Dad of Four Does a $100 Grocery Challenge After Spending 8 Hours Earning the Money: ‘Trying to Stock Up’

TikTok creator Joel, known as @joelhustle, recently shared a video showing how much groceries he could buy with $100 after spending eight hours earning the money through a side hustle. Joel, who has four children and is expecting his fifth, said he was trying to stock up on food for his family. The video received more than 828,000 likes and 25,000 comments.

Although Joel has a full-time job, he said he takes on side hustles to help support his family. One of those side jobs involves delivering groceries from Walmart to customers. For the experiment, Joel spent eight hours making $100 through grocery deliveries. He then took that money to Walmart to see how much food he could buy for his own family.

Joel was able to purchase several staples, including spaghetti noodles, pasta sauce, milk, cheese, meat and other groceries. By the end of his shopping trip, he had filled several bags, with the total coming to $99.72—just under his $100 budget.

The haul prompted discussion among viewers, with some surprised by how much food Joel was able to purchase for less than $100.

“How is food so cheap there?” one user asked. “100 bucks almost full cart.. that's good to me,” another wrote.

Others, however, questioned whether the relatively low total was partly due to the brands and products Joel chose. “Ok but Great Value, and please look at the ingredient list,” one commenter wrote, referring to Walmart’s private-label brand. Another commenter questioned the quality of the eggs Joel purchased. “I’ve bought those eggs and they seemed very watery,” they wrote.

The $100 Grocery Haul Sparks Debate

The video also prompted a broader discussion about grocery prices in the United States, with some commenters comparing Joel’s haul with grocery costs in other countries. “Was I lied to? I was told groceries are expensive in America,” one person commented.

Others pointed out that Joel’s shopping trip did not include many of the household essentials that can contribute to the cost of a larger grocery restock.

“This ain’t toilet paper, diapers, cleaning supplies, or soap and other hygiene items … add all that stuff and it’s well over $200,” one commenter wrote.

Some viewers also suggested that Joel was able to stay under $100 because he focused primarily on basic food items rather than snacks and other more expensive products.

Another commenter questioned the quality of the groceries.

“Keep in mind this is some of the worst quality food you can get,” they wrote.

Joel’s video ultimately showed how far his $100 grocery budget went during one shopping trip, while the comments highlighted how much grocery costs can vary depending on what someone buys, where they shop and the products they choose.

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify Joel’s income from his side hustle or the circumstances surrounding his grocery purchases. The details of his eight-hour delivery shift and $99.72 grocery haul are based solely on @joelhustle’s TikTok video.