Lynsey, my girlfriend, made dinner last night. Some turkey sausage with onion, and two colors of peppers. I had a small plate...Sausage 65 cents, green pepper 25 cents, red pepper 60 cents, onion, 20 cents, and some rice $25. about $1.95. There goes that DQ I was going to treat myself to.

I am spent for the week (within cents) and I have plenty for the rest of the day, though not exactly choice products. No biggie.

Honestly, I can say this challenge has been fun. Lots of cravings and lots of practice saying "no", but fun. I enjoyed counting the dollars and cents and paying attention to how and where my money was going. I enjoyed talking to people about the challenge, even if often they just looked at me in as if questioning why I would ever do such a thing, then give me the obligatory "that is cool..." line.

The process helped me question my own ability to purchase food and other things in my life. Most of my experience and thoughts fell within the confines of how I look and practice my own life, but obviously there were some bigger picture questions to answer. Twenty one dollars a week to eat is the reality for many people. Carol Gilbert stated in an article in 2007 that critics questioned a 4 billion increase in the SNAP program, 1/3 of what the Iraq war cost every three months at that time...I can't imagine total "defense" spending...which I believe could be a policy and values jumping off point.

Policy...I understand the apprehension of providing more monies to these types of programs but living in poverty can not be something one can understand unless they are there there themselves. This was my best attempt yet and I know it has made me re-think my own behaviors and values.