Day 314 - Eating on a Dollar a Day?

I guess it can be done. My friend Devesh sent me the link to this social experiment conducted by a couple who wanted to see if they could eat on a dollar a day (a dollar for each of them). While I have some issues with their set-up, overall it is very interesting read and a lesson in how far a dollar can stretch.

My main qualms with it are as follows:
1. I wish they would have connected their experiment with some greater social message rather than just proclaiming it a "challenge" for themselves. Given the alarming rate of global poverty it seems like it would have been an easy link.
2. A dollar a day for food is one thing. I wish they would have put themselves on a limited budget for everything and see how frequently they traded off food for the option of heat or a place to sleep.
3. They sort of cheated since they bought a lot of things in bulk up front and then rationed it out by measuring. Realistically if someone had to survive on a dollar a day its likely that they had to earn that dollar that day. Which if that was the case you wouldn't be able to buy anything in a store (what cost a $1 or less? ramen noodles or a candy bar i suppose). What you would have to do is work 5-7 days to amass enough money to purchase anything and not eat during that time frame. Again - details, but it's true. This is the exact reason those living in poverty get stuck in a perpetual cycle - no access to credit or resources that can help them "get ahead" a little.

Ok I'll step off my soapbox. Check it out for yourself!