Prominent politicians dine on $4.50 a day

[The Backlash Cometh]

They make a comfortable $174,000 a year. But in recent days, each spent just $4.50 a day on food — and found out it wasn't too easy.

Lunch one day last week for U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz D-Weston, was a tuna sandwich, an apple and tap water.

U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch D-Boca Raton, took the challenge two weeks ago. "I bought a cup of coffee at a meeting one morning, which left me enough to have ramen noodles at lunch. And just enough money for macaroni and cheese for dinner."

Another day, his daughter's school had a blood drive. "I was thrilled that I could have a free doughnut just by giving blood."

There's a political point, of course. Wasserman Schultz and Deutch were among the 13 members of Congress – out of 435 – who took the "food stamp challenge aimed at showing what it's like to live on what the government program provides people who need food assistance.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/fl-food-stamp-diet-congress-20111113,0,301359.story

[Brickbat]

1. TAP WATER? Quelle horreur!

[RC]

2. Tap water is my staple liquid.

I even bathing it. Not first though.

[jtrockville]

16. If you're in an area that's being fracked, this really could be dangerous.

The fracking chemicals that we do know about are pretty toxic. And that's just the ones they'll tell us about. Many fracking chemicals are "trade secrets" so they're not disclosed.

[MineralMan]

3. Lunch one day last week for U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz D-Weston, was a tuna sandwich, an app

Sounds like an excellent lunch to me. Of course, the tuna had some mercury in it and may contribute to the depletion of the tuna in the ocean. Who knows what was sprayed on that apple, too. And the tap water? Oh, the howwow!

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Too bad there's no way to force the remaining 422 to do the same.

[sammytko]

5. This is so ridiculous

First of all, you would bring your own coffe and would be able to make more than one sandwich if you bought the tuna and fixings.

And how about buying a pound of rice for the same price of a box of macaroni and cheese. that rice will last a long time.

[PearliePoo2]

6. Tuna sandwich and an apple?

Well, if she made the sandwich herself....maybe.
Let's see, loaf of bread 2 bucks for cheap stuff, mayo @couple bucks, can of tuna 1 buck, apple @.99 lb.
She'd have to eat the tuna sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner to keep within that $4.50.
And that can of tuna would be spread pretty darn thin on 3 sandwiches.
But good for the 13 taking the challenge.
The entire Congress should be required to do this for two weeks minimum.
($4.50 a day wouldn't even keep "Boner" in olives for his martinis)
K&R

[sammytko]

7. I get four big sandwiches from one can of tuna

I do add 2 jumbo boiled eggs. I use tuna packed in olive oil - the Starkist brand. Tried the imported stuff, and since I;m just a peon from s. texas, it did not agree with me. I grew up on starkist, so starkist it is. Also with the olive oil, not as much mayo needed. I use Dukes. Add some sour pickles and maybe some apples and good to go. Toast the bread!

[shraby]

8. Where do you find a CAN of tuna that isn't more like soup?

[sammytko]

11. The Starkist packed in olive oil is not soupy

I can buy it for less than a dollar at HEB - san antonio area chain supermarket

[PearliePoo2]

9. Yeah...any decent tuna san has to have some dill pickles

and diced onions too. The cost goes up though.

[itsrobert]

12. So people throw out what they don't use? I don't think so.

Does the government only give you $4.50 each day or do they give it out over a month so you don't have to buy single slices of bread, etc.

4.50 x 30 = $135

2 bucks for 20 slices of bread = 10 sandwiches
2 bucks for Mayo = Good for 40 sandwiches
1 buck for a can of tuna = 2 sandwiches



For 40 tuna sandwiches it would cost
8 bucks for bread
2 bucks for may
20 bucks for tuna

$30 for 40 sandwiches. That's 75 cents a day with one tuna sandwich a day. If you can squeeze 3 sandwiches out of a can, than the price is lower.

That covers 40 days.
$4.50 x 40 = 180
180 - 30 (for 40 days of Tuna Fish sandwiches) = $150 left

Moving on to apples. At 4 oz an apple that's 4 apples for 99 cents
so round it to $1.00
So that $10.00 for 40 apples

So now the total for lunch for 40 days is $40, that leaves $140 for breakfast/dinner

[sammytko]

13. That is why this "experiment" is so bogus

I can afford to spend $1000 a month on food if I wanted to, but I don't. I try to get the best bargains and I do not even look at prepared or packaged foods. That includes boxes of macaroni and cheese - if you break down the cost of real mac and cheese, the boxed stuff is expensive.

I know, I know - some people don't have refrigerators etc, but the 4.50 is called a supplement for a reason. Even in my very small town, we have places that give out free in season veggies and baked goods- to ANYONE.

[formercia]

18. Just a wake-up

These people don't have a clue how to shop and cut costs because they don't have to.

It's a lot easier to adapt to being poor if you're already there.

At least they're trying.

[PearliePoo2]

14. Nice work!

Not sure how food cards/stamps are distributed...someone will know though. Monthly, weekly, daily?
That diet may not be too bad....protein..fruit, carbs. Adding some rice is always good.
PS...I didn't say people throw food out...you did. Be nice.

[sammytko]

15. Here in Tx, they have the Lone Star card and WIC

Lone Star is for food and is filled monthly. The WIC is for moms and babies under two - I think. That gives them milk, cereal, cheese, juice free. Its a different program and more qualify for that than food stamps.

[Gormy Cuss]

19. Federal food assistance is loaded monthly to an EBT card.

The one week experiment isn't real world conditions for a recipient but it's meant to give the legislators a taste of what's it like to live on such a limited food budget. What the legislators quoted in the OP link are saying is that it's not easy, that it requires thinking about and planning every purchase to maximize the food value on a restrictive budget. That's all true for the real recipients.

[sammytko]

20. I just ate the last of the cheese enchiladas and mexican rice I made Friday night

That meal fed us at least 3 times.

I was going to go grab a burger at the school cafe before class, but that saved me 6.50 for the burger and 1.75 for the drink. Which makes me wonder where she bought her tuna sandwich - at the congressional dining hall?

[Gormy Cuss]

21. It doesn't say that she bought her sandwich.

It says only that she had a sandwich and apple for lunch.

[sammytko]

22. At least Rep Fudge tweeted about eating leftovers!

http://fightingpovertywithfaith.com/f2/actiontoolkits/food-stamp-challenge3/

RT @marciafudge: Tuesday's meals for #foodstampchallenge #SNAP: Banana for bfast. Lunch & dinner: leftover chicken w/ cooked cabbage & kale about 5 days ago from web ReplyRetweetFavorite

[tech3149]

10. The telling fact is those that didn't even try

I quit working back in 2002 and managed to live on $11K a year, and that includes a large budget for liquor, I didn't starve, paid my rent and utilities. I would vote for anyone as a representative who was willing to live on a subsistence budget.
For those that think that they need or deserve $174K for working half the year, they can kiss my pasty white butt.

JGH

[AllyCat]

17. Only 13 even dared to try it? Kudos to the brave 13. To the rest...

...you are all a bunch of chicken $hits. But of course, the people on food stamps are just whoopin' it up on the taxpayer dime, right?

[Downwinder]

23. They won't take my blood.

[sammytko]

24. good article on living on the supplement = 33.34+20.52= 53.86 ea/wk

http://money.msn.com/saving-money/three-meals-plus-snacks-for-4-dollars-a-day-freedman.aspx

You're not doomed to live on ramen, either. To prove it, my editor proposed a 14-day grocery experiment with a budget of $53.86 per week: the average Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly called food stamps) benefit of $33.34 per person per week plus $20.52 for the 9.8% of net income that the average American spends on food; in this case, the income is 130% of the federal poverty line, the level that qualifies a person for SNAP