Making food stamps last
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I am not on food stamps but I budget of $300 a month for groceries for a family of four 2 adults and 2 kids. Here is how I keep our groceries so low.
1. Buy meat on sale and freeze it.
2. Be creative with your meat. For example buy a whole pork loin (usually $1.99 a LB on sale) and cut your own pork chops to freeze. Buy bone in chicken breasts (usually .89-.99 LB) and bone them out for Bonless skinless chicken breasts etc.
3. Make friends with a hunter (DH is my hunter) Our freezer is packed with venison we have it ground into burger and use this instead of hamburger.
4. Make friends with the local farmers and buy vegetables in season. We have even been given vegetables for free if we were willing to pick them on halves (meaning we keep half and the local farmer keeps half)
5. Put in season vegetables in the freezer when they are in season and you can buy them cheap or get them for free. We freeze Broccoli, cauliflour, peas, corn, okra, carrots, green beans, peppers etc all bought at the local farmers market all bought at a discount or given to us for free.
6. Learn to bake and cook from scratch. I make almost everything from scratch. Bread is cheaper and better for you if made in your own kitchen because you control the ingredients same with soups and tomato sauces (which I make in big batches and freeze)
7. Start a garden. We are always growing something. Right now we are growing carrots, greens onions and lettuce. You can buy vegetable seeds and plants with food stamps (alot os people don't know this but you can do it.) In the summer we always have tomatoes, squash, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant and herbs growing in our garden. In fact this year I picked over 10 gallons of tomatoes off of my 10 tomato plants. I canned all of them and will enjoy them all winter long.
Making grocery money stretch takes some creativity and some hard work but in the end it is all worth it because overall you will eat better.0 -
Great question, I was wondering the same thing about her sons specialized dietary needsWhat kind if food is involved in your sons specialized diet? Can you buy the stuff and make it yourself to save money? (Compared to buying premade meals to fit his needs)? We can help give more specific advice if we know what kinds of foods you need
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yeah, I buy marked down meat and freeze it all and It lasts..... It's also smart to shop costco because everything is in bulk-I buy fiber bars that have 200 calories, are chocolate and have 200 calories.... Bulk yogurt is also a great idea, bulk soup or whatever.....0
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Not on food stamps, but budget is tight. Organic foods are so expensive, and the processed junk that is bad for your health is cheap. Go figure.0
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I forgot to add this--
If you are on food stamps and use a coupon, some stores (Martin's mainly, sometimes Wal-mart) make you pay tax on the coupon. I don't know if it has to do with the type of coupon, but it does happen. When shopping with coupons, I always bring a few dollars extra to cover that. The first time it happened, I wasn't expecting it, and had to ask the lady behind me in line for a nickel. Depending on the coupons, it can add up. The most I've paid in cash for tax is $5.54, but I save $50 that day in food, so I consider it a win!
Also, this sounds lame, but if you ever find yourself over, give back. Sometimes I have an extra $30-40 left over. I could let it roll over to next month, but instead I buy peanut butter and donate it to the food pantry. It goes really fast, at least at the one near me, and it is expensive, but it's as good or better than any other donation you can make, and they always need it.0 -
Also, this sounds lame, but if you ever find yourself over, give back. Sometimes I have an extra $30-40 left over. I could let it roll over to next month, but instead I buy peanut butter and donate it to the food pantry. It goes really fast, at least at the one near me, and it is expensive, but it's as good or better than any other donation you can make, and they always need it.
I was getting a bit upset at the direction of this thread but your post makes me feel good that someone that does not have a lot extra can still think about those who have less. You are a special person.0 -
I'm not on stamps, but we are broke. I make a dinner menu for the month and try to use any item twice a week. So, if I buy a pound of meat, I will use it for two different meals. Also, since meat is expensive I always try to stretch it with other ingredients. 1 chicken breast can feed 2 people. If I can get 4 chicken breasts, we will have chicken twice that week, and then the left overs from each meal go in the freezer. Next month they come out and we eat that meal again. It really helps with having to eat the same thing all the time. You are also able to buy what is on sale. AND if you have leftovers in the freezer, you don't have to buy a ton of groceries each month.
The following make at least 4-6 servings ( eat half, freeze half)
2 Chicken Breasts + canned tomatoes+ half a box of pasta + whatever other veggies/cheese
1 pound of ground meat+ taco seasoning- divide in half. Make chili with one half + 2 cans beans+2 cans tomatoes. Make tacos with the rest when the ingredients are on sale. Or double the beans and tomatoes and use all the meat to make a lot of chili. Then use it on burritos, potatoes, pasta, etc.0 -
I'm not on food stamps but my boyfriend and I are college students that don't get any financial aid and live on our own so we're pretty strapped for cash. We spent about $150 a month on groceries and we eat very healthy. You just have to shop around, check sales, and probably do the months grocery shopping at different stores. This month we're only spending about $80. Buy stuff like rice than look for a sale on frozen veggies or Aldi's has great prices. You may have to cut down on meat if you eat it (I don't but my bf does). It works but you have to really plan. In the summer buy from a local farmer and look up how to freeze it properly.
Good luck! =]0 -
Also, this sounds lame, but if you ever find yourself over, give back. Sometimes I have an extra $30-40 left over. I could let it roll over to next month, but instead I buy peanut butter and donate it to the food pantry. It goes really fast, at least at the one near me, and it is expensive, but it's as good or better than any other donation you can make, and they always need it.
That's REALLY nice of you, that doesn't sound lame at all. =]0 -
I've heard some good things about Aldi, if you have one in your area.
Aldi is the PLACE! I have been a loyal shopper for years and I have watched their porducts change in a FABULOUS way! Things I used to not settle for from there are now sometimes better tahn other places. Seriously, go to Aldi :drinker:0 -
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.
I'm not familiar with what your son's specific special diet might be, but my son was on a very restrictive special diet for years. His food was outrageous, and the biggest cost was heavy whipping cream. I contacted a local dairy co-op (Prairie Farms) and explained why we needed such large amounts of cream. They were very helpful and wound up delivering 16 quarts of cream per week right to our door. This saved us about $80 per week.
When special foods are needed for medical reasons, especially for children, it's often possible to appeal to the manufacturers or distributors. In the case of dairy products, stores return their short-dated (soon to expire) items for a credit from the distributors. The distributor can't resell those items and usually just disposes of them. You may be able to arrange to pick up items like that at no charge to you.
Blessings to you and your family!0 -
I am not on food stamps but I budget of $300 a month for groceries for a family of four 2 adults and 2 kids. Here is how I keep our groceries so low.
1. Buy meat on sale and freeze it.
2. Be creative with your meat. For example buy a whole pork loin (usually $1.99 a LB on sale) and cut your own pork chops to freeze. Buy bone in chicken breasts (usually .89-.99 LB) and bone them out for Bonless skinless chicken breasts etc.
3. Make friends with a hunter (DH is my hunter) Our freezer is packed with venison we have it ground into burger and use this instead of hamburger.
4. Make friends with the local farmers and buy vegetables in season. We have even been given vegetables for free if we were willing to pick them on halves (meaning we keep half and the local farmer keeps half)
5. Put in season vegetables in the freezer when they are in season and you can buy them cheap or get them for free. We freeze Broccoli, cauliflour, peas, corn, okra, carrots, green beans, peppers etc all bought at the local farmers market all bought at a discount or given to us for free.
6. Learn to bake and cook from scratch. I make almost everything from scratch. Bread is cheaper and better for you if made in your own kitchen because you control the ingredients same with soups and tomato sauces (which I make in big batches and freeze)
7. Start a garden. We are always growing something. Right now we are growing carrots, greens onions and lettuce. You can buy vegetable seeds and plants with food stamps (alot os people don't know this but you can do it.) In the summer we always have tomatoes, squash, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant and herbs growing in our garden. In fact this year I picked over 10 gallons of tomatoes off of my 10 tomato plants. I canned all of them and will enjoy them all winter long.
Making grocery money stretch takes some creativity and some hard work but in the end it is all worth it because overall you will eat better.
Totally would do all of this if I had a place to freeze.... We know a local farmer and we prefer it fresh in season. Downfall is small freezer and no place to put a spare. garden hard too as only place good for one (lighting issues, rest of property is covered in shade all day) is the front of the house. Live in Chicago area. Any ideas? during winter we store beverages outside when we have company :bigsmile:0 -
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!!
Unfortunately, demographically, I can understand some of the other point. I have been in need and done as all here suggested, I still live this way off the assistance; BUT in my demographic area we see A LOT of misuse and abuse of benefits.0 -
I know people on food stamps who made over $600 a month. My monthly food budget is 400. Shop weekly.
This!
Make a menu that corresponds with what is on sale at the grocery store and shop weekly. Only buy what is on the list.
Sorry, but foodstamps are a sore subject for me because I would LOVE to be able to spend as much as people on foodstamps do for food each week, but I can't do that and still pay my bills.0 -
Buy your meats in bulk then separate and freeze.
Potatoes, rice and beans. They are healthy food options if you don't use a lot of butter.
Buy in season fresh vegetables. Buy bulk frozen vegetables.
Eggs are cheap. Deli meat and bread.
Buy fruits that are in season. Bananas, apples.
If you eat less, you will save money and lose weight. Portion control is key. We tend to eat a lot more if we feel like we feel like there is no other financial comfort. It is habit.
I eat pretty cheap - boiled egg and fruit for breakfast, sandwich/salad/vegetable for lunch and I snack on pretzels. I do not eat cheese on my sandwiches, my salads are very basic and I add pickles or garbanzo beans or other cheap condiments to make them taste better. For dinner I have a meat starch and veggie, I skip the starch if I am paying attention to my calorie intake.
You have to change your emotions when eating. When you eat for nutrition rather than comfort, a lot of things will change, but it is very difficult to do. Fancy expensive diet foods are not necessary to lose weight.
BTW, you will be shocked when you don't spend money on chips, little debbie snack cakes and cookies. Skip the bread. If you want it make it by hand, so you are "working". I promise, you will feel so much better.0 -
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.
I'm sorry, but this just seems like a complaint from someone being helped out. Why not be grateful for the $350 you didn't have to spend out of your pocket, and possibly look at this forum thread as a good way to get ideas, rather than complain. I don't want to seem harsh, but I do think you may need to rethink your attitude on this. It's a gift, or it sure seems like one to me.
Agreed. That's $80 a week. A box of spaghetti is around $1, a jar of sauce another $1, a pound of hamburg or chicken $1.99. So for $4 you and your fiance can have spaghetti WITH protein. This should give two adults dinner and lunch the next day.
My hubby and I managed on $80 a week (we have more than that to spend now, but times are a little better). Its all about budgetting and meal planning and planning it around the sales at the grocery store. And as others pointed out this is supposed to supplement your food budget not be ALL of your food budget.0 -
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.
I'm sorry, but this just seems like a complaint from someone being helped out. Why not be grateful for the $350 you didn't have to spend out of your pocket, and possibly look at this forum thread as a good way to get ideas, rather than complain. I don't want to seem harsh, but I do think you may need to rethink your attitude on this. It's a gift, or it sure seems like one to me.
Seriously. I don't understand how you can complain about getting $350 help from the government. $350 for 2 people is actually a decent amount of food stamps. We have 4 people in our family and we get ~$440 and we make that work. There are loads of ways of making it work. In my post i mentioned numerous places you can do to shop for food and save LOADS of money. You just have to be willing to go to more than one store. With this being the USA, the government can easily decide to raise the bar for monthly income for a household of 2 and kick you off. We don't buy processed Crap, i cook all my meals and we have everything STOCKED. Perhaps your shopping habits and your attitude is what need to change.
Yup. You sound pretty entitled to me. I think most people on food stamps are grateful for what they get. Most of the time when I see people buying food with food stamps they seem to be making wise choices, so I feel pretty good about the program helping people who need it. I just hate to see a bad attitude. I have never had food stamps, but I have an insanely tight budget. I spend no more than $300 a month on good quality, healthy food for two people. And healthy food does not have to cost more than cheap, processed crap. It can be done - I know that because I do it. My husband and I "dip into our savings/paychecks" to pay for our bills every month. That's what people do. You make it sound like it's not fair that you have to "dip into your paychecks" and spend your own money to feed yourself. That makes people on food stamps look bad. Not cool.0 -
When my daughter was 2, I was on food stamps for 6 months. Coupons and places like Aldi, Bottom Dollar, etc. Stay away from packaged food. A frozen pizza is like $7 and lasts you a day. You can get a pound of ground beef, noodles, and pasta sauce for less than $7 and have a meal for two days. You have to be smart.
I was actually working when I was on food stamps but only making min. wage. I got about $200 a month and I made it last for about 3 weeks.
Don't let anyone make you feel bad. Not all of us are perfect enough to not fall on hard times.
I think she was looking for HEALTHY options. frozen pizza, noodles and pasta sauce is not very healthy. she should shop for produce, fruit and fresh meats0 -
PSS - Another edit. I'd like to add it's rare that we get to use the whole $350 to just the two of us anyway. We're so low on money all the time, we usually keep $150 then he gives the rest to his dad in exchange for help with a bill/utility. THAT'S how bad off I am. And no it's not by choice, I'm not lazy, I've been searching for a job since I moved to this lil town and do everything from odd jobs and babysitting just to get by.
^^ That is NOT what Food Stamps is for... and I'm fairly certain that constitutes welfare fraud.0 -
Lots of rice and beans, bought in bulk.
Eat organ meat like liver, tongue and heart - they come super cheap and are full of good vitamins. (If you hate the taste of liver try soaking it for half an hour first in cool water, rinsing well, dredge in flour mixed with salt and pepper and pan fry. Be careful not to over cook it. Liver cooks faster than a good steak.)
Start a garden in the spring. If you don't have land, use recycled containers like milk jugs to grow vegetables in.
Learn to forage for wild food in season. Be careful if you don't know what's edible - get a good guide at the library. I grew up in New England and we used to pick gallons of wild blueberries, raspberries, elderberries, and concord grapes. My mom made them into jelly and jam so we had sweets all winter long. As a kid I used to feel weird about it (my friends were eating store bought jelly) but now I'd pay a lot to have those flavors back.
If you live in a major urban area look for grocery stores that cater to the latino population. When I first moved to LA I was barely scraping by and I found shopping at El Superior was much, much cheaper especially for produce and meat than any of the other stores. They will carry organ meat you can't find elsewhere. Their produce is at least as fresh as the major chain stores and sometimes more varied so you don't have to eat the same thing over and over.
Good luck, hon! My family was on food stamps and WIC when I was a kid so I sympathize. Work hard, keep your head up and ignore the haters - you'll make it through!0
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