Day 0

So, Newark Mayor Corey Booker inspired me to to try this for a week. I know this isn't anything like having to live on food stamps but as an out of work teacher who is working as a substitute, it's a reminder that things could be FAR worse for me. A little background, I am the first born son of a Teacher and a city planner. I don't remember ever going hungry, even when I learned later that times were leaner then they could have been. My parents had a garden and I fondly remember the produce for it and several fruit trees as a child. I am eschewing anything I canned or grew in my garden over the summer during this week because I know having access to that land is a privilege that not everyone has. This means no homemade sauce for the pasta I bought, the zucchini I canned, or the dill pickles I made in July when things were plentiful. My reasoning is that not everyone has the time to grow or can food and this felt like a way to bend the "rules" to me.
     I went to the store (one in my area that accepts SNAP coupons) this afternoon and ended up using 28.42 of my California average 37.44 for a single person, for a week on food stamps. I purposely held some money in reserve after reading parts of Mr. Booker's blog and Twitter posters so if I needed I could get coffee or a protein source or whatever is needed.
     Here is an accounting of my receipt, though I should mention the fish was discounted due to being about to expire (I froze it for later use).
12 oz. Snapper, fresh
1 package variety turkey breast9 oz
1 dozen eggs
1 head romaine lettuce 11 1/2 oz
1 lb black eyed peas
 2 lb brown rice
12 oz pasta
1 lb black beans
1 lb kidney beans
2 5 oz cans of tuna
15.25 oz can corn
2 14.5 oz green beans
2 15 oz cans beets
2 lbs russet potatoes
I must say that even just shopping for these food items was a challenge because I wanted some green olives and carrots for snacks, as well as salad dressing and a large "family size" can of soup for my week but ended up changing my mind because of quantity over quality.
I will try and keep you up to date on how this goes along with how I feel keeping a regular schedule which includes work when I get called, going to the gym, and regular housework that needs to be done.