Live The Wage!

[Ben]

Apparently this is some new social media trend regarding 'living like someone on minimum wage". This congressional rep (who I've never heard of) came up with the below menu as her "deprivation diet". She's getting her ass handed to her because the menu she came up with is similar to what most people eat every day. People are now wondering what kind of caviar diet she normally adheres to. 

http://twitchy.com/2014/07/24/you-poor-dear-rep-jan-schakowskys-livethewage-menu-not-particularly-horrifying/

[SADShooter]

"My peasant egg salad was served to me promptly at noon by Jesus, our Guatemalan houseboy" - @janschakowsky , probably #LiveTheWage 

[brimic]

Jeez!! Seriously WTF??? I'd get fat(ter) eating her diet, and I'm betting I'm easily twice her size and do 100x the physical work in a day.

My menu-
breakfast- a cup of oat meal or banana, coffee ($1 mcdonalds coffee or 50 cent keurig made at home)
snack- coffee (free at work), sometimes a banana or apple
lunch- PB sandwich, a yogurt, a microwave popcorn, water
Dinner- home cooked meal usually <$10... for the entire family.

[Ron]

Times are tough, anyone seen the price of arugula lately?

[roo_ster]

Times are tough, anyone seen the price of arugula lately?

You and me both!  The price of organic, cruelty-free, minimal carbon-footprint, artisan-cultivated arugula is outrageous.  I am thinking of driving my Tesla to Whole (paycheck) Foods and protesting.

[MillCreek]

You and me both!  The price of organic, cruelty-free, minimal carbon-footprint, artisan-cultivated arugula is outrageous.  I am thinking of driving my Tesla to Whole (paycheck) Foods and protesting.

Please do so in a civilized manner while grasping your large Starbucks mocha Frappuchino.

[SADShooter]

Please do so in a civilized manner while grasping your large Starbucks mocha Frappuchino.

OK. Wait. How is he going to simultaneously hold the coffee drink, the electronic device from which he will tweet his controlled outrage, and the lovingly crafted protest sign all at once?

[lupinus]

OK. Wait. How is he going to simultaneously hold the coffee drink, the electronic device from which he will tweet his controlled outrage, and the lovingly crafted protest sign all at once?

Jesus, the Guatemalan houseboy, will be assisting 

[SADShooter]

Jesus, the Guatemalan houseboy, will be assisting 

Set and spike.

[lee n. field]

Among those taking the “challenge” is Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat, who shared this week’s “minimum wage” menu.

An IL Devilcrat?   Oh, let's see what we can dig up on her.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Schakowsky

The district includes many of Chicago's northern suburbs, including Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Niles, Park Ridge, Rosemont, Skokie, Wilmette, and Winnetka. It also includes a large portion of Chicago's North Side bordering Lake Michigan.

North burbs.  $$$$$$

Schakowsky is by some accounts the most[5] Progressive member of the current US Congress.

Mmm hmm.

n April 2009 Schakowsky pointedly criticized the tax day Tea Party protests, asserting that they were "an effort to mislead the public about the Obama economic plan that cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans and creates 3.5 million jobs." Schakowsky added, "It's despicable that right-wing Republicans would attempt to cheapen a significant, honorable moment of American history with a shameful political stunt."

Delusional or deceptive.

In Feb 2013, Schakowsky indicated her support for banning assault weapons as only a beginning step towards more gun control measures including a ban on handguns.[7]

not to mention, evil.

Schakowsky indicated interest in replacing Barack Obama in the United States Senate.[13] Before his arrest, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich had reportedly been considering Schakowsky among at least six candidates to fill the vacancy.

Outbid by somebody.

[KD5NRH]

Apparently this is some new social media trend regarding 'living like someone on minimum wage". This congressional rep (who I've never heard of) came up with the below menu as her "deprivation diet". She's getting her ass handed to her because the menu she came up with is similar to what most people eat every day. People are now wondering what kind of caviar diet she normally adheres to.

Considering I could comfortably fit three, maybe four of that pathetically tiny kitchen into the kitchen of my $300/mo rental, I'd guess this is the first time she's ever actually "prepared" food.  (Not that I consider making a tuna sandwich much "preparation.")

Frankly, I spend maybe $40 on food on a good week.  Most of that goes to getting a roast or two for the crock pot.  Homemade bread is cheap, (sourdough starter, flour, egg and water) and the dollar store often has instant (or "just add egg") cookie or muffin mixes for dessert.  Failing that, store brand cake mixes are pretty darn cheap too, and making a cake from scratch ain't exactly rocket science either.

[Pb]

I just figured... our family budgets $0.77 a meal per family member.   

[KD5NRH]

I just figured... our family budgets $0.77 a meal per family member.

That's the other thing; I could cook for two at maybe 50% more, add two (young) kids and it might hit 75% more.  That's still only $360/mo for a family of four.  Might hit $400 as the kids grow, and of course, I'm not counting in trips to McD's or Cici's Pizza, but the $400 would cover good, filling, varied and nutritious meals, with no "prison food" or days on end of ramen or mac and cheese.  (Except that my kids would prefer generic shells & cheese two meals a day every day.)

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Heretics! I work with someone who professes to be "working towards getting a house." Her and hubby work hard at non high paying jobs and have lived In low dollar rental for 7 years. They haven't cooked a meal in 6 months. Both work one job no kids. No good excuse just easier and they make enough, just barely to get by with a roommate to share expenses.painful to watch

[Perd Hapley]

Our very own Carebear chimes in, about one third of the way down:

http://twitchy.com/2014/07/24/its-an-adventure-michelle-malkin-and-friends-coach-jan-schakowsky-through-her-ramen-crisis-photos/


Through this thread, I also stumbled on this little gem:

http://twitchy.com/2014/07/06/liberal-*expletive deleted*-to-conservative-mom-holly-fisher-i-would-love-to-let-a-jackass-rape-you/


My favoritest part is when he tries to make fun of her "gut."    Of course, I also like her rape whistle.

[erictank]

Please do so in a civilized manner while grasping your large Starbucks mocha Frappuchino.

... while blogging the whole thing live on your Ipad Air.

[Perd Hapley]

http://twitchy.com/2014/07/28/rep-jan-schakowsky-reports-some-weight-loss-trying-to-livethewage/

So I guess caviar and champagne must be real fattening.

[Ben]

http://twitchy.com/2014/07/28/rep-jan-schakowsky-reports-some-weight-loss-trying-to-livethewage/

So I guess caviar and champagne must be real fattening.

Considering the average body type I see using EBT, shouldn't she be gaining weight on the "live the wage" diet?

[zahc]

I was talking with technicians in the break room, who are generally down to earth types, and they all flatly denied that it was possible to eat on less than $300 per person per month grocery bill, and that $150/week is more realistic.

I would like to know what these people consider necessities. I feed 4 on probably 700-800 a month but that's without even really trying to be cheap, and includes beer.

[KD5NRH]

I was talking with technicians in the break room, who are generally down to earth types, and they all flatly denied that it was possible to eat on less than $300 per person per month grocery bill, and that $150/week is more realistic.

BS.  I just bought my week's groceries plus a bit yesterday; $55 and change.  That also includes some dish soap and a new laundry basket.
$10 chuck roast will last me at least a couple days.
3lbs of HEB's "Skillet Mix;" basically ground cheap meat with TVP and seasonings, $1.69/lb.  Tastes like good hamburger but forms patties better. about 4-5 burgers per pound, more if stretched as meat for pasta sauce.
2lbs of sliced ham because it was about $3.75.
Some canned soups, partly for sauces.
Hamburger buns and bread.
Dollar store 3L sodas.
UHT milk from the dollar store. ($1/qt ain't bad, and I don't have a gallon spoiling if I don't use it this week.)
Linguine and fettuccine.
Eggs.
Tomatoes, ginger and bulk garlic.
Baking potatoes.
Restocked the sugar bucket.
Miscellaneous other stuff.

I would like to know what these people consider necessities. I feed 4 on probably 700-800 a month but that's without even really trying to be cheap, and includes beer.

Send the kids to AA and you can cut the bill quite a bit.

[lupinus]

I was talking with technicians in the break room, who are generally down to earth types, and they all flatly denied that it was possible to eat on less than $300 per person per month grocery bill, and that $150/week is more realistic.

I would like to know what these people consider necessities. I feed 4 on probably 700-800 a month but that's without even really trying to be cheap, and includes beer.

Wait...150 a week per person per week? The *expletive deleted*ck are these people eating?

[makattak]

Wait...150 a week per person per week? The *expletive deleted* are these people eating?

That was my thought. That's $20/day+. I could eat out 2 out of 3 meals and still come in under that. (Especially if one of those meals is breakfast.)

[KD5NRH]

That was my thought. That's $20/day+. I could eat out 2 out of 3 meals and still come in under that.

I'm not sure I could spend $20/day on food without either eating out a lot or getting seriously fat.

I mean, really; buying bread anywhere but the dollar store (or the local Mrs Baird's store) is pretty much a waste of money.  I have a sourdough starter, so a loaf of homemade bread costs me some flour, an egg and a couple cents on the gas bill.  Box cake mixes are cheap.  Store brand Rice-A-Roni and Hamburger Helper knockoffs are dirt cheap and will stretch a pound of Skillet Mix to a full week for an extra $3-4.  I haven't even gotten into the economics of picking up a chest freezer at the flea market and buying meat from the university's meat lab ($2.95/lb for boneless chuck roasts compared to $4.69 at HEB.  Ground lamb at $2/lb.) instead of grocery store prices.

I'd bet with bulk purchases and going straight to lower-cost sources like that, I could eat fairly well on $150 a month; I'd just have to buy some things in 3-4 month quantities, so there would be a bigger initial outlay.  Even now, I can come up with a $20-25 menu for a week that won't leave me going hungry, though I might be craving something specific by the end of the week. (heavy on starch, light on pretty much everything else, but easily doable without significant repercussions if you're going into the week well nourished)

[onions!]

buying meat from the university's meat lab

I read that and went "HUH?!"I immediately pictured thousands of lab rat carcasses hanging from wee little hooks.
Thanks for the visual.

[zxcvbob]

I spend very little on food (I probably spend more on beer, LOL.)  But I choose to eat beans, bananas, cheap hotdogs, tortillas, Wendy's dollar menu, and to skip meals.  If I blow my budget taking Wife to a nice restaurant, it doesn't really impact anything; I will still have money for gas and the electric bill and to buy clothes or whatever.  I even still have money to buy toys.  If an unexpected medical bill comes up, I just grumble and write a check.

If you go on one of these "live the wage" challenges, even if you set the dollar amount really low, you know there is an end to it, and that you could be a wuss and drop out if you want to.  Truly poor people don't have a lot of control over their situation and can't opt out of playing poor this month.