Today, the team here at Thrifty is starting the FNS Challenge from the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC. The goal is to only spend $4.06/day on food and drinks, as that is equivalent to the amount of sustenance provided by food stamps in NC. And though we’re only challenged to hold to this budget for 5 days (Monday-Friday), we recognize that many people in the US, and in our state alone, must live this challenge each day. We hope that by participating in this challenge, we will all learn a little more about what being in danger of hunger feels like and can raise awareness for National Hunger Action Month, beginning in September.

Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) is a federal food assistance program that helps 1 in 6 people each day in North Carolina. This helps low-income families assure that they have food to survive so they can use their budget to pay for other necessities such as rent and electricity. And while we are only living this way for 5 days, we can already feel the pressure of being food insecure from our grocery shopping trips yesterday, preparing for this week’s challenge. We spent a long time planning our meals for the week, and struggled to stay under a $20.30 budget for the 5 days.

We’ll be posting pictures, comments, and sample meals all week, so follow along to hear about our experiences!