Due to the Pandemic, the cost of food is currently sky-high. Thankfully I learned a lot from my last $100 a month food challenge years ago. This time I wanted to focus on food security solutions that don't directly connect to your local pantries. After some research and a few suggestions from our New York Sanitation Department, I came up with a great meal plan budget while also coming across some solutions you all might want to stay clear of.
PRODUCE: IMPERFECT FOODS
MY COST: $35.00 Every Two Weeks
1.6 million tons of delicious food are rejected and discarded into landfills by NYC residents for no real reason each year. The company
IMPERFECT FOODS is a great way to sustainably source vegetables that would otherwise become garbage simply because they had an odd shape or a tiny blemish on the skin. I signed up thinking I would get this box filled with weird-looking food.
Instead, I got a box filled with wonderfully fresh fruits and veggies that came packed with an ice pack. I also ordered extras like chicken sausages and flavored tonic water. The vegetables were fresher than my supermarket which by the way is completely gentrified and overpriced. If you just want a box of produce for yourself without any extras, it will only cost $16.00 for a medium box. The service was also amazing. I have ordered take-out in restaurants that have charged me $40.00 a meal, and the food is awful. This service delivered fresh and affordable food to my door and then checked up on me to make sure my order arrived and asked if I was happy with the service. I'm impressed, to say the least. If you want to sign up and receive $80.00 off your first four boxes,
CLICK HERE to sign up.
MY BAKED GOODS: Too Good To Go APP (IOS or Android)
COST: $6.00
Too Good To Go is an app that links customers with their favorite local restaurants and sells the food for 70% off because it's the end of the day, and the stores that sign up can't house the unsold food overnight. NYC bagels (A NYC FAVE) are one of the most discarded foods since stores can't store them overnight. I ordered a baker's dozen for $5.99 ($0.50 per bagel), and they were yummy and freshly baked. This app not only helps you save money on your order but also helps the store owner get back their money on unsold food while keeping unsold food out of our landfills. Fair warning, stay clear of grocery stores and hot meal restaurants on this app! I also tried to order dinner from an African food spot, and well... take a look!
Total Cost: $4.99
The food tastes ok, but it wasn't great, fresh, or served pleasantly. Stick to baked goods only; for more information on the Too Good To Go App,
CLICK HERE.
DINNER OUT: RETHINK CAFE
COST: $7.00
Before I review RETHINK CAFE, I would like to disclose that I'm NOT a Brooklyn fan. Never have been, never will be, but I will do my best to be fair in my review of this sustainable "Food Rescue" spot.
RETHINK CAFE is a food company that rescues locally sourced food and serves it to the community for a suggested donation of $5.00 per meal. The cafe is located in Brooklyn's Clinton Hills. The average income is $100.000 per year. When you get off the (G) train and walk to the location, you are greeted by beautiful mansions and well-kept lawns. Now, even though this community is very well-to-do, there are still people living here who are food insecure, so I kept an open mind. I arrived, and I ordered. The service workers served me, but they were NOT happy to see me. I asked if I could take a few pictures, they were sort of ok with that. I also asked why they would open this kind of cafe in this community. The answer was that another shop was there and it closed and the owners of RETHINK CAFE were friends with the former owners of the shop so... Yeah! I wanted to test out their "Suggested Donation" pricing by only paying $4.00, but when I was served my food, and the server snarkily asked for the money, I quickly knew this was NOT that kind of party! I even purchased a TINY glass of tea for another 2 bucks.
Food at ReTHINK Cafe
There is no dedicated place to eat there besides two tables that seem to be always occupied by the local elite. The food was ok, but the service was not. Maybe if you're not sporting the same "Black" costume, I'm wearing every day, perhaps they will be nicer to you or maybe not! If you want to go out to eat at a sustainable cafe that really wants to help the community, you might want to skip RETHINK CAFE. Sorry, I will not link to this shop for more information because I just don't "THINK" it's worth your time. GOOGLE IT!
OK, time for the financial breakdown:
My Produce and Pantry Cost: $35.00 every other week (TOTAL COST PER MONTH $70.00)
My Bread and Baked Goods Cost: $6.00 Per Month
My Dinners Out Cost: $12.00 Per Month
TOTAL AMOUNT: $88.00 per month
And I still had $12.00 per month left over to buy my dairy items (Milk and Cheese)
This budget is based on my personal eating habits and diet choices. I also had spices already stocked at home, and I grow my herbs, tea, and greens in my home garden (more on that later). I wanted to show you that you do have healthy and sustainable food options. Also, none of these locations accept SNAP Benefits, so I wanted to set a budget that anyone can live on without local assistance. If you have any other questions about the suggestions in this article, please use our contact form, and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. Until next time, Live Fruitfully.
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