The Food Stamp Challenge

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The Food Stamp Challenge

3SquaresVT is what we call food stamps in Vermont. And from November 11-17, I’ll participate in the 3SquaresVT / Food Stamp Challenge, living on $38 in groceries for the week.

Here’s the deal:

“The 3SquaresVT / Food Stamp Challenge seeks to highlight what it is like to eat on the average 3SquaresVT benefit — approximately $1.80 per meal for a single person. The many people who have taken the Challenge have learned first hand what it is like to try to make ends meet on the average benefit.

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Credit Card Debt: Finally Below $5K

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Credit Card Debt: Finally Below $5K

Wow. Today my credit card debt is under $5,000.

I’ve been racking up credit card debt since college, when I needed to study abroad in order to graduate with a degree in German, over 11 years ago. Student loans paid for all of the basic expenses, but I didn’t have a dime to my name to pay for weekend travel, food outside of my host family’s house, or souvenirs.

A few years later, I had debt totaling $40,000+, from student loans, a brand new car purchase and the day-to-day reliance on credit for splurges. Not all of my credit card debt was frivolous, though. I paid for some of my younger sister’s college tuition, I bought furniture and art, and there was a short period of time that I relied on credit cards while getting my consulting work off the ground. I wish I could have paid cash for those things, but I’ve made peace with those debts over the years.

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