Sometimes I read a blog called Godspace, http://godspace.wordpress.com/ and not long ago I downloaded the Lenten document. I always want to celebrate Lent and always seem to miss the mark. The readings are done sporadically and I’m not ready to give up coffee or chocolate or Farmville!
However, one of the topics challenged me on several levels – and that was the challenge to experience poverty – and feed myself on $14 per week. I don’t think I can do it. A bag of skim milk powder would blow the budget for two whole weeks, even though it’s cheaper. But I’ve decided to try. Not just for a week, but for a while. I’d like to do something on a regular basis to support poverty initiatives here in Calgary.
Today I took out a $20 bill
and stuck it in an envelope and walked down the street to Planet Organic, where I buy my breakfast cereal. I spent $4.69 for coffee, $1.80 for kamut flakes, and $1.05 for raisins to put in my cereal.
The Kamut flakes replace oats for porridge (I try to follow the “Eat Right for your Blood-Type” diet) and gave me 8 servings at 22.5 cents per serving. I add raisins to the mix for fruit and flavour, and this adds another 13.5 cents to the cost. I still have brown sugar and cinnamon, so I won’t add that to the costs. But still, it’s 36 cents plus the coffee.
I premeasured the kamut and raisins, so I know how many servings I have. I will keep a tally of the coffee, but it won’t be accurate, since I had some left over and mixed some other stuff that was in the cupboard to the mix as well. It’ll be interesting to see how my morning coffee changes because of this. Maybe I’ll share my coffee story another time!
On the plus side, this is all organic, it supported a local business, and I could walk there and back easily. It’s bulk, so I wasn’t committed to spending the entire amount on one item.
Right now, I’m eating out of my back-stock. I am fortunate enough to have chicken in the fridge that I can prepare, rice, beans. The challenge, I suppose, will come when my cupboards are barer, and I can only afford to buy what I really need.
In the meantime, this is my journey, and I hope it will teach me – well, I’ll leave those lessons in God’s hands.
One surprise – I recieved a coupon for some money off – all because they didn’t have something I wanted.
Healthy, Wealthy and WISER! 