The current government in Quebec may owe its mandate to a “gaffe” made by outgoing premier Philippe Couillard in 2018. The then liberal leader famously said that it was possible for a family of four in Quebec to live on $75 a week for groceries.
In doing so, he briefly became the poster boy for “out-of-touchness” with the general population, on par with Marie Antoinette’s “Let Them Eat Cake” misstep.
We at The Slow Human are very slow to react to such statements, however. We take them instead at face value. In fact, we take up the challenge. Can one feed a family of four for around $300 per month?
In other words, can one keep grocery food costs at an average of $10 per day and feed a family of four?
Before reacting or comparing, let’s take a moment to consider. That is, instead of using what Couillard said as a political attack, why not consider how it reveals the elephant in the room?
The main question then becomes, how are we going to find out if it is possible to feed a family of four for $300 a month on groceries while providing a varied and healthy diet?
We at The Slow Human believe that the only way to take seriously and test out Coullard’s hypothesis would be to slow down for a month and see.
That means, among other things, being present to cook all those meals and pack leftovers away for lunch. That means slowing down. That’s the elephant, or rather, the turtle in the room.