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2 responses to “Top 5 Things I Learned from the “Beans and Rice Experiment””

  1. Joel

    I didn’t do this exact same experiment but did the $2 per day 14-day challenge in spring of 2014. I never thought I bought food extravagantly but I was probably budgeting closer to $10 per day, including the rare eating out, than $2 per day. My lessons that first year were numerous and still lasting. Never to waste food. I was so vigilant, I threw out maybe $5 of food the rest of that first year. I also like treats and variety so I shifted the budget up to $4 per day and still spend less than $5 today, five years later. Rice has become a much larger part of my diet, replacing mostly the wheat from breads. Beans, cheese and fish now provide more of my protein intake than chicken, pork and beef. I just revisited this after coronavirus layoffs and some burritos of refried beans, tomatoes, rice and cheese. They are pretty tasty, thanks cheese, very filling (but not bloating) and quite inexpensive. Together with a few eggs for breakfast, it’s about $5 for 3-4 days of food. Add another $1 if you want milk or juice to drink instead of just water.

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