how to shop when you're broke and have a family

stealthq

You can do overnight oats with steel cut easily. Instructions for multiple ways here: mccanns.ie/preparation.html

Something else you might want to look up are various porridge type meals. They can be made with a base of oats (porridge) or rice (congee, jook, etc). They can be savory or sweet. You cook the grain with a lot of water to get a nice creamy texture and add in your meat and vegetable, etc. You can make a huge volume of very filling food with very few ingredients. A good way to really stretch out what you have.

ShelliesTrying

I do have a question about using the crock pot. I don't use it often bc I am away from the house from 7am-6pm. (I work in a different town) Most recipes call for a max of 8 hours. Any suggestions to be able to start something at 7am and it not be mush by 6pm?

madhatter2013

ShelliesTrying wrote: »

I don't really know how to address your comment @madhatter2013 . I love my job and it's more of a career than "just" a job. I do not have a degree, I want to go school but I just can't swing that right now. I have been applying for a second job but haven't gotten one yet. I am doing what I can.

And it's great that you love what you do. Most people aren't that lucky, however, you also have to balance what's best for your family as a whole. If that means putting off what you love for now to make sure you are providing for your kids, then that's what needs to be done. I'm not trying to lecture and I'm sure you've heard all of this before. Are there other finances that are going out that could be cut out to make more room for nutrition? How's daycare for you? Do you pay for it are you lucky enough to have someone watch your children for little or no charge? I know WIC was mentioned here once and they have less stern income guidelines than most SNAP programs. I was not eligible for SNAP but was able to get WIC. As was said before, it's not much but every little bit helps and they make sure you're getting healthy food with those checks.

kshama2001

ChapinaGrande wrote: »

madhatter2013 wrote: »

You said you make only about $26K a year. Have you looked for anything better? Are you college educated to make it easier to get a higher wage? Can you look into certifications to get into another field that might be better for you? On that same note, you say your child support is sporadic. Have you pursued the courts to help fix that? You are free to not answer any of these questions. I know how personal they may be as I have been where you are and prospered (as I'm sure others here have also). I, too, was getting child support only periodically and had a very low paying job. I kept on applying until I found something better, and then better, and then even better, until I was comfy in my financial situation to be able to go back to school again to make myself even better for my children. Not here to push you down or brag, just food for though.

This. I thought of these things as well. I would like to kick my own butt for suggesting it, but is it possible to cut your hours in order to meet the income requirements for SNAP? I know it may be immoral, but I believe that there are situations in which immorality is justified, such as when kids are hungry. I apologize because this suggestion may be offensive to some...

That thought occurred to me as well and I found your post practical rather than offensive

@ShelliesTrying - can you talk to your employer about getting either more or less hours? (Or more pay?) Maybe if they knew you can't get by on your current amount of hours, they would be willing to make a change.

When my husky was dying of cancer and I was paying for chemo, I asked my employer if I could go back on hourly from salary and they ended up giving me a raise and an advance on my year end bonus, so you never know what might happen.

jgnatca

ShelliesTrying wrote: »

I do have a question about using the crock pot. I don't use it often bc I am away from the house from 7am-6pm. (I work in a different town) Most recipes call for a max of 8 hours. Any suggestions to be able to start something at 7am and it not be mush by 6pm?

I use my stay-at-home hubby, LOL. I put a post-it-note on the pot and it is magically turned off when I ask.

There are a very few recipes that only get better the longer you cook it. You can do this with stew if you don't add fragile vegetables like peas until you get home. Beans can cook forever. Tomato based sauces are worse the longer you cook them.

ShelliesTrying

I appreciate the concern. I really don't want to leave my job. I love the people I work with and the job itself. I have been applying for a 2nd job, just haven't gotten one yet. My 3yo is not my biological child so I don't think I can get WIC on her. My daycare cost is minimal. She stays with her gpa when he is off or older siblings and when she does stay with the sitter it's not terribly expensive. My wage is pretty decent for this area actually. I live in an area that lives and dies with the oilfield so right now with it down the only other job I would be able to find would be like a fast food place or driving a truck. I have been applying for remote positions with other companies. The cost of living in this area is also absolutely stupid, people took advantage of the oilfield money and charged rent like we lived in upscale New York or something. I am buying a house that is basically falling apart so my payment is affordable. I have lost my vehicle so lost the payment as well but it was recent so I haven't rebounded or seen the affects of losing that payment. There are a lot of factors that play into my situation. I am doing what I can. I'm sure I'm lacking in certain areas but I am trying. My goal is feeding my kids healthy vs cheap. I could easily buy the 10/$10 frozen meals or potpies to put food in their bellies but I want them to eat better. I think that's all I can add.

ShellyBell999

Stop buying household cleaners/laundry products and make your own.
I save hundreds of dollars a year by making my own.

ShelliesTrying

@kshama2001 I am working on getting a pay raise. Our "cost of living" raise was 1.5% this year which was less that .20 for me. I have given them the information showing that I am under paid by upto $12k/yr. I don't see a change happening. I am able to work from home so I get a couple extra hours a week, however, we aren't actually supposed to get any over time. My direct boss has given me permission to get o/t.

ShelliesTrying

@shelly_belly927 I don't buy any household cleaners. I use vinegar and baking soda and dawn. I also dilute my laundry soap 50/50 with vinegar. Saves money, cuts down on over use of soap and helps clean clothes better.

kshama2001

ShellyBell999 wrote: »

Stop buying household cleaners/laundry products and make your own.
I save hundreds of dollars a year by making my own.

Can you give links to "recipes"?

madhatter2013

ShelliesTrying wrote: »

I appreciate the concern. I really don't want to leave my job. I love the people I work with and the job itself. I have been applying for a 2nd job, just haven't gotten one yet. My 3yo is not my biological child so I don't think I can get WIC on her. My daycare cost is minimal. She stays with her gpa when he is off or older siblings and when she does stay with the sitter it's not terribly expensive. My wage is pretty decent for this area actually. I live in an area that lives and dies with the oilfield so right now with it down the only other job I would be able to find would be like a fast food place or driving a truck. I have been applying for remote positions with other companies. The cost of living in this area is also absolutely stupid, people took advantage of the oilfield money and charged rent like we lived in upscale New York or something. I am buying a house that is basically falling apart so my payment is affordable. I have lost my vehicle so lost the payment as well but it was recent so I haven't rebounded or seen the affects of losing that payment. There are a lot of factors that play into my situation. I am doing what I can. I'm sure I'm lacking in certain areas but I am trying. My goal is feeding my kids healthy vs cheap. I could easily buy the 10/$10 frozen meals or potpies to put food in their bellies but I want them to eat better. I think that's all I can add.

Did you adopt her? If she's not your's, biologically or legally, why are you caring for her? No, don't answer that. We don't need to know these details, however, if you are her sole provider, you should be able to claim her on things.

ShelliesTrying

I am taking care of her bc her mom is a (insert adjective here) and her dad is out with his new family and I love her regardless of her DNA. I just have a verbal agreement with her mother. I could call her mom and say hey come get your kid and be less that expense but that is just not something I am willing to consider. She is a child born of a one night stand with my former husband, we had her for 14 days a month for 2 years and when he left I chose to reach out to the mother and try to continue to have her. I now have her full time, until her mother gets a wild hair and decides she wants her back. It is an odd and complicated situation that makes no sense. At the end of the day I love and care about her and what happens to her and how she is cared for her and I'm willing to take her on to know that she is well taken care of.

I know you said you didn't need details, sorry. Unless her mother signs me guardianship I don't think I can claim her. It's just a verbal agreement right now.

ericGold15

The least expensive foods are staples:

Rice
Flour
Oats
Sugar
Dry legumes, beans and peas

IIRC, large sacks of grains and sugar at Costco are about 50 - 100 cents a pound
Legumes, beans and peas are around $1 a pound. Check out the Mormon bulk food sites on the web.
In season vegetables and fruits are around $1 a pound
I have no idea about animal products.

If you figure that an average pound of the above costs 75 - 100 cents and contains ~ 1800 Cal, that is a practical minimum cost to feed a person in the US for a day.

The trick is to learn to cook, and to plan and be organized so that you have enough time. It takes practice. The internet will help you a lot here, as will a pressure cooker !

ShelliesTrying

@kshama2001 I don't use recipes. I just, say, put a cup of baking soda in the sink drain and pour in vinegar and use a sponge to scrub the sink walls etc. Or make mop water with a couple drops of dawn and add vinegar and mop. I add vinegar to every sinkful of dishes I wash. Just things like that. I did want to try to save orange peels and soak them to make cleaner, I've seen that on pinterest or facebook posts.

ericGold15

ShelliesTrying wrote: »

Unless her mother signs me guardianship I don't think I can claim her. It's just a verbal agreement right now.

I am not positive but I do not think you are correct.

You should also be eligible for child tax credits. See this link. If you have not been collecting the EITC I think you have a lot of money waiting for you. You can amend your back taxes 3 years if memory serves.

ShelliesTrying

I highly doubt her mother is going to be willing to give up the tax credit for herself. In reality she has it pretty good. She can collect all the benefits of being a single mother without having to support the child. I'm not raising her to collect money on her. I just posted my question to get some information on feeding my family more healthfully. If you would like to know more about the situation feel free to pm me. Please don't misunderstand tho, I do appreciate the information.

CountessKitteh

I know it's expensive upfront, but do you know anyone with a Costco/Sam's Club/BJ's membership where you could stock up on pasta (for the base of a meal), frozen fruits and veggies, and something like waffles for breakfast? They're super quick in the morning and most really aren't bad nutrition wise. Throw a little peanut butter on a toasty waffle, and I'm a happy camper.

ericGold15

^^ I strongly suggest you do not jump to conclusions. Carefully read the link I posted as well as this one: Qualifying child.

IRS stuff is terribly boring reading, so intersperse it with finding sources of inexpensive food staples through the internet. You will be pleasantly surprised.

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

Google the 9p kidney burgers, they taste yummy and are so easy to make with a decent nutrient content a s well.

ericGold15

Here are some links to get you started. I googled 'bulk food staples'

http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/food/airtight-food-storage-containers
http://preparedchristian.net/food-storage-part-three-the-storage-of-food-staples/#.VfCGMHjR_Gs
http://www.cheapism.com/blog/3336/buy-bulk-foods
http://www.thekitchn.com/the-most-essential-pantry-staples-for-cooks-on-an-extreme-budget-good-questions-202982

clh72569

For getting the crock pot going at odd times. I use a Christmas tree timer. Have the crock pot with all the ingredients when I leave for work, the timer turns it on and off at the appropriate time.

ShelliesTrying

@clh72569 Brilliant! Thanks for the tip! I will try that.

ericGold15

ShelliesTrying wrote: »

I just, say, put a cup of baking soda in the sink drain and pour in vinegar and use a sponge to scrub the sink walls etc.

The pH of baking soda is basic (> 7.0) while vinegar is acidic. Mixing the two neutralizes both to varying degrees.

Mentioned in the spirit of more with less.

cwolfman13

when I was broke, I ate a lot of dried legumes, rice, pasta, whatever meat/poultry that was on sale and/or a lot of whole chickens/chicken parts and hamburger. for vegetables I mainly stuck with cabbage and broccoli...mostly apples for fruit as they tended to be pretty affordable year around.

it wasn't a lot of variety, but it was pretty healthy and inexpensive.

callsitlikeiseeit

diannethegeek wrote: »

It sounds like you need to go back and reconsider how you're defining "healthy." The middle of my grocery store has a lot of my cheap essentials. Rice, beans, frozen fruits & veggies, canned veggies, canned tuna, oatmeal, peanut butter, etc. Don't get trapped into thinking that all of those cheaper packaged items are unhealthy. Many of them can be included in a balanced diet.

that.

also, dollar stores also carried canned items (and some carry more). If there is an Aldis near you, they are cheaper than walmart on a LOT of things.

Make large batches of food and freeze for later

check with churches to see if they have food banks or assistance programs

minnie75kids

You can make great meals with rice, beans, frozen veggies. Stretch your meats. Buy on sale and divide up. A nice large pot of soup can be eaten and freeze other half. You can do pasta with canned tomatoes and a bit of frozen veggie for just a few dollars. Also check out couponmom dot com. Lots of free coupons you can print!!

ashliedelgado

The only reason you would not be able to claim the 3 year old for WIC/SNAP etc is if mom is claiming her. And if mom is claiming her... mom should be helping you. It's not that you're looking for a pay day, its taking care of her child.

Aside, ideas I had reading through your post and the responses are:
1 - with the crock pot, you said you have a 13 year old. Potentially, this child could turn the crock on/off? I have 13 year old step twins that we have full custody of, I often leave them notes or call them from work with instructions and they do well. You said your daughter made bread bowls - she should be ok. That being said, before we got custody of the twins, I only crocked things I knew could stand being on for as long as I needed to leave them, and I always cooked on low. We eat so much pulled pork. Its freaking ridiculous. Cheap pork shoulder, toss in on low all day with some water, brown sugar, and garlic. Pull it apart when I get home, toss in whatever bbq sauce I got on sale, back in the crock for 30 more minutes.

2 - Maybe this isn't nice of me, but I absolutely would not allow 6 gallons of milk a week. My family is myself, DH, the twins, and half the week my 3 kids. We go through 2 gallons a week. We have milk with breakfast, I occasionally cook with it, and you drink water. Some times, I buy $1 containers of Welch's I think? Juice concentrate. 6 gallons for $1 and it gives the kids a change of pace.

3 - Meal plan. Meal plan. My grocery budget for my family comes out to about $100 a week. During the summer... it's rough I'm not gonna lie. When I don't meal plan, I'm usually way over. When I do plan, I can usually under shoot my budget by a fair amount. I take stock of what we have, and go from there. I don't really look at the sales, which I should, but we have Winco, and really... when I do look at the sales, they don't have anything on Winco.

4 - We eat a ton of spaghetti, and I make my own basic sauce so it's not too bad. A small can of tomato paste, a can of diced tomatoes, and a can of sauce and presto! I usually get the seasoned tomatoes, and I get a decent sauce this way for probably $1.25. For meat, its always sausage, turkey, ground beef, chicken breast, whatever was cheaper.

5 - DH eats lefties for lunch at work. My lunch is almost always 4oz ground turkey (tube at winco $2.30), 1/4 can black beans, and half of a Birds Eye Steamer veggie. It ends up costing me around $5 to eat lunch for the week.

6 - We eat a lot of brown rice. And white potatoes don't have the best reputation, but when money is tight they go far and do a lot for filling.

ShellyBell999

kshama2001 wrote: »

ShellyBell999 wrote: »

Stop buying household cleaners/laundry products and make your own.
I save hundreds of dollars a year by making my own.

Can you give links to "recipes"?

https://www.pinterest.com/ShellyBean999/natural-cleaning-solutions/

ldrosophila

Power to you mama! You can do it. I get angry at all the advice saying get a new job, grow a garden, or get all the great assistance programs we offer in the US for hard working individuals (notice sarcasm). Anyways, your kitchen is your best friend in this battle. You already know how to make a dollar stretch, so now you'll have to get creative and stretch that food. As many have said scratch cooking although time consuming will be so beneficial. Not sure the area you live in but I often find that when I go into areas of an ethnic minority that the prices are cheaper. I loved shopping at the local fruteria I could load up on a ton of fruits and veggies for less than $20. Wal-Mart everyone bashes it but when you are hurting financially you cant beat the prices. Lots of bulk foods. Do you have a decent sized freezer? Enlist the kids in the help too they can help you chop and process food they are old enough. Also, to see Mom make miracles on a little budget is inspiring.

You've got this you and your babies will be healthy and kicking azz in no time!

http://www.simplyscratch.com/recipes

Ninkyou

Coupons.

You can find blog websites that do sale & coupon matchups every week with the new ads that come out. Just google your grocery store's name with ad matchups... for example, I shop at Shoprite, so if I google Shoprite ad matchups I get http://www.livingrichwithcoupons.com/shoprite-coupons-2 which has everything that's on sale, listed with the coupons you can clip from which newspaper or printable coupon, etc and the final cost after coupons. Dead handy. When I went grocery shopping on Sunday (I shop every week, btw) I took $45.15 off my grocery bill. Totally worth the half an hour I spend every sunday writing up my grocery list and clipping/printing coupons.

For meat, I look for manager's specials or "expiring" meat that has a sell by date within 2 days because those are always marked down. Then I either use it within the 2 days or freeze it.

You can also join things like Ibotta and SavingStar that give you rebates on items you're buying. I do savingstar and you get rebates everytime your account hits $5.

And... kind of unrelated to saving money but sign up for Upromise and when you use your credit/debit/grocery cards on participating products a percentage of money is deposited into an account that you can then transfer into a 529 account for your kid's college funds.