Blogger gets a taste of food insecurity (video)
Written by Heather Shue, blogger at Simply Save | Republished with permission from simplysavemn.com
Editor’s Note: Heather participated in our Salvation Army grocery challenge as part of Minnesota FoodShare Month. Our goal: To shed light on how far a dollar can be stretched when donated to our food programs due to partnerships that allow us to purchase grocery items at a discounted rate. We did this by going head-to-head with savvy, penny pinchers like Heather to discover how our discount partnerships, not available to the public, stack up to the use of the best personal savings techniques. Here is the blog Heather wrote about her experience.
(Watch video) – Last December I had the opportunity to participate in “Celebrity Day” and ring bells for the Salvation Army, so I was excited when they wanted to work together again! Last month, they reached out with a unique challenge to promote Minnesota Food Share Month in March. They gave me a $30 debit card and sent me on a grocery challenge.
My mission:
- Feed a family of four for two days
- Must be healthy meals
- One dinner must include meat
- Shop at as many places as I chose
Guys, I was nervous: 1) I know nothing about feeding a family. 2:=) I know nothing about eating healthy. 3) I’ve never been one to extreme coupon, shop at multiple grocery stores, compare prices, or meal plan. I’m not against those things; I’ve just never committed the time to them and generally buy everything at Target. 4) I was terrified I’d fail, the family would starve, and I’d be mortified.
That being said, I learned a lot. And I had a ton of fun.
Game Plan
Browse Ads
Clip Coupons
Meal Plan
Compare Prices
Shopping Strategy
My method at Aldi was simple: Find the item on my list and buy the least expensive, yet still quality, choice. For example, fruit. I wanted fruit to go in the lunches, so I looked at the options and went with the apples that were on special. Peanut butter – I went with the cheapest of the options. And so on (except meat). If it’s not something I would eat, I didn’t feel right donating it to someone else, so I didn’t go with the cheapest option.
Aldi ended up having everything I needed, except eggs would have been cheaper at Cub. I didn’t feel like running to Cub just for eggs, but looking back I kind of wish I would have.
My Results
Out of the $30, I spent $20.80 to feed a family of four healthy meals for two days. (You can feed a family right now too, when you donate online.) If I’d have gone to Cub for the eggs, I could say I did it for less than $20. I was shocked. I’d been so worried that I couldn’t do it, and I definitely wasn’t expecting the total to be that low. I kept recalculating and sorting my groceries into their meal groups to be sure nothing was missed.
The Meals
Breakfast
- Milk
- Eggs
- Bananas
- Toast
Lunch
- Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches
- Crackers
- Apples
- Water
Dinner 1
- Chicken
- Rice
- Corn
- Milk or water
Dinner 2
- Pasta with sauce
- Green beans
- Milk or water
The goal was to spend as little as possible of the $30, otherwise I’d have also purchased snack options.
I should add that Aldi doesn’t really do coupons as far as I’ve heard. So I didn’t use a single coupon or app. (If I were shopping at Target, I’d have used around 3 different apps for my savings.)
Lessons Learned
Not only was this challenge fun, but I really learned a lot. I took notes when I came home. I was so inspired! I’ve also changed some of my grocery habits as a result.
The Time Commitment
Families Need a Lot of Food
Aldi is Awesome
You do have to be prepared for Aldi shopping though. They have low prices because they cut costs in other places. You need to bring a quarter to get your cart and when you return your cart you get your quarter back. (So they’re not paying for a cart guy.) You have to bring your own bag or pay for bags there. (There are lots of other great reasons to bring your own bags when you shop.) Also, they are extremely efficient at the register! It helps to watch the person ahead of you. You also need to be open-minded about trying different brands because you’ll seldom see familiar brands there. Everything I’ve tried so far has been delicious and rumor has it they’re owned by the same company that owns Trader Joe’s!
You Can Eat Healthy On a Budget
I couldn’t believe how far you could stretch a buck in general. I was extremely worried about running out of money in this challenge and was shocked to see everything I could buy for just over $20. I go to Target for the convenience and although I’m thrifty, it’s not actually the cheapest option. I’ve started making Aldi part of my weekly routine to buy staples and am trying different items there to see what I like.
Biggest Lesson: Be Grateful
This was the biggest lesson. Having only $30 to buy all the items in my meal plan made me very worried and anxious. This food was actually going to be donated. The anxiety started immediately and was there through all the planning and shopping. Every time I put an item in my cart, I jotted down the price. I also jotted down multiple prices of similar items, so I could make a final decision. I walked slowly around the store, my mind working in overdrive as I assessed options and mentally calculated prices. I changed my mind several times.
The most stressful and anxious moment was when I stood in the back of the store and calculated my total. Would I have enough? I don’t know this family of four, but I knew that this food would really be donated. I felt like people were depending on me. (And heck, I’m supposed to be a frugal blogger right?) I felt a huge wave of relief wash over me when I saw the final $20.80 total.
This was just pretend for me, but this is everyday life for some. The constant worry and anxiety. Will I have enough to feed my family? The feeling of having to put items back or not have enough money at the checkout. This is food insecurity, folks, and many people experience it.
This challenge really put a lot into perspective for me. I am so grateful for what I have. I am thrifty with my groceries by choice which is very different from being thrifty because you have no other way to feed your family. It reminded me that it’s important to give. Organizations like The Salvation Army have extra connections and programs to really stretch your dollars, so if you donate to them directly the money will go farther than if you buy food and donate it yourself. (Which is still helpful!) I also enjoy giving time by volunteering at places like Second Harvest Heartland. It’s fun, free, and makes a difference!
Video
I’m so glad I was able to participate in this challenge. It felt good to be frugal for a purpose, and I learned a lot. Lisa of Twin Cities Frugal Mom also participated. See my video below.
Hungry to make a difference too? Satisfy your appetite to help by supporting The Salvation Army during Minnesota FoodShare’s March Campaign.