tweet about it!"

I fucking hate Gweneth Paltrow. I hate her more after this nonsense.

afox007 · April 2015

MagicInk said:
I want to point something out here. People on food stamps don't usually have the time to prepare all fresh meals. Or even the ability to keep fresh food fresh. You don't buy cup o soup cause it's oh so good. You buy it because it keeps and is easy enough for the average 7 year old to prepare.

When you're living below the poverty line, you're play a lot of fun games like "Can we pay the electric bill this month?" and "How many jobs can I work before I pass out from exhaustion" and "Oh well looks like the fridge is dead, time to bust out the cooler and pray".

Making an oh so healthy lime filled organic vegan meal to keep you satisfied all week is a fucking pipe dream. Sure I'll do that, right after I get off from my second job, but before my third job starts if I'm done studying for the class I'm taking to better myself.

This is a really good point that I didn't think of. I was definitely on the side of I spend about $25 bucks per person per week and when I wasn't working last year spent about $30 a week for all three of us. I was the ass who was doing some serious eye rolling about how this is even a challenge.

I didn't factor in the things you mentioned. I forgot that it was easy to cut down to $30 a week when I got laid off because even when my fridge and pantry are "empty" I am still well stocked on spices, flour, yeast, dressings, and crap loads of frozen veggies. I forgot that when things were tight I started making bread and homemade pizza a lot, but only because I had the time, and my kitchen aide mixer to speed up the process. We had times when the gas got shut off so I just pulled out the nifty little rotisserie/electric grill that I have. I forgot that is not a standard everyone has it thing.

So basically now I feel like an ass for my major eye rolling.

theartistformerlyknownas · April 2015

afox007 said:
I want to point something out here. People on food stamps don't usually have the time to prepare all fresh meals. Or even the ability to keep fresh food fresh. You don't buy cup o soup cause it's oh so good. You buy it because it keeps and is easy enough for the average 7 year old to prepare.

When you're living below the poverty line, you're play a lot of fun games like "Can we pay the electric bill this month?" and "How many jobs can I work before I pass out from exhaustion" and "Oh well looks like the fridge is dead, time to bust out the cooler and pray".

Making an oh so healthy lime filled organic vegan meal to keep you satisfied all week is a fucking pipe dream. Sure I'll do that, right after I get off from my second job, but before my third job starts if I'm done studying for the class I'm taking to better myself.

This is a really good point that I didn't think of. I was definitely on the side of I spend about $25 bucks per person per week and when I wasn't working last year spent about $30 a week for all three of us. I was the ass who was doing some serious eye rolling about how this is even a challenge.

I didn't factor in the things you mentioned. I forgot that it was easy to cut down to $30 a week when I got laid off because even when my fridge and pantry are "empty" I am still well stocked on spices, flour, yeast, dressings, and crap loads of frozen veggies. I forgot that when things were tight I started making bread and homemade pizza a lot, but only because I had the time, and my kitchen aide mixer to speed up the process. We had times when the gas got shut off so I just pulled out the nifty little rotisserie/electric grill that I have. I forgot that is not a standard everyone has it thing.

So basically now I feel like an ass for my major eye rolling.

It's not the same full amount for each person either. If an individual was getting $29/week, they wouldn't get $87/week as a family of three, they'd get like $75.

The maximum current allotment (if your net income is $0) is $194/month for one person and $511/month for a family of 3 (which is $170 per person per month).

badbnagdway · April 2015

The challenge may be flawed, and Gwyneth's use of the money is kinda ridic, but I think raising awareness about how hard some folks have it is a good thing, even if it's not done perfectly. I don't fault Gwyneth or other celebrities for trying to do this - but it does show how out of touch she is with her cilantro and limes. As everyone has pointed out it doesn't fully convey how hard it would be to actually live on a very small budget for an extended period of time - but at least it does make people think a little about the real issue of hunger and nutrition for the working poor. I would struggle to be satisfied with $30 of groceries, and it would be hard to make good use of those groceries without things I have in the pantry like olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic powder.

KatieinBkln · April 2015

Yep, she is The Actual Worst. The lack of self-awareness is staggering, but not surprising, I guess.

I am sure I could make do on $29 a week. For a while. I would fucking hate it, and I would definitely rely on the shit-tonnes of shit that is already in my cupboard/freezer/fridge. I would cook a lot of grains and eat frozen vegetables. I would miss meat and fancy spices and the luxury of fucking up a dish I was experimenting with that didn't go right.

I'm never sure what the point is of these "challenges." I know they're supposed to bring awareness to a really serious problem in our country, but inevitably these celebrities make it seem like we should be congratulating them for succeeding at it. (Because it's even harder when you're accustomed to a different lifestyle, obvi).

I would love it if a celebrity would do this, quietly, then announce it at a fucking Unicef function or in front of Congress. They could share all the horrifying statistics about the hungry families here in our own "exceptional" America, and then they could share that hey, they tried living that way. They tried it, and it was really fucking hard, even with the leg-up they already have by virtue of their time, energy, access and food-storage privileges. They could use their platform as a public figure to draw attention to the fact that, guess what? People are suffering, and until they suffer less, we are all complicit. No one should live in fear that their kids aren't going to thrive, or that they will have to choose between heat and dinner. Or even between 5 minutes to sit down and breathe, and dinner.

There's a fucked up expectation that seems pervasive in our country, and that is that if you're poor, you should have to work 50 times harder than someone who already has wealth, because if you have ANY vices, or dare to heat up a microwave dinner after working 3 jobs, or spend even one half second of your time doing anything other than "bettering yourself," you deserve your plight. If you're poor, you deserve it, but the rest of us "deserve" 3-star hotels and luxurious vacation. L'Oreal tells us "we're worth it!" ARE WE THOUGH?

/end socialist rant.

hellosweetie1015 · April 2015

Typical grocery list from just over a year ago for me:

Pancake mix packet (makes ~2 servings): $1.00

Gallon of milk: $3.50

Chef Boyardee 4 pack: $2.97

Oatmeal (generally every other week): $2.50

3 frozen pizzas: $3.75

Knockoff Cheerios: $3.00

2 boxes of pasta: $2.00

Cream of Chicken Soup: $1.00

Plus 7% tax = $21.10. I could eat good on $20. Not well, and certainly not healthy, but I wasn't hungry when I went to bed.

All I know is that I am one person. By the time I was cooking, my dad had lost his job and it was my mom's $26k yearly salary supporting six people. I know how to not starve and keep my bills mostly paid, because my mother had to learn how to not starve us all, keep the lights on, keep the water on, and keep us in clothes that sort-of fit. I had (still have) my bills staggered - rent first week, car insurance second week, phone bill third week, health insurance fourth week. If I get a fifth paycheck, I stock up on food shit I can't normally buy, or pay some other bill that inevitably pops up, or spent $15 buying shirts at Old Navy so I don't look like a slob.

It pisses me off when people like Gwyneth Paltrow, who have a silver spoon in their mouth now whether or not they did as a child, try to live like that as a publicity stunt. Living like that isn't a publicity stunt. It's life, for a whole damn lot of people.

cupcait927 · April 2015

SMH at Buzzfeed - CLICK

Granted, they're not gearing this towards any sort of "food stamp diet challenge" but it's still completely out of touch with those that actually have to LIVE on a limited food budget. Pretty sure that back when I was living very nearly paycheck to paycheck and working two jobs, buying tofu, mozzarella, and quinoa wasn't on my grocery list.

kmmssg · April 2015

Gwyneth Paltrow drives me BSC so I'll just leave it at that. We all know that while she did the challenge, it is flawed and there is no way she could eat like that for 30 days. Yeah, it is nice that she tried it, but it really skews what people really do deal with, as many have mentioned.

I was a grocery store cashier twice. The first time was in the early-mid 80's, before I went in the military. Back then it would take more than 1 cart to get 125.00 of groceries out of store. There was one lady who would come in at the beginning of each month. I swear she was a pro and I wish I was as disciplined and organized as she was. She must have had a freezer and ample storage space because she bought the entire month's groceries all at one time except for milk and maybe some bread or bananas. If it was pork week they ate pork for the month. You could see exactly what she would be making for the meat, the sides, breakfasts, lunches, snacks. I could tell she baked her kids some cookies once or twice a month by the ingrediants she bought. There was also, at most, 3 packages of kool-aid. A treat for the kids that made the milk last a little longer, I'm sure. At the end of her food order she would have to pay for nonfood items with cash. There was enough cheaper laundry soap, bleach, comet, dishsoap, shampoo/conditioner, soap for the month

At that time I was a single mom with 2 little girls bringing home about 130.00 ish a week from my job and a little child support. I always greeted her when she came in, hoping she would come through my line. I studied everything she had to get ideas how to shop the wisest that week. She was phenominal.

Then, after I retired I worked at Meijer as a cashier for about 6 weeks, then my back said it wasn't a good idea so I left it. We would have 10 for 10.00 sales with super cheap hotdogs and bologna smoked sausage, frozen pizzas and processed hamburgers/cheeseburgers. Many people with foodstamps would come through my line with a ton of that stuff and I felt so badly for them because that food is basically a heart attack waiting to happen with very little nutritional value. But...it put food in their kids' bellies and I completely understand that line of thinking. That is something Gwyneth would never understand. You can't send your family out to work a labor intensive job or shovel snow, or to school on lemon soup now can you?

wandajune6 · April 2015

I did the Live Below the Line challenge a few years ago. My company promoted the program heavily and donated $$$ for each employee who committed. I think we had $1.25/day/person for 5 days.

It was awful. There are so many things we take for granted- salt and other seasonings, flour, a random onion, etc. And the snacks.... I missed snacking and caffeine. The caffeine was a killer.

On that budget, I ate a lot of beans and rice, frozen spinach, ramen noodles. I bought carrots, cheap apples, etc. It was tough.

Limes would have been ridiculous.

southernbelle0915 · April 2015

Using 10-15% of your weekly food budget on limes is questionable at best. What if she spent 15% of her normal food budget on limes? She could probably open a fruit stand.

I mean, did people really expect Gwyneth Paltrow to be in touch with what it means to be poor and need food stamps? I'm guessing the whole point of this exercise was to prove she was out of touch and she passed with flying colors.

hellosweetie1015 · April 2015

cupcait927 said:
SMH at Buzzfeed - CLICK
Granted, they're not gearing this towards any sort of "food stamp diet challenge" but it's still completely out of touch with those that actually have to LIVE on a limited food budget. Pretty sure that back when I was living very nearly paycheck to paycheck and working two jobs, buying tofu, mozzarella, and quinoa wasn't on my grocery list.

That list is ridiculous. There's nothing on that list that I'd call cheap. Chicken noodle casserole is cheap - 1 lb. pasta, 2 cans cream of chicken, water, a little butter/margarine/whatever if you have it, and salt and pepper. $2.50 for the whole dish, 6-8 servings. Unhealthy as fuck, but it's gotten to be rather a comfort food for me.

theartistformerlyknownas · April 2015

hellosweetie1015 said:

cupcait927 said:
SMH at Buzzfeed - CLICK
Granted, they're not gearing this towards any sort of "food stamp diet challenge" but it's still completely out of touch with those that actually have to LIVE on a limited food budget. Pretty sure that back when I was living very nearly paycheck to paycheck and working two jobs, buying tofu, mozzarella, and quinoa wasn't on my grocery list.
That list is ridiculous. There's nothing on that list that I'd call cheap. Chicken noodle casserole is cheap - 1 lb. pasta, 2 cans cream of chicken, water, a little butter/margarine/whatever if you have it, and salt and pepper. $2.50 for the whole dish, 6-8 servings. Unhealthy as fuck, but it's gotten to be rather a comfort food for me.

For us it was elbow macaroni, ground chuck, and cream of mushroom soup. Frozen corn if we were feeling fancy. Dad called it "white goulash" and you could feed an army for 5 or 6 bucks.

Cookie Pusher · April 2015

We ate a lot of white rice, spaghetti with ketchup, eggs, hot dogs, and dandelion soup when I was a kid. Steamed sweet potatoes were our big treat.

arrippa · April 2015

Growing up, after my parents divorce, we ate a lot of popcorn and cereal for dinner. I have to give my mom credit and she made it special. It's only after many years that I realized we ate it because money was tight not because it was something fun for dinner.

hellosweetie1015 · April 2015

arrippa said:
Growing up, after my parents divorce, we ate a lot of popcorn and cereal for dinner. I have to give my mom credit and she made it special. It's only after many years that I realized we ate it because money was tight not because it was something fun for dinner.

QFT. A sign of a good parent, in my opinion, is to not have your kids realize you're hurting until they're old enough to understand it. I knew we were hurting when my dad lost his job. I only found out a few years ago that we were hurting when we lived in California 4 years before that.

littlepep · April 2015

arrippa said:
Growing up, after my parents divorce, we ate a lot of popcorn and cereal for dinner. I have to give my mom credit and she made it special. It's only after many years that I realized we ate it because money was tight not because it was something fun for dinner.

FI's mom and her brothers and sisters didn't have a ton of money growing up. She would make these hot dogs rolled in ketchup and corn flakes, like a faux corndog. Apparently one of FI's uncle still eats them because he thought they were delicious treats and not a cheap meal.

peachy13 · April 2015

arrippa said:
Growing up, after my parents divorce, we ate a lot of popcorn and cereal for dinner. I have to give my mom credit and she made it special. It's only after many years that I realized we ate it because money was tight not because it was something fun for dinner.

My FI often talks fondly about dinners his mother would make him and his siblings after his parents split up. Dinner was usually ramen and my FI and his siblings loved it, and their mother made it exciting and fun. It's a sweet memory to have.

amelisha · April 2015

You're all killing me with these. So heartbreaking. A few months ago I got sucked down a Reddit rabbit hole where all these people were just telling stories like these ones about the moment they really knew they were poor and about the things their families used to do to feed the kids...and I sobbed at my desk for the remainder of the afternoon before driving to the grocery store and using like $150 of saved-up store loyalty points to buy stuff to put in the food bank donation bin.

I'm a spoiled jerk who's never had to do any of this in her life and have never had to think about my grocery budget. So since then I've consistently bought extra stuff to donate every week though, so thanks to them and you guys for reminding me that food insecurity is really present and terrible.

What do we think about this?

Re: What do we think about this?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards