I recently saw someone post, “It’s only $23, it wouldn’t buy anything,” on a post about the (real) potential of no SNAP benefits coming on Saturday, November 1st. They were sour over what they had been offered in SNAP benefits at some point before (apparently). They didn’t elaborate, but that was my takeaway from the short reply.
$23. Why bother taking it? That was their answer—it wouldn’t buy anything.
Yes, $23 is not much these days when it comes to buying groceries. But it will buy something, and if done well, you could feed several meals for multiple people.
This is the prepper in me talking. If you have the chance to buy food, no matter how little it seems, buy it! If you went to the effort of applying for help and you are offered anything, accept it. It is no different than if your elderly uncle slips a twenty in your hand while shaking your hand goodbye. Would you toss it back, angrily? Would you get angry at a food bank for what it offers? Because it isn’t “enough”?
So I went to the store to see what $23 could buy. Buying in bulk gets you the most. However, you will be eating simple meals with it. You can buy smaller amounts, of course, for a more varied diet.
My first stop was to look at bulk rice and beans. Fact: There are about 10 full-size servings per pound of raw rice.
Twenty pounds of white long-grain rice for $12.99. That is 65 cents a pound. That is a lot of rice. It will feed you for a very long time. If it were all you had, you would at least have something to eat, to fill your belly. It is also among the least allergenic foods in the world, with less than 1% of the population allergic to it. And people with food sensory issues usually tolerate rice.
Often, rice and beans are talked about as the answer to a simple, low-cost meal. Beans are pricier than they used to be, but are still quite affordable. One pound of dry beans makes 3 to 4 cans’ worth, or 3 to 4 meals. Meat is definitely nowhere near that pricewise, ever.
The real savings are in the big bags of beans, where the price goes under $1 a pound. 4 pounds can produce up to 16 cans worth of beans, once cooked.
Beans at Dollar General were lower-priced in 1-pound bags. And they probably came from the same processing plant.
Rice at Dollar General was 72 cents a pound for a 5-pound bag. It isn’t as nice looking as the name brand, but food is food.
This was at Dollar General. $2.55 for house brand flour, 5 pounds.
The grocery store was less at $2.49. Flour is nearly always cheaper the larger the size. 10 is cheaper; 20 pounds is even more affordable. If you can bake, 50 pounds is the way to go.
Yeast packets for making bread. The 3-packet strips make 3 batches of dough. Each packet is 53 cents.
The jars have just over 14 packets worth (2¼ tsp is the size of a packet). That is 32 cents each “packet”.
The grocery store was much cheaper for rolled oats. $2.39 for 18 ounces. Oats are an inexpensive breakfast, that is quick to make.
Potatoes of some sort are always on sale in grocery stores. They store well and are easy to prep.
As with potatoes, onions are usually available in one color on sale. This week, it was white ones.
Yes, you can use dried garlic, but fresh is always better. At 79 cents, it is an affordable luxury. Depending on your taste, it could 1 to 4 meals worth.
Total Investment Prices:
- Rice $13 for 20 pounds, $3.60 for 5 pounds
- Beans $4 for 4 pounds
- Onions $0.99 for white onions on sale
- Garlic $0.79 a bulb
- White potatoes $2.99 5 pounds
- Various spices and herbs in the Hispanic aisle $1.49 (Dollar General sells their line for $1 each)
- White flour $2.49 for 5 pounds (makes about 3 loaves of bread). You can make a loaf of bread for under $1.40.
- Yeast packets $1.59 for 3 loaves worth, on sale
- Oats $2.39 for 18 ounces (grocery store was cheaper than Dollar General)
- Cheese $2.00 for 8-ounce bags
If you were to buy a 5-pound bag of rice (that is 50 servings or 10 meals for a family of 5), 5 pounds of flour (3 loaves of bread), yeast (3 loaves), oats (13 servings), garlic, onions, potatoes (2 meals), beans (up to 16 cans worth), cheese (2 meals), and one spice? That is $22.34.
Think how many meals you could make!
Males $23 look pretty good!
Prepper Corner Tip: To Reduce Waste
Any dried bean you see out there? You can plant it in the spring and grow your own beans. The bags that are mixed? Separate them and play “What do I have?” online. I grew random beans a couple of years back to see how they would fare, and they did well. An investment of $1 to 4 can lead to a bumper crop for the following year. You only need to hold back about 10 beans from a bag to plant for each type.
Garlic that sprouts can be planted in the ground in late fall or in spring. Each clove grows another bulb.
Potatoes that go green or sprout can be planted in the ground or in a grow bag year-round. Even if the potatoes are shriveled up. They will grow.
Green onion bottoms, if they still have roots attached, will grow new green onions if put into water.
If you have to use food banks, ALWAYS take produce like this. You can use it for seed to grow more.
~Sarah