I spent $7 a day on food for a month --in NYC

[rcjordan]

/* related to the 'middleclass' & 'impulse buying' threads */

I fed myself on about $50 a week, or $7 a day, and still managed to eat good, balanced meals. Not bad considering $7 in New York City will get you half a meal at any standard restaurant or one drink during happy hour.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/23/i-spent-7-a-day-on-food-for-a-month-here-are-my-top-3-savings-tips.html

[littleman]

A few years back my family took the $1.50/day challenge, where the total cost of food for a day couldn't be more than $1.50 per person per day.  I was left out of the event due to my specialized diet, but we did the math and my total cost of food was under $3/day with no starchy foods.

Anyway, it was fairly easy for them to eat nutritiously with planning and careful buying of products.  There was a lot of rice, potatoes and beans, but there was also fruit, vegetables and some meat.

I bet I am still about $3 on most days.

[littleman]

I did the math and it looks like we're doing $4.28/day/person right now.

[littleman]

I just watched the video and the young lady did ok for someone who doesn't know how to cook, she could have cut the cost quite a bit if she bought in bulk and cooked her own chicken.  It looks like she bought pre-cooked broccoli, which probably ate into her budget.

[ergophobe]

There are two big problems for many poor people trying to implement those strategies.

1. When they interview mothers, they are afraid to buy nutritious food for their kids (broccoli), because if their kids don't like it, they can't afford to replace it. Wealthier moms never think about this and see it as virtuous to expose their kids to food and, perhaps, throw a bunch away.
(another tidbit from "Sum of Small Things")

2. A lot of poor people can't afford a place with a kitchen (one of Barbara Ehrenreich's "ah has" in Nickled and Dimed).