5 ms·

I spent a few months eating for £5 per week - not through choice. Most of what I ate was marked down (nearly out of date) loaves of white sliced bread and damag

by rikkus 7y ago

I spent a few months eating for £5 per week - not through choice. Most of what I ate was marked down (nearly out of date) loaves of white sliced bread and damaged cans of beans or spaghetti in tomato sauce. I’m quite tall so this wasn’t enough and after a few weeks I was in constant pain from hunger. There are many people in the UK for whom this is their life.

_1tan 7y ago
Care to share any numbers? That sounds horrible and unexpected.
toasterlovin 7y ago
Curious: why not beg or dumpster dive if you were starving? I personally know somebody who used to panhandle at a freeway exit for drug money. They said $80-120 per day was regular. I also know someone who fed themselves entirely via picking through unwanted food at the back of super markets and restaurants (kind of a loopy hippie, live in a tent in the forest while attending college, etc.).
- chrisswanda 7y ago
  Head over to http://fallingfruit.org http://fallingfruit.org and do a filter for "Freegan". My locale has people marking dumpsters with food that is available. And if dumpster diving isn't your thing, then wild edibles is another option. I personally haven't dumpster dove for food, but based on what I have read, you'd be hard pressed to starve in the US. http://fallingfruit.org/sharing?c=forager%2Cfreegan&locale=en http://fallingfruit.org/sharing?c=forager%2Cfreegan&locale=e...
- rikkus 7y ago
  Begging is very dangerous (where this took place) and involves being healthy enough to get yourself to somewhere it's even possible. Eating thrown away food seems like a good way to end up with something nasty. Eventually, both of these would become options, but when you believe your situation has to be temporary, it feels safer to starve a little.
username90 7y ago
> loaves of white sliced bread and damaged cans of beans Don't you realize that those are very expensive? Cook rice, pasta or potatoes for your calories and you could get by on that amount without going hungry. I lived on that amount for years, you'd get around 4000 calories if you just bought cheap things which is more than you need so you can buy lentils, meat, fish and vegetables for the rest which is enough to get all nutrients you need. Might not get 100% optimal diet on this, but it is healthier than what most eat.
- httpsterio 7y ago
  In Finland, where groceries are quite expensive as it is, you can get an enormous bag of white toast for about an euro. Same for a can of beans, a regular can is about 60 cents. If they're going out of date they can be up to 60%. Rice or potato is going to be more expensive.
mactrey 7y ago
Doesn't the UK have something equivalent to TANF/food stamps?
- Veen 7y ago
  Yes, it has social security benefits. They aren’t especially generous but they’re a lot more than £5 a week (plus unemployed people can usually get a significant chunk of their rent paid).
  - rikkus 7y ago
    Unfortunately it doesn’t quite work like that. What’s left after rent and bills can be close to zero.

by rikkus 7y ago

_1tan 7y ago

Care to share any numbers? That sounds horrible and unexpected.

toasterlovin 7y ago

Curious: why not beg or dumpster dive if you were starving? I personally know somebody who used to panhandle at a freeway exit for drug money. They said $80-120 per day was regular. I also know someone who fed themselves entirely via picking through unwanted food at the back of super markets and restaurants (kind of a loopy hippie, live in a tent in the forest while attending college, etc.).

chrisswanda 7y ago
Head over to http://fallingfruit.org http://fallingfruit.org and do a filter for "Freegan". My locale has people marking dumpsters with food that is available. And if dumpster diving isn't your thing, then wild edibles is another option. I personally haven't dumpster dove for food, but based on what I have read, you'd be hard pressed to starve in the US. http://fallingfruit.org/sharing?c=forager%2Cfreegan&locale=en http://fallingfruit.org/sharing?c=forager%2Cfreegan&locale=e...
rikkus 7y ago
Begging is very dangerous (where this took place) and involves being healthy enough to get yourself to somewhere it's even possible. Eating thrown away food seems like a good way to end up with something nasty. Eventually, both of these would become options, but when you believe your situation has to be temporary, it feels safer to starve a little.

username90 7y ago

> loaves of white sliced bread and damaged cans of beans Don't you realize that those are very expensive? Cook rice, pasta or potatoes for your calories and you could get by on that amount without going hungry. I lived on that amount for years, you'd get around 4000 calories if you just bought cheap things which is more than you need so you can buy lentils, meat, fish and vegetables for the rest which is enough to get all nutrients you need. Might not get 100% optimal diet on this, but it is healthier than what most eat.

httpsterio 7y ago
In Finland, where groceries are quite expensive as it is, you can get an enormous bag of white toast for about an euro. Same for a can of beans, a regular can is about 60 cents. If they're going out of date they can be up to 60%. Rice or potato is going to be more expensive.

mactrey 7y ago

Doesn't the UK have something equivalent to TANF/food stamps?

Veen 7y ago
Yes, it has social security benefits. They aren’t especially generous but they’re a lot more than £5 a week (plus unemployed people can usually get a significant chunk of their rent paid).
- rikkus 7y ago
  Unfortunately it doesn’t quite work like that. What’s left after rent and bills can be close to zero.