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

ShelliesTrying

We NEVER have old milk in our house. We can go thru up to 6 gallons a week. Especially during the summer while the kids are out of school. 3 and 13yo drink lots and lots of milk. I don't buy any juices bc it's mostly sugars anyways.

lemurcat12

This looks possibly helpful: http://www.leannebrown.com/

Free pdf cookbook focused on healthy low cost meals.

ShelliesTrying

http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Apple_Cinnamon_Oatmeal

This what I found to try.

Can anyone tell me if steel cut is genuinely better than regular oatmeal we've been eating for years, or is this just trendy?

TinyTexn59

Check out sites : Hillbilly housewife and 5 dollar dinners. They both have helpful information.

MarcyKirkton

I'm the queen of thrifty grocery shopping. I watch sales I NEVER buy any meat until it's on sale. Package it up, stick it in freezer in portions. Chicken breasts go on sale nearly every month. Pork tenderloin is a great lean meat, and it's fabulous cooked in a crock pot. It goes a long, long way. Again, it goes on sale regularly. I hardly ever buy ground meat of any type anymore, since it's just too expensive. I recommend frozen ravioli, too. My experience is that the Store brand is just as good as the more expensive brands, great on price and great on calories, too. I shop veggie spaghetti sauce on sale for the top. Another great meal are enchiladas. Simple to make.......chicken breast mixed with refried beans (very inexpensive), with even frozen corn inside, can of enchilada sauce and cheese on top? Use corn tortillas, and it's not only inexpensive but good on calories.

I buy pasta, rice, etc.....ONLY on sale. I never buy butter at full price. Wait for holidays and stock up. Then prices drop. Beef? Forget it unless it's a holiday. Then, stock up on roasts. Roasts can be cooked for nice special meal and use the leftovers in wonderful beef vegetable soup.

Vegetables can be pricey. I buy frozen alot, and they are nutritious and cheap. Even the onions and peppers can be cheaper if you buy frozen. They are the best deal around and not many people use it...so the price right now is great. I only buy fruit and vegetables fresh when they are in season.

My breakfast is inexpensive, too. I buy low-cal greek yogurts on sale.....my store has 10 for $10 often. Then I buy box bran cereal with some sugar junk stuff. Right now it's cinnamon and pecans. Anyway, one half cup of cereal with one yogurt is around 170 calories and it definitely keeps me going until snack time of fruit.

You start to know prices and what's really a good deal when you focus on savings awhile. I use the coupons and digital coupons for a lot of items. But I have to say, in 99% of the cases, the generic brands that are cheaper than even the brand-names with coupons taste identical to me.

Hope you glean a few good ideas. Great question!

lemurcat12

It has a different texture, so some (like me) like it better.

Beyond that, oats are oats. There may be minor differences in fiber or protein content. There are types of oats (that would likely be more expensive) with additives and I personally would avoid those and add what I wanted myself, but that isn't about style of oat (rolled vs. steel cut).

jgnatca

I'm a pro at efficient bulk cooking now. But I also don't have little ones under foot any more. I'm always thinking ahead based on what's in my refrigerator (lots of turnips right now) and what I might make. I'll make three dinners in a row over an hour or two on the weekend, prepping one meal as I'm popping another in the oven. I'll soak dried mushrooms for one dish (I don't cook with mushrooms very often so the dried ones save me in the long run) then use the mushroom water for the soup base for another. This will go round and round until all the perishable things in my fridge are made up for meals through the week.

Soakables like beans are usually put to soak on a Friday evening for my cooking spree on Saturday.

I am working through the harvest from my community garden which is where the turnips came from. Turnips, onions, zucchini, kale, and scarlet runner beans. I was looking at my onions and I had a whole bunch of small ones. So I looked up a recipe for pickled onions and peeled all the baby onions for a jar.

I saw a neighbour's apples going to waste so I asked if I could take them in exchange for some home-made apple sauce. The neighbour was pleased and so was I. I found a crock pot applesauce recipe that was super easy. The most work was coring the apples. I didn't bother peeling.

You can take "cheap, quick and easy" and modify with healthier ingredients. Or reduce the fat. I find I can use up to a quarter less of the cheese called for when I buy the sharpest, oldest cheddar I can find, and grate fine.

ShelliesTrying

I really appreciate all of the realistic information everyone has shared.

fromnebraska

Thought of 1 other thing. For a cheap snack, buy popcorn kernels and pop your own popcorn either on the stove or in an air popper.

ShelliesTrying

A couple have mentioned enchiladas. We have these from time to time and I do make my own sauce. I make a batch big enough for 2-3 dishes and freeze what I don't use for that dinner. I have done that for years. My former husbands gma gave me her recipe and I have never used anything else.

ShelliesTrying

We use the air popper regularly!

Lounmoun

I don't know if anyone has said this already but plan your meals in advance. It is okay to have a limited menu that you rotate.
A pot of soup is a good dollar stretcher. I try to have soup once a week. It freezes and reheats well. Bean based and lentil soups are cheap and filling.My dd's favorite soup is minestrone.
Cut up meat and put it in casseroles, stir fries, soups, on pizza, on sandwiches, etc. If you cook a whole chicken and take all the meat off that will probably be enough for several meals.
Use leftovers for breakfast or lunch.
Mix ground meat with beans or lentils to stretch it farther. I always mix beans with our taco meat.
Buy store/generic brands.
Buy things that are whole and skin, bone, shred, or divide the food yourself.
Spinach might give more nutrition than lettuce in salads, sandwiches, tacos.
Sometimes larger containers are cheaper per serving.
Oatmeal, dry beans, lentils, pasta, rice, onions, potatoes, carrots, garlic, canned tomato, eggs, cream of wheat, bread, peanut butter are good basics for many dishes.
Tortillas and pita bread are not too hard to make.
My family has enjoyed recipes from http://www.budgetbytes.com/

pootle1972

jgnatca wrote: »

By the way, you are doing great. You are a survivor. You are planning a better future for your kids.

This

madhatter2013

Been there, done that. It sounds like you're getting great advise and doing a great job. Keep up the great work. Things will get better. On that note, I know you were asking for advise on the food and shopping end of things but I'm curious about work. 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.

kshama2001

ShelliesTrying wrote: »

http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Apple_Cinnamon_Oatmeal

This what I found to try.

Can anyone tell me if steel cut is genuinely better than regular oatmeal we've been eating for years, or is this just trendy?

Steel cut oats have a lower glycemic index than rolled oats, but since I'm not diabetic and don't like steel cut, it's not a better choice for me

Try steel cut but don't give up on oats if you don't care for them. My mom loves them.




http://www.prevention.com/content/whats-healthier-steel-cut-oats-or-rolled-oats

ShelliesTrying

I have a package to try. I will make that happen this weekend. I will probably stick to the regular bc they are cheaper and do the job! Thanks for this

ChapinaGrande

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...

ShelliesTrying

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.

kshama2001

ShelliesTrying wrote: »

I do make bread! I have a bread machine and have taught my 13yo how to make bread with it. We had a big pot of potato soup and she made bread bowls with the dough setting on the bread machine. We were stuffed!

And yes my kids love a pot of beans. I found 1lb bags at walmart last weekend that were cheaper than the bigger bags so I bought several.

Crock pots are great way to cook beans and cheap cuts of meat. I like the MFP blog recipes because you can click to log them https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/?s=dried+beans but on allrecipes.com there are a ton of slow cooker recipes. I have previously subscribed for slow cooker recipes from there, but don't see the option ATM. http://allrecipes.com/recipes/17191/everyday-cooking/slow-cooker/

ShelliesTrying

@ChapinaGrande I can't really cut my hours. My job is m-f 8-5. I have actually been working extra at home to help. I am able to get maybe an extra 5 hours a week but that's about it.