Making food stamps last

not on food stamps, thank the good Lord because it means i have a job in this crazy economy. i appreciate this thread too. it's offered me some nice tips. Thanks!!

Um...most people on FS have jobs.

I only get $50. The things I do are:

1. Only buy what you need when you need it - No need to rack and stack because the item will :
a. Be back on sale in 2-3 months and
b. you end up not needing it all (ex. my father once bought 100 dollars worth of canned vegetables. We only ate $10 dollars worth over three years and the rest created clutter and were eventually thrown out)

2. Shop around - Stores like Aldi's and Save a Lot are great because they have great quality generic products at very affordable prices.

3. Sometimes You Don't need bulk - Sometimes you cost yourself if you buy in bulk. The produce is just the same as a regular supermarket, Do you really need a giant box of Wheat Thins?

Number 3!! On the shelf tags, it tells you price per ounce (usually in the top left corner in a different color box). ALWAYS READ IT! For example, spiral macaroni is 50 cents a box. Elbow is 60 cents a box, however there is a 2 1/2 ounce difference in the two boxes. That does matter!! I do this with toilet paper and laundry soap and everything. It really helps. Sometimes the brand names are "cheaper" per ounce than off brands. Sometimes bigger boxes cost more per ounce for the same product.

Me and my ex-bf get only $350 a month for food stamps for BOTH of us. And it's almost impossible to make it work for the entire month, especially with healthy food which of course is more expensive than cheap processed crap. Most the time we have to dip into our savings/paychecks, get help from his parents, A couple months in a row i even just bought a months worth of slim fast ($40 each month) simply because we just didnt have the money for food. Seriously messed my stomach up drinking that stuff for that long.

You and your ex get more in food stamps than I have to spend for me and my 3 children. It can be done, you need to shop a little wiser.

OP, I'm not on food stamps, we don't get them in the UK but I do have a very tight budget. I make meals with ingredients that are seasonal and cheap so last week for example we had pumpkin soup, pumpkin curry and a pumpkin bake. This week's menu contains a lot of butternut squash.

Go to the shops, make a note of what's on offer then come home and do a full week's plan of what you're going to eat based on that then go back and buy the ingredients.

Thank you everyone for your responses. I guess I should add that I work 35-40 hours per week at $4 an hour plus tips (delivery driver for Pizza Hut). Also, my son has autism and SPD and a specialized diet which can cost between $20-$30 per day which is the main reason our stamps don't last very long. We don't have an aldi or trader joe or any thing like that where we are so that's a no go. You have all given me some greats tips though so I thank you.

This has pretty much shut up all the people talking against food stamps.

I have nothing else to contribute to this thread.

I'm originally from the UK and now live in New Zealand - of which neither place has food stamps.

To be honest I think they're a good idea and the UK could learn a thing or two from that system as could NZ. Both places allocate state benefits in money rather than vouchers and in some places people use the money not for good things like food, but for cigarettes and alcohol which I think is wasteful. At least with food stamps they're there for a purpose. I speak as a (very) broke grad student living on my own on a scholarship (which has temporarily been stopped) so I always have to live very cheaply. NZ could do with having a little more social responsibility to help people in need - they really DON'T help you here.

I'm not sure what the climate is like where you are or if you have a yard, but you could cut down a few costs by growing some of your own veggies. I grow chillies, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers etc here (I'm in a shared student house with a very small outside area). It's easy to make a raised bed and grow things in small quantities

Other than that I guess I echo what everyone else has said - I also look for the reduced section in the supermarket (when things are near their use by date) and stock up my freezer that way.

I am not on food stamps but I still have to budget my food. I can only spend $100/week on groceries and that is for 3 people in my household. I have learned that planning meals ahead of time is helpful and I don't get off track on shopping. I buy only what I need and don't buy something just because it has a coupon. I don't eat much beef, usually lots of chicken and ground turkey. I have learned that a full chicken is cheaper than a package of boneless skinless chicken breasts. I can buy a whole chicken for about $500, bake it then pick off the rest of the meat and make a huge pot of chicken and dumplings (both very cheap to make!)

I cook my daughter breakfast every morning and use eggs, egg whites and turkey sausage (cheaper than buying boxes of cereal and healthier too) lunch is usually a lunch meat sandwich with some avocado, dinner I made a large meal that will last a few days. You can make it work you just have to try a lot harder...good luck

Agree....I usually spend right around 100 a week and cook enough to feed 6 daily. Hubby uses the leftovers for lunch at work, or we use it for lunch at home, sometimes we freeze the leftovers for another meal the following week. We only eat beef like once a month. It's hard to budget and stay on budget when the cost of food is going up. But it can be done.

You have to shop around look at the ads and see what the best price is.
When I had Food Stamps a local butcher shop would take it so we would spend $70 on great cuts of meat and freeze it and we would be good on meat for about a month and a half. For veggies and other stuff Aldi and County Market has great coupons about once a month. Look around for the best deals.

Me and my ex-bf get only $350 a month for food stamps for BOTH of us. And it's almost impossible to make it work for the entire month, especially with healthy food which of course is more expensive than cheap processed crap. Most the time we have to dip into our savings/paychecks, get help from his parents, A couple months in a row i even just bought a months worth of slim fast ($40 each month) simply because we just didnt have the money for food. Seriously messed my stomach up drinking that stuff for that long.

Not tryin to be rude but I know someone with 2 kids and they only get 250 a month. they make it work and their kids eat well.

Me and my ex-bf get only $350 a month for food stamps for BOTH of us. And it's almost impossible to make it work for the entire month, especially with healthy food which of course is more expensive than cheap processed crap. Most the time we have to dip into our savings/paychecks, get help from his parents, A couple months in a row i even just bought a months worth of slim fast ($40 each month) simply because we just didnt have the money for food. Seriously messed my stomach up drinking that stuff for that long.

ummmm. your food stamps per month for two people is more than my grocery budget per month for two people. and i pay for my groceries myself. it's possible. lay off the junk, processed, pre-packaged crap and you'll be fine. eggs, oatmeal, potatoes, onions, milk, bread, and various veggies don't cost THAT much.

I would also suggest lots of beans and rice. Use different varieties for different flavor. You can also get the 10 pounds of chicken quarters and boil with water. strip the meat off the bones, and chill the stock to get the fat off. You can use this in noodle and rice casseroles and it is tasty and cheap. Eggs are another cheap source of protien, and store brand oatmeal is good for breakfasts. making soup is another way to stretch the money. Best of luck. Please feel free to friend me.

I know it's November, and this won't work in a lot of places, but you might be able to supplement by growing some stuff yourself. I'm not on stamps (nor am I judgemental) myself, but we are on a super tight budget since I'm the only earner (and even before that I was super cheap).

The most cost effective things to grow yourself are herbs - in a few weeks, in a pot on a window sill, you can turn $0.02 of basil seeds into what would be $6 of basil. Trim and use prudently to keep the plant alive, and you can enjoy that $0.02 for a year or more. BUT probably fresh herbs aren't breaking your budget. This is just a nice way to get some fresh flavor in what may end up being a mostly boxed and processed diet out of necessity.

The most calorie effective things to grow yourself are potatoes - use the "potato in a garbage bag" method to grow around 35-50 pounds of potatoes from a few seed potatoes. You can grow the ones from the store, just put them on the counter until they start to sprout then plant them in dirt. When they get real leaves, start adding dirt to get them to grow more potatoes. Squash (pumpkin, butternut, acorn, spaghetti) is the next most effective calories for the effort. they take a lot of space, though, but are doable with experimenting.

You can grow indoors in pots year round. A strategically placed lamp with a CF lightbulb can help in the winter, but some stuff does well in windows alone. Works in apartments year round too. You can get seeds for free from local gardening groups, friends, that little old lady down the street, start asking around and you'd be surprised. Sometimes you can save seeds from stuff at grocery store, but you want to make sure you're not getting a sterile hybrid variety (problem with tomatoes) or that it's been sprayed with growth inhibitor (problem with garlic, potatoes, root veggies). I've had volunteer squash plants from composting store bought squash every year (and they're delicious).

Growing your own also opens up a whole world of possibilities for food variety - you can eat beet greens, carrot greens, radish seed pods, sweet potato greens, all kinds of stuff that isn't sold in the grocery store for whatever reason. Really good way to get cheap nutrients in.

Gardening doesn't have to take a lot of money either - you can use dirt from the ground outside (free), you can use containers around your house (old yogurt containers are good for starting plants, old milk cartons or jugs, even old shoes or hats can do in a pinch). Sometimes a local nursery will have extra pots they're getting rid of, too. You can compost in your back yard or under your kitchen sink in a bin (seriously, google "vermicomposting") for fertilizer, get seeds and plants cheap if you're inventive. Perrenials you plant once and then they just keep coming back year after year, they're super cost effective. Chives, sage, mint, oregano, asparagus, will all return year after year and they're all relatively small. Self-seeding annuals are another way to garden cheap - ground cherries and jerusalem artichokes are tasty and mostly look after themselves, all you do is water sometimes, and harvest when ripe.

Good luck!

I know the farmer's markets around here take EBT and so do some CSA boxes. I've noticed a lot of vendors/stores now accept food stamps.

I wish the people close to me would read this thread. I am also sick of hearing how people who get food stamps buy expensive steaks, beer, cigarettes, etc. What some don't understand is that most people who get assistance work, and work darn hard. And they are not rolling around in fancy cars buying booze & smokes. That's my rant for the day!!

I have them, and work full time. (Not everyone on food stamps is a bum- for those of you who will say we are)

Anywho, I appreciate this post b/c between me and my 2 year old son, making 230 a month last is pretty difficult. Thanks for posting!

Eggs, potatoes and dried beans can go far.