VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – This week the group Raise the Rates challenged several people around Metro Vancouver to take the Welfare Food Challenge. News1130′s Andrea Macpherson was one of the folks who tried to live off of just $26 a week for groceries.

DAY 7 – Stretching a dollar harder than first thought

I’m looking forward to the homestretch and I’ve got to say, this has not been an easy thing to do. Doable yes, but it hasn’t been fun.

Honestly, I think I started off a little over-confident. I thought items would be a little less at the supermarket and I thought my dollars would go a little further.

I learned that buying in bulk would have allowed me to pay a lot less for a lot more.

I also found out that rice doesn’t keep you full for more than a couple of hours. I’m been hungry every few hours because the food I’m eating doesn’t have the same nutrients I’m used to.


(Andrea’s breakfast on Day 7 of the challenge)

Aside from some soy milk, the only thing I could afford to drink was water. But I also got really creative grinding my own oat flour and baking with the ingredients I had.

People on Twitter have been very helpful with creativity as well, sending me tips and recipe suggestions. I even received some much-needed encouragement!



You can follow Andrea’s progress at News1130.com or on Twitter @AMacOnAir