Wait...what???
$4 per person per day for a family of 4 is $112 a week. That is $448 a month! Poverty? Really?
Mind you, Ike and I are very frugal. I make almost all our meals from scratch. We price match and shop sales. Overall, I do not feel like we go hungry at all or that we are undernourished or underfed. I spend $280 a month on groceries for my family of 4. Out of that comes not only all of our food, but also all our household products and baby formula AND diapers. The funny thing about this article is that it says people in their idea of "poverty" are also supplementing their food budget with food stamps, which we are not. So all in all, if $4 per person per day is poverty, what does that make me? Destitute? Practically homeless? The social equivalent of a leper in biblical times?
Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to say that there isn't poverty in America or that childhood hunger isn't an issue that is very sad and serious. All I am saying is that if $448 a month on food is considered "poverty" in America, I think there is something wrong in our society.
Peter quickly learned that certain regular grocery purchases became impossible. The family still ate proper meals -- no one went to hungry -- but while beans, rice, vegetable-laden stews, and homemade pizza were inexpensive and easy to prepare ("Especially if you skimp on the cheese," he says) other family favorites -- like raspberries, seafood, slow-cooked brisket, special desserts, and anything with a brand name -- were out.
Heaven forbid us average Americans can't have our slow-cooked brisket.
it's so true. People think that if they can't spend $1000 + /month in food (making eating out possible) that they are poor and starving. You should re-write that article for how it really is. It takes work to live frugally. And honestly, who really misses out on "slow-cooked brisket"? they probably couldn't even prepare it themselves. (not that I've ever made it OR even tried it)
ReplyDeleteAmen, Sister! I totally agree with this. What's the incentive to work for yourself and be frugal when you can just go on food stamps and have like three times the grocery budget? Also, I thought I was good at grocery shopping and budgeting, but the fact that you have two kids and that diapers are included in that budget is amazing. I commend you.
ReplyDeleteThat's shocking. I mean, is that what "most" Americans consider "poverty"??? If I was spending over 400$ a month on groceries, I'd be feeling pretty rich, actually haha
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