The sad thing is, if you're talking a one-week experiment you could be pretty full on meals of Ramen noodle soup and Uncle Ben's plain rice for $3 a day. Of course as a long-term lifestyle choice that's decidedly unhealthy.

Yeah, if I had to eat that long term, I'm sure I'd end up killing myself, which is rather unhealthy.

When I was a poor college student I ate a lot of potatoes - they can be prepared a bunch of different ways.

Of course as a long-term lifestyle choice that's decidedly unhealthy.

There's lifestyle choice, then there's lifestyle no-choice. This is why poor people are so damned unhealthy.

This is why poor people are so damned unhealthy.

One of the reasons, anyway.

I know. I guess I just can't fathom being so well off that I wouldn't understand how little actual food you can get on $3 a day.

Right? We're barely comfortable, but we've had months when all the bills hit at once and I didn't get paid until the next week and Mr. Jane didn't go in until Friday, so Wednesday and Thursday were Easy Mac with sliced bread nights.

Still, better than when we were acutally poor and it was half a cheese sandwich and ramen night.

Sure...we have neither crib nor cradle but we might have a deep freeze.

But you can have a crib, you know. We have one here with your name on it. I think two babies should fit into one crib for a while at least. We have a changing table too.

One of the benefits of twins is that they can co-sleep by themselves!

I just went to the grocery store and thought about costs while I shopped. One of the problems with the legislative experiment is that you don't get to shop for an entire month, because you can pick up 5 lbs of hamburger (or ground turkey) for $10 which could go a long way.

Even so, I haven't =had= to budget-buy for two decades now. But since I do all my own cooking, I'm at least familiar with prices and still try to shop frugally!

In college, I used to spice up my ramen by dropping in an egg and some frozen vegetables.

If I am very lucky, I will never, ever have to eat that again.

In college, I used to spice up my ramen by dropping in an egg and some frozen vegetables.

I used to do the exact same thing. Except without the veggies.

If I am very lucky, I will never, ever have to eat that again.

God, yes!

At my poorest (just out of college) I used to ear ramen with potatoes and onion, and a slice of cheese. I thought it was good!

Ramen, a can of tuna and a bag of frozen or rehydrated veggies was standard camping food. That and hot tang. When I've made it on the stove, I think I smell the bluet gas, it's that closely linked in my head.