Welcome to my blog about food that’s real and good and cheap – Real cheap food. As opposed to fake cheap food.
About the blog:
Last year I began a project to determine whether I could eat well, with complete nutrition and a properly balanced diet, for less than $5 a day. I found that I can spend even less* than my original target budget and still eat plenty of delicious, nourishing food, including whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, and fish and dairy – three or four meals a day, plus snacks . In fact, because I am more mindful about it, I’m eating more healthy now than when I was spending ten times as much money on food.
In grocery stores I see families who look like they need to save money on food, but they buy the wrong stuff. They think they are buying cheap food, but they’re not. Countless popular stories on the web and in newspapers tell people that it costs too much to eat well. I don’t know if it’s different now than it’s always been, but it seems like a lot of people are intensely interested in how to eat healthily for less money. People have asked me to share how I do it. I think I can help.
Consider me an omnivore. I’ll eat just about anything that is generally considered to be edible. I like food. I especially love MY food. But you don’t have to eat the same stuff I eat. Just try to learn from my example and apply whatever foods, methods or attitudes work for you. Whether you’re a meat eater, a vegetarian, or a third-order free-range-hard-core-cage-free-all-natural-organic-crunchy-granola-raw-foodist, I believe that you can eat fine for a just few bucks a day.
About me:
I’m an American. I’ve lived in Maryland and California, and in Florida and in Alaska and Hawaii. I’ve visited almost all of the states.
When I was young I did my four years in the Coast Guard. I have been a beach bum living under a tarp, spear-fishing and gathering wild food. For years I was a professional cook, working in several different kinds of restaurants. I’ve worked in factories and corporate offices. I have lived on food stamps. I have started a couple of successful business. I’ve had some poor years, and some years with plenty of money.
These days I live in a small apartment on the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio and earn my living from home on the Internet. I can afford to do this because I know how to eat good, nourishing food for very little money.
Live mindfully and enjoy your riches.
Matthew
I'm not always in the kitchen.
*The last time I calculated my average over thirty days, my food costs were generally between $3 and $4 a day, which coincidentally happens to be pretty close to the average SNAP (food stamps) benefit. Your food costs will vary according to the resources available to you and the choices you make.
