So suddenly these people who spent only a dollar a day on food for a month are everywhere. Of course they blogged the experience, ’cause that’s what you do, and of course now they’re writing a book. I’m sure they’re very nice, and they’re obviously well-meaning, and I don’t mean this to be a criticism of them personally, but…yawn.
My yawn is not directed at them–in their first post they make clear that their experiment is more about their own understanding than “proving it can be done.” Also, they managed to raise nearly $1500 for two good causes, which is admirable. What I’m tired of are the inevitable reactions to these kinds of projects. Whether it’s a dollar a day, the food stamp challenges, the thrifty food plan budgets, or any other variation of these “I lived off this tiny food budget for a (day, week, month)” stories, the comments on these posts or articles include the same unhelpful additions to the conversation over and over again:
1. Rice and beans are cheap!
2. Grow a garden!
2.5 Shop at farmers markets!
3. People are lazy!
3.5 People are stupid!
The very best post of the whole One Dollar Diet Project Blog was one that really wasn’t about food at all, but about assumptions. “The challenge,” writes Christopher, “lies in recognizing that our own experiences, no matter how powerful, cannot possibly account for the infinitely diverse number of experiences regarding an individual’s economic situation.”
3 responses so far ↓
Stephanie // November 11, 2008 at 4:51 am |
Our farmer’s market is the most expensive place to buy produce. And as you know, that is really saying a lot over here!
mizinformation // November 11, 2008 at 8:45 am |
I know, ours too! It’s good stuff and I like supporting the farmers so I go when I can, but it’s also only two days a week and mostly during working hours. Totally *not* a solution for someone working minimum wage job with limited transportation, childcare, cooking skills, etc..
dana // November 11, 2008 at 8:00 pm |
And ours is 18 miles one way, on Wednesday between the months of June and October. And the good people who sell their wares drive 1-3 hours one way to sell here. How local is that? I don’t know what we would eat if we only ate what was local….tuna, crab, blueberries, great stuff, but not everyday and not a meal. Oh, and none of it for a $1/day. And it isn’t that easy to grow a garden here either. Maybe we should move.