Please, Stop Insulting the Low Budget Families of Australia.

This week, The Living Room promised us so much in the headline “Feed Your Family For Under $100” but, like so many before them, delivered so very little for far too much.

A family of 4 (apparently still the magic number even though the average has moved to 5) will should eat 3 main meals per day.

(3x4=12 individual serves per day)

That's a total of 21 main meals per week.

(12x7=84 individual serves per week)

So you will forgive me, please, if I am not applauding tv segments that offer meals for $100 and only give me 5 actual meals. That's a whopping $20 per meal! And what of the other 16 meals in the week?! Why can't they just call it what it is: 5 inspirational family meals for $100." What's wrong with that? 

I’m not the only one feeling jaded on the subject. While some might be hanging on the edge of their seats, pen in hand, ready to jot down the money saving tips, the rest of us are too busy trying to unroll our eyes.

“It's deeply irritating for those of us who really need to make this type of budget work.”

“Advertising got them viewers, but it wasn't what they advertised.”

“It's demoralising. We need to speak out about this kind of stuff.”

“If they think a budget of $20 a meal is cheap, they should live in the real world for a while.”

“False advertising. 5 days is NOT a week. Anyone can whip up five meals for four people with $100.”

Misleading headlines and titles are not a new thing. They always have been and possibly (disappointingly) will always be. The Living Room is not the first to make this claim and not deliver. In fact, I had become so fed up with all the exclusions and contradictions in this overused, “Feed Your Family on $100” claim that, in January 2016, I wrote the 
$200 in 2 Weeks - Fresh Start Challenge. To see if we could live on $100 for a week because for some families, it's not a choice.

This was an empty pantry challenge. Starting with nothing and making no assumptions about what staples people should already have in their pantry. Boring when compared to a seafood paella or pork ragu but managed to feed my family 3 square meals a day plus snacks. Recently added to the blog, 6 weeks on how we, a family of 5, live very well on $150p/w for all groceries which you can view here.

Are we wrong expect delivery on these headline promises? I think not. 

Please, stop insulting the low budget cooks of Australia. These people work hard to put decent meals on the table 3 times a day, 7 days a week. NO EXCLUSIONS!