This is it....

The finaly day has come for me to wrap up this  food stamp project. I'll have to admit that it's a bitter-sweet day. When I first started this experiment, never did I think I would be saying that on the final day. Not only have I had the opportunity to see how it would be if I ever had to survive off food stamps, but I've also been able to save money (breakfast and lunch outings), and communicate with my mom about sensative issues growing up.
As of today, the only think I have left out of my $21 budget is some Captain Crunch cereal a a container of yoguraut, and my good old faithful water! Last night while I was out with my husband, I spent about $7 on food. I ordered some nachos and cheese off the menu at the comedy club we whent to. After eating chicken and riec all week, that was truely a treat!!!
Now I'm debating if I should treat myself to breakfast in the morning?!?!?! Besides, I need a good hearty breakfast so I can start working on the paper for this assignement!
In closing I would like to thank you Ms. Shatila for this experience :)

Almost :(

For some reason when I woke up this morning, I thought today was our last day with this experiment. But I was wrong!!! Today is going to be the most tempting day of the challenge. I'm scheduled to attend a baby shower this afternoon and going out with my husband to a comedy club. How on earth will manage?!? I'm go'n have to pray for strength. At the baby shower I'm sure they will be serving all types of goodies such as cake, frappé, etc. Then later tonight before the comedy club, I'm sure my husband will want to take me out for dinner!I'm sure I'll do just fine. I almost forgot, we can stay within $10 of the $21 budget and I'm currently at $21.50!!!! Thank you Jesus! Therefore I have about $7 I can play with today. I'll be sure to keep you posted!

WOW!

This has been one of the bussiest Fridays I've had in a while! I've been non-stop at work allllll day... I'm tired! If it wasn't for me packing my breakfast and lunch this morning before I left the house, I would've honestly forgotten all about the food stamp experiment :( If I did forget and was consciously thinking, I would've discovered that I had no money to buy breakfast and lunch. I'm sure those living on welfare often feel like that.
I know one thing, I'm sure getting tired of chicken and rice along with Captain Crunch cereals! When I'm drinking my water, I often imagine cookies and cream ice cream, kit-kat bars, Funyuns, HotTemales, McDonald's southern fried chicken sandwich meal with a sweet tee...... how depressing! Well, I only have one whole day left. Hopefuly, I wont binge!
We're alsmost there!!!!

Day 4

Okay, I'm discovering so much more than how it is to live off $21 worth of food stamps for one week! It's really not "that bad" as I meed it seem towrads the beginning of the week.
On my way to work this morning I was on the phone with my mother once again. Somehow, we got on the subject of this class experiment and she started flashing back to her childhood in the early 1970s. My grandmother was a single mother of three children and had no financial support from my grandfather (they were legally married but was seperated, he was in New Jersey and she was in Florida). My mother whent on to talk about how hard it was growing up. The neighborhood they lived in was not that bad, but it was a tight-nit community where people looked out for each other. When it was time to eat, everyone ate! My grandmother worked very hard at her minimum wage jobs to support her and her three kids and while she was at work, she did not have to worry about a baby sitter because everyone in the neighborhood looked out for each other.
Another one of my discoveries today was one of the local housing projects. While out doing my homevisits in this particular low-income area, I noticed how nice, well kept and quiet it was. It was around noon-time and most people may think (stereotype as our weekly discussion details) there to be "welfare queens" sitting on on the stoop yelling at their children running around in a diaper. That was not the case. Were they at work?!?! Passed out sleep inside?!?! Who knows. But I'm thankful for taking part in this experiment because it has opened my eyes to soooo many things!

Day 3 pt 2

Surprisingly, my stomach isn't really growling this afternoon as I thought it would. Since I came home from work I've been keeping myself busy with homework and tending to my dog. So, I'm really not all that hungry. During my ride home from work (I know I'm not suppose to talk on the phone and drive, but... ooops!), I was on the phone with my momma. I was telling her about our week experiment and I said 'living on food stamps aint for me momma!!!' She started laughing and said "You're only saying that because this is only an experiment and you know how it is to have food in your refrigerator. Many people don't have that privilege. That's all they know and depend on." That coming from my momma (who use to work at a food stamp office) really struck a nerve with me. I don't know what it's like to live off food stamps. I'm only doing this for a week and will soon return to my normal budget of food. Have I been selfish in complaining about how hungry I am?!? I'm taking this project serious (in my eyes), but what about those who don't have enough to feed themselves and their families? I see how this can lead to crimes as shoplifting.

Day 3

Well, I'm not as busy as I thought I would be today but hopefully I won't be thinking about what I want to eat instead of what I have to eat :( What I eat for breakfast (Captain Crunk cereals) and lunch (chicken and rice) doesn't bother me. It's more so what I would like to be snacking on! A bag of Funyuns, Milo's sweet tea, Starburst, HotTemales, etc. Those are what keep me alert at my desk. O'well! Since I'm not in court, as I thought I would be this morning, I guess I can go snack on some grapes and imagine they were HotTemales :)

Day 2

Let me just start off by saying that when there's so much to do, there's no time for food! I was swamped with work at the office all day today. From the momment I got to work this morining at 7:05, everything has been non-stop. Regardless of how busy I am, I always make time to eat breakfast because if I don't there's no way I'll have a good day. Me operating off an empty stomach is nothing pretty! After eating my Captain Crunch cereal, it was off to court I whent at 8:45am. After spending a few hours there, I made it back to the office in time for me to enjoy some of my chicken and rice for lunch. I gulped that down because soon after, I had five hearings in the office (I'm a probation officer so I have plenty non-compliance hearing per month) that afternoon. Needless to say, my yoguraut and grapes are still in my lunch box. I just may break into them in a few because the more I think about food, the hungrier I get!
May be if I stay busy, as I was today, the remainder of the week I wont find this experient so challenging. But I do have to admit, I sure was about to stop at McDonalds for a southern chicken sandwich meal with a sweet tea. After I realized I didn't have any more money to spend for the week, I had to forget about it.... needless to say I was sad :( I really could have used that $6. My body needed a boost after all that running aournd I did today! When you're living on welfare, you are limited in sooo many ways. I'm learning to be thankful for having a few dollars to spare when others don't :)