2008 Woodie Awards
$3.13 Challenge closes wallets, opens eyes
Erica Brien
Issue date: 11/25/08 Section: News
I spent about 30 seconds in the fresh vegetable section of the grocery store. I stared at the fresh, big, red apples for about 25 seconds before quickly glancing at the price and turning away. It didn't take me long to realize that fresh vegetables and fruits weren't going to be part of my diet. They're far too expensive.
Last week I participated in the $3.13 challenge put on by the Discovery Program at UNH which challenges members of the UNH community to eat as healthy as possible while only spending $3.13 a day on food, which comes to $21.91 a week. The amount of $3.13 represents the amount of money an individual is usually allotted each day as part of the Supplement Food Assistance Program (SNAP), also formerly known as food stamps.
The goal of the challenge isn't to prove the amount of money allotted for SNAP should be increased, according to Joanne Burke, a clinical assistant professor at UNH and director of the $3.13 challenge, but to show how people need to be paid workable, living wages.
Burke said Food Stamps were never designed to cover the entire food bill, but only 70 percent of it. Because of low working wages and a tough economy, many people today can't afford to pay the other 30 percent.
In an essay Burke wrote on poverty in America entitled "Poverty and Plenty: The Divided American Plate," she wrote that the number of Americans earning wages that don't cover basic living expenses is increasing, and close to 25 percent of Americans are employed in jobs that won't lift a family out of poverty. These are the problems the $3.13 challenge set out to address, said Burke.
I decided to buy $21.91 worth of food with the hope that it would last me the week. I walked around the grocery store with a calculator, adding up every single item I placed into my cart. I had put myself in the mindset I really couldn't afford to spend a penny more than the amount I was allotted to spend.
I walked over to the dairy section of the grocery store, and without hesitation, I grabbed a gallon of vanilla soy milk, my favorite, plugged the price into my calculator and frowned. $3.69. I put it back, grabbed a half-gallon of Hannaford skim milk, and placed it in my cart. To me, milk tastes exactly like what I imagine vomit in a cup tastes like (with, obviously, a slightly different consistency), but at $1.49, I had to make sacrifices.
Last week I participated in the $3.13 challenge put on by the Discovery Program at UNH which challenges members of the UNH community to eat as healthy as possible while only spending $3.13 a day on food, which comes to $21.91 a week. The amount of $3.13 represents the amount of money an individual is usually allotted each day as part of the Supplement Food Assistance Program (SNAP), also formerly known as food stamps.
The goal of the challenge isn't to prove the amount of money allotted for SNAP should be increased, according to Joanne Burke, a clinical assistant professor at UNH and director of the $3.13 challenge, but to show how people need to be paid workable, living wages.
Burke said Food Stamps were never designed to cover the entire food bill, but only 70 percent of it. Because of low working wages and a tough economy, many people today can't afford to pay the other 30 percent.
In an essay Burke wrote on poverty in America entitled "Poverty and Plenty: The Divided American Plate," she wrote that the number of Americans earning wages that don't cover basic living expenses is increasing, and close to 25 percent of Americans are employed in jobs that won't lift a family out of poverty. These are the problems the $3.13 challenge set out to address, said Burke.
I decided to buy $21.91 worth of food with the hope that it would last me the week. I walked around the grocery store with a calculator, adding up every single item I placed into my cart. I had put myself in the mindset I really couldn't afford to spend a penny more than the amount I was allotted to spend.
I walked over to the dairy section of the grocery store, and without hesitation, I grabbed a gallon of vanilla soy milk, my favorite, plugged the price into my calculator and frowned. $3.69. I put it back, grabbed a half-gallon of Hannaford skim milk, and placed it in my cart. To me, milk tastes exactly like what I imagine vomit in a cup tastes like (with, obviously, a slightly different consistency), but at $1.49, I had to make sacrifices.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 5
Prof. James Farrell
posted 11/25/08 @ 5:43 PM EST
The experiment discussed is perhaps temporarily valuable, but is of little practical worth unless it motivates fundamental attitudinal change. Hunger is a problem in the United States (even in Durham), but it is far worse as a global problem. (Continued…)
Matt
posted 11/30/08 @ 12:32 PM EST
Perhaps this shall inspire people not to live off the public dole. You can't expect the finest meats and cheeses when you're eating on me, the taxpayer. (Continued…)
Timothy Logsdon
posted 12/02/08 @ 8:32 PM EST
While you rarely get to eat what you want on $3.13/day, it is possible to eat a fairly healthy diet on that if you shop and prepare your meals creatively. (Continued…)
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