Can you really eat for 21 dollars a week?

This blog is based on the idea of feeding yourself for 21 dollars a week or about a dollar per meal. It came about due to a lot of talk on facebook, in person, and in the media about the idea that no one can really eat for that much a week. When my older son talks about this topic with people, they are always saying no way can it done, it would have to be a miracle, his answer was well then I guess my mom has been doing miracles my whole life. 

That 21 dollars a week per person  is our food budget for the week per person so for us that is 126 a week or 252 per shopping week as we shop every two weeks, or 504 dollars per month.  We are a family of 6 here at home still, but used to be a family of 8 eating within the same food budget and some nights still feed 8. It is doable and you can eat well for that amount.

 *But please be aware that in the US food costs can vary greatly by region, some things that are inexpensive for me in my area might cost more in yours and vice versa.*

For comparison if a family our size received a full SNAP amount we would get 900 dollars a month, per the government's Thrifty Plan we should spend about 1,013.84 a month on food. When I see these numbers I laugh it would be great to be able to spend that amount on food but our budget does not allow for it.


 Who Are We:


We are a middle class family living in Central New York composed of Dad, Mom, 2 teen boys, 1 teen girl and 1 little boy, we also have 2 young adult children who stop in now and then. We have two incomes my husband's pay covers the house bills, gas for the cars, health insurance and savings. My part-time job covers the food budget and kid expenses ( like trips, clothes, shoes), and animal and household supplies.  I make about over the course of a year about 186 a week or 372 a pay period. 

My budget is 252 for food, and what is left covers the rest which varies pay period by pay period as I only get paid if I work. But on average about 120 a pay period gets put away for non human food budget items. 

But It's Only 21 dollars:

But please don't think of it as 21 dollars a week for food, it is better to think 90 dollars a month, 1,092  year. As some food you buy in the summer you are not eating till winter.

 If you are a single person living alone and make a banana bread for example even though the cost happens at once you are not eating it all at once, you take the bread cut it into slices and freeze eating it over the course of a month or two.

Which is my biggest pet peeve with the lawmakers and others who try to live on a food stamp budget of 4.00 a day for a week to show that it can't be done, is that they only do it for a week. Do it for a month, two months and you will see that you can do it.

I hope to be able to offer idea's for eating within a budget, how to shop, make a list, and prepare food. All things that as a result of those conversations with others seem to be a need that needs to be met.