What I Ate On a $1.50 Budget // Live Below the Line Days 4 & 5 (Vegan)

[@dubiousenthusiast]

I think it would be cool to do a series like this at multiple price points...so we could see what a grocery budget of $15, $30, $45 a week etc. would look like for a vegan!

[@joannemarkov]

True - even seeing how much of an expansion she would be able to do from $1.50 a day to $4.20 a day (average SNAP / "food stamps" benefit) would be fascinating.

[@katiegarcia1646]

Emily Wilson I agree! This would be an awesome idea!

[@sarah_kale]

Emily Wilson I would love that! Good idea.

[@AliciaStyleAndGrace]

Emily Wilson yessss!! That's a great idea!

[@tara9389]

yes great idea!!!!!

[@ei3554]

I used to work at walmart and alot of low income families would do price matching for their fruits and veggies. They would price match a local low priced farmers market and you would be absolutely astounded with how much produce they would walk away with for only $5. Its incredible.

[@essa5248]

EI vote for Bernie

[@elizabethg.4795]

@@essa5248 Yay! If Bernie wins we can all stop working and have everything for free.....until there is nothing, because eveyone stopped working.

[@essa5248]

Elizabeth G. Bernie isn’t trying to pay people for doing nothing he’s trying to show them the meaning of the whole thing in the first place it’s called a living wage which ever human should have that right

[@essa5248]

Elizabeth G. $15 an hour 40 hours which equals 28800 a year “live wage” this give shelter, food and clothes on their backs that’s not living thats fucking survival don’t try and take that right away from people just because you think it’s “unfair” total bullshit

[@elizabethg.4795]

@@essa5248 You are hostile, and I take you saying you had to end my life as a serious threat. Please tell me about the business YOU created and are paying employees $15.00/hr regardless of skill level. Having immigrant family from communist countries has driven me to research that system. You may want to do the same. Using foul language and threatening people to end their lives has no place on a positive vegan channel. Peace

[@lovingitx9288]

It's so nice to see you using a very cheap vegan ingredients because whenever i see a youtuber using so much expensive food I get stressed out because I feel that I need to buy those things to be the perfect vegan , thats why I love u ❤️

[@lovingitx9288]

niftysheep exactly :)

[@Sassycat757]

lovingit X I agree.

[@swanlove2002]

After reading this comment and the replies, I feel better about myself being vegan and while being a KZbinr.

[@annamariewagner2261]

lovingit X I agree!

[@ChonniEmanon]

the only way to be a perfect vegan is to not consume animal products, which you're already doing. fuck the acai berries and $20 jars of cashew butter haha

[@micahclark4092]

As someone who grew up vegetarian in poverty, you're right about the creativity in food. If you work AND you're making terrible money you're too tired to be fancy. I've eaten sooooo much pasta since I started working again. Often times I end up cooking for people when it's my day off because I know how hard we all work and how little time we all have. This is great to see also because too many times I run into vegans who can't wrap their heads around people who can't afford high-end vegan supplements or a whole foods diet which excludes tons of potential plant based eaters and ultimately hurts the health of the poor. If healthful movements like vegetarian/veganism push the poor out, they're just perpetuating poverty related obesity and health complications due to malnutrition and poor diet. I'm so happy to see more and more vegans really look at how to make the diet accessible and raise awareness. It's a great shift and I'm glad to see you promoting awareness!

[@dre2792]

you present yourself so well, and have a very advanced vocabulary, and you seem so compassionate!! Youre such an amazing youtuber and I loved this series!!!

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

thank you :)

[@banananutbreadable]

ricky agreed completely. She is a wonderful advocate.

[@RobinOrzo]

Great video, thanks for bringing awareness to things like this. I grew up quite poor and this was often my reality as a child. People take food for granted so it's nice to see people be more aware of their privilege

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

Thank YOU for watching! I always knew I grew up with some privilege, but this challenge helped me to realize how much I actually did have

[@snuggielover123]

Not sure if you mentioned it, but another good point to make is the fact that you were using a blender/food processor for this challenge, and people who are in extreme poverty likely do not have that kind of appliance. But, I don't think this detracts from the point of your video at all! Just a concluding point :)

[@thecavedweller616]

people in destitution would probably not have direct access to an oven & stove daily. they would have to make all of this in the same setting and keep it stored, if they even could access it to begin with.

[@ZaiyaFineArt]

Jen Mere I lived in a van for two years to prove its easy and I had access to a stove not an oven but a stove and you can easily go to a thrift store and find something to cook with for cheap I don't think now a days there is extreme poverty and I've even been homeless before able to eat. my only grocery budget is foodstamps right now but I still manage to eat stuff even better than this find discount stores eat semi fresh fresh stuff if what will eat money alive but sometimes you can find good deals.

[@ceciliarodriguez6580]

I see your point but it's still completely doable :) My family does struggle with money and I shop at thrift stores for economical reasons and the affordable prices. Often times you can find things like blenders, toasters, and coffee makers for under $5. I've even seen waffle makers for $2-$4 which is crazy lol. I found a mini one at a thrift shop for $3 and it serves its purpose

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

This is very true! I wanted to try to be more creative with my meals so I used different appliances, but I tried to make a point and say that people who actually live below the poverty line would probably not have the time or resources (appliances) to do so

[@sczimena5904]

Cecilia Rodriguez That is funny, i don't know where are you from, but in my country (not a wealthy one) a middle class family, usually only have a stove and a blender, thrift shops don't existe (which is very very sad) and things live ovens, toasters, coffee makers are super expensive. Some times when I see theses vegan you tubers all of them have food processors and ovens and all of that stuff that here is practically impossible to buy unless you're rich. Poor people, the ones that live with 7 dollars for a week don't even have an stove or blender because most of the time they also don't have electricity nor water. In those situations a group of families get together and cook together so its cheaper for them to buy a stove for 10-20 families than for each one. It's sad, but i like this video because it shows that we can be vegan even if we don't have lot of money, but the reality for the people that live with that much of money is far far away.

[@CheapLazyVegan]

girl, that pizza tho! so creative

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

Thank you Rose! :)

[@emc5807]

Cheap Lazy Vegan I hope you do this!

[@louisehusth2778]

Emily C she did, around a year ago :-)

[@destinienewton8374]

this challenge was by far my favorite thing I've seen on you tube yet.. I was amazed at all the recipes you can make with such simple ingredients.

[@aracelirom]

Saw the title and it instantly reminded me of the documentary "Living on One Dollar" on Netflix. I highly recommend it to anyone!

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

Yes, that's a great one!

[@blossombuddies2875]

Araceli Romero omg I thought the same thing! We just watched that in school on Friday!

[@CR-qp3dc]

I saw that, it's very good.

[@rae4816]

Caitlin, you are just a sweet and down to earth person and I just love that about you. You have a big heart and you're so grateful and I wish there were more people like you. Thanks for being you.

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

thank YOU so much!

[@rae4816]

Caitlin Shoemaker You're welcome. It really is hard to find people like you. Are you planning on doing any meet ups anytime soon?

[@faerykat]

I fully agree! I loved this challenge and how compassionately you presented it. You were never condescending to the less fortunate. Thank you so much!

[@o0okgo0o]

I think it's great that you're addressing eating below the poverty line. I'd love to see you delve deeper and address the other issues that go along with poverty, like not having a blender, time to cook, and access to grocery stores. It's also really sad how, while you may be able to purchase healthy food within $10.50 a week, it often extremely hard for people to meet their caloric and micronutrient needs. I think your platform could help shed some light on this, since most vegan figures never really address it, we just all assume eating vegan is easy and accessable to everyone. Anyways, love the video!

[@theresebizabishaka7605]

Not to mention other needs like femin i me hygiene. In some develop i my countries periods a re taboo and many girls miss out on school when they are menstruating.

[@annarue7051]

"time is a privilege too" yeah I loved that : )

[@tootily]

You did such a great job with this challenge! You were very thoughtful in recognizing that you do have other privileges that this challenge doesn't necessarily include. It's also been really nice to read the comments and see people discussing things on a deeper level. I'm really excited to hear what you have to say in your follow up video! Also, I have to say that you are SO creative and resourceful! I would've never thought of all of these ideas, and you did a really great job rationing your food. You seem like you probably do a really good job of minimizing the amount of food that goes to waste, whether you're doing this challenge or not. The world needs more people like you!

[@JessMedley]

This is amazing Caitlin, congrats on finishing the challenge! I’m considering doing it as well now!

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

That's awesome! And thank you :)

[@keonyamiller9595]

You really change my life with each video I absolutely love you . I have my sisters watching you and a couple other youtubers so they can see the life . They also see me in real life and they have since gone vegetarian for 3 days and vegan for 4 days a week ! I love it !

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

oh my gosh, thank so so much for sharing this message with me! That makes me so happy :)

[@Sassycat757]

I shop at Dollar Tree all the time for bags of beans, rice (white & brown) canned beans. You be surprised what you can purchase for less then $20.00

[@cassie3722]

I made those breakfast cookies, and they were delicious! It was hard to believe there was no added sugar, because they were sooo creamy and sweet. Very filling too, it lasted me- a person with high metabolism- until somewhere around 1:30 am and I ate them at 8:15 am and in between I even went swimming for half an hour. I couldn't find a recipe so I improvised but if anyone else wants to make them here's how I did: 1 Banana, Put it in the microwave to make it sweeter if it's not ripe enough. Mash and mix with one tablespoon of peanut butter. Mix this until its even and then add 40 gram (Roughly 1 dl I think) oats. When this is all mixen I made it into four cookies and put them in the oven for 12 minutes (take them out in the middle to flip). Enjoy!

[@codenamehoneytattoos]

A question for your follow up video: What changes did you notice in your body, was there anything significant?

[@mylifeontheElist]

I really appreciated you acknowledging the privilege you had with this challenge in being able to get creative and take a lot of time to cook (not to mention having all the appliances necessary). I wanted to give a couple of other thoughts, not to bash at all, but just a couple more things to think about. Not only is it a privilege to be able to spend a lot of time cooking your meals, but also there's privilege in getting kind of experimental. Whether or not you're someone who cooks a lot, there's always that possibility that something might not work out and could potentially go to waste, so a lot of people can't afford to branch out (especially people with kids who'd rather do stuff they know their kids will eat rather than spending extra to get them to try new things). Also, as someone who leads students through immersive experiences like this, I always think it's important to give the caveat that you can do this for a day, or a week, or even a month, but there's no true way to put yourself in someone else's shoes in a situation like this, because you know that this will be over in a day, a week, or a month, whether or not that's always on your mind. People living in poverty don't have the benefit of a light at the end of the tunnel. Anyways, thanks for doing this challenge, it's hopefully a good conversation starter for many of your viewers who might not have been aware of this reality.

[@banananutbreadable]

eesparza92 she mentioned this in the video. She isn't unaware.

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

You make some good points - I tried to address all of this in the video, but I'm sorry if it didn't come across as clearly as I intended!

[@dlane858585]

Goddamn, are you this pretentious in real life?

[@100spoonsonatable9]

I don't know what the rude comments are for. Everyone, calm the f down. OP wasn't being rude, swearing or disrespectful, he certainly didn't deserve this treatment.

[@samanthanaik9062]

I didn't find this comment rude or disrespectful either. It's in keeping with the discussion in the video and maintains the point that Caitlin is trying to make. Just adding to the conversation. Sounds like the OP is also trying to spread the word through their educational approach.

[@jordiealvarez2182]

Im grateful for my life and the opportunity to have all the food I desire. Thank you for doing this challenge. I'm beyond impressed with your creativity! I would love to see you do videos similar to this concept again. Sometimes in college at the end of the month when I was broke with no food this type of creativity could have really improved my meals. Maybe using potatoes next time?

[@laurenbeckel5051]

I literally love you for doing this. People get so wrapped up in their own lives that they don't notice what's going on around them. There's homeless and unfortunate people everywhere who have to go through this everyday and some can't even afford that. It's great that you're raising awareness

[@agahahagomgg6659]

This really made me feel so different about what I eat ... I spend on average about $40 on food every week .,: while you just killed this with $7.50 for 5 days ... you have talent b cause I would get bored of this and I’d start hating myself

[@theviciouscircle777]

I love that you acknowledge the privileges you have in this situation, how stressful to have to live like this it is, etc. You remained respectful of the people who are in this situation daily. Even as it was not an ideal situation and something that you might not have been used to, you never came across as whining and kind of pushed all of us to not lose perspective. You handled yourself really well! I been in this position before, and having seen how other youtubers handled this challenge, I honestly cringed when I saw the title of your first video, but I'm really happy that you did it. Thanks a bunch!

[@CR-qp3dc]

Medium sized eggplant chopped, 2 cloves garlic chopped. Cook in 2 tbsps olive oil. Added a little tomato sauce or tomato paste. Serve with pasta or rice. Serves 2 or can have for 2 meals. Inexpensive. Cooked whole wheat spaghetti, 2 sauteed garlic cloves, toss together in a little olive oil. Top with parm cheese (canned kind is ok), pepper, a little parsley if you have it. I had to feed myself and a roommate on very little at one time though I'm not sure if it works out to 1.50 daily. Great video.

[@queenscylla90]

Watching this was a bit surreal. Watching you eat rice, beans, and tomatoes pretty much everyday, it reminded me of when I was younger. We were right at the poverty line, sometimes below sometimes a bit above. It really depended on things like did we have to buy something extra we normally don't? Did one of us have to go to the doctor's? It was a bit emotional at the end because I remembered living like this for a decade and a half. Until my mom met her fourth husband and my current step father. Amazing man, took in my mom and three extra young women, me and two of my sisters. He didn't have to, but he had a big enough house and he cared about her and us enough to share what he had. There's been bumps in the road, but I've gotten to love for the past three or so years comfortably. It's a blessing and one I hope to give to my own children. Honestly, growing up without a phone, computer, anything like that for 18 years was also surreal. We couldn't afford it, even though I needed one. But here I am. Honestly, seeing how some people live and the way I did forces me to see just how much the average person doesn't know the true value of a dollar. They won't know until they experience for themselves the hard decision of bills versus food. New clothes that you badly need or a few extra food items that'll help block out hunger for the week. God forbid you get injured. Thanks for doing this.

[@andreabond7234]

My husband and I also did this exercise a few years back. With 2 people there is a little more leeway with variety of foods. What struck me was that the luxuries of driving and using a washing machine, and a warm home are not things that people who live below the line can enjoy!! Well done Caitlin.

[@jncchang176]

I know I'm late to the "party", but I bought my son a spice rack with like 12-14 bottles of spices to take with him to college; 2 years ago. The plus side is; the spices are free for lifetime. He just refilled 4 of the spices he finally used up; 1 was cinnamon, another was Italian spice, and another was dried garlic. These spices could be worked into your repertoire. Look it up.

[@MartineNergaard]

You are such a natural, pretty human being

[@anneliesepetersmarck4010]

I'm appreciative of the fact that you are showing that it's possible for someone to live cheaply vegan, but it's not always easy. Time IS a privilege, and I'm so happy you acknowledge that.

[@litzimendoza6512]

hi, i just really want to state how much i appreciate you shedding light on this. I grew up under the poverty line and it was/is so difficult. My mom would only buy groceries in bulk once a month at costco, so if we ran out of something we had to wait for the next month. Also, your body gets used to the lack of energy, so it's not that difficult. Thank you so much for doing this. truly.

[@TheNotBusyLife]

I've never bought plantains... I think I will...

[@islachanning661]

The Not Busy Life what are they

[@unkwnentity1990]

think of them as starchy bananas that taste similar to potatoes

[@breakfastattiffanys741]

You know when you bite into an unripe banana? That's what plantain tastes like 🤢

[@von3689]

@@breakfastattiffanys741 but you need to cook the plantain. Don't just bite into it like a banana.

[@florvillatoro9064]

The Not Busy Life they are awesome I’m Salvadorian and we eat them a lot! You can make a lot of recipes with plantains!!!

[@ifoundmyavalon]

I think you did a really good job with this and I’m so glad you acknowledged the fact that so many people come home beyond tired and stressed after a long day and probably aren’t capable of putting in a lot of effort at being too creative with food. This was really eye opening.

[@shannonbeer287]

Love that you've done this. Definitely reminds us how privileged we all are!

[@HaleyStaleySeattle]

I have a pretty low budget (anywhere from $15 to $30 a week depending on my paycheck) and I do have a ton of extra time so I get pretty creative. I work at fred meyer (kroger) so I have a discount on their brand and they also have mark down racks and a dollar produce section. I also live by a dollar tree and a grocery outlet which I've found really cheap stuff at, and I like going to farmers markets at the end of the day/market and getting free or super cheap bruised/ugly/ripe produce. I got a big box of donut peaches for free once, it was lit

[@bellasmith7807]

I love this video, I'm so glad your doing this because it makes me feel grateful for the food I have today❤️

[@gabrielacluciuniuc3451]

Yes, she is a legend!! Love her for this challenge :)

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

Yes! That's exactly how I feel as well

[@roorooroo368]

I really, really appreciate that you talked about the reality of this challenge and acknowledged the struggle that so many people go through having to live like this.

[@user-rm3iy4ye2l]

I'd LOVE to see more oatmeal pizza ideas!! Very creative :D

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

haha it was so simple too!

[@Healingclari]

I made the pizza, brushed some olive oil/garlic salt on the dough and used some Prego sauce, really good!!! Thank-you!

[@annasophie7299]

I really enjoyed these videos! I find it so interesting to see what you would be able to eat on such a tight budget! Also, it just shows how grateful we should be to be able to buy such an abundance and variety of foods! :)

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

So true :)

[@meg9819]

This has really opened my eyes. I usually waste my food, because I have the lost of appetite. Now I really shouldn't, others don't even have the money to afford it. Thank you for bringing this video to our knowledge!

[@victorianaghavi4772]

These videos are two years old and still so helpful! I'm going vegan but also in university living away from home and I so needed this

[@DenitsaIvanova5]

Respect for you girl, for trying to bring awareness to such an important cause! We should have more people like you on this planet! #we #are #all #in #this #together

[@insideself1471]

Really enjoyed this serious. Love it. More please! Eating on a budget, seeing what meals you can create.

[@deeskers1]

Hey Youngster! You taught and inspired an older lady. Thank you! Your parents should be proud of you. Great ideas and quick, easy, economical, and healthy.

[@snookiewhip]

I usually spend $8-12 a day on LUNCH. Definitely an eye opener

[@emilyclaire6383]

this challenge series was my first time ever watching one of your youtube videos and i immediately subscribed! i think it’s so cool how you showed not only the budget aspect but the vegan one as well! i always hear people say that it’s “too expensive to be vegan” but this video proves that that’s not always the case

[@saintsandmortalssss]

This is awesome! Thank you for making people aware of the fact that a lot of people in this world barely have enough money to get by. Those of us who live in countries where most people can afford to live quite comfortably don't know how lucky we are. I also love your energy and your way of living, it's really inspiring! I try to make more vegetarian and vegan meals, and channels like yours makes it a lot easier to reach this goal. Vegetarian/vegan food is good for our bodies and good for our planet!

[@marycarr7026]

Wonderful series; wonderful job. I've read that 40% of purchased food goes to waste. Your videos show a very real side of how some people have to eat. I can imagine that the people with restricted food budgets do not waste food like many of us do! You did an amazing job of showing what can be done with limited groceries. At the end all I could think of was how awful it would be to not have oranges or grapes, fresh watermelon and crispy apples. I am going to look at my food and be so grateful for my variety.

[@miss.apprehended]

love that you're indicating that it's a challenge. a lot of individuals that live off a similar food allowance have their health compromised in some manner(s) which has them on assistance. to try to thrive let alone survive, on that type of budget, is extremely challenging. thanks for this series!

[@williamgreen6179]

Simple techniques like making soups/stews and allowing them to cook long enough to develop flavors, add a yellow onion, adding salt during cooking of rice. My key to stretching my budget is building up a stock inventory with can, box, other, and frozen items (Meats/other). I also buy rice in 20 lb bag "40 c's lb" or larger, bake own bread, only buy meats/daily stock items on sale. I enjoyed your take on video and food.

[@tiger__flow]

you've been so creative on this challenge, I love these recipes! I'm going to try that oatmeal za!

[@alicehedvig2383]

This is an awesome challenge. Thanks for shedding light on this issue. I like that you are constatnly mindful of the fact that you are just "trying out" living this way, like it is a lifestyle, and making sure that your viewers know that it is a major societal issue! It is sooo important to press this point, so that people dont view this video like it is some kind of game.

[@MyEu4ia]

I love how you keep on bringing up your priviledge and thinking about the people who are stuck at this budget always. Also all this tomato sauce makes me sad, because crushed tomatoes are cheap and I actually feel sad when I eat something and the canned tomato flavour is present. Makes me sad because I used to have that taste in my mouth a lot when I had no income. Feeling very thankful thou.

[@FanFicerAmyStardust]

Something I learned from programs at my school is that immersion experiences don't exist for us to appreciate what we have, but to realize what is wrong with society, so that we can try to do something about it. :)

[@clarepies]

I only spend about £5-7 a week on food due to being a student and I eat very well! It’s not that hard once you build up the essential spices and dried goods after a few weeks all you have to get is veggies and tinned things. I batch cook and freeze things and I enjoy everything I eat :)

[@yourmailishere]

I'm unfamiliar with your channel and I think it's really amazing what you did here, trying to spread awareness. That takes a lot of sacrifice, to go through that whole week like that just to send a message. I really respect that. I also enjoyed watching as well, you were very clever with your cooking

[@ashperandjax2859]

I'm currently vlogging my way through my vegan journey, 11 pounds down which is insane, and I loved this so much! It's nice to see you're not scared to experiment as far as the pizza crust! Definitely gonna have to try that.

[@valdemort93]

These videos made me so grateful for my job and life- and inspired to be more frugal and grateful every day. Thank you so much

[@kassiopeiadanger765]

I've been considering going vegan for a long time but I always thought my budget would hold me back. Very happy I found this :)

[@elonopeare1137]

Thank you soooo much.When I first became a vegan 3 months ago I stumbled on your videos.The Aldi food hauls helped me with me save.Thank you.Caitlin.

[@cindyp.9030]

Eating when you don't have much money is really hard. There have been times when all we had for the week was a bag of potatoes, or a bag of white rice. I have even existed on bisquick biscuts with home made jelly that was in my pantry from previous years. It is a good reminder to people who have never been in that situation of what life can really be like for someone less fortunate.

[@daringlavan3615]

I love how creative you were with only a few ingredients! Love the challenge and great that you did it in a practical/healthy way!

[@kathleenleary791]

Most of us take for granted that we have a stove/oven, a microwave, slow cooker, etc. available. But a lot of low-income people don't, even in this country. One year I recall a well-meaning local charity giving away whole turkeys & the folks handing them out were dumbfounded at how many people turned them down: no oven, no stove. Or a lot of times, the utilities had been turned off. So it can be a lot more problematic than just the cost of the ingredients when you're trying to understand hunger/poverty. All that said, thank you for at least trying to make "real" what many, many people deal with daily.

[@17kitai]

You’re such a natural beauty!! AMAZING complexion 😭 Also love this video and the concept of it! New subscriber 👍🏼

[@marialyn5212]

You could make oat milk!!

[@marialyn5212]

Or a tiny serving of nice cream

[@h.y.2728]

MariaLyn true

[@hi-xj6dt]

Is no one gonna talk about her great editing and how she’s like Tasty the channel?

[@happyowl08]

Caitlin, this video series was so compassionate and thoughtful. You inspired me to set up monthly donations to the local food bank. I just wanted to let you know that you're making a difference. :)

[@MT-cn1nh]

You're officially my fav vegan KZbin

[@ThaoNguyen-hl6mb]

Best way to be frugal with groceries is to buy lettuce or any leafy vegetable, cut the leaf off and regrow the stalk in water/sun. They grow very fast during summer too.

[@darkoshmarko]

Your channel is so great! I'm not a vegan or even a vegetarian but I try to limit my intake of animal products as much as possible (1-2 servings a day, normally wild caught fish or pasture eggs) and your channel is one of the more helpful ones I've found. I just found it today so I'm going to binge watch 😁 thank you for helping raise awareness!

[@marianne8605]

Thank you so much for showing this challenge! it was very insightful and interesting :)

[@amosramirez1179]

You could’ve used the Rice and put the veggies with the Tomatoes. Just blend the tomatoes until it becomes a liquid consistency, and cook the rice the way you do then just add the tomato liquid with the rice and it would’ve added a lot of flavor instead of just white rice. And add some salt and pepper to it

[@Qwerty-mc5zi]

You were quite creative with all the different varieties you made over the 5 days. I am really impressed that you stuck through it all, but also to keep yourself from getting bored made cookies, a pizza (!) and added the chips at the end. I often think that people can actually make very creative and nutritious meals on not that much more than $1.50 a day. However, the issue is time and all the equipment you have. I think this is the lot art of home economics.

[@maniatzanetakou]

As someone who has occationally gone without food for 3-4 days because my monthly money were gone, i can say that the fist few days when the food is gone are the hardest. You have to force yourself to sleep because you're hu gry and your stomach won't stop growling, and your focus is definitely gone - i've noticed that depending on whether i'm at work or if i'm walking on the street or something lime that, depending the adrenaline levels, my focus can come and go. Uni is very hard to follow if i'm not eating enough. I think it's the same as when you're not sleeping enough or well enough.

[@michellesunshinestar]

I'm splurging today, I ordered a medium pizza from Dominos. CONGRATS on surviving!! My friend is taking me grocery shopping tomorrow. My parents help me out a little. My dad and my mom (they are divorced) take me out to dinner or lunch. My uncle takes me out to lunch on Thursdays.

[@olivialuvzpurplecows]

would love to see $2 meals in the future

[@questforblueskies7391]

Day five is how I feel when I get my paycheck 😂 "Imma eat all of my banana today. Treat yo self!" ❤❤❤❤

[@randomlaugh3]

It would be interesting to see a different grocery budget for different grocery stores such as Aldi, Whole foods, Trader Joe's etc. at different price points of $15, $30, $45, etc.

[@omgnoi]

Jordan none of those exist where I am :'( I wanna walk into this fabled aldi and trader joes

[@randomlaugh3]

I'm so sorry!! Trader's joe's and aldi are my life, you poor thing :(

[@100spoonsonatable9]

Is Aldi that great for vegan food? My local Aldi has like nothing. Even the dark chocolate they sell is made with milk, and all meat substitutes have eggs or milk. Only the tofu is fine. Darnnit.

[@seekinghappy]

Loved the series. Just stumbled upon it and I think you did a great job. Good shopping. Very creative cooking. I totally respect how you stuck with your limited budget. It was great reference for people who really do eat on a crazy thin budget. Thanks so much for taking the time for this project. I already subscribed and shared the videos with all of my sisters.

[@irinaberne8668]

I like how you still get creative with these simple foods on such a low budget. I can say that you definitely got a talent and passion for that haha you're a true inspiration 😍😍

[@juli-fz7ep]

yep rewatching

[@masenka746]

what did you ate the day after this challenge?? 😉😉😉😉😉 btw. oats , rice and beans, PB and frozen veggies are my staples in my everyday student life. 😁😁😁😁 sending love from Czech republic, you are amazing inspiration!!! 😊😊😊😊😊😚😚😚😊

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

[@siobhanmulloy8087]

I think another thing to be cognizant of is the use of sentiments like "we should be grateful for what we have and that we don't live like this" . I feel like it's assuming that your viewers share your economic position and that like you, they normally have access to more inclusive food choices, which I feel like can be alienating to someone living below the poverty line seeking out nutritionally sustainable alternatives. But I really think this was a great series and i appreciate the challenge and your social awareness. You did a super good job with it.

[@dione6388]

R u Irish?

[@HannahEllis]

saving this video for college lmao

[@elisapaczos1527]

Great idea ☺

[@zawiyaabdi9975]

How is college now lol

[@nakaharaindria]

I just stumbled upon your video by chance and this is the second video of you I've watched. The first one is the 1st part of this challenge. I must say that I don't really follow many of American KZbinrs but I love the way you present yourself, your thoughts, and your opinion. I'm a not a vegan nor a vegetarian, but I am interested to incorporate more fruit and vegetable-based food into my daily food intake, that's why I'm interested with your content. Now I've subscribed, and will watch more of your stuffs. Keep up the good work! :)

[@April-vc9rq]

Not sure if you mentioned this but I think one should also consider the appliances you are using eg: food processor and silpat and that people living in poverty would not necessarily have that... but i love to see your creativity come alive

[@allinarradekkis5170]

Those banana oat cookies are the bomb! My son is allergic to peanuts so we just do banana, oats, and cinnamon. My kids eat these with coconut yogurt and fruit at least once a week; usually on weekends when Daddy is sleeping in. Love the videos!

[@yogawarriorgirl]

I've actually found that going vegan is a good way to save money, although for non-vegan cheap options, eggs and lard are good investments on a tight budget. I might try this challenge myself, or do something similar.

[@HistoryHighwithLisaMarrie]

Thank you for speaking so intelligently on this subject. People who have never had to live this way have a lot of misconceptions about the people who do.

[@FALCONLUV1]

You shouldn't eat green platanos, wait till they get yellow with spots . Pop them in the microwave for 3 mins until the skin pops open . So sweet and you can add milk (dairy free of course) to it or anything! Love your videos ❤

[@gabrielai2299]

You could have put the plantain in the dough of the pizza so it can have a better consistency

[@CaitlinShoemaker]

oooh this is a great idea!

[@misspicmovie]

I actually live of off 4$ a day, it's not only doable, its pretty easy! But this seems really difficult... I love how you brought attention to the struggles of a lot of people

[@better2gether336]

I love plaintain chips. Just a tip if you slightly mash the plantain to thin it out they get crunchy and are better

[@Meradiwth]

Ok so one thing I like making is boiling rice and apple with cinnamon and once the apple is soft blend it. It tastes so good it's kinda like apple sauce but better

[@camillecrestani3499]

I am really happy to have subscribed to your channel lately. I like your philosophy of "life" and how you make your videos with thought.

[@jinneykim5699]

this challenge video was so fun to watch! and I love how creative you get too!

[@samanthawhite948]

As one of the people acctually living below the line we save up for our b12, frozen berries and bulk spices at winco(seriously get spices at winco you dont have to buy any more than you need and its wayy cheaper for these "challenges" but we a recipe of 3/4 cup oats(dry)+2 tbschia seed+ 2 tbs ground flaxmeal soaked overnight in soymilk if I have it water if I dont, then we add peanut butter or peachs from a jar if we have em(one of our friends takes us to costco for staples and we spend a good portion of our food budget there) I also get my dried beans, rice and pasta in bulk shops and most of my veggies are bought frozen (exept a bag of broccoli at costco each month) then all I have to buy fresh is fruit like bananas or apples somtimes I make a lot of traditional indian, asian and mexican food out of the pantry for dinners..

[@GreenVenus]

The second after you mentioned the oatmeal banana cookies, I paused the video, ran downstairs and made them myself adding in some dried cranberries and cinnamon. Yum!

[@laurathorsoee]

Been looking forward to this video SO MUCH!! You did a great job with the challenge, but also with creating awareness. Well done :)