Can't afford to eat all day....$ is tight

Fitness_Chick

Breakfast:
Oatmeal

Snack:
Carrot Sticks
Homemade Hummous

Lunch:
rice and beans
salad made with leaf lettuce, and tomatoes

Snack:
1 orange

Supper:
Hamburger Hash
- elbow macaroni
- lean ground beef
- diced tomoatoes
- diced mushrooms
- sliced onions
- oregano
- some bulk cheese powder
- diced celery

snack:
skim milk

if you make things from scratch and are not too picky, you can make homemade food for VERY little money. i was a student for 7 years, and regularly survived on 20 buks (canadian, so like 15 USD) a week. sometimes it's not the most interesting food, but it's healthy, filling and there is lots of it.

also check out:

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm

i've had to use this before, and it was not that bad! seeing as how you have lots of time during the day, it should make this plan MORE than doable. hope this helps!

Great ideas you've shared ellelit:bigsmile: Would you mind if I put that link in a thread all it's own, so many folks are always checking in on the boards asking about how to cook for little money...I see they even have a sample menu on this site. Might really help others in a pinch right now with economy... ok with you?:flowerforyou:

FC

Fitness_Chick

Not sure where you are located? If in the states, check out www.angelfoodministries.com. It is a non profit that provides fiod at a reduced price. Anyone is eligible. You can find a local site, place and pay for your order at the beginning of the month, then pick up your order a few weeks later. It is $35 per box and it is designed to feed a family of 4 for a week. The menu changes each month. It is hard that first order to put the money out when things are tight, but very well worth it. You can order for the next month when you pick up your order. If you are only feeding 2, this should last you longer than 1 week.

akahl78~wow this is a great place....unfortanely does not appear that there is a site in my area...or anywhere in my region, I will call them tomorrow. Thank you so much for this information!

:flowerforyou:

We have something like that similar here but just a different name. I wonder if you call up an agency, they could refer you to food pantries, the above type of thing, help with groceries etc., I'm sure they have a list you can check out and see what will work best for you.

I can feel your pain and frustration, but you have much hope as I see you cheering on your Green BL team on each of your posts:drinker: :bigsmile: Hope and a bag of black beans from a Coop (the magic ones of COURSE! ) can get you far in life! Buy some cheap store brand salsa...and there ya go a meal! Buy some low cost tortillas then you'll have black bean burritos...low cost cheese added in if you can find it cheap.

Eggs, salsa, tortillas
Black beans & Salsa & some veggies on the side, check for frozen dark greens on sale, store brand
cereal & milk
brown rice in bulk
black beans in bulk
pasta is a decent portion is fine and cheap, store brand sauce, just keep an eye on the amount
PB & toast or PB sandwiches....2 slices for a meal, 1 piece will go well for a snack
Protein/healthy fat will keep you satisfied, loading up on carbs to much will bring on hunger much more quickly.
Tuna (not as cheap as it used to be...but still, it's good food/protein

I too am sorry you're going through tough times, so many are these days...check out ellit's site link she shared....has a menu etc. you might try out with.

FC

(like someone shared powered will do just fine in cereal and cooking, I don't care for it in a glass but that's just me. I grew up with my Dad, Mom and 5 Sisters and he worked at Goodyear, the strike lasted 2 years and the union ran out of money. So we did what we could. We were all young enough 3 of us anyhow that we thought of it as an adventure. Kids, what did we know? lol

ellelit

Sure thing!! I know money is tight for alot of people right now... me included FC:drinker:

Phoenixflame

Ok, this is a TOTAL longshot. Blame the fact I'm from Texas.

Do you or your hubby hunt or fish? Check what's in season. If either of you are hunters/fishers, it might be worth it to go kill your food, provided you already have the equipment. Bag something big, get it butchered, freeze it, and you could have meat for quite awhile. Healthier too.

In California, it's bighorn sheep season.

Plus, you could use the time in the wild to collect berries!

chimpoco

I always try to make a big pot of soup, beans, or chili. I like to eat from it all week, especially when I'm too hungry or lazy to cook. If I cook a chicken, I boil the bones and strain them to make a broth for the soup. It makes a good base for all kinds of soup, plus all the little pieces of meat fall off and get really tender. I've also learned that veggies that are too old (not rotten) to eat raw make a nice soup too,

Hope things look better. Good luck on the job hunt!!

You go girl!!

sassiebritches

You all are so great. These are all really good ideas, I have thrown some recipes from all the recommended sites to my honey and he is game for better eating too, which has never been a real problem cause he ADORES ME!!!!!!! He will eat dirt if it helps me get healthy...although I don't want him doing that.

I really appreciate all of you being so understanding, it was just 2 years ago I never thought I wouldn't be able to buy food.....but times are tough all the way around, and we are gonna be just fine.

AGAIN I APPRECIATE THE HELP AND HOPE OTHERS GET GOOD USE OF THE TIPS ALSO......

What was the quote...it takes a village to raise a family.......

Go Green!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

whitneykt

Oatmeal
Dried Beans
Powdered milk
Potatoes - sweet & russet (or reds)
Homemade - Rice mixes
Homemade - Biscuit mixes
Homemade - Bread
Meatloaf - makes great sandwiches too
Roasts - beef, pork (make a large one and slice some of it for sandwiches)
Iceberg lettuce - makes a ton of salad
Cabbage - can be cooked or used for coleslaw
Chicken - cut it into chunks to put it in casserole or stir fry to make one breast feed two people
Steak - same as chicken
Hamburger - lots of uses - mix with pastas, hamburger patties, sloppy joes

One tip I have on meats - I used to look at the "per pound price" but, I would freak out at how high that was. Now I look at the total price and see how much per serving that is. For example: if I buy a 16 oz steak for say, $7.00 (making up prices here ), instead of looking at it as $7.00 per pound, I look at it as - that $7.00 will feed four people (4 oz each) at $1.75 per person. That sounds a lot better doesn't it?

Lots of good stuff on the www.hillbillyhousewife.com site. Just spent quite a while over there and got some great ideas and I don't have to watch the budget. Thank goodness!!!

My daughter-in-law and my daughter just lost their jobs right before Christmas . . . how can someone do that? Anyway, they have both just got jobs . . . so maybe you will too. Hang in there!

In the meantime, check out that web site.

Fitness_Chick

more great idea for us all Whitney!:flowerforyou:

sassiebritches

Thanks for all the suggestions, I just made a grocery list based off recipes found in Hillybilly Housewife and the coupon book sent to me has recipe ideas (made a really yummy lemon pepper chicken from it last night - entire dinner was 320 cals!)

Honey agreed to eat whatever I make...I just added some of his favorites for him which lucky for me are NOT my favorites at all, so choosing the wrong snack will not be a worry for me.

I will let ya all know what we come out of the grocery store spending...mind you I am buying for 1 week...as we don't have enough to shop for the month.

THANKS AGAIN!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GREEEEEEEEEEN!:flowerforyou:

TRLTAMPA

Plain oatmeal and a banana.
Right now I can get 2 weeks worth of oatmeal for $2 and 3 pounds of bananas for $1.
The banana sweetens the oatmeal perfectly and it keeps me full for a while.

Fitness_Chick

Plain oatmeal and a banana.
Right now I can get 2 weeks worth of oatmeal for $2 and 3 pounds of bananas for $1.
The banana sweetens the oatmeal perfectly and it keeps me full for a while.

where the HECK you buyin your nanners Girl??:sad: I think I saw green ones at 69¢ lb.:sad: Don't tell me, you have an Aldi's right?:sad: :ohwell: :bigsmile: Oh well, great ideas on the oatmeal though...it is CHEAP for sure and not bad for us either. It keeps me content until the next meal.

I think it's great with everyone sharing tips on what they eat and how they do it more cost effective, since we're all in this together with the economy and trying to eat well.:happy:

FC

dothompson

Buy oatmeal in the bulk bins. It's often .50 a pound or so.

TRLTAMPA

My nanners are at Sav-A-Lot....don't know if u guys have one. We have an Aldi but I've never been yet. People that I know who have gone, say it's not cheaper than Sav-A-Lot, so why drive over there?
I also get most of my fruits and veggies from the veggie stand. I catch him when he's going home and doesn't want to pack everything back up....he loads me up!

Fitness_Chick

My nanners are at Sav-A-Lot....don't know if u guys have one. We have an Aldi but I've never been yet. People that I know who have gone, say it's not cheaper than Sav-A-Lot, so why drive over there?
I also get most of my fruits and veggies from the veggie stand. I catch him when he's going home and doesn't want to pack everything back up....he loads me up!

ah hah!! FL, ok well I'm in the Midwest...gotta wait a bit for farmers markets here...but I do love to purchase locally from them. Ok, it's all beginning to make sense now about the nanners and the veggie stand!:laugh: