Public health workers discover what it’s like to eat on $25 a week

K G.
Esko, MN     07/08/2009 10:27 AM

What a joke!

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barnummom A.
Carlton, MN     07/07/2009 4:34 PM

I have to say that they are not very shopper savvy... You go to McDonalds for a diet coke? What does a coke cost there almost $2 or more? Buy a 12 pack for $3-5 and you have 12 diet cokes. And the coffee complaint (which most people on a budget don't get thier coffee from Bearaboo).. Drink your coffee at home, and get a travel cup... a can of coffee costs anywhere from $3 and up.. and a larger can of coffee lasts my husband and I almost a month, and that's drinking it every morning. I thought this experiment was a little silly.. yogurt and toast? I can feed my family of 5 for a week on $35. and we are not starving, and we are eating healthy. We should have the whole community do it, and see how it works out. And another question, do you drive to these places and get your coffee diet coke, or are they on your way somewhere? Your wasting $ too if your making a separate trip.

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K. P.
Cloquet, MN     07/04/2009 11:04 AM

I commend the staff of Carlton County Public Health for attempting to put themselves in someone else's shoes, at least for a little while. I don't think economy grocery shopping is something you can expect to be successful at in a week though. It's definitely a learning process. You have to know to ask the guys in the meat dept. when they put out the marked down meat and when and where to look for the large bags of day old bread and bakery products. You have to get used to searching through the dented can basket and totally bypassing the deli, the cold cuts and the freezer section that holds all the prepared foods. Waiting till late in the week so you have both this week's and next week's grocery ads to compare helps and you have to learn that coupons are your friend. But be careful because sometimes, even with a coupon, the generic brand will still be cheaper.

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David F.
Barnum, MN     07/03/2009 1:11 PM

The August 4, 2009 issue of Woman's Day (and I'm sure many other sources) has a very nice article on feeding your family for $99/week along with very practical tips on cutting the cost of groceries. Please encourage the people in this study to try them. It CAN be done without sacrificing taste or nutrition.

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Jessica S.
Duluth, MN     07/03/2009 10:37 AM

Sounds like an interesting "experiment", but was disappointed at the complaints. People are able to feed their entire families on this much money, and these people were complaining about cutting back on McDonald's?! Gimme a break. I didn't see alot of comments from the participants regarding cooking meals from scratch - want to save money on your grocery bill? Start making things instead of buying them from the freezer. Want a healthy breakfast that will keep you full without all the sugar? Steel-cut oats with raisins or other fruit, maybe a little brown sugar. I eat it every morning, and a good-sized bag is less than $4. Public health workers shouldn't find it very difficult to figure out healthy diets. Or maybe that's just the cynic in me.

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