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| Kate's groceries for the week. |
This week, as part of
Hunger Action Month, Greater Chicago Food Depository Executive Director and CEO
Kate Maehr is taking the SNAP Challenge. She is eating on just $35 worth of food for seven days – the average weekly benefit for an individual
using SNAP in Illinois. Kate will share her thoughts and experiences as she
continues through the Challenge.
On Saturday, I went grocery shopping for my SNAP Challenge
week, armed with my menu plan and a shopping list. I’ve learned from past SNAP Challenges that you need to buy your necessities first. If you have money to spare, you can swing back
to the fresh produce, deli and other perishables that many of us take for
granted.
I spent
almost double the amount of time I usually do in the store. Between the back tracking and checking
the shelves closely for the best price and then tallying the price, it takes
extra time. I was at a store that uses a shopper “preferred” card. I was able to use that card to take advantage
of sales, but you quickly realize that sales or “best buys” can be out of reach
because of their size. For instance, I
saw a bulk pack of chicken thighs on sale for $9. The package was double the
size of the one I ultimately bought for $6.
I didn’t have the $3 to spare.
At the
checkout counter, the strawberry jelly I had purchased as my last “splurge”
item didn’t ring up for the sale price I was certain it was supposed to
be. And because of that, my total was
$35.40. I asked the checkout clerk about
the sale price and she explained the sign on the shelf might have been
wrong. So, I had to have her take the
jelly off. Total bill = $32.24. I’m hoping
today I can stop by a store and find a small jar of jelly for less than $2.76.
I took my food
home and I was already wondering how it was going to last me the entire week. I
felt worn out just from the process of grocery shopping on such a tight budget,
and I hadn’t even started the Challenge yet!
On Sunday,
the Challenge began. I had toast with peanut butter and a glass of water for
breakfast. By the time I had a can of soup and hardboiled egg for lunch, I was
already feeling hungry and fatigued. It could be the lack of caffeine – I
couldn’t afford coffee. For dinner, I had two chicken thighs, frozen broccoli
and white rice for dinner.
I know this
week isn’t going to be easy, but this is something that the 860,670 food
insecure individuals in our community struggle with on a daily basis. I look
forward to sharing my thoughts and experiences with you as the Challenge
continues.
-Kate
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