Food Stamps Challenge, Canadian Edition!

Hello again!  It's been about a year since I've posted on this blog but I've found something inspiring to write about here.  Like my last series on reviewing food while stoned, it does involve food, but less... and not as expensive or appetizing.  This week, starting tomorrow, I will undertake the Food Stamps Challenge.  I decided to do this after watching Dose of Buckley's video concerning Gwyneth Paltrow's attempt at the Food Stamps Challenge.

If you would like to watch it, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLjRf8wcvPo

(This image is created by Rob Rogers and it belongs to Rob Rogers. 

Source: http://robrogers.com/2013/09/10/food-stamps/)

Looking at Paltrow's blog (http://goop.com/my-29-food-stamp-challenge-and-the-recipes-brouhaha-that-ensued/) it seems like she did actually try to do the challenge or she at least had her staff try to do it, but midway through the challenge she was found eating at an expensive restaurant and she admitted that she failed after 4 days.  Whether her tastes were too expensive (or healthy, which is expensive as well) or she understandably had trouble feeding herself and her two children, she did try and she did make a donation to the food bank so I can respect that.  Not to mention the fact that she did raise some awareness and people are at least talking about the issue.

However, as a Canadian, twenty-something and former college student I am not above things like Kraft Dinner, ramen and canned food!  Therefore, I accept the challenge that no one challenged me to!

What I hope to gain from this is an understanding of budgeting and what it is like to live on just the essentials (no coffee, alcohol or expensive condiments like Parmesan cheese or olive oil - my bread and butter) and, admittedly, I wonder if I will lose any weight from this as it is a rather drastic lifestyle change.  Since I'm only one person, I'm hopeful that the food will last me a week, but I won't rule out the possibility that I'll run out.  Honestly, the most offensive thing about Gwyneth's food stamps challenge was the fact that she blew money on an avocado and 7 limes!  So I hope to be a bit more strategic when I am spending; no drinks, no unnecessary condiments or overly expensive items, etc.

Because I am Canadian, I have converted the $29 allotted for the challenge to Canadian currency (so it's fair), which adds up to $35.25.  I also will include reasonable things as freebies; spices, salt, cooking spray and water because those are one or two times a year types of purchases.  You might wonder why I don't follow the food stamps budget of my own country, but we don't have a program like that.  In Canada, the homeless or financially disadvantaged only rely on welfare and various food banks so I have decided to see what it is like to survive as an American living on food stamps.

I went shopping at No Frills this evening and tomorrow I will show you what I got for $35.  See you then!