Phoenix Mayor Attempts To Live On A Food Stamp Budget: ‘I’m Tired, And It’s Hard To Focus’

[MADem]

74. It's quite the trick to swipe a lightbulb. If you don't want it to look obvious, you bring your

dead one wrapped up in a tee shirt in your backpack, wait for your moment, and make the switch!

TP, those crappy brown paper handtowels, lightbulbs, sugar packets, salt/pepper packets, catsup/mustard/mayo packs--it's amazing what you'll do to survive. And if you're so lucky as to have sloppy co-workers who don't use their soy sauce packets from their lunch take-out, why, you're living large!!! (I'm being sarcastic, here).

My "stark budget" experiences predate microwaves--but I did have a stove and fridge, too, lucky me. I also lived not too far from a city "farmer's market" that supplied all the major restaurants. If we went there right as the vendors were closing up, lots of times they'd give us stuff for next to nothing, or sometimes even nothing. Even a "bone for the dog" could do a lot for a bunch of veggies in a pot. Very hit or miss, but when I'd get a "load" of anything, I'd cook it and freeze it, and then defrost it and heat it on the stovetop.