Food Stamp Challenge: Grocery Shopping

I went grocery shopping Friday night, armed with research from my fellow challengers of the past, outlining purchasing and saving strategies.  I most notably discovered that chicken is the cheapest source of meat/protein, and that you shouldn't be afraid of leftovers to stretch your budget.  Considering I love chicken and a I grew up in a very fiscally minded family (read: fridge is full of leftovers), I didn't think this shopping/eating experience would be that difficult.

Until I got to the canned chicken isle. 

Canned chicken?  My grandpa is a farmer and I grew up in rural Ohio, so I have seen chickens all the way from chicken coop to church chicken BBQ.  But in a can? It just seems wrong.  I opted for chicken in an airtight, sealed bag, which seemed less unnatural to me than canned chicken.  Lesson 1: Exploring different packaging options is important in saving money.  Especially if I am just shopping for myself, I can't buy expensive fresh chicken or a big bag or frozen chicken breasts as I usually would. 

From the bagged/canned chicken aisle I grabbed some Taco seasoning and tortillas.  I couldn't pass up Ramen, at 18 cents a packet, as it seems like the quintessential cheap food purchase.  Planning for breakfast, I grabbed a half carton of eggs, and decided an onion would supplement my chicken tacos AND my eggs wonderfully.  After navigating the "peeled onions" (how nice of them! how expensive of them!) and avoiding the ever sneaky organic labels, I found a cheap white onion.  Off to the checkout to see how I did, purchasing enough food for two days.  Lesson 2: Purchasing taste boosters like Taco seasoning and onions will drastically help improve cheap food quality.

This is a pseudo-challenge for me, considering I already use the Ohio Direction Card (aka SNAP, aka food assistance, aka food stamps).  It is a work SUPPORT program and food ASSISTANCE, so I'm not always constrained to the 3 dollars a day regulation.  I use it, as hopefully others do, as a leg up to self-sufficiency during my time of low wage employment.

It also helps (at least at Kroger) to bring your own bag.  I believe it's a 3 cent credit on your total.  I have a couple big bags from Kohls that I keep in my car and use whenever I shop.

With my Kroger card discount, I totaled out at 6.46.  That's a little over my budget for two days...

It all evened out in the end, as I got a meal Saturday afternoon at the Lifting the Families Back to School Event.  I was working this event with a volunteer who is on cash assistance, meaning he is earning 50% or below the FPIG.  I told him about the food stamp challenge, and we both concluded as people on strained budgets, that we would accept free food whenever we got the chance.  I guess that's not part of the official challenge, but I think letting go of pride and being creative in ways to attain food is a part of the challenge in any capacity.  Lesson 3: Know when to follow rules and when to bend them, especially when free hot dogs and cookies are involved.

See my latest post to view how I cooked what I bought!