how to shop when you're broke and have a family

You can do overnight oats with steel cut easily. Instructions for multiple ways here: mccanns.ie/preparation.html

Something else you might want to look up are various porridge type meals. They can be made with a base of oats (porridge) or rice (congee, jook, etc). They can be savory or sweet. You cook the grain with a lot of water to get a nice creamy texture and add in your meat and vegetable, etc. You can make a huge volume of very filling food with very few ingredients. A good way to really stretch out what you have.

ShelliesTrying wrote: »

I don't really know how to address your comment @madhatter2013 . I love my job and it's more of a career than "just" a job. I do not have a degree, I want to go school but I just can't swing that right now. I have been applying for a second job but haven't gotten one yet. I am doing what I can.

And it's great that you love what you do. Most people aren't that lucky, however, you also have to balance what's best for your family as a whole. If that means putting off what you love for now to make sure you are providing for your kids, then that's what needs to be done. I'm not trying to lecture and I'm sure you've heard all of this before. Are there other finances that are going out that could be cut out to make more room for nutrition? How's daycare for you? Do you pay for it are you lucky enough to have someone watch your children for little or no charge? I know WIC was mentioned here once and they have less stern income guidelines than most SNAP programs. I was not eligible for SNAP but was able to get WIC. As was said before, it's not much but every little bit helps and they make sure you're getting healthy food with those checks.

ShelliesTrying wrote: »

I do have a question about using the crock pot. I don't use it often bc I am away from the house from 7am-6pm. (I work in a different town) Most recipes call for a max of 8 hours. Any suggestions to be able to start something at 7am and it not be mush by 6pm?

I use my stay-at-home hubby, LOL. I put a post-it-note on the pot and it is magically turned off when I ask.

There are a very few recipes that only get better the longer you cook it. You can do this with stew if you don't add fragile vegetables like peas until you get home. Beans can cook forever. Tomato based sauces are worse the longer you cook them.

Stop buying household cleaners/laundry products and make your own.
I save hundreds of dollars a year by making my own.

ShelliesTrying wrote: »

I appreciate the concern. I really don't want to leave my job. I love the people I work with and the job itself. I have been applying for a 2nd job, just haven't gotten one yet. My 3yo is not my biological child so I don't think I can get WIC on her. My daycare cost is minimal. She stays with her gpa when he is off or older siblings and when she does stay with the sitter it's not terribly expensive. My wage is pretty decent for this area actually. I live in an area that lives and dies with the oilfield so right now with it down the only other job I would be able to find would be like a fast food place or driving a truck. I have been applying for remote positions with other companies. The cost of living in this area is also absolutely stupid, people took advantage of the oilfield money and charged rent like we lived in upscale New York or something. I am buying a house that is basically falling apart so my payment is affordable. I have lost my vehicle so lost the payment as well but it was recent so I haven't rebounded or seen the affects of losing that payment. There are a lot of factors that play into my situation. I am doing what I can. I'm sure I'm lacking in certain areas but I am trying. My goal is feeding my kids healthy vs cheap. I could easily buy the 10/$10 frozen meals or potpies to put food in their bellies but I want them to eat better. I think that's all I can add.

Did you adopt her? If she's not your's, biologically or legally, why are you caring for her? No, don't answer that. We don't need to know these details, however, if you are her sole provider, you should be able to claim her on things.

The least expensive foods are staples:

Rice
Flour
Oats
Sugar
Dry legumes, beans and peas

IIRC, large sacks of grains and sugar at Costco are about 50 - 100 cents a pound
Legumes, beans and peas are around $1 a pound. Check out the Mormon bulk food sites on the web.
In season vegetables and fruits are around $1 a pound
I have no idea about animal products.

If you figure that an average pound of the above costs 75 - 100 cents and contains ~ 1800 Cal, that is a practical minimum cost to feed a person in the US for a day.

The trick is to learn to cook, and to plan and be organized so that you have enough time. It takes practice. The internet will help you a lot here, as will a pressure cooker !

ShelliesTrying wrote: »

Unless her mother signs me guardianship I don't think I can claim her. It's just a verbal agreement right now.

I am not positive but I do not think you are correct.

You should also be eligible for child tax credits. See this link. If you have not been collecting the EITC I think you have a lot of money waiting for you. You can amend your back taxes 3 years if memory serves.

I know it's expensive upfront, but do you know anyone with a Costco/Sam's Club/BJ's membership where you could stock up on pasta (for the base of a meal), frozen fruits and veggies, and something like waffles for breakfast? They're super quick in the morning and most really aren't bad nutrition wise. Throw a little peanut butter on a toasty waffle, and I'm a happy camper.

Google the 9p kidney burgers, they taste yummy and are so easy to make with a decent nutrient content a s well.

For getting the crock pot going at odd times. I use a Christmas tree timer. Have the crock pot with all the ingredients when I leave for work, the timer turns it on and off at the appropriate time.

ShelliesTrying wrote: »

I just, say, put a cup of baking soda in the sink drain and pour in vinegar and use a sponge to scrub the sink walls etc.

The pH of baking soda is basic (> 7.0) while vinegar is acidic. Mixing the two neutralizes both to varying degrees.

Mentioned in the spirit of more with less.

diannethegeek wrote: »

It sounds like you need to go back and reconsider how you're defining "healthy." The middle of my grocery store has a lot of my cheap essentials. Rice, beans, frozen fruits & veggies, canned veggies, canned tuna, oatmeal, peanut butter, etc. Don't get trapped into thinking that all of those cheaper packaged items are unhealthy. Many of them can be included in a balanced diet.

that.

also, dollar stores also carried canned items (and some carry more). If there is an Aldis near you, they are cheaper than walmart on a LOT of things.

Make large batches of food and freeze for later

check with churches to see if they have food banks or assistance programs

The only reason you would not be able to claim the 3 year old for WIC/SNAP etc is if mom is claiming her. And if mom is claiming her... mom should be helping you. It's not that you're looking for a pay day, its taking care of her child.

Aside, ideas I had reading through your post and the responses are:
1 - with the crock pot, you said you have a 13 year old. Potentially, this child could turn the crock on/off? I have 13 year old step twins that we have full custody of, I often leave them notes or call them from work with instructions and they do well. You said your daughter made bread bowls - she should be ok. That being said, before we got custody of the twins, I only crocked things I knew could stand being on for as long as I needed to leave them, and I always cooked on low. We eat so much pulled pork. Its freaking ridiculous. Cheap pork shoulder, toss in on low all day with some water, brown sugar, and garlic. Pull it apart when I get home, toss in whatever bbq sauce I got on sale, back in the crock for 30 more minutes.

2 - Maybe this isn't nice of me, but I absolutely would not allow 6 gallons of milk a week. My family is myself, DH, the twins, and half the week my 3 kids. We go through 2 gallons a week. We have milk with breakfast, I occasionally cook with it, and you drink water. Some times, I buy $1 containers of Welch's I think? Juice concentrate. 6 gallons for $1 and it gives the kids a change of pace.

3 - Meal plan. Meal plan. My grocery budget for my family comes out to about $100 a week. During the summer... it's rough I'm not gonna lie. When I don't meal plan, I'm usually way over. When I do plan, I can usually under shoot my budget by a fair amount. I take stock of what we have, and go from there. I don't really look at the sales, which I should, but we have Winco, and really... when I do look at the sales, they don't have anything on Winco.

4 - We eat a ton of spaghetti, and I make my own basic sauce so it's not too bad. A small can of tomato paste, a can of diced tomatoes, and a can of sauce and presto! I usually get the seasoned tomatoes, and I get a decent sauce this way for probably $1.25. For meat, its always sausage, turkey, ground beef, chicken breast, whatever was cheaper.

5 - DH eats lefties for lunch at work. My lunch is almost always 4oz ground turkey (tube at winco $2.30), 1/4 can black beans, and half of a Birds Eye Steamer veggie. It ends up costing me around $5 to eat lunch for the week.

6 - We eat a lot of brown rice. And white potatoes don't have the best reputation, but when money is tight they go far and do a lot for filling.

Power to you mama! You can do it. I get angry at all the advice saying get a new job, grow a garden, or get all the great assistance programs we offer in the US for hard working individuals (notice sarcasm). Anyways, your kitchen is your best friend in this battle. You already know how to make a dollar stretch, so now you'll have to get creative and stretch that food. As many have said scratch cooking although time consuming will be so beneficial. Not sure the area you live in but I often find that when I go into areas of an ethnic minority that the prices are cheaper. I loved shopping at the local fruteria I could load up on a ton of fruits and veggies for less than $20. Wal-Mart everyone bashes it but when you are hurting financially you cant beat the prices. Lots of bulk foods. Do you have a decent sized freezer? Enlist the kids in the help too they can help you chop and process food they are old enough. Also, to see Mom make miracles on a little budget is inspiring.

You've got this you and your babies will be healthy and kicking azz in no time!

http://www.simplyscratch.com/recipes