Low-income help

you can just eat what you ate before but less

Now for rice..you dont need brown
Bulk up and prep food

In general eating more vegetables is cheaper than microwaved food
So cook yourself
frozen or fresh veggies
rice fruits etc
and pre-prep if you have less time.
Oh and budget bytes is very good.

hummmm OP wrote she dont get that over were she lives

There's a great free cook book here: http://www.leannebrown.com called "Good and Cheap" that aims to be around $4 a day. There's a price estimate for each meal (based on US prices though). It might give you some new ideas.

Check a few different grocery stores for sales, my local "buy-low" has a different item each day that's marked down to crazy cheap. Their sale day blocks of cheddar work out cheaper than singles slices and there's usually a cheap bagged salad day, that'll do for a couple of lunches, but it'll depend on what stores are near you.

Bags of frozen mixed veggies are usually reasonably cheap and make an easy way to stretch out a meal. I sometimes still make a box of Kraft dinner and add a cup or two of frozen veggies to it if I need something quick and easy.

Some staples like rice will be cheaper at Asian supermarkets like T&T if you get it in 10-20 pound bags.

I like to add a scrambled egg in with my rice and veggies for some bean free protein.

I'm sure that was rambling, but I hope some of that was helpful

Do you have farmer's markets near you? Some here will offer deep discounts on the fruits and vegetables that look "ugly" and won't sell as well. Also, have you thought about growing some of your own food? If you have a deck or rooftop you can easily grow some vegetables from seed and the cost is quite minimal.

The food back suggestion was a great idea as well. Try calling around to local churches or ministries. You should be able to find some help there.

You can continue eating what you are now, just eat less of it. The only problem there is that I'm fearful that those higher calorie options fewer times a day will leave you feeling less satisfied. I'm not sure what your food budget is, but I feed a family of four on $130/week and I buy a lot of fresh food with that. I save by shopping deals and only buying the produce that is in season. Right now our chain stores are carrying a lot of local produce, so I can get cucumbers at 2 for $1, zucchini for $1.49, and tomatoes for $1.49/lb.

I mix brown rice or quinoa in with white rice to stretch the budget but still get the health benefits of other grains. If it will mask the taste enough for you, you could do the same with legumes. Lots of veggies in season, look for "seconds" in produce dept, and whatever meat is on sale. Food banks or discount grocery stores are great.

Use the local food banks for staples and hit the supermarkets first thing in the morning when all the "sell by date" stuff is on the shelves. The dates are "sell by" not "eat by" so will keep in the fridge for 3- 4 days.
Scour the flyers for "buy one, get one free deals.
You can make good soups and stews with few ingredients that will last for days.
When you can, stock pile the basics and flavourings when they are on sale.

I know how you feel, I brought up my son on thrift store finds and eating what was on sale. I loathed chicken but leant to love it as it was the cheapest thing- 2 broilers on mark down lasted over a week when I bulk cooked and froze. Good job I did know how to cook.
I had no car or phone or cable at the time as they were secondary to food, clothing, and shelter. I was young and it was no where near as bad living it; as it sounds writing it. Yes I live in Canada.

Cheers, h.

Food banks definitely exist in Canada, my mother used them for many years when I was growing up and every grocery store has a donation bin on the way out. (So you can ask there about where your local one is.) Other things you may be able to do is offer to pick abundant tree fruits or help out with someones garden to get some fresh veggies. Or there are lots that can be grown easily in a pot, lettuce, tomatos, peppers, strawberries, etc. We have a program in our town with volunteer pickers that divide the harvest between the pickers, the owners and the food bank equally.(Good for the people and to discourage bears coming into your yard after the fruit.)

I find buying lettuce, a couple tomatoes, mushrooms and a cucumber to cut up for a salad gives me a side salad to eat with lunch and dinner for a whole week and costs about 5 dollars. Add in chicken from a 3kg frozen box when it is on sale for 20 dollars and you can have good, cheap meals. I find the salad really helps keep me satisfied with less of the foods we normally eat.

About legumes, you can always blend them to bulk up things like chili and pasta sauce. I do this occasinally because my husband also hates beans.

Oh, and the biggest money saver I have found is sitting down and planning out meals for the week ahead and going grocery shopping. So much less wasted food and no more annoying conversations about what we should have for dinner each and every day!

Hope that helps some.

Here's a few tips from the horse's mouth in grocery retail:

- Buy the reduced. Most stores sell day-old bread, bruised fruit and even meat at 30-50% off. The bread can be frozen, the produce should be used immediately and usually the meat is fine except they want to move the old shipment to make room for that days'. Avoid reduced chicken -- It will be the first to go off.
- You didn't say where you're located, but unless you're in the North, seasonal produce is always a good buy.
- Always buy whole foods, not post-processed. By that I mean lettuce, not bags of greens; cheese brick, not shreds or sticks; a chicken breast not cooked strips. Post-processing is a ripoff in terms of calories per penny. On a budget as tight as yours you cannot afford the convenience.
- Shop the walls, not the aisles. The better values are there.
- Invest in spices. You can accomplish a lot with rice, lean meats and fresh vegetables by adding herbs and spices. A one-time expense will last a long time. Always buy the bulk bags, never the little glass jars. Store them in margarine tubs.
- Learn to cook. I don't mean to sound flippant, but if you master a half-dozen basic meals with the tools above, you can make in bulk, freeze them and have meals ready to go that will be cheaper and better nutrition than microwave cheapies.

A classic example - Stuffed peppers: Rice, tomato sauce (always cheap), a few ounces of whatever meat (a little goes a long way), seasonal veg, all stuffed into reduced peppers with the bad bits sliced out. Easy to make in bulk, can be different every time.

- Price Match! You can save several bucks per trip this way. If you have a smartphone download Flipp.

Food banks here aren't government funded either and rely on donations, though most are strict about what they will take. They won't take expired foods.

One other idea--and this one might be difficult--but many stores are allowed to make donations and charitable gifts at the beginning of the month. I know we've gone there to get things for schools before, and it isn't uncommon to be handed a $25 gift card if you go early in the month while they still have funds available.

Your rent seemt so be very high compared to your income. Would it be possible to find something cheaper, hence freeing money for other things? A move doesn't need to cost much: just give a few tenners to some students with a van.

BWBTrish wrote: »

hummmm OP wrote she dont get that over were she lives

Food BANKS and food STAMPS are 2 different things. I didn't read that OP didn't have access to food banks.

White rice, brown rice, and quinoa have nearly the same nutritional value, so eat the white rice.
Here is a recipe site that might have some ideas for you.
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/20-favorite-dirt-cheap-meals/

Regarding the non-food portion of your budget, have you looked at changing your cell phone provider? Work out how much you use monthly, and then look online for comparative deals. There's often a significant saving to be made, especially if you are able to keep the same phone and just do a SIM change onto a cheaper contract or tariff. Also, energy providers, are you able to switch, or are your bills wrapped up in your rental payment? Again, there are huge savings that could be made if you can do this. I've saved hundreds on my energy bill this year by switching providers. I'm hanging onto my current mobile phone contract for now, but I'll be looking to get a better deal in the next 3-4 months. The providers count on essentially 'lazy' customers, who don't proactively check their current tariffs against the best deals in the market on a regular basis.

But I can only echo what people have said about the food - buy as much bulk produce as you can afford, invest in freezer bags and containers, and use in-season and local produce as it's always the cheapest. Think soups, stews and big one-pot dishes that can be divided up. Dried pasta and a homemade tomato sauce is way cheaper than a microwave meal - honestly! One little tip, if you're cooking something in the oven for an hour or so, always stick a few potatoes (white or sweet) in at the same time. Saves on energy costs, and you have a couple of lunches or side dishes sorted! And learn to like oatmeal for breakfast - there's nothing cheaper or more filling! I have it every single day!

Finally, you mentioned about Kraft singles being cheaper than real cheese slices - that may well be, but Kraft singles definitely won't be cheaper, pound for pound, compared to a block of cheese that you slice yourself. Use the calculator on your phone to work out the price per pound, and you'll see just how much of a premium you're paying to get the Kraft product!

WBB55 wrote: »

I'm not sure I understand, so someone help me out.

A microwave meal is $1.00 and gives you like 350 calories.

Brown rice is like $1.50 and gives you 2000 calories.

Can someone explain how the microwave meal is cheaper? I'm struggling to understand if there's something different in Canada than here.

Also, the cheapest food per calorie I buy is peanut butter, if that helps. Next cheapest is ramen and store brand kraft dinners, according to my spreadsheets. The cheapest protein sources on my shopping list are milk, frozen ground turkey, wheat germ and TVP. Onions and avocados are the cheapest veggies per calorie for me. Flax seeds and sunflower seeds are cheap per calorie. Rice, barley, whole wheat pretzels, store brand triskets along with potatoes are the cheapest starches I'm my region.

It's not, but if you only have $1 in your pocket, which one can you afford? That's how a microwave meal becomes 'cheaper', when you simply don't have the money to buy something 50% more expensive UP FRONT, even though it would cater for many more meals. Hand to mouth existence is why people can afford the dollar menu at McDonalds, and not a whole basket of fresh food at the grocery store. It's like saying 'don't eat anything today, and tomorrow you'll have $2 to spend on your food'. of course it's false economy to spend that dollar on a single meal, but many people simply were never taught to a) budget or b) cook from scratch.

That's why any time people ask about help with a low income and eating healthily, everyone bangs on about food budget, and meal planning. It's the only way someone on a severely restricted income can see how their money will stretch for a whole week's worth of food. You need to realise that stocking a store cupboard from scratch does take a big chunk of money upfront, and so people have to decide that paying more per pound for the smaller tub of salt makes more sense than buying the big jar, or that having a full range of herbs and spices is out of the budget, and perhaps they have to pick just one. That affects what they can cook - and it's sort of a vicious circle, because they don't have all the ingredients for the things they could cook affordably. I've been there on a poverty income - job seekers allowance - for nearly 6 months this year. It's hard, depressing and not conducive to healthy eating for all the reasons I've stated. Anyone who has no route out of that poverty level, and is still trying to achieve healthy eating AND weight loss has all of my admiration and support!

Hm

dizzieblondeuk wrote: »

WBB55 wrote: »

I'm not sure I understand, so someone help me out.

A microwave meal is $1.00 and gives you like 350 calories.

Brown rice is like $1.50 and gives you 2000 calories.

Can someone explain how the microwave meal is cheaper? I'm struggling to understand if there's something different in Canada than here.

Also, the cheapest food per calorie I buy is peanut butter, if that helps. Next cheapest is ramen and store brand kraft dinners, according to my spreadsheets. The cheapest protein sources on my shopping list are milk, frozen ground turkey, wheat germ and TVP. Onions and avocados are the cheapest veggies per calorie for me. Flax seeds and sunflower seeds are cheap per calorie. Rice, barley, whole wheat pretzels, store brand triskets along with potatoes are the cheapest starches I'm my region.

It's not, but if you only have $1 in your pocket, which one can you afford? That's how a microwave meal becomes 'cheaper', when you simply don't have the money to buy something 50% more expensive UP FRONT, even though it would cater for many more meals. Hand to mouth existence is why people can afford the dollar menu at McDonalds, and not a whole basket of fresh food at the grocery store. It's like saying 'don't eat anything today, and tomorrow you'll have $2 to spend on your food'. of course it's false economy to spend that dollar on a single meal, but many people simply were never taught to a) budget or b) cook from scratch.

That's why any time people ask about help with a low income and eating healthily, everyone bangs on about food budget, and meal planning. It's the only way someone on a severely restricted income can see how their money will stretch for a whole week's worth of food. You need to realise that stocking a store cupboard from scratch does take a big chunk of money upfront, and so people have to decide that paying more per pound for the smaller tub of salt makes more sense than buying the big jar, or that having a full range of herbs and spices is out of the budget, and perhaps they have to pick just one. That affects what they can cook - and it's sort of a vicious circle, because they don't have all the ingredients for the things they could cook affordably. I've been there on a poverty income - job seekers allowance - for nearly 6 months this year. It's hard, depressing and not conducive to healthy eating for all the reasons I've stated. Anyone who has no route out of that poverty level, and is still trying to achieve healthy eating AND weight loss has all of my admiration and support!

hmm. I think I see. But my guess is she has more than $1. Even $5 can get you a bag of white rice, a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter and a pound of frozen ground turkey (at least at Aldis). Which is way more calories than 5 frozen dinners.

But I see your point about some up front costs.