Living paycheck to paycheck

Have you ever thought about couponing? I save a TON of money that way which gives me some freedom. Check out southernsavers.com which is a great website that helps with grocery stores and with drugstores. It's not your typical couponing..it's kind of a whole new system.

I think you are admirable for going back to school and you are doing a great job balancing the budget. I also agree that beans, rice and lentils are economical and healthy. But they take time and planning. I wish you all the best, I really do. Good luck!

You could definitely buy lentils and beans like dothompson said. I don't know if you live near a Kroger but they have an organic section where you can buy fresh lentils, beans, quinoa, rice, oats, wheat, whatever. It's usually $7-9 per pound but you can get however little or however much you want and that could be an option. Rice goes forever because it expands! I hear great things about quinoa and lentils but myself have not tried them. I know they're very versatile though and would be something to look into.

im in the same position so i understand by the end of the month i only have carbs left in my house! i too have food stamps! i usually ennd up eatten salad for that week! or just try to eat what i have even if it means working out harder!

Dried beans, peas and lentels are cheaper than Ramen and a nutritional powerhouse. Get some receipes and get ready for the end of the month.

We love beans in the crockpot here!

Local farmer markets and butchers are a great place to find cheep and fresh food. You can get locally grown and in season fruit/veg on the cheep and save a ton!

We also do a lot of bulk buying and freezing/storing the extras. It takes longer but it saves a bunch of money.

Homemade chili, soups and stews are a great way to make money stretch.

I am so glad to hear that you are going back to school. The next year or two might be rough, but you are setting such a great example for your kids!

I agree with couponing. There are websites that do a lot of the work for you and combine coupons with weekly sales at different grocery stores. I often get stuff for *free* or for just a few cents this way (using a coupon during a BOGO sale, for example).

Also, unseasoned frozen vegetables are my best friend. Just as nutritious as fresh (or more so in some cases) and WAAAAYYYYYY cheaper than fresh (usually -- sometimes there are good sales on fresh during peak season). But what I really love about them is how long they take to go bad (months and months to get freezerburned as opposed to a few days to spoil like fresh).

If there's a big sale on something, I plan meals around it. If I find meat on really great sale, I'll buy some to freeze and use a few weeks down the line.

Anyway, we're the same situation as you, sans kids and reversed -- I'm the "breadwinner" right now because I'm the one with a degree. Df goes to school full time-year round and I work full-time (and part time x2 -- 50-60 hours most weeks). If we have an emergency & are strapped for cash, df works part time for a few shifts (we have a connection at a very low-end job.... pizza delivery... that will allow him to slip in there & do that for a couple weeks & slip back out any time he needs).
So yeah, that's my final suggestion. Consider getting a part-time job. Even if it's just 5-10 hours a week, I'm sure it would help a lot. Try serving tables a couple weeknights or something -- that could easily bring in $100/week for groceries and won't steal you away from your studies or children too long.

As soon as df graduates in December, I'll be going back to school for my Master's degree. I plan to work full time while I'm in school. I got my Bachelor's while working full time. It's not at all unheard of to school and work full time at the same time.

Local farmer markets and butchers are a great place to find cheep and fresh food. You can get locally grown and in season fruit/veg on the cheep and save a ton!

I'm moving by you! Our local butcher is extremely more expensive than our local chain grocery or even Wal-Mart. But their meat selection is oh so yummy.

I really liked Alysgrma ideas with tossing out the ramen noodle flavor packet and putting your own stuff in. In all honesty, you can get one of those steamfresh frozen veggie packs for less than $2 and have your family a good meal.

I'm a full time student, and while my husband works full time, we obviously don't make enough to live above comfortably.
(We have two kids) I'll admit, we are on food stamps. Grateful for the help, it's "not enough". (But gosh, that sounds greedy doesn't it?)

(and before any personal bashings of "omg u have 2 kids and cant support them", frankly I myself made $2,500 a month before quitting my job to attend the university full time. Combine that with my husbands income and we did fine :P )

Good for you! Anyone that would bash you for giving up a comfortable lifestyle to get an education which will improve yourself and your family in the long run is an idiot. You've already gotten great advice here about buying beans and things in bulk so I won't go over that again. My wife works with a church that runs a food bank once a month, just for people like yourself that need a little help to make it to the next paycheck. Look in your area to see if there is a similar program.

Here is a link to a great organization, and you can check if they deliver to a church near you.
https://www.angelfoodministries.com/
Basically, they offer a box of food (menu varies month to month, but generally contains the staples) for $30. There are different boxes you can order, as well as additional packages you can get that help round out the basic box.

For $30 you get quite a bit of food. Here is this month's menu:
Qty Size Item Description
1 1.5 lb. Sirloin Steaks (4 x 6 oz.)
1 2 lb. Mac & Beef Dinner Entrée
1 2 lb. IQF Chicken Breast (Boneless/Skinless)
1 1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
1 1 lb. Chicken Breast Fajita Strips
1 1 lb. Breaded Crunchy Fish Bites (32. ct.)
1 1.5 lb. Smoked Chicken Sausage
1 2 lb. Heat and Serve Green Beans
1 1 lb. Fajita Blend
1 1 lb. Rice
1 25 oz. Pasta Sauce
1 1 lb. Pasta
1 3 lb. Idaho Potatoes
1 32 oz. 2% Shelf Stable Milk
1 Dozen Eggs
1 Dessert

I know it probably won't solve the problem for this month, but for my family of 4, that would be enough for about 2 weeks (when I suppliment with more fruits and veggies). There is another website that has recipe ideas for the food included in the boxes. I'll try to find it and post it.

There are other programs similar. Some have income restrictions, some require community service. Also, contact local food banks or churches for other ideas

I've been there, dealt with this. (Although I wasn't concerned about my own healthy eating, only my kids' at the time:blushing: )

ETA: Here is one place that I had bookmarked for recipes: http://www.bethanynaz.org/angelfood I'll add others when I come across them!

Wow girl!! You are speaking to me. It's the end of the month, there is 2 days till Food Stamps ..and we are running out of options! Great post!! We been living on eggs and spam. For the next two days it's something with eggs .. or chimichanga's .. corn dogs, tator tots ..is all we have. Like they say "Welcome to my world!" *hugs*

I'm not sure where you live, but I have seen a lot of Aldi's around lately. I shop there about 2 times a month, their bread is under $1.00, even for wheat. Chicken breasts, 3 pounds for $5.49, lots of veggies for under a dollar.They also have good prices on seafood, bought a pound of frozen salmon for under $4.00 I check out flyers from my computer and make a list for what is on sale. Kroger for instance has their frozen food on sale for 0.88 cents and their pork loin is low fat and under $2.00 a pound. I stock up when my husband has a good week and when it's a little slow at least I don't have to worry about food.
We have some Amish markets around here and they are very reasonable priced, so that is where i get most of my produce in the summer. I hope that and all the other advice bevore me will give you some ideas

I forgot about Angel Food Ministries!!! I love getting their menus every couple months...depending on what their selection is. I usually can go the whole month (feeding 3 mouths, including my own) with just the meat itself. The sides usually aren't very big and most of their stuff is usually off-brand or manager's special stuff so who knows what's in it. You can also buy specialty boxes of just produce for like $23 and just a meat box (usually it's a special of steaks or they have an allergen-free chicken box). They also do perfectly portioned meals geared towards senior citizens and another box for snacks or meals for kids. You should be able to find a church that participates near you. Usually I'll get a specialty box and the main box, end up spending about $60 and then just get odds and ends not included at the grocery store. Most of the time they include milk & eggs, so that cuts out $4 from the regular store for me!

Angelfood ministries are a wonderful group!!! Google them and see if they are by you.. Good Luck honey, alot of great suggestions for you on here and for everyone.. Thanks