SNAP Challenge: Closing Time

Well, I'll admit it: I didn't blog nearly as much as I wanted to about the SNAP Challenge. But the truth of the matter is that you can only say so many times "I had leftover Lentil Taco Meat" or "I had leftover gluten-free pasta with homemade sauce" or, oh, for breakfast "I had more of that delicious Quinoa Breakfast Cereal."

Yes, I made four things this week and ate those four things for every meal. Those four things were Quinoa Breakfast Cereal, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Soup, Lentil Taco "Meat," and Trader Joe's Gluten-Free, Organic Pasta with homemade sauce. I got sick of them, for what it's worth. Really sick of them.

I know that doesn't seem like much, but when you make things en masse, they last forever.

What surprised me was that I have leftovers in the food department. I still have an entire portion (and then some) of the soup left, I never made the other soup I wanted to make, and I have enough lentils for probably two more portions. I didn't use all of the black beans that I bought, and the same goes for the raisins.

So by my estimates, this is how everything came out in the end:

• TJ's Gluten-Free Pasta $1.99
• Raisins $1.50 (of a $1.99 box)
• Corn Tortillas $1.48
• Green Lentils $.75 (of a $1.08 bag)
• Produce $8.39 (less the $3 for the produce I never used)
• Bagged Dry Black Beans $0.50 (of a $.70 bag)
• Carrots $.10 (of a $1.00 bag -- seriously, I ate like two carrots)
• Canned Diced Tomatoes $0.68
• Canned Tomato Sauce $0.33
• Quinoa $4.16
• Daiya Pepper Jack Cheese $3.15 (on sale with a $.50 coupon)
• TJ's Maple Syrup $2.34 (of a $13.00 bottle)
• Coffee $2.45

That comes out to about $3.20 spare, which I'm going to write off for what I probably spent on two cups of instant coffee with almond milk I made myself on Shabbos. Seriously, I couldn't help it.

Now, I will admit to a few things. I did get a Starbucks coffee (at the price of $2 and some change) using a free coffee drink I'd acquired. I also had lunch one day this week on the office, as it was our monthly staff meeting.

I'll also admit to the fact that I suck at eating when I can't just make things on the fly, so there were a few days -- Wednesday in particular -- where I seriously didn't eat much if anything at all. I drank a lot more water this week than normal, and I also seriously took advantage of the free coffee at work (something I rarely, if ever, do).

A few days I woke up famished, and by Thursday the Quinoa Breakfast Cereal wasn't cutting it. Today is another one of those days.

The truth of the matter is that to live on this kind of a budget you have to have a few things per week and just eat them on-and-off for every meal. I honestly can't see another way around it -- unless, of course, your diet is more open and you can buy boxed mac n'cheese and other low-budget, low-health options, which is something I didn't have the ability to do over the week of this challenge.

Ultimately, I wish I had spent more time planning out my snacks. I didn't get into the carrots, and that 2 pound bag for $1 went to complete waste. They're still good, and they'll come in handy during my adventures to Nebraska this week (especially with some hummus), but when it comes to snacking I'm more chips-and-salsa than carrot sticks.

So folks, that's the run of it. Would I do the challenge again? No dice. I missed out on some social opportunities this week because of the challenge, and I found myself staring at the cereal I had and the almond milk when I was too hungry to cook and being frustrated that I couldn't just eat it. But that $6.99 bag of gluten-free cereal and $2.66 carton of almond milk weren't figured into my budget. I suppose I could have divvied it up by servings and made it work, but it was too much work for my meager brain. I also wish that we could have had access to the food bank system (in theory) -- people living on limited budgets have a lot of options in the community with food banks.

Hunger is no laughing matter. People who live in the world of SNAP aren't walking around with easy money to buy gourmet chocolate and Starbucks coffee.

So find a Food Bank and give a little. Or, better yet, donate to Mazon -- the Jewish response to hunger.

SNAP Challenge Day 2: Snack, I Can't

Well hello Day 2 of the SNAP Challenge. Let us begin with a recap of everything that happened after that delicious, filling breakfast yesterday.

Yesterday for lunch I rocked out Lentil Taco "Meat" with some homemade corn tortilla cups. One cup of lentils has an amazing 18 grams of protein. I was stuffed after eating them. Don't they look delicious?

Snack time was carrots, but I'll be honest -- carrots just weren't feeling right. So I filled up on office coffee and water instead.

Then, last night, I hit my personal Big Fail, which is that sometimes when I get home from work, I don't have the energy to make dinner despite feeling famished. Well, guess what, folks? When you're on SNAP Challenge, you can't just have a bowl of cereal, unless that bowl of cereal was in your budget, in which case it wasn't in mine.

Sigh.

I was considering just not eating last night, but threw some of my Lentil Taco "Meat" leftovers into the microwave, threw on some corn tortillas, topped with some hot sauce, and in a fit of desperation I cut open some Daiya Pepperjack Shreds to put on top. With a little over $4 leftover from my produce budget and the fact that I haven't opened my Peanut Butter yet, I had the room to fudge. This, of course, means that I'm not opening my Peanut Butter this week. Protein loss for the desperation of fake cheese.

This morning, I decided to mix up my Breakfast Quinoa Cereal. The leftover quinoa from yesterday was in the fridge, so I threw on the same ingredients of cardamom, cinnamon, raisins, and maple syrup, but I also cut up one of my bananas. So I had a cold breakfast cereal that was downright delicious.

Lunch was a gimme -- provided by work for our monthly staff meeting. Yes, it was part of my rules, so I went with it. Hate on me if you want, but that's how it is. After work I went to the gym, after which I was starving, so I came home to a giant bowl of soaked black beans.

Yes, I bought dried beans because they're cheaper. They're less convenient, but as my boss says, "You can have two out of the three: cheap, healthy, fast." So I went for cheap and healthy. I soaked the entire bag of black beans all day, and then drained and rinsed them. I put them in a stockpot full of about 6 cups of water and brought the pot up to a boil. Once it was boiling, I skimmed the foam off the top, brought them to a simmer, and cooked covered for 45 minutes. Draining and rinsing them again, I began to prepare the Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup, substituting plain old water for the vegetable stock because, well, it's too expensive. Curious where black beans stand? One cup of black beans has 15 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber!

Crush point. I'm hungry. I want to eat. FEED ME! I have chips and snacks and things I could munch on while waiting for dinner. And here is my major fail when it comes to my diet: I'm a snacker. A hardcore, constant snacker. Vegetables, fruit, chips, you name it, I nosh it. This week is going to teach me that snacking just ain't where it's at.

So I decided to sacrifice one of my romain hearts and half a tomato for a simple salad with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. It did the job. Well, that and a giant cup of water. But I was still hungry. Soup, please?

One thing I've learned in becoming an ovo-vegetarian (a vegan that eats eggs occasionally): Spice is everything. If you have salt and pepper, you can do anything. Garlic? Cumin? Cinnamon? Seriously, with spices you can make anything taste good. I've learned to love spices, hardcore style. If I had to live on a SNAP budget permanently, I'd spend every spare penny I had on boatloads of spices.

And now, the soup -- which is delicious, by the way -- pureed with a bit of cilantro on top.

As it stands, I have $2.02 left to spend this week, and that's without having bought my canned white beans for the Quinoa, Kale, White Bean Soup. Here's hoping I can land a cheap can at Wal-Mart with a hechsher?

Also, note to self: Drink. More. Water. The more water you drink, the more full you feel.

SNAP Challenge: Day 1

Today begins the official SNAP Challenge for me, Susie at Daily Cheapskate, and Mara at Kosher on a Budget. To read the rules and regulations, check this post. 


Last night I went to Sunflower Market and landed all of this for $11.39. Winning! These will make for some delicious soup this week. 

Here you'll see lettuce, bananas, peaches, lime juice, yukon potatoes, yam,
tomatoes, parsnip, cilantro, kale, and leeks. 

Here is what I'll be eating for breakfast just about every day this week. 

I call it Quinoa Breakfast Cereal. It's 1/4 cup raisins, 1 cup cooked quinoa, cinnamon, cardamom, and a dash of maple syrup. Bam. Breakfast.

One cup of cooked quinoa has 8 grams protein and 5 grams fiber!

Oh, and the coffee? Part of my rules. It's purchased by work, so I drink it. Take that, SNAP Challenge!


Lunch will be a serving of Lentil Taco "Meat" in White Corn Tortilla "Cups" topped with tomatoes and lettuce and a little bit of sriracha. The snack will be carrot sticks with ... maybe hummus? See below.


So far I have about $4.03 left over, but I have yet to buy the canned white beans I need for one of my soups. I'm also still waffling about whether I'm actually going to open and consume the jar of Peanut Butter I bought for $2.50 or if I want to reallocate that to hummus (which I prefer with my carrots anyway). Stay tuned!

SNAP Challenge: The Preview

Okay, well, after spending a few days stressing out to the max about this SNAP Challenge, I've decided to take it easy on myself. The reason? Well, after having people tell me that living on $31.50 for a week as a single gal my age was a breeze and me beginning to think I was insane, I discovered the USDA Official Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home at Four Levels. Even eating at the most thrifty plan, I'd still be allowed $41.70/week. The Low-Cost Plan is $53.90/week! So don't tell me it's easy. Unless you're going to put yourself in my shoes, folks! If we all sat down and looked at what we eat and every penny we spend, we might find the statistics in this chart to be pretty accurate. 

So the plan is that I'm going to subsite on four basic things.

• Breakfast daily will be a Quinoa Breakfast Cereal. Something along the lines of quinoa with cinnamon and raisins. If I can afford it after I pick everything else up, then some flax or chia as well. 
• Dinner and lunch will be this that and some leftovers. Among the options will be:
• Some semblance of Quinoa, White Bean, and Kale Stew
• Some semblance of Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup
• Gluten-free Pasta w/Homemade Sauce and maybe Chickpea "Meat" Balls
• Lentil "Meat" Tacos 
• Snacks and sides will be something along the lines of ...
• Simple salad
• Carrot Sticks with peanut butter or hummus (still debating which is cheaper in the budget)
• Drinks
• Water
• Coffee at work
• More water ... 

And these are the rules I'm setting for myself:

• I will drink the coffee that's available at work, because it's purchased by work. Since 41 percent of SNAP folks have earnings (aka job[s]), I'm going to count myself in the 41 percent. 
• I will accept the free lunch provided to me on Tuesday as part of our monthly staff meeting, for the same reason above. 
• I will accept invitations out for Shabbat next Friday/Saturday. 
• I will not be making/eating gluten-free challah. There's no way the costs will fit into the SNAP Budget, and I'll have to go without. Same goes with wine/grape juice if I end up staying in. 

Grocery shopping will commence some time tomorrow. I'm considering just making everything tomorrow and Monday and going from there. I hate leftovers -- I prefer to eat things fresh -- but being a single gal and doing this challenge necessitates rocking out a one-time cooking extravaganza and feeding myself the rest of the week on its leftovers. 

Wish me luck!

Eating on a Budget: The Rewind

I really need to start thinking about this SNAP Challenge. Why? Well, Susie over at Daily Cheapskate already has her budget breakdown in mind. She's going to rock 30% on protein and 20% on fruits and veggies, with the rest going to odds and ends.

For me -- the kosher, gluten-free ovo-vegetarian -- my budget will probably look something like 50% fruits and veggies, 20% grains, and 20% protein (eggs) and other odds and ends. Of course, I haven't sat down and actually figured out what I'm planning on making, and it's already Wednesday. This could be a problem. 

The challenge for we three (Susie, Mara, and me) begins on Monday and ends on July 22. If only the challenge could have started on Sunday! I'm getting free meals for part of that day as part of an organizational retreat. D'oh. Okay, so let's get discussing.

There are certain things that I buy every week by default and end up making a few nights a week.

• One bunch kale -- this will provide enough kale for a few meals for me. 
• One bag brown rice -- with the right spices and veggies, this will provide many meals. 
• One bag brown lentils -- I've got two words for you: BBQ lentils. OH YES. 
• Two yellow onions -- this'll last me a week, easy. 
• One bunch bananas -- should provide smoothies for me every morning.
• One loaf gluten-free bread -- one loaf should last me the whole week.
• One bag quinoa -- for breakfast, snacks, sides, you name it.

Then there are some things I'm not sure how to figure out price-wise. I might have to talk to the folks at Mazon and/or read the rules and regulations to see how this pans out. I know that condiments aren't considered in the $31.50 I'm allowed to spend, but ...

• Amazing Meal plain powder -- I use a scoop in a smoothie every morning. Should I price out by scoop? No receipt!
• Almond Nut Butter -- does this count as a condiment? 
• Almond milk -- I already have a container, but I don't have the receipt from CostCo in which I paid something like $7.99 for three cartons earlier this month. What do I do?
• Tomatoes -- what if my tomato plant magically turns all the tomatoes red and usable? How do I count THIS?

Okay, as I write all of this out I realize ... I need a plan. The morning smoothies might not be an option, especially with the price of the Amazing Meal powder I use. On Amazon it's $34.29 for a container that provides 15 servings. That's $2.28 a day, and I usually make the smoothie at least four days a week. That, right there, is $9.12 of my $31.50 budget. Yikes. 

And the coffee! I haven't even thought about the coffee or tea! Good sweet holy mother of ... 

See what stream-of-consciousness posting gets you? What my father would call a cluster[youknowtherest].

Stay tuned. I need to do some hardcore meal planning, folks. 

Big News: Aliyah + Saving Money

Well, okay, I did it: I've applied for aliyah (aka returning/moving to the land of milk and honey -- Israel!). Oy va voy. Big step, right? Huge step. We're talking Hulk-smash-style step! But guess what? I'm single, I'm happier than I've ever been in my memorable memory, and I'm ready to take this major step that I've been fantasizing about for many, many years.

Whoa. I'm moving to Israel. 

Hopefully by the end of the year. And when I get there, well, I'm praying that there are loads of my Twitter and blog friends at the airport to meet me. (I've always dreamed of being greeted with someone holding a sign with my name, and shockingly, it has yet to happen.) I'm hoping for a quick-and-easy transition into the workforce (or that my current employer will let me continue rocking out the work I'm doing until I find something and they find someone). Times of Israel is hiring a Social Media Manager, and, come on, I'm perfect for such a gig, right? Think they'll wait for me? And then, of course, there's finding my zivug and reuniting with the mishpacha I grew to know and love while back in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Of course, this is no easy thing for me. Well, I take that back. You guys know me, and you know how easy it is for me to pick up and relocate. I always bounce back -- financially and emotionally. Yes, I know Israel isn't like moving from the East Coast to the Rockies. There is a new language, new food, new economics, new hardships, new challenges. But guess what? That's life! You meet challenges everywhere you go, and I'm prepared to rock those challenges like a hurricane. (Catch that reference there? Oh yeah. I'm classy.)

Over the past few weeks my spending has all but ceased. I went to the grocery store one day and purchased some hot sauce and agave and veggies to make a salad for a Shabbat meal I was attending, but my extraneous spending has completely stopped. Go me! Oddly enough, most of the spending that goes on in my life is on groceries -- begin a gluten-free ovo-vegetarian isn't cheap. Organic veggies aren't always cheap. But I'm eating in-season, which lowers the costs immensely. (That means that if I can't get jicama, I can't get jicama, and I deal.)

So now -- the time of savings! -- is a perfect time to rock the SNAP Challenge by Mazon. Technically the challenge was for this week, but I'm going to attempt this challenge next week with bloggers Mara of Kosher on a Budget and Susie over at Daily Cheapskate. So what is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Challenge?

Participating in the SNAP Challenge is simple: eat for one week using only the amount of money you would have if you relied solely on SNAP to pay for your food. By taking the SNAP Challenge, you will directly experience the struggle that nearly 1 in 7 Americans – including nearly 25% of all American children – face every day. You will learn first-hand how difficult it is to afford nutritious foods, avoid hunger, and stay healthy without adequate resources.

We three blogging queens are going to give you an example of three types of typical American households: The Family of Five (Mara), The Couple (Susie), and The Single (me!). You'll get to see how the three of us cope with feeding our families and ourselves on a small budget. For me, that means one week at $31.50.

So the journey begins! Saving money, saving myself.