Has anyone done the $29/week food stamp challenge?

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queenbellevue

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So, Gwyneth Paltrow (sp?) recently had a somewhat controversial go at this challenge and failed. I'll stay away from the politics here and just ask if anyone here's done it? What were your results?
 
Oh I did hear about Gwyneth Paltrow saying she was going to try to live on $29 of food a week - but I didn't know it had to do with the amount of money given for food stamps, or that she failed. I thought it had to do with her crazy elitist attitude and website full of ridiculously overpriced merchandise, and how she was going to prove she could be a commoner too! I do like her very much but in a way can't be trusted when it has to do with elitist views. I think it is very possible to live on $29 of food a week. I haven't tried it myself but I would if it didn't mean I'd have to solely be living off carbs.
 
Well, $29 is worth £19 here in the UK and I could probably do that - although I admit that it would end up being quite carb heavy. It's certainly possible though.
 
Well if it is a £19 a week per person, then going by the fact that we normally only spend £200 per month between the 2 of us at a higher end supermarket in the UK (Waitrose)... that is roughly £40-50 a week between the 2 of us, including cleaning products, toiletries etc I can't see that it would be particularly difficult. Is it meant to include things like toilet paper, washing up liquid, washing powder etc, because my £200 per month does.
 
with a full larder of herbs and spices etc like the programme ready steady cook ,i don't see why not,a bit of foraging,even a day with a fishing road or gun
 
I hadn't heard of it until the internet was abuzz with news that Gwyneth Paltrow had failed. Well or course she did, she shops at Whole Foods.
 
LittleLilly said:
I hadn't heard of it until the internet was abuzz with news that Gwyneth Paltrow had failed. Well or course she did, she shops at Whole Foods.
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Yeah, I don't think she really *tried* that hard, but the point is to raise awareness, and she did accomplish that.
 
LittleLilly said:
I hadn't heard of it until the internet was abuzz with news that Gwyneth Paltrow had failed. Well or course she did, she shops at Whole Foods.
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lol she probably did shop at Whole Foods for the challenge! Lol, and if she did, it should be a sign how Whole Foods is ripping off customers, versus the government not providing enough food stamp money.
 
Whole Foods Market is whole paycheck market! There is no way anyone could live off of $29 a week and shop that store. I had not heard of this challenge before reading this thread, and it does not shock me in the least that Gweneth could not do it, they spend that much on an appetizer at a restaurant!
 
I do think that 'celebs' should keep their noses out of other peoples lives, she doesn't know what it is like to live on a budget, pay bills and feed her kids. She will never experience the reality, it is the same as those who spend time sleeping rough to raise awareness, great but afterwards they go back to their centrally heated home, hot and cold running water on tap and a fridge full of food. Patronising to those who genuinely have money issues. Rant over.
 
Lullabelle said:
I do think that 'celebs' should keep their noses out of other peoples lives, she doesn't know what it is like to live on a budget, pay bills and feed her kids. She will never experience the reality, it is the same as those who spend time sleeping rough to raise awareness, great but afterwards they go back to their centrally heated home, hot and cold running water on tap and a fridge full of food. Patronising to those who genuinely have money issues. Rant over.
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I mean, she has good intentions though. Would you prefer she do nothing at all? The more celebs raise awareness, the more the public will listen and THAT will change policy.
 
She could still raise awareness to the situation and maybe do something even more memorable like sponsor a family and purchase them a months worth of groceries or something. I would remember her more for that than her trying to act like a person of limited means.
 
DIna00 said:
Oh I did hear about Gwyneth Paltrow saying she was going to try to live on $29 of food a week - but I didn't know it had to do with the amount of money given for food stamps, or that she failed. I thought it had to do with her crazy elitist attitude and website full of ridiculously overpriced merchandise, and how she was going to prove she could be a commoner too! I do like her very much but in a way can't be trusted when it has to do with elitist views. I think it is very possible to live on $29 of food a week. I haven't tried it myself but I would if it didn't mean I'd have to solely be living off carbs.
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I haven't had food stamps, but I'll probably be getting on them in the next week or so. Now that I've moved and am in a house where someone else isn't getting them and taking the food to a different house. I got on to them a million times for that but ultimately it was their place and their food. Anyway, it's entirely possible to live on $29 a month of food if you know where or how to shop well and live on your own. You'd have to get used to having the same food like a pot of meatless gumbo for a few days at a time, but it's doable. I'd done it for nearly two years. $29 a week? If I had that, I'd of used it to make meals that could last two days each. There's no such thing as leftovers!
 
I can spend $29 a week for food and be very happy. I do not eat a lot of meat, I love fruit and vegetables and beans which do not cost alot. If a person is aware of what they are eating they may be surprised to realize they eat alot of junk and prepared food, which will cost more money.
 
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