The Grocery Shopping Challenge

For Sunday, the two items on our agenda were attending Church followed by hospitality at Amate House, and the “Grocery Shopping Challenge.”

Now, you all know I love me a good Catholic Mass, and hospitality is something I’ve been raised with through both the Sisters of Mercy and the Congregation of Holy Cross.  Despite this, the morning was nothing to write home about (and yet, I am doing just that – how ironic!).  The homily was mediocre, the congregation was small and elderly, and no one came to our coffee-and hospitality.  I was mildly disappointed but certainly not crushed – I set my expectations low, and that worked to my advantage this time.

After Mass, we chatted with John Lucas, the Executive Director of Amate House and his wife, since they had dropped by to do something work-related.  Once we cleaned up our food and changed out of our “Sunday Best,” we decided to hunker down for the “Grocery Shopping Challenge.”  In our orientation binders, the Staff had outlined our first shopping trip by giving us important information, discussion questions, and tips for preparing for our first excursion.  We were given $240 to last us at least 10 days (that works out to about $2 per person per day) and a tax exempt form to present to the cashier.  

We all came into the discussion/challenge with a range of feelings, concerns, and expectations.  Ultimately, it was probably the biggest test of our ability to work as a community thus far.  We agonized over details like how many times a week we could eat meat for dinner(right now we’re working on 2), exactly how many cups of flour go into a pizza crust, how many slices of bread are in loaf (turns out its 22, not 14 like we guessed…whoops), and how many jars of spaghetti sauce correspond to pounds of pasta.  We talked back and forth over long term and short term plans, wrote (and re-wrote, and re-wrote, and re-wrote again) our shopping list, each time rearranging our priorities.  We took stretch breaks when we felt too much tension, until we finally felt ready to shop around 1:30 in the afternoon.  

Grocery shopping at Aldi with 12 people is no easy feat.  We clogged every aisle and stood waiting as two people meticulously listed and calculated our selections – one by hand and one on a calculator.  Ultimately, we did well – even better than we expected.  We got our essentials at Aldi for about $170, leaving us room to go back around the store and stock up on more staple items (and admittedly a few treats).  We left about $40 to finish our shopping at a local produce marked where we got some fresh fruits and veggies.  

When all was said and done around 4:15 in the afternoon, we all took a few hours to unwind in our rooms.  Some people napped, some listened to music, and others (like me) read a book.  We were able to gather around 7pm for dinner, refreshed from the exhausting day, free from the stresses and tensions we had been harboring earlier, and grateful for the food in our kitchen.

While it was draining, I am grateful we were able to share in this first grocery shopping experience together.  I know personally, it makes me more grateful for each thing we have to eat, and for the people in my community that will be shopping for the rest of us throughout the year.

Think about it the next time you are shopping at the store or out to eat on a restaurant – what would it be like to feed yourself or your family for this kind of budget?  You and I, we have the choice.  But for many, it is simply a harsh reality.