“Coffee! I love coffee in the morning, and I still sneak it in there, but it’s not a part of the budget,” says Raven Wright, human nutrition graduate student.
During the week of January 22-28, Winthrop students are participating in the SNAP challenge. Only having $29.40 to spend on food and beverages for the whole challenge week. Keeping up with their blog and reading their triumphs and struggles, many of them start out their first day skipping that morning coffee run.
Lauren Cobb, human nutrition graduate student, started her morning eating oatmeal instead of her usual eggs and toast. Cobb writes on the blog, “I was concerned that oatmeal wouldn't fill me up as much as the eggs and toast but it did. The only thing I could not give up was my coffee! I woke up at 5 a.m. this morning to review some items before my 8 a.m. class and there's no way I would have been able to function without it.”
During the challenge all food items that are purchased from the grocery store, fast food, and dining on and off campus are subtracted from the weekly budget. “I definitely looked at coupons and deals that were going on in the area,” says Teresa Farina, human nutrition graduate student. “I looked at Publix’ BOGO items and if you get only one item that is buy one get one free, you can get it for half the price. It is a great way to save money.”
After a few days, students can’t go another day without their coffee fix. A blogger using the name Nutrition Whiz wrote, “Isn't coffee just flavored water? Spices that you already have at home don't count against the $29 food budget... Great loophole, right?! Okay, maybe not, but how can a student go without coffee??”
If students get just a regular coffee it would cost around $2 a cup. That would be $14 per week. That’s a big chunk of their budget.
Budgeting during the week challenged a lot of those who accepted the SNAP challenge. Many have resorted to cooking food in their dorms or apartments rather than going to DiG's or Thomson.
“My advice would be to look at the deals going on at various grocery stores and shop according to those. Ideally, food stamps is not something that I want or would encourage someone to want. I would rather make enough money for a bigger food budget.” says Farina.
If you want to follow the students that have taken on the SNAP challenge you can go to their blog WinthropSNAPChallenge.blogspot.com. You can also add them on Facebook and Twitter at www.facebook.com/winthropsnapchallenge amd @WinthropSNAP.
