Jada Puls

Average weekly budget for “basic needs”: $175

Food Weakness: Chocolate

Average Cost of Weakness: $5

What would your typical daily menu look like?
10am Oatmeal and banana 12noon Chicken sandwich and veggies
2pm Cheese bun 5pm Pasta/Rice with meat and veggies
8pm Snack

Average cost of typical days meals? $11

What do you anticipate being the most difficult in the challenge? I think budgeting for food while being healthy, and limiting social outings with friends and family will be very hard.

Why did you decide to take the challenge? I would like to broaden my awareness of life in Kenora, and share that knowledge with those interested. 

I would like to go from sympathy (I feel bad for you) to empathy (I know something about how you feel). And then I would like to take the step towards compassion (I will help you.).

Another part of the reason is to raise public awareness of our local issues, and the experiences the 12 of us will face. 

There is a personal part too; I have noticed that I will spend as much money as I have. Whether it’s a little money, or a lot of money, it’s gone. When I finish school I will have the opportunity to make a steady income again, and I don’t want to fall into my old habits. I want to be more aware of money – and what I chose to spend it on. Because I think whatever we spend our money on, we support. And I don’t want to throw money away, knowing that so many go without. I would like to live comfortably, but not waste the excess on STUFF – I want to use that money to help. I want to make this world a better place.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi.

Unfortunately, I will be disclosing some of my classic Jada-Character-Flaws right up front.

#1 – I am a geek. ?? And proud of it. I went to some stores and did price checks. I wasn’t going to, because people on OW don’t have the opportunity to do so without a vehicle or the time – but then I decided that’s a GREAT reason to do so...this way I can let “the people” know! This is what I discovered (based on lowest price possible in that location):

I have, however, been very concerned about my dog. Especially when transportation is an issue, having a pet makes you not feel so alone. They’re there to snuggle and relax, or to walk and get exercise and be social. So I’m concerned that I haven’t budgeted for her food! If I did my shopping all over again, I would have gotten eggs and not beef. And then had it not been “that time” I would have had money for my Nalla’s food!

So, I went from Knox to the Salvation Army, thinking they would know where the meal was...I passed the amazing smell of Subway fresh bread, past the mouth watering chip truck, past the HoHo Chinese Restaurant *salivating and starving* ...to find out the Salvation Army is closed on Saturday and Sunday. I walked back home (past all the amazing aromas again). Looked at my sheet, FRIDAY was Knox Agape. But because the lunch was only ½ an hour long I would have been late...and I was STARVING...I ate some lunch

I have mixed emotions about charity, but I love philanthropy! Helping through empowering! “Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he’ll eat the rest of his life.” The funny thing I’ve noticed this week about charity is when I have extra to give, I LOVE GIVING IT! I love it! But when I don’t have extra, I HATE RECEIVING. It feels weird, I feel bad, and I feel like I owe them something (which is weird, because when I give, I don’t feel like people owe me anything.). When I work for something, I have no problem receiving! Something to think about...

OK..on to the computer for home remedies I go! DID YOU KNOW: If you apply natural honey to the wound it has a cleaning effect? “Honey dehydrates the bacteria in the wound and thus kills them. So applying honey in a fresh wound minimizes the chance for further infection.” (http://www.goherbalremedies.com/blog/home-remedies-for-cut/ )

Tonight I had some friends over for a pot luck. Which seemed like a great idea – but then afterwards I just felt guilty. I mean, one couple brought home-made borscht. And the saying is “cheap, like borscht” – and it’s true. The entire pot cost $3 and there was a lot that! Another friend brought home made guacamole and chips. Another brought pie and ice cream. Tabitha made apple crisp. And I had my soup. So I am now SO ridiculously full – and I feel like I cheated.

When you have a mental illness and/or have suffered from abuse, it affects your reactions and your actions. Others tend to have a lower tolerance level, they tend to impose more rules, they tend to discriminate and jump to assumptions. It is VERY hard to break the cycles that have conditioned your life.

People say that this person is seen as a ‘drain on society’. This breaks my heart. This person is a person. He is a victim of his circumstance. One of the quotes from today was, “a sure way to make God laugh is to tell Him your plans”

You can donate your money.
There were over 5,000 hits on our blogs – if everyone who read these donated a dollar to a food bank, they would make that money go a long way! Everyone can be a little more aware of how they spend their money, and save a little to make a big difference in another person’s life.

In Kenora there’s a soup kitchen every day; either at the Fellowship Centre, Knox’s Agape Table, or the Jubilee Church. Other support is available at the Minto Resource Centre and the Salvation Army. And donations are ALWAYS welcome at these locations.

You can donate your time.
You can raise awareness, listen to those who are suffering, help give them rides to appointments, etc. Everyone is welcome at the Kenora Fellowship Centre. It’s important to break down the barriers between people in Kenora. We are all people!

BUT THERE MUST BE MORE...
If there was a never ending supply of money and volunteers, would that stop homelessness? I think our government has sadly shown us that the answer is, No. Throwing money at a situation will not make people better. It may help in the meantime, but it will not CHANGE things.
I think the problem has to be fixed on a deeper level. Kenora has 2 locations where people can go to counsellors can go for help. Other areas where they can have counselling and a safe place include the Hospital and ACTT. And there are important places that help children that are in these situations, like the Lake of the Woods Child Development Centre, and Creighton Youth Centre. But as with most government run organizations that are here to help the public and the less fortunate, the employees are over worked!

Based on experience, research, as well as many amazing movies like Goodwill Hunting and The King’s Speech, people who are suffering will benefit from facing their issues in a safe environment, with someone who is consistently there. Counselling is needed!
But even this will not help unless they can get a safe place to stay, away from the negative influences in their support group. More safe and affordable housing is needed as well!

You can rationalize it however you want...either thinking of the tax money that goes into these services that will be re-directed when more people are helped, or by empathizing with the person who is suffering...

SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE

Dan Jorgensen

Average weekly budget for basic needs: I have no idea as my wife handles our money.

Food weakness: Going out for supper a couple times a week and having a beer or two with supper.

Average cost of weakness: I'm going to guess I drop at least $100 to $150 a week on a couple of nights out with my wife and/or friends.

Typical daily menu: A bowl of cereal for breakfast, a couple of snacks, sandwich & milk for lunch, snacks, meat & potatoes with a couple of beer for supper, bowl of ice cream or other bedtime snack

Average cost of daily menu: No idea as my wife buys the groceries.

What do you anticipate being the most difficult challenge?: No treats, no beer and limited variety in the menu.

Why did you decide to participate in the challenge?: I've spoken out about the problems of poverty and homelessness and I figured this event will raise public awareness and putting my "money where my mouth is" in a public venue will be a good thing to do. It should also raise my own awareness since I've never gone without anything really and it's good to reflect on what others endure. I've no idea what it's like to be poor.

Day 1
OK. I like challenges. I've got $35 for 5 days, but I don't want to spend it all at once after seeing how Thelma got burned yesterday by her first challenge card. I'm sure I'm gonna get the "you need aspirin" challenge card too. I'll mooch them somehow or raid Brenda's purse and give her 50 cents. My goal is to keep the groceries between $20 & $25 so I have a reserve for the challenges and enough change to buy myself a nice, cold, tall can of beer to celebrate my last night as a poor person (I hope).

So here I am at Ted's No Frills trying to remember the 4 food groups. Let's see: dairy, poultry, carbs? Nope. Meat. Meat must be one of the food groups. Geez, I took this in high school. Hey look, $2.97 for a bag of apples. There's 13 in the bag so that's about 2 and a half apples a day. Fruit is a food group. "An apple a day" and all that stuff. OK, got that one covered. Move on to the meat. Holy moly! C'mon Ted, gimme a break. I can't afford this. No wonder the street people are standing outside the store and not in it. I know...hamburger's cheap, where's the burger? Yikes! Better try dairy. Margarine. I'll need some of that. How many different kinds of margarine are there? They all cost different prices. Here's a yellow block for a buck. Right on, that's within my budget. Now, milk, milk, milk where's the milk? Oh look, eggs. Eggs are dairy? So there's no poultry food group? OK, must be dairy, meat, fruit, carbs and hey, there's tuna at two cans for a buck. Get four of those so the fish food group is done. Now for some carbs, I'm sure carbs are a food group. What has carbs? Macaroni. I like macaroni, with melted Cheez Whiz and ketchup. Mmmmm! Say, 900 grams for a buck 97, that's pretty cheap. I'm beginning to see a pattern here. The stuff in the yellow packaging is the cheapest so let's go find yellow Cheez Whiz. Back to dairy. There's no yellow Cheez Whiz. I guess I'll get the regular stuff. Holy cr*p! My wife pays that much for Cheez Whiz? It's not even real cheese! OK, no Cheez Whiz in my macaroni. It'll be OK. As long as I can find yellow ketchup I'll be OK. There's no yellow ketchup. Geez, ketchup's pricey too. What's this? $1.97 for ketchup. It's not yellow, but it's cheaper than the Heinz, that's for sure and what's with the 97 cents all the time? How the heck am I supposed to add all this up in my head? This basket's gettin' heavy. I must have enough food by now. What've I got in here anyway? Still need meat. There's rice. Rice is nice. I love steamed rice with Chinese food, chicken fried rice, sushi. It goes with anything. $2.79 for 2 kgs and it's in a yellow bag too so it must be a good deal. That's like almost a pound a day! I could live on that alone for 5 days! What've I got all this other stuff for? Hey, a box of Peek Frean's chocolate shortbread cookies for a buck. Whoohoo! I didn't think I'd be able to afford cookies. Jam 'em in there. That's another food group taken care of, the Peek Frean's group. They don't teach you this stuff in school! This basket's getting full, but I still need meat. This really sucks. I like meat. Should've had a Big Mac before I came in here, I'm starting to salivate looking at all this meat. Can't afford any of it. What about bacon? This one's not a bad price, if you like fat. Weiners? Breakfast sausages. 1, 2, 3...14 for $3.09. That's nearly three sausages a day. They'll go good with the eggs, but they look gross when they're not fried. I'll close my eyes when I cook 'em. OK, so the total bill is $21.55. Looks like a pretty good selection of stuff. That wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be. I've gotta have a chat with Brenda about all that whining she does about groceries. I'm gonna have grub left over when this is finished and maybe enough change for TWO cans of beer at the end. All I gotta do is stay home, drink water, watch TV and eat for 5 days. I'm up for it.

Tonight it's gonna be a big fat juicy steak with a whopping huge baked potato and as much beer as I wanna drink and I'll be good to go tomorrow morning. This won't be so bad. Once you're into something it's never as bad as you thought it was gonna be.

Day 1
Got up just after 6 am and opened my challenge card, which read, "It is your mother's birthday. Purchase her a gift." Gonna have to use my imagination here. Had 2 fried eggs, 3 sausages and an apple for dessert. CBC Radio called 5 minutes early while I was brushing my teeth, but I'm told the interview went well. Left as soon as the interview was done and helped my son-in-law, who was having a bit of a work emergency and got to my Mom's at 12:30 with everything I needed for her birthday lunch - rice, milk, cookies and a homemade card with a poem in it. "Roses are red, violets are blue. Who's the world's best Mom? It's gotta be you." Not bad, huh? Asked her what she wanted for her "birthday" and she said having me for a son was good enough. She's the best ';o)

After our rice porridge lunch I pulled out the dessert du jour - a Peek Frean's Chocolate Shortbread cookie for each of us, a candle on hers. We talked and she told me a story about when I was about 15 months old and her and Dad moved from Athabasca, Alberta to Midway, B.C. He found a job right away, but money was tight and so we lived in a tent right at the garage where he was working until they found a house to rent. After about a month he decided it would be better in Vernon, B.C. so we moved there and guess what?

We were back in the tent for a few more weeks until they found another house to rent. Dad was like that. It was all about the adventure of a new place. Planning didn't enter into it. I went to 3 different kindergartens in one school year. I asked Mom how long we lived in the tent altogether and she said, "Long enough that I don't like camping."

We may not have had a house, but I never got the impression she felt we were homeless. She grew up during the depression and the conversation led to looking at some pictures from her childhood and teen years. After that I helped her clean up a bit in the basement and around 3:30 I left. We both had a good afternoon together so I guess it's not the calibre of the meal as much as the calibre of the person you share it with that counts.

Day 2
Opened my challenge card first thing today and I've run out of an essential paper product. So, options, options, what're my options? Cr*p! Or not to cr*p, that is the question. I wonder how long I can go without going? 4 days? Don't think so. Why couldn't I have pulled this card on the last day? I could hold it for a day without too much physical pain.

Eaton's catalogue? Nope. They're out of business. Besides, my butt served me well over a couple of decades of riding in police cars. It deserves something a little softer in retirement. There's gotta be a cheap way around this. Another ride to town puts me out of pocket another dollar, plus where do you buy 1 roll of toilet paper? I only need one roll to get me through this crisis.

I could go out in the bush behind my place and dig up some sphagnum moss, the stuff you find in spruce bogs. It works great in the bush, like a natural scrubbing pad, it's totally organic and oh, so soft ';o) You just find a spruce bog, lift up a clump of moss, make your deposit in the hole, do the "paperwork" and put the clump back on top. Stealth pooping. Leave no trace. It'd probably clog my toilet though.

Folks are going to say, "Where are you going to find sphagnum moss in downtown Kenora?" Well guess what people, some of our poor are squatting in pockets of bush around town. Thirty years ago Ray Csuzdi and I followed a local street lady on footpaths for about 2 miles to the north side of Tunnel Island where she and her partner had been living all winter in a hut made of saplings covered with old chunks of carpet, tarps, plastic and cardboard. There was a fire pit outside with a cast iron pan and a dozen sausages frozen into a half an inch of lard. Hungry? Start the fire, thaw out a few sausages and let the rest freeze in again. That's healthy eating. Fat is a food group, right? Who cares if the mice have been gnawing on it and pooping in the pan.

This lady's partner was lying face down on the ground and when we rolled him over I was sure he was dead. His face was flattened from lying on the ground for hours. It was grey, lifeless and it didn't "spring back" the way a live person's face does when you roll them over. All of a sudden he drew a rattly breath that startled Ray and I both. It was early springtime and he was a big man. We sure weren't equipped to carry him out so I went looking for some decent poles to make a stretcher and found a canoe a couple hundred yards up the shoreline. It looked reasonably seaworthy and there were two paddles so I dragged it over and we rolled him into it and slid it out until the ice got thin from the river current and started breaking. We paddled a mile and a half to the Rideout Landing where an ambulance met us. The lady had to walk back out. Her partner died in the hospital a couple days later. A short while later she stopped drinking and got her life together.

I told that story to coppers in the bar at the police college and I think some of them figured I made it up. We never left the city limits the whole time. Having no toilet paper evokes strange memories, doesn't it? Know what that stuff is? It's sphagnum moss warming up to room temperature in my house. My problem is that I live in the country. Yesterday the challenge forced me to drive to my Mom's. If I have to drive into town every day for every challenge that's 5 bucks down the old porcelain speedway just for travel and that's before I even look at a roll of what last night's macaroni & ketchup is making increasingly important to me today. I'd rather make do until I have no option but to go to town for something I can't substitute for and then buy several things at once, so I decided to go from blogs to bogs and I hit the trail for a spruce swamp not far from home.

After looking for a mound under the snow that would signify a suitable site for harvesting some of Mother Nature's scrubbing pads I started digging through the snow and found not only my bush T.P., but also some Labrador Tea. Bonus! A good source of vitamin C and it's supposed to be very mildly narcotic so I figured I'd see if I could take a trip without leavin' the farm, so to speak.

The tea just made me a bit sleepy, but the moss "worked like a Charmin" once it had warmed up to room temperature. Initially I thought it'd clog the toilet, but the clumps just blow apart in the initial spin and then get sucked into the vortex like there's a Black Hole down there. I may never buy toilet paper again. Use moss, save a tree, right?

Brenda went to Winnipeg today so at least I didn't have to watch her eat the Cheez Whiz I couldn't afford to put on my macaroni, like she did last night. I decided to cook rice for lunch so I diced up an apple and threw that in to add a little more zip. My hunt for organic *ss wipe had pretty well used up the apple and 2 cookies I had for breakfast so I cracked a can of tuna while the rice cooked. It was a bit dry, but a squirt of ketchup fixed that up. The apple rice was good enough that I went back for seconds.

Brenda ate a peanut butter cup in the car today while I was driving. The other night she smothered her vegetables with the Cheez Whiz I couldn't afford to put on my macaroni. Considering she's on a diet and I've never had to diet in my life, I've suspected that she's drawing a certain amount of pleasure from my situation, but this effort to torment me just seems twisted. I put this to her and she happily confessed that she is indeed deliberately torturing me. I asked her why she would do that. "It's not me," was the reply, as she licked the peanut butter cup sensuously "people have actually been encouraging me to do it." I'd have torn it from her lips and scarfed it down right there, but I didn't want to forfeit the challenge and besides, she can beat me up.

So, total expenditures today amounted to $5.34 including gas money. I sure hope I get one of those winning scratch ticket challenges, but I'm beginning to think Fay would not let me off that easy.

Day 3
Well it's the afternoon of day 3 of the poverty challenge and so far I have $7.11 left of the original $35. Like most of the others involved in this I'm not concerned about starving, but I'm not sure I'm getting all my vitamins and minerals. Almost everyone in our group has commented in one way or another that they're doing ok, but are glad this is only for 5 days and not a lifetime.

My challenge for the day: "Every week you shovel the neighbour's drive. She paid you $2.00. Don't forget to report your income." I'm a pretty honest person, but the temptation to just put the $2 in my pocket and pretend it didn't happen was strong. Then my conscience started working on me. It was more paranoia about getting caught. Is that conscience or fear of consequences? What if I fall out of favour with my neighbour? "Hi. That bum Dan Jorgensen who lives next door to me has been shovelling my drive and doing a lousy job of it even though I've been paying him $2 a week for doing it."

What if OW notices the improvement in my lifestyle? "Mr. Jorgensen, our sources inform us you were seen walking out of Ted's No Frills with a 64 pack of toilet paper. Tired of wiping your butt with moss or did you come into a little EXTRA cash? Hmm?" Duh-oh! Do I get a warning and have to pay it back or is it a criminal charge of welfare fraud and "Bye, bye benefits"? At the very least OW will be watching me very closely afterwards so I better read the "Ontario Works and Having a Job" pamphlet that came with my challenge package and see how to handle this. "For the first 3 months in a row that you are on OW, the full amount of your net monthly earnings from employment will be subtracted from your income support." I might as well sit on my derriere and eat macaroni, albeit without Cheez Whiz. I guess this creates a bit of an incentive to go find a job that pays better than OW, but if I'm on OW I'm guessing I'm either unemployable or I'm really stuck and can't find a decent paying job. If I can't get a job that pays more than OW, why work at all? I'm only screwing myself out of benefits. So, what happens after 3 months? Let's see...I qualify for "earnings exemptions". They'll only subtract half of my net earnings from my benefits so I'll be ahead by a dollar for every two that I earn after the tax man is done with me. That's a little better, but I wonder what the reasoning is behind the incentive to lie around for 3 months and then go look for a job. Maybe it's a 3 month test to see if I'm really serious about being poor or just toying with the idea.

Here's something interesting. OW will help me with costs related to looking for a job. I can ask for money to help me buy clothes or get a haircut for a job interview or new job. Sweet! I can get the $1.13 I spent on razors back. Whoo hoo! And check this out, I have to report my income on a report that has to be filed as soon as possible after the 15th of the month and it will be subtracted from next month's benefit. Ha! This challenge wraps up on the 16th so as of today I'm still ahead by $2 plus the $1.13 I'll get back for the razors, except I won't get that back until next month. Who cares? What I thought I'd lost has been found! Carpe diem! Seize the day!

Speaking of days, it's Valentine's day, but I still haven't figured out what to do for Brenda, not that that prevented her from rubbing my face in it by leaving me a card and a chocolate rose. 
Can I treat that like the banana bread at church(?), which I figured was OK since other folks were eating at Jubilee Church yesterday. What constitutes a "soup kitchen"? Do the challenge rules allow me to gnosh on a Valentine's Day gift from my beloved? Probably, but not until I've given something in return.

I'm really getting the most out of those Peek Freans cookies. I carved two hearts out of one and used another for the base. Of course I ate the crumbs. I found some plastic flowers and made a card and what I think was a pretty nice arrangement for Brenda to find when she came home from work. I definitely saw a little smile when she found it. That's a good sign ';o)

Our neighbours have four little ones, the youngest two of whom are in Junior and Senior Kindergarten. I was asked by their Mom the other day if I would mind being the girls' guest at a Valentine's Day Tea at their school. I'm not really a tea drinker, but how could I say, "No" to these little ones? I bought two little Valentine's Day cards from Brenda for a dollar and took another buck out of my budget for gas and an apple for the road and arrived at the school at the appointed hour this afternoon. That's when I found out that the term "Tea" means tables full of free food and fruit punch. We made little paper hats, filled our faces and were entertained by the little ones with the cutest renditions of "Skinnamarinkey-dinkey-dink" and "I Love Getting Valentines - From You and You and You" I've ever seen and heard. Complete with hand movements and everything!

After the school event I went to the Fellowship Centre to ask some questions about accommodations in the shelter there. I was relieved to learn the men's dorm has been full every night so I had a reasonable excuse for not spending a night there. The participants in this challenge have been encouraged to spend a night in the shelter, but I've already had experience
sleeping in unpleasant places and the thought of spending a night in a room full of snoring men just doesn't appeal to me. I was impressed however with the way the shelter is run. It is not simply a place to flop when you're drunk and it's too cold to walk the streets all night, which I've also done. Of course I was drawing a policeman's salary to do it and I was sober, but it still made for an awful long, cold night when it was 30 below. To spend a night at the shelter a person must first shower, eat and accept a clean change of pyjamas and clean bedding. Fail to follow the rules or show up intoxicated and you're out the door.

When I got home Brenda produced a big, heart shaped box of chocolates that my little friends from next door had dropped off to thank me for being their guest. "Do something nice and it comes back to you tenfold" I was once told. So true. I'll save those for after the challenge ';o)

Day 4
My challenge today says, "You do not have any socks. The choice is yours." Really? I'm pretty sure I had socks when I went to bed last night. Should've kept them on my feet I guess. There's obviously someone with a sock fetish on the loose as several other participants have had this happen. I hope the police are out looking for someone who has boots three sizes larger than normal to accommodate the extra layers of socks and of course, smells like old socks.

It's pretty easy to see why poor people tend to live in town. There's no way I could own a vehicle if I was really this poor. I should've created a persona for myself at the start of this challenge. Someone who lives in town, which is where I'd more likely be if I was on OW at this rate. Drive to my supposed neighbourhood, park and then walk to Zellers or Wal-Mart with no socks and walk out with socks on my feet. Challenge solved and no dollar spent for travel.

Fortunately, I've still got $7.11 left so I'm going to penalize myself a dollar and pretend I drove to town and bought a pair of socks for $1.97. I'm sure I've seen cheap socks for under $2.00 and 97 cents appears to be the pricing suffix that's in vogue. Adding HST, my total cost will be $3.23. That'll leave me with $3.88. Would I be so cavalier about spending $3.23 if I didn't know this was the last day of the challenge? Not likely.

Now that I think about it, I could stuff my boots with moss. I've got lots of that ';o)

Well, I made it with coin to spare! With no unknown challenges ahead of me and $7.11 at the start of the day I invested $1 in a ride to town this afternoon and bought my socks and that long awaited beer. The Making Kenora Home board had it's visioning meeting tonight and it was potluck so I made a fried rice dish with rice, peas and diced pepper from my supplies as well as an onion I bought from Brenda for 50 cents. We didn't eat until well into the meeting and my stomach was growling, so I rummaged in my coat pocket and found a couple of Tootsie Roll candies (hey, I'm a Grampa). I thought I snarfed them down unnoticed, but nothing gets past Nan so I docked myself another 20 cents because they were just little candies, not full Tootsie Rolls. That leaves me with 93 cents from my original $35 as well as two cans of tuna, 3/4 of a pound of margarine, half a litre of milk, half a bag of apples, 4 cookies, a couple pounds of rice, a pound of macaroni, four eggs, half a pepper and a lot of ketchup.

So, what did I learn from this?

1) Brenda's a way better cook than I am.

2) Macaroni without Cheez Whiz is edible, but it's better with Cheez Whiz, although you can still have fun with it ';o)

3) Sphagnum moss appears to have certain medicinal qualities.

5) With a little thoughtfulness I can reduce wasted spending on myself and have more to give to others.

6) A gift made out of cookies and love can be just as satisfying for both the giver and the recipient as something bought at a store in a hurry.

7) The company of mothers and little children should be treasured.

8) I'm damn lucky to have what I have.

I'm left wondering: How long after this experience will I remember these lessons? How long before I slip back to my usual self centred ways? It's been great sharing this with everyone. Thanks for the support. Now go out and be nice to someone who needs it ';o)

Kyra Strath

Average weekly budget for “basic needs”: $50-100 (depending on pay-check and includes cost of my cell phone bill)

Food Weakness: Tim Hortons!

Average Cost of Weakness: $5/week

What would your typical daily menu look like?
Breakfast (8-10 am): cereal or toast, with a piece of fruit and 1 cup of cranberry juice. Sometimes bacon, eggs too (when I feel like cooking). Coffee with cream and sugar.
Lunch (12-3pm): sandwich of turkey or ham, fresh spinach, cheese, tomatoes and mustard, sometimes with veggies to dip in ranch or fruit. Yogurt.
Dinner (4-7pm): 1 serving of protein (usually chicken, fish, pork, beef, pizza, or bacon and perogies) with a salad (usually spinach with an assortment of different veggies and different dressings depending on what I feel like) and potatoes often.
Snack: Fruit-yogurt smoothies, fruit, cheese and crackers, popcorn, cookies, etc.

Average cost of typical days meals? Not to sure, since much of the food I eat I do not buy. I do spend about $20-30 per week on fruits, vegetables, yogurt and my favourite cereal and bread. I do not buy milk, eggs and my dinners as I live at home and also often eat at my boyfriend's house.

What do you anticipate being the most difficult in the challenge? Eating less -- I love food. Also, not eating things when they are right in front of me will be difficult since I live at home and there is always lots of good food to eat at my house! Also, cutting back my product use and gas. I live in Keewatin, so there is no other way than to drive into town and back. I do my hair and make-up everyday, so to not do so would be difficult -- I will cut down how much I use though and attempt to only have a 5-10 minute shower. I will also only use my cell phone when I absolutely need to and not text at all.

Why did you decide to take the challenge? I think it would be a good learning experience and a challenge.

Day 1
I did all my grocery shopping this afternoon. I did not eat breakfast this morning and at 10 am arrived at the Knox United Church for the Agape Table soup kitchen where I volunteer. I also ate lunch and had tea there. I walked to Ted's No Frills where I did my grocery shopping.

Wow. I spent just over $30. In reality, I wouldn't have been able to spend that much money on food if I needed money for other things, but I didn't really think of that when I bought the food. I was just thinking of how much I would need for the next 5 days and while still trying to have healthy foods, especially at least some fruits and veggies. It really made me think about the fact that if that was the budget for my whole life, I would not be eating healthy and good food, and I would be eating way less. I took a picture of my food, but I can't post it until later when I'm on my own computer. Right now, I am at my Grandpa and Grandma's visiting until my boyfriend gets off work and then I must go to work as well for 5 pm. I had to spend a dollar for my Grandpa to pick me up and bring me to his house; it's not too far of a walk, but carrying all my groceries it would have felt like it! And my arms would have been so sore too. If it were summer, I would have pushed the cart to his house but its winter and that would have been even harder. So a dollar for gas it goes. Now I have $3 left. And its only the first day.

It really makes me thankful for the fact that I usually don't have to worry about this type of thing. that money. So I'll borrow from my neighbours to make sure I'm prepared for an emergency. I began in the vegetable section where I grabbed 1 potato (0.48) (think baked potato, yum!), 1 tomato ((1.07), 1 garlic clove (o.13) (cheap seasoning..), and 1 yellow onion (0.92). Then onto nuts and bread. I wanted to get peanuts as I'd planned on baking muffins and adding nuts and banana to them, but all the 1 buck peanut containers were salted, no thanks! Then I got a loaf of whole wheat bread, which was 1.49, meanwhile, the white bread of the same exact brand was on for 1 dollar! Like c'mon! I went with wholewheat. Then I seen whole wheat english muffins for 1 dollar, but wait, a package marked 50% off -- that's only 50 cents! Bingo... On to meat. One package of lean ground beef.. the regular ground beef was cheaper by a bit, but I wasn't interested in compromising on that one. so 2.78 on that. Next eggs (2.07) and cheese (3.44) and 1L of milk (1.77). Then fusilli pasta noodles (the twirly ones.. 0.99) and big can of diced tomatoes (0.88). Then for my muffin mix, organic oatmeal (1.99) and I never seen discount bananas, and there's no way I'm buying new bananas and letting them get old to bake with.. so, hmm..what's this? Canned pumpkin (here's the upset.. the sign said 0.88 but my receipt says 1.49.. guess I should have checked that in the store before I left!). And I wanted nuts in my muffins, what's this? Slivered almonds (1.99). Okay. Crunchy peanut butter (2.77), can't go wrong. Canned spinach? Never even knew they canned spinach (0.87), its cheaper than fresh or frozen and I can put that in the pasta I planned for Sunday! Frozen mixed veggies (1.97). What's this? Package of mini frozen shrimps for 1 dollar?! Done deal. And frozen tilapia fillet for 1 dollar?! Another deal! Then I doubled back to the vegetable area as I remembered I wanted green onions (0.50). And while there, seen a lemon (0.47) that could go with my seafood-deals. And grabbed one orange (0.55) and two bananas (0.60). Total: $31.83. I felt like I spent way too much, but since I've seen in the blogs that other people have spent around 30, I feel a little better.

Tilapia ($1), Green Onions, Garlic & Lemon Slices. Total Cost of Dinner: $2 at the most! Woohoo, not bad at all! And it tasted pretty good too! I chopped the garlic real small, put some butter in the pan then put the garlic in the butter. (I know I didn't buy the butter, but this will be my small cheat? I borrowed it from my boyfriend's mom) Let that cook for a minute then put in the tilapia fillets, then I added the green onion. Once done, I plated it and added the lemon slices on top. It was pretty good. I'd never had tilapia before, it has a fishy taste to it and would have been gross without the added flavour from the lemon, garlic and nion. I have a feeling it would have been way better in the oven with even more lemony-flavour! Although I must say, it sure as heck isn't anywhere near as good as walleye.

Oh yes, my challenge card. I have run out of toilet paper and must buy some. Well, I would have no money left if I bought toilet paper. I figure, many people living on this budget would ask their neighbours, so I figure that is what I would do and then make that toilet paper roll last as long as possible. This would be hard if you had children, as they tend to use more than necessary. If I went ahead and spent money, than I would have 0 left for the next couple days and that would make things difficult if I ran into an issue where I needed.

Day 2
My challenge today was that I bought a scratch ticket for $2 and won $5, therefore a $3 profit. Which means I now I have $6 -- Woohoo! But I am supposed to report to Ontario Works, which I am quite positive most people would not actually do. And I'm pretty sure a $3 random increase in your earnings, that I am highly doubtful would happen again, would really affect how much you receive from Ontario Works anyhow. Also, many people who win that much on scratch tickets usually just buy another couple scratch tickets, usually leading to not winning anymore and being $2 less than they were originally. This is also part of the reason so many people gamble when they don't have the means to do so -- because they think they might win something and therefore have more money than they did originally. And then disappointment follows when they do not. It's kind of ironic that this is one of my challenge cards, as we had a guest speaker in the addictions class Thursday afternoon who came to talk about gambling addictions. There was a lot of insightful discussion, good information and we received highlighters and books about gambling addictions. I think part of the reason gambling addictions develop is due to positive reinforcement and reinforcement schedules -- namely, intermittent reinforcement schedules. Basically, positive reinforcement is when you receive something desirable for a particular behaviour, therefore causing that behaviour to be repeated. Reinforcement schedules are basically schedules of when the positive reinforcement occurs. There are four, but I am just going to mention intermittent reinforcement schedule, which is when the positive reinforcement (winning money) does not occur every time the behaviour occurs, but instead very randomly. This is the most successful schedule in causing behaviour to continue of all four, so you can see from a psychological viewpoint how one could become addicted to gambling. And this isn't something discussed in class, just something that makes a lot of sense. Anyhow, enough psycho-babble for today (although I do find psychology very interesting!)

For breakfast, I ate wholewheat toast with peanut butter and a glass of milk. Then I went to work and cleaned rooms.. Then ate a peanut butter sandwich while still at work (its all I had with me..). Then when I got to my boyfriends house I decided to bake some muffins. I used the package of oatmeal muffin mix, the package of slivered almonds and the can of pumpkin. I also borrowed some cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger from my boyfriend's mom. It turned out pretty good, although if I make that again I would use only half a can of pumpkin. For dinner tonight, I'm using that dollar package of shrimp (what a deal, I really got lucky on that one!) and I'll be making a pasta dish with it using some garlic, the rest of that lemon, some green onions, butter (borrowing that one..) and pasta of course. I'll boil those frozen veggies to go with it. Oh, and I just ate a little sandwich about an hour ago with a whole-wheat English muffin, cheese and tomato and a glass of milk.

I was just thinking about how when I bought my groceries and had to put some things back because it was going to cost to much. Two aisles away a woman and a man also had to put things back. It was kind of embarrassing having to take things off, but at the same time I'm not the type to care what people think of me. At the same time, had I grown up living off this amount would I then care more? If I were constantly having to do things like that to make ends meet then how would I feel? Also, I feel like I have more protein items then I necessarily need but not as many fruits and vegetables as I would like. Before this challenge, I had made the decision to eat a lot healthier and take better care of myself -- including quitting drinking. I only have one kidney, and recently (about a month ago) had a pretty bad kidney infection that scared the crap out of me. So I decided I would become a rabbit -- well, pretty much, but mainly I mean I would eat a lot fruits and veggies, and as much protein and dairy as the Canada Food Guide recommends, and cut out all the unhealthy stuff except for once in a blue moon occasions. Including salt, as that is also a weakness of mine. Now it does not interest me, as I know it can cause kidney stones, which can cause scarring. But its crazy how much salt is in things that you wouldn't expect to have salt in them. Anyhow, the point of this is that if $35 was my weekly budget for life it would be extremely difficult, almost impossible, for me to eat tons of vegetables and fruits. Even now, I've been consuming lots of peanut butter and bread for snacks instead of fruit for snacks. This is definitely eye opening.

I did not have a shower yesterday or do my makeup. That felt weird for sure. Me and Mitch (my boyfriend) went to my friend Chantel's house and watched a movie she had. We just hung out, relaxing and chatting on the couch. But there goes a buck for gas since I was at Mitch's house all evening and we drove to her house. She lives in Keewatin though, so I walked home after. Which isn't really anything new to me, I've never owned my own car and don't even have my G2 yet (I'm working on it though!) and have always been used to walking, catching the bus, or finding rides from family and friends. Although the past 2 years I have been more use to driving places, as Mitch has a jeep. Anyhow, its funny how its a dollar to use a vehicle -- but it's 2 bucks to catch the bus. It makes me not have any interest in riding the bus, but in reality people on this budget would have no choice as they wouldn't even have a vehicle. I'm going to have to find a way to town this afternoon as me and Megan are supposed to get together at her place to work on the assignment we have due tomorrow. We started it on Friday when I was at work, but we're not quite done.

For breakfast this morning I had french toast, and I borrowed cinnamon from my parents and added to the egg before putting the bread in it. Since I wasn't going to be having syrup, I at least needed cinnamon! Right now I am drinking a delicious cup of coffee, but there goes 50 cents on that one. Its worth it though.

Pumpkin "Loaf" and Pumpkin Muffins.. See how they have sunk in and aren't raised like a muffin should be? Too much pumpkin, but they are still delicious -- and super moist! The loaf is raised in this picture, but it has sunk in now too.

I just figured out exactly how much money I have left, counting my scratch ticket winnings, and my cup of coffee this morning, and I have $3.67. That's not a lot considering there's still today and two more days to go. Speaking of which, I should open my challenge card! It says "You do not have any socks. It's your choice." (This one makes me laugh a bit, I got to admit, because its only February so therefore Christmas was not long ago and therefore my sock drawer is overflowing with socks). One thing I wonder is how I am out of socks? Where did my socks go? Are they just all dirty? Or do they all have holes in them? If they were all dirty I'm sure I could just wash them in the sink and hang them to dry. If they all have holes I'm sure I could sew those holes. If I were to actually not have any socks at all, I would have to buy some because it's February and therefore cold out, but seeing as I am out of socks and it is a Sunday I would find out what the weather is like.

  It's plus 1 out there! That's gorgeous weather, I think I can do without socks for the day, especially as its Sunday and not too many places are open and most close quite early anyhow. But of course I know how Kenora weather goes and I'm sure it will get cold again so I would want to find some socks tomorrow for sure. I would go to the salvation army and check that out, or, if I knew how to knit, I could knit socks. Too bad I don't know how, that would be a valuable skill for someone living on this income. I'm positive that buying wool or whatever would be cheaper than buying already made clothing. That's another thing I will have to look into.
Also, it has been interesting trying not to text. Sometimes, I've forgotten because I've received a text and automatically started typing back -- its kind of a habit, something I'm just so used to doing. As soon as I remember though, I stop typing back and instead grab the house phone and dial their number to call them back. Although texting can be very convenient, it is actually better to talk to someone on the phone. There’s more of a connection there, instead of just technological messages. I think trying to use the actual phone instead of texting will be something I keep doing after this challenge.

I was thinking to that maybe instead of going to Megan's house to work on our assignment, she could come to my house. Then I wouldn't lose a dollar to get to her house, which is in town so definitely not walking distance. Especially since I have no socks. I clean the bathroom at my house once a week. I don't mind doing it at all, since I live here I feel that its important I contribute to the household chores and what not. I understand the importance of chores, as without them I may not have a work ethic or understand how much actually goes into keeping a house clean. Anyhow, my point is that if you were living on a fixed income on Ontario Works, or even working but with low wages, would you be able to afford cleaning products too clean your bathroom, kitchen, etc. Would you own a vacuum to clean your carpets? A mop to clean the kitchen & bathroom floors? Cleaning fluids for the mop bucket and cleaning fluids for the counter, toilet, sinks, etc.? And when its a decision between cleaning and eating, eating is obviously a bigger necessity and higher on the priority list. Therefore, the cleaning of things could become neglected, which maybe would not bother some people but would definitely bother me. I like things to be clean, as in sanitary, and organized as well. Sure, my bedroom gets messy, but that is because I am busy with school and stuff, and often come home late at which point my siblings are sleeping and therefore I should be quiet. It always bugs me when it gets messy and cluttered and I always end up cleaning it ASAP when this happens because it annoys me. But if you had a low budget, you wouldn't have a vacuum for the carpets, or cleaning fluids for the washrooms and what not. So I started thinking, what about regular household items that could be used as cleaning supplies?

Wow, Google is amazing. I found a website that has lists of things to use for cleaning! I was just going to type them in here, but there are so many I will instead attach the link: http://www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.cfm

Just thinking about laundry too. At my house, we have a dryer but we also have a clothes line set up in the basement. Its pretty neat and definitely energy saving. There's also a fan down there to keep the air moving so the clothes will actually dry. This means we don't have to use the dryer as often.

So Megan picked me up and we went to her house and finished are assignment, which I'm quite confident we did a great job on! I figure since she offered me a ride, it doesn't count as a dollar for driving? That's just what I figure.. if that's not the case, let me know and I'll subtract a dollar. :)

Day 3
Okay worked out this afternoon in my room. Basically, a while ago I went through all my cosmopolitan magazines and ripped out all the work out pages. I would jog, but its freakin' winter!

Anyhow, these exercises need no equipment, as a water bottle can be used as the weight (although I think plastic disposable water bottles are evil, it is a kind of okay way of recycling them I guess..). I took pictures of the ones I did this afternoon because I figured it might be useful to someone? Anywho, here they are: 

Last night I just hung out at Mitch's house. I made a yummy dinner -- it was lean ground beef, garlic, onion, a little green onion, can of diced tomatoes, can of spinach (which looks nasty when you open the can -- and it stinks..) and spiral noodles. It was delicious. I took pictures, of course, but I forget my camera at Mitch's house :(

Anyway, yesterday at Megan's I made a baked potato with garlic and green onions stuffed inside and I didn't realize how long it takes to cook a baked potato! Wow. I ate a couple pieces of whole wheat bread with my crunchy peanut butter. After an hour the potato was pretty much done but it could have been cooked more; but I ate it anyhow, I was way too hungry! Besides, it tasted pretty good anyhow. I did cheat a little and put a wee bit of butter on it.. So, right now I'm not sure what to do for breakfast. I forgot my frozen Egg McMuffins at Mitch's so I can't do anything with that :(

I have eggs here which I would really love to eat, but I don't really feel like cooking.. but I don't feel like peanut butter and toast.. Well, I'm really hungry so I think eggs it is! This challenge is going pretty good so far. I'm not worried about whether or not I have enough food, but I am worried about my lack of fruits and vegetables. Although not too worried as the last day is tomorrow. Wednesday I'm going to make a huge fruit and yogurt smoothie and a big spinach salad! It's going to be soo good. I'm thankful I get to go back to my regular eating habits. And it makes me think how many people don't have the means to eat healthy fresh fruits and vegetables. I was reading a post by Dan yesterday about how our wealth is so unevenly distributed, and its true. The rich keep getting richer, and hoarding their money or buying more merchandise than they could ever need -- who needs 5 cars and a mansion with 5 bathrooms for only a few people living in it?! It just doesn't make any sense. But that's capitalism. As Ghandi once said, "There is enough in the world for everyone's need, but not for anyone's greed". Anyhow, it's definitely breakfast time! I'm hungry!

My challenge card today is "Interview for a job today. You only have runners. What will you do?" Not too sure, since before opening this I grabbed a cup of coffee that my Dad made -- so there goes 50 cents and I now have $3.17 instead of 3.67.

I'm pretty sure I can't find dress shoes for 3 bucks.. I'll have to check out the Sally Ann, which I need to check out anyhow for socks -- which I am also going to need for this interview anyhow. I might call Wal-Mart as well and see what they have on sale in their shoe department (when I worked there I remember things being marked down to pretty low prices sometimes, so I might get lucky!)

The thing is, I can't physically go to any of these places for real because I have class from 1 until 3.30ish, then I work at 5 until 10! So my day is kind of packed full, no time to walk to any of these places. And if I drive I won't have money for the shoes or socks due to the dollar for gas. But I'm going to call around and post my discoveries on here later on. Maybe I could borrow shoes off a family member? We'll see.

Day 4
Today is Valentines Day, which I've never really cared about anyways to be honest so I'm not too worried about it, but it's also the beginning of Action Week Against Poverty and everyone should wear red today! I know I am, in fact I had to buy a red shirt since I didn't have any. Actually, I bought a white t-shirt and a bottle of red tye dye (these were bought a couple weeks ago though!) and tye-dyed it. It's red, but there's some pink too as well. Anyhow, better start getting ready I guess.

Speaking of which, I realize that makeup and hair products are not a necessity -- you do not need them to live. But I can't imagine what it would be like to not wear at least cover up and to not use my hair straighter -- I would lose a little self-esteem for sure. I didn't shower or do my makeup Saturday, and yesterday I only put on cover up and a little bit of blush. Today will be the same. I realize that if you had a limited budget makeup and hair would not be a priority, but I can't bring myself to go to school without concealer and blush. I just have to. But I will not be wearing mascara or eye shadow. I think this is a good compromise?

I haven't gotten around to looking into the shoes and socks. It's been a busy day for me -- heck, its a busy week for me! I have a test tomorrow, a test on Wednesday and an assignment due (which I still need to start), another test on Thursday, and an essay due Thursday too. It's crazy.
The essay is only 3 pages, but still, with everything else this week! So I will have to look into that tomorrow I guess, I'll call at lunch. There is no way I can actually visit any places though. Tomorrow we have to set up bins for food and clothing drives at the college as well. I'm so busy my head is spinning. Time for dinner. I need nourishment.

Some last thoughts though: I can't imagine what all this would be like if I really did need to find shoes and socks at a low price, on top of everything else I have to do. I'm glad I don't have to worry about money while I'm in school, because that would be extremely stressful and could affect your grades for sure. Anyhow, my tummy is screaming 'feed me' so I'd better go heat up my leftovers! Blog later to upload pictures and give a more insightful blog maybe (unless my brain completely shuts down by then...)

Oh yeah, I have a test on Wednesday at 1 pm, so unfortunately I will not be able to stay long at the fellowship centre -- basically, I'll have to leave at 12:45.. but there is a possibility that I may not even be able to come which is disappointing as I wanted to be there. We will see though. 

Sadly, I don't think I will be able to go to the fellowship centre tomorrow at lunch as I have a test at 1 pm that I am not prepared for at all. I work tonight so I can study tonight but I think I will need to study at lunch as well to make sure I'm prepared. Plus I have a case study assignment due tomorrow as well that I need to do tonight -- which will cut into my studying time forcing me to need to study at lunch as well. I really would have liked to attend the lunch, but school has to come first.

Anyhow, my challenge today is "The cut on your hand is oozing. Purchase something to stop the infection."
If it was a large cut, I think I would probably go to the hospital. If it was a small cut, then something would need to be purchased -- but I definitely don't have enough money left. Therefore, I will need to find some at-home remedies. I found one website with some interesting information, but some of it definitely costs some money, but there is some interesting information and good tips so I will post the link here:

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/47/39.cfm

Anyhow, the last one has some that I never would have thought of, such as onion, garlic, honey, and ginger. I have onion left over in my fridge, so that will be chopped up finely and put on my oozing wound -- after I clean it with mild soap and water first, of course.

Disappointed. I couldn't make the egg dish because surprisingly the hotel is full (January and February are usually pretty dead months)! No rooms for me to go to use the microwave. And since I didn't have anything else with me to eat, I had to call Mitch and ask him to bring some of those leftovers (preheated at his house) from Sunday. So I've eaten the same thing for dinner for the last three days. I'm definitely tired of it, although it was delicious the first two days! If this was my budget for long periods of time I think I might get scurvy -- well, maybe that's a bit dramatic, but I would not be getting an adequate amount of fruits and veggies either. I for sure cannot wait for a salad and smoothie tomorrow. I also realize that if I didn't have a microwave or anything and lived on this budget, I would have been stuck going hungry until later -- but I have to study and I need energy for that! If I'm hungry, than my studying is not effective as then I would just be thinking about how hungry I am.

Day 5
I guess I'm having some trouble making some real insights tonight and yesterday. I just have school on my brain. But this has definitely been an eye-opening, thoughtful and interesting challenge for sure. It's made me see things from a different perspective. And I would do it all over again, except maybe not ending in the week where I have a bazillion school things to do! Oh well, I guess that's life -- roll with the punches or get knocked over. Sadly, I will not be in attendance tomorrow at the Fellowship Center. I really want to come but I had to make a tough decision. Fun or responsibility? School is my number one responsibility right now, and I am definitely going to need that lunch hour to review my test review (which I still need to start!) and make sure everything's fresh in my brain. Plus if I go to the luncheon I risk being late for class, which means I may not even be able to write the test! I cannot get a zero on anything because that drastically lowers your mark and I try my best to keep my marks above 80%, which I've been having trouble doing in the class which I have a test for so far. I wish I could come, and I hope everyone has a good time there. Sorry I can't make it :(

Anyhow, I realize I'm blabbering about things that don't have much to do with poverty, so I'll add on that at the college we are doing a pyjama day on Thursday to encourage people to put donations in our donation box for Making Kenora Home. The pyjama day was Jen's idea (she works in the Contact North office). I will also be baking muffins (I'm thinking blueberry ones and chocolate ones) for Thursday which people can purchase for a donation. Jen will be making rice crispy squares as well for that purpose. The baking will be done tomorrow night, on top of writing an essay and studying for a test in the morning. Yup. My brain may explode from overuse. We are also doing a clothing and food drive at the college too. Anyhow, I need to get back to studying.

Thelma Wilkins-Page

Average weekly budget for “basic needs”: $75

Food Weakness: Large Chai Latte from HoJoe’s with Date Square

Average Cost of Weakness: $6

What would your typical daily menu look like?

Breakfast : toast , yogurt, orange Lunch: often eat out during work week so it varies, chicken, potatoes, veggies, salad. Supper: Meat, rice or pasta, vegetable and ice cream or pudding for dessert.

Average cost of typical day's meals? $20

What do you anticipate being the most difficult in the challenge? Just thinking about the cost of things, since my husband and I are now empty nesters, I no longer maintain a budget, so I really don’t worry about my day to day costs for food. If I need something, for example aspirins, cold medication or personal hygiene supplies, I just buy it. I will have to really be aware of what I am spending and write it down so I don’t exceed the budget I am allowed.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about the challenge since first being invited to participate. I have been checking prices of "everything", which I haven't done since all the kids still lived at home. Lots of thoughts around that, like how spoiled have I become, how much I take for granted and how the whole "budget" experience transcends the "food" experience into the social experience, where I can go, who I can go with, how I am somewhat alienated from my colleagues and family when I can't "join in" on activities that have a cost! My most "disturbing" thought has been, for me this challenge is just for a few days of my life there is "light at the end of the tunnel", for those on Ontario Works this is their life, their reality 24/7/365 Where is their light? I am wondering how easy it would be for someone on Ontario Works to shop at several different stores in order to make their money stretch as far as possible. I am imagining not that easy! In my attempt to manage my $35 I have been looking around for the "best" deals possible, no onestop shopping to accomplish this, just another obstacle to an already difficult situation! Also noted, the healthier version of everything I would be shopping for is too much $$. The no name brands have more salt, more fat and less fibre than the Name Brands, but the name brands can be as much as double the price!

Tuna and salmon, eggs and a legumes will have to provide the protein, will miss the meat for sure. Also fresh fruit and veggies, had to do canned for veggies, but green and yellow beans, tomatoes and corn will provide some variety. All I was able to purchase to substitute fruit was a carton of orange juice, unsweetened, but from concentrate, I will be longing for some fruit before the week is up! Will be starting on Wednesday and then I will see how what I bought actually measures up!

Day 1
Breakfast was a serving of Banana Nut Muslix, 1/2 cup Activia Probiotic Strawberry Yogurt, 3/4 1% cup milk, and that will be breakfast every day this week! Pretty healthy good fibre content, caloric count not bad. Lunch a tin of Salmon, no money for mayo or seasonings so little bland, but 20 Grams of protein and low sodium and 110 calories, two slices of 12 grain bread buttered with a no name marg. I had a business obligation in the evening Chamber AGM, didn't have anything but water to drink, coffee smelled good, but not in the budget, passed on dessert and only ate a third of my dinner, trying my best to stay on track. Had to meet my husband at HoJoe's for my ride from work to the event, and visited while he had a coffee and I had nothing, felt a little uncomfortable, and deprived.

Well, my challenge today was someone stole my shovel, I can't afford to replace it, have no way to get to anywhere to buy one anyway! Big problem, I have someone coming to interview me for a potential job, in an hour! I don't have a phone so it's out on foot to see if any neighbours might be home, have a shovel and be willing to lend it to me. Then get the shovelling done and "clean up" to look my best. I know it's not real, but can you imagine the panic I would feel if it was.

I had a function to attend for work this morning, the coffee, muffins and fresh fruit looked AWESOME, but if I want to take this challenge seriously, I have to think about the fact that I wouldn't be here, ergo no potential for free food at this venue. Yes...I stayed strong, just got the info and left the rest. I did get a chance to talk about the challenge as people kept offering me the food and coffee and I kept declining. People DO notice when you are NOT partaking, WOW!

It's 5 pm and I'm just heading home for supper. I am HUNGRY! Guess I didn't realize the "snacking" I did during the day and I didn't plan for snacks in my budget. I will be cooking a mix of brown/wild rice (gosh takes 20 mins to cook hope I can wait that long) and having that with some bean chili. Thank goodness I left my yogurt out this morning and can have it for dessert, I am feeling deprived. I haven't had coffee all day, did I say that before?? Seems to be my mantra right now. I hope tomorrow's challenge card doesn't take coffee away again, I am starting to obsess about coffee. One thing I've noticed is my lack of energy! Will have to see if that continues, could be a real detriment to those looking for work trying to get off Ontario Works, hard to be "on" in an interview with no energy! Because I have to work this week, I shopped on Saturday. Spent 32.50, wanted to leave a bit for coffee or rides if necessary. Shopped 3 different stores, Everyday brand at Shoppers pretty good prices and Great Value at Wal-Mart, then got a few "brand" name items at Zellers, no grocery stores? Checked the fliers and did the best I could. Shopped pretty healthy, but will not have much variation in diet from day to day. I usually get an 8 pac of Activia yogurts, variety of flavours, settled for one large strawberry, 100mls less than 8 pac but 1/2 the price.

Day 2
Okay, I promise not to go on about coffee although as I'm writing this , I am enjoying a cup of java, black, no sugar in the budget, but it does taste good! got home last night and had a good dinner, cooked up some of the white/wild rice I had bought, actually cooked it all so I would have it on hand for the rest of the challenge! That with half a can of Stagg chili, actually pretty decent and not too bad for calories, salt and fat! It was on for $1.97 (yeah Dan, that 97 cents at the back of every number makes keeping track hard, I agree). One fruit cup only preservative, ascorbic acid, so pretty good, and the total meal was $2.00 a little less than half the days allotment.

When I walked in the door from work my husband said, was that Banana Nut Muslix yours for the challenge, yes, did you eat some, yes, WHAT! I have never been one not to share, but I can see now if I had a roommate, which is the only way I could afford to live with the Ontario Works budget for housing, I might keep my food under lock and key. I was a little miffed, but over it now!

My challenge card today was winning $5 on a $2 lotto ticket. So I net $3, which I am supposed to report to Ontario Works, well I doubt that would happen, no matter how honest I think I am. I would convince myself that they don't need to know, after all, they aren't very generous and keep me on a deprivation budget so why would I call?? I would be able to justify that one so I could sleep tonight. And think of the coffee I can have for the balance of the challenge, six cups. Actually, I think I will buy a bag of apples, I hear from Shelly they are a pretty good deal and I think some fresh fruit would be great. Just having some thoughts about my challenge for the day, having spent $2 and winning $5 so a profit of $3. That might encourage me to want to buy more! So next "pay day" I might squander a few more of my valuable $'s in hopes of winning more and then having more! You get my drift. I was pretty darn excited to have a windfall of $3, almost an entire day's worth of food. Or a chance to go "out" for a coffee! I can see the temptation could be my demise, that hope for the "big win" might be the only hope I think I have! I have heard comments in the past "how can they afford to be buying these tickets when they are on assistance?" and I've thought yeah, how? I can certainly understand the motivation now! Sorry about the judgemental attitude in the past, not that it's necessarily a good idea, but I now understand!

Day 3
Back home last night at 6:30PM, so supper was on track with the challenge. Actually had an interesting time going to restaurants while in the City! First impression, boy a lot of people eat out, big families Mom, Dad and 3 or four kids under 10! How can they afford this. Second impression, how much food didn't get eaten! I am certainly becoming conscious of what's going on around me more than before with regards to FOOD! I did stick to the challenge as much as possible, forgoing my usual bacon and eggs for toast and yogurt. I did have a moment of reverse discrimination where I was feeling quite disgusted with the waste and felt a bit of animosity towards the people around me that seemed to have the money to afford so much. That was a bit unsettling, I guess it can work both ways. So.. I had a bit of a chat with myself about how I was feeling and tried to understand how it might be for those who had to live on such a restricted budget for so long, sometimes forever. I guess I settled at balance, as long as I am able to afford more, working , making good money, if I do what I can to contribute to and advocate for the less fortunate, I can live with that. I do think this experience will stay with me for a long time... I hope so.. and I hope it touches many others in the process.

I just opened my challenge card for the day, I need some Neosporin or something like that as I have a cut on my hand that's infected! If someone has a home remedy for this I would really appreciate it or looks like coffee is off the menu for the day. Kind of getting used to that in a bit of a "chip on my shoulder" way. Just saying....Well, trip to the library to access free internet and I have a couple of choices , vinegar or salt water. I don't have vinegar on hand as it wasn't on my shopping list, but I wonder if I could pick up a free pkg of vinegar at one of the fast food places? I do have salt, so clean the wound and soak in water as hot as I can stand it with a couple of table spoons of salt. (while I sip on my cup of java, yeah!) I do recall when Ralph's son Stephen had chicken pox with some nasty red ones, as they were enroute to Florida, the Doctor told him to take him into the ocean , and it worked! So I think it's a real possibility.
Have 12 grain bread and 2 eggs and one very thin slice of cheese for lunch. Had cereal, milk and yogurt for breakfast, planning on spaghetti for supper, just can't imagine it without parmesan, but don't have any, so we'll see!

Day 4
My challenge is getting shoes to wear to the interview. I only have running shoes. At first I thought, well, I would go in running shoes, and explain my situation! Then I thought, maybe not. If I get a job I am going to have to look presentable. Of course, if the job is manual labour I probably would be okay, but let's say the job is waitressing, or maybe secretarial type work. Then I definitely need to put my best foot forward, no pun intended!

So I am going to call the Thrift Shop and explain my situation, I hear if you have no money they will provide for limited needs, free of charge. I will share my good news of an interview, I might even be able to get some clothes if I need. I know appearance makes a first impression, then I just have to sell my abilities. The Thrift Shop was looking at putting a section together for just this purpose, I just am uncertain about the $. Of course, I'm broke, just 1 day of challenge left and I spent my last money on a cup of coffee, it was so worth it. I was worried about my challenge card, so I'll be honest, I had coffee before opening my challenge card!

Okay, so it's 11:20AM and I can't wait til noon to eat. Very hungry, remember the story about the cereal, unaware husband eats wife's challenge cereal for lunch! Well, all out of cereal so breakfast was a little lean! Wondering how I will make it til 5PM before eating supper. I am going to be fantasying about my rice/tomato/corn dish for sure! I do have a peach fruit cup so will savour that at about 2:30 PM and hopefully that will hold me.

Just got off the phone with the Thrift Store, had a great conversation with the lady who assured me the Captain absolutely has the ability to provide shoes, and whatever other clothing might help me prepare for my job interview at no cost! Some good news in the midst of my hunger crisis!

Day 5
Well, here it is, the final day! I had the last of my yogurt and a slice of my 12 grain bread with peanut butter. I 'm at work and having my 1 cup of coffee. Just thinking over the past week and the conversations I've had and the experience itself. I must be honest, when I woke up this morning my first thought was, I wonder what goodies I'll have for supper, then immediately thought about all those people on Ontario Works waking up this morning to just another day of trying to stretch that dollar! It is quite a sobering FACT. One thing I will continue to do is advocate for those on OW and tell the story of my experience, in that way I will feel I am providing some support. I have learned some valuable lessons, like the Great Value peaches and cream canned kernel corn is every bit as good as Green Giant and half the price, I guess I was a bit of a snob shopping only brand names I felt would be better. It was the same in contents and calories, so no trade off there. Also the Red Sockeye Wild Salmon, Everyday Market from Shoppers, just as good as the Gold Seal and half the price, who would have known! Also same calories and salt etc. Looking forward to meeting with everyone at the Fellowship centre for lunch and hearing about all their experiences.

Tabitha Marshall

Average weekly budget for “basic needs”: $350.00 (rent included)

Food Weakness: non-seasonal fruits and vegetables and cheeses

Average cost of weakness: $15/week

What my typical daily menu looks like:
Breakfast: smoothie of frozen fruit, yogurt, cereal, ground flax
Lunch: milk or yogurt, vegetables sticks, fruit, leftover meat and rice/pasta/potatoes from day before
Supper: brown rice or potatoes, frozen vegetables, lettuce salad, chicken breast, milk, fruit

Average cost of typical daily meals: $10.00

What do I anticipate being the most difficult in the challenge? Cutting back on time spent at the Recreation Centre here in Kenora. I enjoy going to the gym after work or on the weekends. The cost to go to the gym might not be a priority to fit within my $35.00 budget. Also cutting back on the non-seasonal fruit and vegetables! I tend to buy produce even when it is not on sale!

Why did I decide to take this challenge?: I decided to take the poverty challenge because I encounter food insecurity daily in my job. Most of my clients are faced with the challenges of trying to eat a healthful diet on an extremely limited income. I think it will be a valuable learning experience for me to face the same struggles and challenges personally. I hope this will also be an eye opening experience for myself and others that will raises awareness to some of the stress and difficulties that are the reality of so many people and families living on Ontario Works Assistance. 

This is my first official blog to start off this challenge and I'm very anxious to start! I look forward to this challenge and I hope it is as eye opening for others as I am sure it will be for me. I hope it raises awareness and shines a light on the struggles that people face while living on a very fixed and limited income.

Personally I am most interested in the food security aspect of this challenge, because it has always been one of my passions. But also in my practice as a dietitian, I encounter people daily who are struggling with food insecurity. Food insecurity in Kenora means that even though food is readily available year round, it is not necessarily accessible to those with limited income.

Many people I talk to feel they can not afford to purchase fruits and vegetables because of the high cost of produce, especially at this time of the year. And many people would rather spend their money on things that will fill them up fast, like bread, pasta, and meat. Milk is also an issue, in addition to it being a fairly expensive staple, many people are lactose intolerant and might choose to purchase lactose-free milk which is almost twice the cost.

For those who have limited food preparation skills - purchasing raw ingredients to make homemade meals can be a daunting task. Some people do not have functional kitchens and very limited cooking equipment - therefore cooking has to be simple. Therefore often instead of making homemade meals - often canned foods are purchased which is significantly more expensive per serving, and also usually higher in salt, fat and preservatives.

To grocery shop I went to Ted's No Frills. I decided I would limit myself to only shop at one store because I am not using a car this week, it is cold outside, and I did not want to make multiple trips to various stores! The thought of shopping around by foot seemed pretty daunting.

Grocery shopping took a long time because I didn't have a set list of what I would buy when I got there. I wanted to see what was on special and go from there. Being a registered dietitian, I wanted to focus on healthy eating. I wanted to get a variety of foods everyday. I did not want to repeat meals on the same day - so I tried to plan different meals for breakfast, lunch, and supper. I also planned to try and follow Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide as closely as I could, choosing the cheapest sources of food from each category. I also tried to avoid canned and processed products as much as possible. Overall my goal was to spend less than $20.00 on food this week.

My strategy was to shop for my sources of protein first, because this is what I usually build my meals around. I know that eating meat alternatives are the most affordable sources of protein so I ended up purchasing dried red lentils, a carton of eggs, and plain canned tuna (no salt or oil added). I did not buy peanut butter because I wanted to try to get more variety in my meats and alternatives instead of focussing on just one kind. I also figured I would not eat though an entire jar in 5 days and it would be a waste of money for me.

Next I focussed on my grain products - I tried to buy whole grains but ended up buying enriched white bread instead as it was on clearance for $0.50. What can you do with limited selection? I rationalized that I would be eating it with lentil soup which is high in fibre. For $1.50 I also bought a bag of barley which is a great whole grain that works well in soup or as a side dish.

Milk products are very important to me as I really get little calcium otherwise, so I did purchase 2L of milk for the week. I usually drink 2-3 glasses/day so I will be cutting back a little on the milk this week. I was considering purchasing skim milk powder; however, the powder available was only in a large package selling for almost $8.00 and I did not have the money up front for this, even though it would be MUCH cheaper per glass.

I shopped for vegetables and fruits last because I knew this would be the biggest challenge. Canada's Food Guide suggests eating a dark green and orange vegetables everyday and I took this challenge to heart. I also did not hesitate to shop for canned and frozen vegetables and fruit as they can be just as nutrition as fresh (and way cheaper this time of year).

I tried choosing the deep coloured vegetables for the most "nutrition bang" for my buck. In the end I chose a bag of frozen green beans, a bag of fresh carrots, a head of cabbage, a 5 bananas. This probably will give me 4-5 servings of fruit and vegetables/day which is still less than what is recommended. The challenge I had with the fresh produce was that it was hard to estimate how much it will cost! I spent a while in front of the scale trying to figure out how much my cabbage and bananas would cost. Total cost of groceries: $17.83

At the grocery check stand I was watching closely as each item was scanned and was nervous that I would be over my budget! It was a new feeling for me worrying about how much everything was going to total when I got to the check stand. I had kept a few items back just in case I was over my budget. I definitely brought my reusable bags - no way I was spending money on a disposable bag!

Day 1
This morning I got up a bit earlier than normal because I knew I needed a bit of extra time to get ready. Breakfast this morning was oatmeal and I already feel the lack of variety of food! Usually I like adding other ingredients to my oatmeal like flax, blueberries, raisins, or cinnamon. And I usually cook it in milk. This morning I cooked it in water and added a splash of milk. Then I ate it plain. Not necessarily the best tasting but it sure is filling.

Lunch is already packed. I hard-cooked two eggs yesterday. I am having an egg sandwich with two slices of bread, a cup of milk, and a banana (a balanced meal with foods from each food group!). I wasn't able to budget a snack for myself so this should be interesting! Usually I pack a few snacks because I am used to eating smaller meals more frequently. I think tomorrow I might plan on splitting my proteins up between my breakfast and lunch so that I feel a little more satisfied longer. I'm bringing lots of water with me today. Water free from the tap! I decided not to use my brita filter this week - its an expensive item that I don't need to use. I live about a 20 minute walk from work so there really is no excuse for me to drive there if I am physically able to walk. One problem I have already encountered with this is sometimes I am required to use my car for my work. This morning is one occasion. I had to ask my co-worker if he would have access to a car tomorrow instead. I could rent a car, which my work would cover, but how would I get to the car rental place in time?

Day one is almost over and already I am starting to feel stressed about my food! Will I have enough? What happens if I run out and I have no more money? What if one of my challenge cards puts me over my budget? I feel like I am being preoccupied with my food intake and this is making me even MORE hungry! Because I am being restricted - it makes me want to eat more. It also doesn't help that I am a dietitian and therefore talk about food all day long..
This challenge is already raising a lot of awareness! I had quite a few great discussions with coworkers today about the issues surrounding low income. And I even had a few random discussions with people I didn't know - one person on the street who recognized me from the newspaper article and the other was a cashier at Wal-Mart! This issue is really hitting home for so many people in Kenora. And it is only day one!

My biggest challenge today was transportation. I already had to pay a $1.00 penalty for a ride to Walmart. Myself and a friend are throwing a baby shower tomorrow (stay tuned for our affordable hosting...) and I had to pick up gifts and supplies from money that was pooled. As I was the designated buyer - I needed someway to get everything home. There was no way I was going to be able to walk or even take the bus. I've really never been without a car, so this was one educational experience for me. What would I have done if I didn't have a car or a friend to call? I saw someone getting out of a taxi in front of Wal-Mart - that would have been an expensive trip if I did have to resort to a taxi - a lot more than a dollar.

My challenge card of the day was, "It is your mother's birthday. Purchase her a gift." $35/5 days AND I have to buy birthday gifts?! Yikes. I ended up deciding that I would make her a gift. Since I enjoy crocheting I decided to purchase some yarn and make some dish cloths and hot pads - practical, affordable, and because they are homemade they mean something! I found some yarn for $1.50. Normally I would bake something for someone's birthday but I certainly did not have any flour or sugar! I hope she likes my dish cloths...

Food today went alright. The bread I used for my sandwich was stale because it was on clearance - tomorrow I'll toast the bread for my sandwich to make that a little better. I definitely missed my afternoon snack though. I am used to eating more frequently, but I am trying to limit myself to only eating at my three meals per day. I think the weekend will be even more challenging as I sit in my apartment with food around. Perhaps I'll have to hide my food away from myself so I don't munch on it.

Supper menu: barley, lentil and cabbage soup with toast, green beans, and milk. I boiled together my lentils and barley, then added cabbage and some carrots. It made for a rather hearty soup! And I have leftovers for tomorrow too. I am allowing myself to use pepper only as my seasoning. I ended up burning my toast black because I have my setting set for more hearty whole-grain breads - my flimsy white bread did not need long to toast...but I couldn't waste the bread so I scrapped off the black and ate it anyway. I felt pretty full after that meal! Although I've already had another piece of toast as a snack.

Exercise today. I did not go to the Rec Centre as I usually do - I couldn't afford a day pass. But I did walk to work both ways (20 minutes each way) and I went for a walk at lunch and did errands downtown (another 20 minutes). 60 minutes of free fast walking - pretty good! I wanted to go to the library afterlunch to see if I could borrow some exercise DVD's for free. Turns out I had a $0.40 fine on my card from an overdue book! So I had to pay $0.40 for my rental today. Darn. But the library is such a great resource for entertainment - books, movies, music, books on tape even! I'll definitely be going there more during this challenge.

Day 2
This morning I woke up late on purpose - because I wanted to eat breakfast late and I need to eat breakfast as soon as I get up! This morning's breakfast was delicious. I made French toast with 1 egg and a splash of milk, and cooked a banana in the pan with the toast! I don't have syrup so I dug a package of Splenda out of my purse (I'm a dietitian okay? I keep Splenda in my purse for such emergencies...) and sprinkled that on top to sweeten it. I ended up buying some herbal tea so I made a big mug of that to go with breakfast. 

So far I haven't repeated any meals! And this meal was pretty balanced. We shall see how creative I can get with my cooking this week - French toast is a great way to use stale bread. My challenge card this morning is, "Every week you shovel the neighbour's drive. She paid you $2.00. Don't forget to report your income. " Yes!!! $2.00!!! I never thought I would be so excited to get $2.00. Before I wouldn't think twice about spending that on tea at a coffee shop. But now I am thinking about all the practical things I can use it for. Perhaps I'll get a ride somewhere, or buy some peanut butter, or save it up for when I really need it at the end of the week. It makes me feel a little more secure! As for reporting it - I'm not sure how to do that - I'll have to look it up. Hopefully that doesn't decrease my OW allowance!

My biggest challenge today will be supplying food for the baby shower. Thankfully there was money pooled or I wouldn't be able to afford to host this shower (and we turned it into a potluck). I'm serving herbal tea, and a Jello and fruit cocktail dessert. Cost breakdown: box of herbal tea (by far the most expensive) $3.29, no name Jello powder $0.79, and great value fruit cocktail $1.68. Thankfully I have the $2.00 today that helps me out. I hope they enjoy my Jello dessert! Budget remaining: $12.92.

This afternoon was the big baby shower for my friend and I think it was a success! We certainly made it affordable. I hosted it at my apartment so I didn't have to worry about driving somewhere or walking and carrying the big gifts and food with me. After finding out we were doing the poverty challenge we created the party into a potluck - so everyone who came brought something to eat or drink which really does add up fast! I did eat at the potluck because I did contribute food - but I did purposefully miss lunch today in preparation or this. There were even veggies and dip which was a great way to get more vegetables into my system!

Thinking about it - potlucks are great ways to stretch food and get more variety into my diet. Creating a feast doesn't take much when everyone brings something small! And it creates a wonderful social environment around food. There are so many other factors the impacts our eating beside the actual food. To me atmosphere makes a huge difference. If I am eating with friends - I am happy and wouldn't mind as much if the meal was repeated, or bland, or boring.

I ended up making a gift for the shower. This costs less than buying something from Wal-Mart or Zellers - but also it shows that you care because you put the time, energy and love into the gift. I don't know why people don't make gifts more often - a personal touch really does make it special! See the picture of the sweet peas I made:
Supper tonight will be small as I had enough to eat at the shower. Leftover soup is on the menu.

Tonight I am having a low-cost night as well. I am having a friend over and we are watching a movie (borrowed, not rented), eating my free popcorn and just enjoying each other's company. Who says you need to go out to have fun?

I had wanted to go to the lunch at the Fellowship Centre today - but the timing did not work out for me. I guess that is also a challenge - if you are not able to go to the free meals...too bad for you. Appointments, lack of transportation, bad weather, or whatever other barriers, can prevent you from getting to that meal that you really need.

Day 3
My challenge today is this: "Out of dish soap. Find a solution." Well I do have some money left so perhaps I'll swing by a store on the way home from Jubilee lunch today and see if anything is within my budget... Other options considered: paper plates and plastic cutlery? But that is just too expensive and frankly just bad for the environment. I though about asking my neighbours to spot me some soap...but I am too shy to go ask. I even tried hand soap...but that idea flopped too.

This morning I woke up to a cold apartment. I thought I would have a nice hot shower to warm up in. Guess what? My shower ran out of hot water! So I had a luke-warm shower instead... brrrrrrr. I didn't even plan that one!

For breakfast this morning I repeated my first meal - I had leftover barley, lentil and cabbage soup. Which sounds like an odd breakfast - but the barley soaked up all the liquid so it was kind of like oatmeal! Quite delicious. I had a big bowl of that and a nice steaming mug of tea. That should hold me until lunch at Jubilee. I feel like I am doing pretty well rationing my food and I am pretty sure I will have enough to last me through the week (and then some). Part of my advantages?

• I don't have a big appetite. I can eat three small meals/day and feel satisfied - I think of some of my friends who eat 3-4 times more than I do - they would have serious trouble on this budget.

• I am not overly physically active right now - in the spring/summer I am usually following a training schedule for running which gets me exercising a lot more than I am now. During this time my food intake doubles. Exercising a lot during this week doesn't seem too appealing because then I would feel more hungry!

• I have cooking skills - I can make a meal out of pretty much anything. I bought raw ingredients instead of already prepared foods - this lasts WAY longer and is cheaper in the long run.

• I don't mind eating vegetarian. I know some people who can't survive without their meat.

One of the issues I've been having yesterday and today is with my internet. It has been cutting in and out. Which is incredibly frustrating (especially when I have no idea how to fix it). I realize how much I rely on the internet when I can't access it! I use the internet not only for blogging this challenge, emails, Facebook, and work - but also for communicating with my family via Skype. Without this I feel very disconnected from them. Skype at least is free - while long-distance phone calls cost money. I can go to the library to use the internet...but I can't use Skype and it certainly is much less convenient than having internet while sitting on my couch at home! I'm off walking to Jubilee right away - which should take 20-25 minutes. Buses don't run on Sundays. 

Today is the only opportunity I get to attend one of the free meals offered in our community. What I love about the meals offered in Kenora is that every day there is SOME meal to go to - whether it be at the Fellowship Centre, at Knox Agape Table, or at Jubilee Church. The community coordination is encouraging. At Jubilee - people are able to come for the meal at 1:00pm, but myself and a fellow challenger, Adrienne, decided to go for the church service before as well for the full experience. As a regular church attendee I wasn't too far out of my comfort zone, but it was still quite a different experience.

Jubilee Church in downtown Kenora is a ministry focussed on those people who need it most - the poor, the hungry, the street people, and those generally ignored by everyone else in society. The congregation was a whole mix of people from a variety of different walks of life. I'm sure each person there would have a very interesting story to tell. But what moved me the most at the service was the most amazing sense of community. To me community lives up to its name when people coming together and support each other to stand when you otherwise couldn't stand on your own. For me, this challenge is only 5 days long, for many of these people it is a reality that they might live their whole lives through. I can get by the next few days knowing the end is in sight - but it is the community and support that you have - the family, the friends, and for some people their spiritual beliefs that give them the hope, the courage, the strength to continue on their journey. I felt so privilege to be able to participate in the service today and be welcomed in to join in their worship.

Collection - during the service a collection of money was taken for the continued support of the services being offered at Jubilee. I thought about the tight budget that I was on, but also thought about how much I had at home. I have MORE than enough and there are others who need it more than I do. I gave 10% of my $35.00 as my donation. It was so touching to see people at the service who have so little, still give at the collection, and give cheerfully.

Lunch was awesome!! There was so much food - and it was nutritious AND delicious! We had pasta with meatballs and some vegetables mixed together, a bun, and some juice or coffee. People even came around with little Valentine's Day cupcakes for everyone! So I did get to celebrate Valentine's Day after all. I could have had seconds, or even thirds if I wanted to - or even taken some home. Its great to see that there was more than enough food to feed everyone who came out for the meal. It was a great social opportunity too to meet new people, hear some stories, and also meet up with some of the other people who are also on the challenge and hear how they are doing.

After the ample lunch, for my daily exercise I went walking out in the beautiful warm weather with Jada (a fellow challenger), a few other good friends, and 4 lovely dogs! It turned into a lovely afternoon - however the snow did get a little wet in the warm temperature so our clothes got a little soggy. Thankfully we had a warm house to go back to, to warm up in. 

One blessing from the afternoon - Jada fed me a snack! She is also on the limited $35.00 but still managed to offer me some food when we were all hungry after our walk. It was a lovely taste of a tuna casserole and it just hit the spot. Thanks again Jada! I hope to return the favour before the week is up. We also did a little food swap to add a little variety into our diets. I got a little square of cheese and she got a banana in return. Awesome! It made dinner SO much better to have some cheese. I didn't want to buy a whole block of cheese so this was a great way of getting just enough for my meal.

Supper tonight was a "creation" I might call it. Tasty though. I had a little casserole dish, put a piece of bread in the bottom, then a layer of cooked green beans, then 3 eggs beaten with milk and pepper, and topped with cheese. I baked it in the oven until it was puffy and the eggs were cooked. And I ate it with some green beans, carrots, and a glass of milk. It was filling! 
And my challenge for the day - the dish soap. I decided - soap is soap and am using my hand soap to wash my dished. Now they smell a little like vanilla spice but could be worse! Now its back to work tomorrow - I have my lunch already packed! We will see what challenge tomorrow will bring.

Day 4
Challenge card of the day: "Someone stole your only shovel. A potential employer is coming to your house for an interview in 1 hour. Find a solution." Uh oh - coming to my house! That's a big deal. AND I slept in this morning! Thankfully I have a friend who lives 2 minutes away from me who has a shovel. I borrowed one from her. Thank goodness for friends! She is pretty trusting that I wouldn't loose or break the shovel. I'm going to keep it inside my house so no one steals this one before I get it back to her. Perhaps I'll shovel her sidewalk to say thanks!

Breakfast - oatmeal cooked with a egg and a sliced banana. The egg gives the oatmeal more texture (which I like) and more protein (which keeps me full longer). The banana is just plain delicious and then I don't have to worry about adding sugar to it. I cooked it in milk as well so I covered all my food groups at my one meal.

Lunch - tuna with some vinegar (package from fast food restaurant) and pepper on toast. Some steamed cabbage, raw carrots, milk, and a banana. This time I will spread my food throughout the day so it lasts!

I'm walking to work again this morning. Although I am really missing the fact that I can't go to the rec centre after work. Why is it SO EXPENSIVE to go to the gym?? I mean there are free ways to exercise - but if you want treadmills or weights you have to pay to use them. You would think that the government would subsidize it - especially because that might be an upstream approach to dealing with our rising healthcare costs. Exercise = healthier people = less people accessing health care! I think I will take a walk around the track at the rec centre on my lunch hour today.

I wasn't able to attend any soup kitchens today due to my work schedule - but I WAS able to access free food. Where I work at Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe'Iyewigamig (Kenora Area Health Access Centre) we have an emergency food box where we store emergency food items like juice, crackers, nutritional supplements, fruit cups, granola bars, etc for when people come in for services and are really in need of some food. I was allowed to have a shake today which helped tied me over today. Thanks KAHAC!

As for my plans of walking at the rec centre at lunch - that didn't happen because - again of work scheduling. So I walked on over after work and did some laps - it wasn't too busy which was nice - even nicer was that is was free! Next time I will bring a friend to talk to. I did do a little grocery shopping today. I stopped in at Safeway to purchase a few more items for today and tomorrow (it was just so convenient on the way home...). I bought three apples and 2 chocolate covered donuts (yes I am a dietitian but hey its Valentines Day and I'm human!). Cost me $3.44 - so worth it, but expensive - I knew I shouldn't have gone to Safeway. This leaves me with $6.73.

Supper tonight was barley (cooked like rice), 2 poached eggs, carrots and steamed cabbage. I heated up some milk and had that as well. Then I had a chocolate donut for dessert with my lovely friend Jada!

For my social activity this evening I am in the G Clef choir and we practise every Monday night. It is one of the really awesome low-cost community groups that you can join in Kenora. I did walk there and back today. It wasn't a problem going there - it was coming home later when you are tired, its dark, and the temperature has dropped. I appreciate my car for evening event

Day 5
I managed to succeed with my challenge card for the day - finding a toothbrush. I had a few minutes at lunch today so I shopped around Kenora for the best deal. I first went to Zellers - they had some for $1.49. Then hopped over to No Frills - $1.69 was the best deal I saw - BUT they were all sold out - perhaps the other challengers got there before me... I found one at the Bargain Shop for $1!!! Not the quality I am used to - but still a toothbrush nonetheless. Better than furry teeth and cavities - then I would end up paying to go to the dentist.

I decided to see if I could spend the rest of my money and I succeeded with $0.21 to spare. Talk about cutting it close! I was a little nervous heading up to the cashier - hoping it had done the math correctly. Tonight I am going to a potluck with friends and am required to bring a dish to share. I decided to bring an apple crisp - so I bought 4 apples ($2.52), some margarine (large tub of non-hydrogenated imperial for $1.99 - great deal!), and crushed tomatoes for $0.88 (not for the apple crisp but great deal!). Total = $5.39

The crisp turned out great. I chopped my apples, put them in the bottom of a dish, sprinkled some cinnamon on top with a few Splenda packages. Then made crumbs with 1 cup of oats, 1/2 cup margarine, about 1/2 cup of brown sugar - mixed and added on top. It bakes for around 45 minutes - cheap, tasty, nutritious! Yum.

Well we made it to the end! And I have $0.21 to spare. The challenge was definitely NOT easy, but I am so glad I did it. It took some serious planning, organization and creativity. It was a humbling, enlightening, and challenging experience.

Here were some thoughts from the week:

• Transportation - it was warm out during the challenge so it was a pleasure to walk outside! I only used my car once and that was for transporting bringing a baby highchair home from Wal-Mart (couldn't walk or take the bus with that). If it was cold outside it would have made it horrible to walk to and from work (especially if I didn't have the proper winter clothing). I found allotting more time for traveling was a challenge. Usually I leave with just enough time to get places - but I had to plan and leave well in advance or I would be late (including getting up a 1/2 hour earlier for work)!

• Exercise - during this week I did a free exercise video, walked the Rec Centre track, ran outside, and used my hand weights that I have at home. I gave up my Rec Centre membership for the week because I couldn't budget for it. It still seems strange to me how expensive it is to exercise at the gym here in Kenora. It should be more accessible to everyone - it will only have positive benefits.

• Food - as a dietitian this was my focus of the week because I wanted to see if the nutrition advice I give my clients is achievable on a limited income. My goals were to purchase foods from each of the food groups, eat as close to Canada's Food Guide as I could, limit processed foods, and eat a different meal every day. I did succeed - the limited variety of foods being the biggest challenge (you can only eat so much cabbage) - it just took a lot of planning, skill, and creativity. What helped me is that I have done a lot of research into cooking and grocery shopping on a budget in my work as a dietitian.
I knew what foods would last me the week, what was the best buys, and how to shop properly. I also have the cooking skills (and equipment) to be able to create healthy, balanced meals daily. I recognize that many people on OW assistance do not necessarily have the cooking skills, the knowledge, or the cooking equipment that I have to create the meals I did. I did have fun being creative this week!

• Community - I learned that having a support system was very important for this challenge. Knowing some of the other challengers (and supportive friends) made it more manageable. I bartered and traded food items with friends. Planned potlucks to swap food. Met up and encouraged each other. We attended soup kitchens together. Doing this on your own is HARD. The reality of many people I see is they are doing it alone. 

Would I do this week again? Absolutely. I hope it achieved its goal of drawing awareness to the issue of how difficult it is so live well on an Ontario Works Allowance. It definitely made for some interesting conversations this week with co-workers, friends, and strangers!

Where am I going to go with this now? Not sure yet - this week has been a lot to process. I am more fully appreciate a lot of the comforts of the life I am privilege to have. I don't have to worry about how much the grocery store bill will total, I don't have to worry about where I'll find the money to purchase a new toothbrush or dish soap, I can afford to go out for dinner, celebrate, have a car, and live in a comfortable apartment. Life is not so easy without those comforts.
This week I was consumed with thought of wondering how I would manage to budget money, what I would eat, how I would meet my basic needs. With all those thoughts, how can I think of much else? What an eye-opening experience

Thanks to everyone who was involved in this challenge - to Fay for putting in all the hours of organizing. And to all the participants as well - congrats on stepping up to the challenge and seeing it through! It was inspiring to read all your blogs 
And thanks to all who READ our blogs! The support and comments we heard were encouraging.

Keep spreading the word. Change is possible!

Special Thanks To: