I watched a lady in front of me pay for a grocery cart full of food with food stamps. I swear, there wasn't one thing in that cart that was fresh. Everything was processed, frozen, or microwavable...easy and fast to cook.
As to living on $30/week, I'd say yes. When I was a freshman grad student, I was told that my TA scholarship check would be issued on the 15th. I timed my little cash to run out on the 15th, only to be told I wasn't paid until the end of the month. I had about $3 to last until payday. I ate steel cut oats for two+ weeks. I think it's time for some food stamp people to do the same.
I see a lot of that. Yesterday, I found beef shanks that were beautiful, and $1.70 per serving. I bought 2 and a package of beef bones for $0.80. I'm making the brown beef stock now, for the occo bucco and polenta that will be tonight's supper for 2, with a total cost of less than $5.
At the restaurant where I learned to make the dish, we charged $35/plate for that meal.
It's very high quality gourmand fare.
But it does take time and effort I started the stock yesterday at 1400.
/johnny
While your point is valid for most, there is a possibility the lady you saw has no stove.
You can get a cheap microwave for $50; used, far less. A stove is a little harder to come by.
Then too, some old folks don’t cook because they don’t remember to turn things off when they’re done. Microwaves aren’t that big a fire hazard (except when they’re GE microwaves, but that’s another story).
Old people don’t like to stand in the kitchen, poor old people don’t like to stand in the cold kitchen, preparing meals for one. They don’t see well; they drop stuff; they forget the leftovers in the fridge until said leftovers are furry.
And some never learned to cook.