Well I'm gearing up for another dinner of ham & beans. It got me through the week and on budget. So what did I learn by going through this exercise?

It's hard to stay upbeat and on top of your game when your hungry. When you don't have the money to grab a snack (whether it's a candy bar, a piece of fruit or something else) it's hard to keep focused on the job at hand. Your mind and stomach continually wander back to wanting something to eat.

There is food all around you, all the time, but you can't eat it. There are fast food places on every corner, advertising on the radio, coworkers snacking at work. It seems everyone else has more than enough and you're on the outside looking in.

Forget nutrition. When shopping the only thing that matters is price. I didn't look at any of the labels or ingredients, cheaper is better. I spent my last dollar on cheddar cheese gold fish crackers. I wanted to have something that would fill me up - and crackers hit the spot (for twenty minutes) and only cost 95 cents.

The most important thing I learned is how difficult it would be for a parent to feed a child on food stamps. It's just not possible to provide a healthy diet. And, if nothing else, that's something every child deserves.

Frank Finnegan