An ex-coworker (Hi Lisa!) gave me this article about an account in a book of one woman who fed her family of eight for $1 a day in 1934. I wonder if this was their only meal of the day or if they had bread and butter for the other meals. I have been trying to calculate how much this would cost in current dollars and I’d say at least $3 to $5 per meal for eight people. Considering most people drop that on a cappuccino, that’s not bad… See what you think of the menu (Day 10 grossed me out).

Day 1- Macaroni with tomato sauce, apples (sub: spaghetti)

Day 2- Mutton stew with potatoes, cookies (sub: ground beef or stew beef)

Day 3- Broiled fish with cream sauce, bread, orange

Day 4- Warmed over fish on toast, baked sweet potatoes, prunes

Day 5- Hard boiled eggs scalloped with rice, cabbage, gingerbread (eggs and rice are very nice)

Day 6- Beef hash, string beans, apple pie

Day 7- Thick soup, biscuits, mixed fruit

Day 8- Vegetable salad, baked potatoes, apricots

Day 9- Codfish cakes, cauliflower, watermelon (tuna or salmon patties?)

Day 10- Spanish rice with liver sauce, brown muffins, gelatin (ground beef gravy?)

Day 11- Potatoes Suzette, lettuce, baked pears

Day 12- Beef pie, squash, plums

Day 13- Hot boiled potatoes with butter and milk, jam, crackers

Day 14- Baked beans, brown bread, bananas

Day 15- Tomatoes, eggs, potato salad, cornbread hotcakes

Michael said, “Hey, that’s kind of how we eat.”

Instead of one meat meal and many meatless ones, I usually only use 1/4 pound of meat or poultry per meal for two people. I eat soup for every lunch (and, man, am I sick of soup). I eat leftovers for dinner and so does Michael. I try to have a vegetable or fruit in every meal. I make breads, biscuits and muffins to stave off hunger.

We are living in our own personal Depression. If times get tougher, we will eat like kings and the rest of you will mourn your Banquet Dinners.

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