Rules and Exceptions

Here are the official food stamp challenge guidelines:

1. Each person should spend a set amount for food and beverages during the Challenge week. That amount is $29.07 for all food and beverage for the week.
2. All food purchased and eaten during the Challenge week, including fast food and dining out, must be included in the total spending.
3. During the Challenge, only eat food that you purchase for the project. Do not eat food that you already own (this does not include spices and condiments).
4. Avoid accepting free food from friends, family, or at work, including at receptions, briefings, or other events where food is served.
5. Keep track of receipts on food spending and take note of your experiences throughout the week.
6. Invite others to join you, including co-workers, reporters, chefs, or other elected officials.

Source: “Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice Invites You to Take the Food Stamp Challenge!” http://wisconsinfaithvoicesforjustice.org/Food-Stamp-Challenge.php

In fact, I’m planning to do a few things differently.

First, a person using SNAP benefits would be unlikely to have amassed our current collection of spices. So I’m going to try to limit the use of our existing spices and condiments to salt and pepper—and maybe ketchup for the kids.

Second, it would be unfair to expect our children not to partake in the classroom snacks at school.

For our son’s preschool, families take turns buying the weekly snack groceries. I estimate that the items typically can be purchased for roughly $20 to $25 and that we provide snack about 2 times per school year. As an approximation of our weekly contribution, I will subtract $1 from our food allowance for his snacks.

Snacks for our daughter’s elementary school class are provided on a less formal basis. Parents contribute snack items whenever they want to (if they can), and when supplies are getting low, the teacher sends home a note requesting more. To contribute our fair share, I will try to purchase one snack item within our budget this week.

The related question of school lunches is open to debate. Some buy school lunch outside of the challenge budget under the logic that households receiving SNAP benefits would also be eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. In our case, I’m going to include our daughter’s homemade school lunches in the challenge budget because (a) it’s not her usual routine to buy hot lunch every day, (b) I believe the lunches we pack are generally healthier than the school lunches, and (c) I have to pack our son’s lunches anyway.

Finally, I’m going to keep track of how much time I spend on feeding our family this week, apart from blogging about it. I have a feeling the total time will be much greater than someone living on a minimum-wage job (or jobs) would have available. I’m also going to note whenever I do food-related tasks at times of the day that are convenient for me but would likely be impossible for others.

One more note: Participants are also advised to donate the difference between the challenge budget and their typical weekly grocery spending to a hunger-related organization. We will be donating ours to Second Harvest.

  

What do you think of the guidelines and my variations on them? And more importantly, will you join us in the challenge?