how to shop when you're broke and have a family
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Coupons.
You can find blog websites that do sale & coupon matchups every week with the new ads that come out. Just google your grocery store's name with ad matchups... for example, I shop at Shoprite, so if I google Shoprite ad matchups I get http://www.livingrichwithcoupons.com/shoprite-coupons-2 which has everything that's on sale, listed with the coupons you can clip from which newspaper or printable coupon, etc and the final cost after coupons. Dead handy. When I went grocery shopping on Sunday (I shop every week, btw) I took $45.15 off my grocery bill. Totally worth the half an hour I spend every sunday writing up my grocery list and clipping/printing coupons.
For meat, I look for manager's specials or "expiring" meat that has a sell by date within 2 days because those are always marked down. Then I either use it within the 2 days or freeze it.
You can also join things like Ibotta and SavingStar that give you rebates on items you're buying. I do savingstar and you get rebates everytime your account hits $5.
And... kind of unrelated to saving money but sign up for Upromise and when you use your credit/debit/grocery cards on participating products a percentage of money is deposited into an account that you can then transfer into a 529 account for your kid's college funds.
Great suggestions! I never have luck with coupons as far as I never buy those products. I've yet to see one for fresh produce or protein. Any more advice or sites you frequent?
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ericGold15 wrote: »
The pH of baking soda is basic (> 7.0) while vinegar is acidic. Mixing the two neutralizes both to varying degrees.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.
Mentioned in the spirit of more with less.
but it unclogs a drain like no one's business0 -
Do you have a microwave? You can buy regular oatmeal (NOT instant) and make it in the microwave. It's really fast. That's a super cheap and easy way to feed kids breakfast. Peanut butter and jelly or banana sandwiches provide protein and are cheap and filling too.
Go for cheap fresh veggies like carrots, onions, green peppers, and cucumbers that are always available, and use frozen as well.
Have meatless or less meat meals - pinterest has lots of recipes for healthy soups and stews.
If your kids qualify for reduced or free lunches at school, take advantage of that for sure, and don't be too proud to take advantage of WIC if your kids qualify, and food pantries.
I know that it is a challenge to make healthy, low cost and low calorie meals when you have kids and are on such a tight budget. Sounds like you are making some great choices already with what you have.0 -
Don't forget to take advantage of Walmart's "Savings Catcher" program, where you enter your receipt online (or there's an app as well), and it'll make sure you got the lowest prices on everything you bought. If you could have gotten it cheaper elsewhere, they'll refund the difference in the form of a gift card. It adds up over time and is worth the couple minutes it takes.
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ShelliesTrying wrote: »I thought rice wasn't really all that good for you. I buy rice but don't make it often, I will look into that more and try to add it in more often. We eat A LOT of peanut butter sandwiches! Esp me and my 3yo, haha.
Nothing wrong with rice. Combine it with beans and you have a complete protein. Get a big bag of rice and a dried beans, and with a few other additions you can make some tasty, nutritious meals.0 -
I forgot to mention this, and it may sound a little mean to some, but my mom and I both rationed food. For instance, a child only needs 2-3 servings of dairy a day. 4oz of orange juice gives you all of the vitamin C you need for the day, and your body doesn't store extra, so it doesn't do any good to drink extra. Don't let the kids drink more milk or juice than they need for the day. Let them drink water instead. Same with fruits and veggies. They need 5 servings a day. Fruits and veggies tend to be more expensive, so while you want to make sure that the kids have what they require, there is no need to go over. Make sure they have what they need, but let them fill up on less expensive things like potatoes, rice, etc.0
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ldrosophila wrote: »Coupons.
You can find blog websites that do sale & coupon matchups every week with the new ads that come out. Just google your grocery store's name with ad matchups... for example, I shop at Shoprite, so if I google Shoprite ad matchups I get http://www.livingrichwithcoupons.com/shoprite-coupons-2 which has everything that's on sale, listed with the coupons you can clip from which newspaper or printable coupon, etc and the final cost after coupons. Dead handy. When I went grocery shopping on Sunday (I shop every week, btw) I took $45.15 off my grocery bill. Totally worth the half an hour I spend every sunday writing up my grocery list and clipping/printing coupons.
For meat, I look for manager's specials or "expiring" meat that has a sell by date within 2 days because those are always marked down. Then I either use it within the 2 days or freeze it.
You can also join things like Ibotta and SavingStar that give you rebates on items you're buying. I do savingstar and you get rebates everytime your account hits $5.
And... kind of unrelated to saving money but sign up for Upromise and when you use your credit/debit/grocery cards on participating products a percentage of money is deposited into an account that you can then transfer into a 529 account for your kid's college funds.
Great suggestions! I never have luck with coupons as far as I never buy those products. I've yet to see one for fresh produce or protein. Any more advice or sites you frequent?
I actually get fresh produce coupons semi-regularly. Like Dole Salad kits, etc. I don't know about other grocery stores, but my grocery store (Shoprite) has ecoupons you can load directly to your club card. I have a coupon for potatoes and baby carrots on there right now. Earthbound Organics gets coupons every so often too. The site I mentioned above, SavingStar.com had 20% back on bananas last week and 20% back off tomatoes the week before. This week it's 20% back on oranges.
If you have Acme in your area, they sometimes do a "buck a bag" sale where they have things like mushrooms, green onions, steamable potatoes, avacodos and more for $1. I usually stock up during that.
Other good sites I use are Hip2Save.com and TotallyTarget.com
Totally Target is another coupon matchup blog for weekly ads, and if you download Target's Cartwheel App you can get even more savings at Target. Combine Cartwheel with sales and coupons and there's alot of good deals to be had. I've gotten good deals on produce at my Target with Cartwheel when they have things like 5% off, and sometimes they even have Cartwheel coupons on meat. And on that topic, Typically I can get 93% ground beef for 3.99/lbs when they're marked down for expiration (which is usually still 2-3 days out). I usually buy a whole lot when I can get them like that and freeze them. Sometimes they do a sale where you buy 1 and get the 2nd one for like 15 or 20% off. Combine that with the $2 expiration mark downs and you've got some cheap meat. http://cartwheel.target.com/c/food/-/9999977 is a list of current cartwheel coupons for grocery... berries, grapes, milk, yogurt, chicken, etc. Every little bit helps.
Hip2Save does other kinds of deal alerts like Amazon, Target, BabiesRus, OldNavy, etc. And she also does store deals like Walgreens, RiteAid, etc... stores that are more national than regional.0 -
Thanks for all the posts. I have a Wal-Mart and 2 local groceries near me. Anything else would be in Oklahoma City to the best of my knowledge and that's around 2 hours away. I live in a very rural area. I can't address every post but I appreciate it. This weekend I am going to start doing meal prep work and planning and freezing stuff.
As far as my family going thru 6 gallons a week, I am ok with that. I do not buy them juice or soda. They drink water as well. During the school year we don't use that much but in the summer we can go thru up to 6 gallons a week bc they are home and they are kids so they eat cereal and stuff like that a lot and my daughters just like to drink milk. Call it that syndrome we parents get when we didn't have something as kids? idk. When I was a kid my mom was (less than pleasant) when it came to milk. You were ONLY allowed to have milk in your cereal in the mornings. I have always told myself I would spend my last dime to make sure they have milk. Maybe I'm wrong but it is what it is.
My kids are on free/reduced lunches this year. It was costing me almost $200/mo last school year to pay for lunches. I asked for the form several times but was never given it to fill out but I got it this year.
I do use "savings catcher" I have been using it for a year and I have a whopping $26 earned.
We leave the house at 7am and the earliest anyone was getting home from school was 3:30pm which is still 8 hours and I was leery about letting food go that long in the crock. Now the kids stay after for homework help or band/football practice so we all get home at the same time usually bc I go get them. I am going to get a christmas light timer like an earlier poster suggested.
If I missed anything important I'm sorry. As for the 3yo, to my knowledge her mother is claiming her for food stamps and probably WIC. I don't worry about what she is doing tho. I just worry about the child. I think her mom probably loves her but doesn't really want the responsibility or burden of raising a child but also doesn't want the stigma of being someone who just gave their kid away. She is always giving me unsolicited reason why "its best" for her to live with me. I'm just thinking "I don't care what reasons you need to justify it as long as I can keep her" she has an whole life with us. In fact she leads a double life when you compare the care she is given in our home vs with her mother but that's another forum.0 -
And just to address the cooking posts...I do cook. I very seldom buy pre-made items. I am a good cook and there really isn't much I can't cook. I do anything I am capable on my own. And not just in the kitchen. If I need a cute outfit for my 3yo to cheer on her brother at a football game, I make her one. Just an example. If I can make it myself, I do.0
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ShelliesTrying wrote: »And just to address the cooking posts...I do cook. I very seldom buy pre-made items. I am a good cook and there really isn't much I can't cook. I do anything I am capable on my own. And not just in the kitchen. If I need a cute outfit for my 3yo to cheer on her brother at a football game, I make her one. Just an example. If I can make it myself, I do.
You sew too? You're making the rest of us look bad
Regarding milk though, I can see why having restrictions as a child make you want to go the other direction with your own kids. Growing up at my house, we were served milk at every meal, the way people serve water in most homes. I am going the other direction on milk. I am trying to stop/reduce drinking calories period. I stopped drinking juice a long time ago, but recently read an article where they pointed out that drinking a lot of milk falls into the same category.
How are you doing with food spoilage? When I was working full time, it was a big problem for us. I didn't do well using food up on time and wasted money.
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ShelliesTrying wrote: »And just to address the cooking posts...I do cook. I very seldom buy pre-made items. I am a good cook and there really isn't much I can't cook. I do anything I am capable on my own. And not just in the kitchen. If I need a cute outfit for my 3yo to cheer on her brother at a football game, I make her one. Just an example. If I can make it myself, I do.
Well, you do everything. Hopefully you get enough sleep.
Good job and best of luck.0 -
Besides food, look at things you can cut back on in the home. Do you need TV? With today's ON DEMAND availability by just about every TV and company affiliate, it's much cheaper to pay a $10 fee a month than a $100 bill. Do your kids have fancy cell phones? Cell phone bills are tremendously high and if CONTACT is the main priority, then cut back to a flip phone or something similar.ShelliesTrying wrote: »I don't know how else to title this. I would like some help or suggestions on how to shop to feed a family when you are poor. It's myself and 3 kids (3, 13, 14) on about $26k a year. I barely have enough to keep us in milk and bread. I don't know how to shop to make the most of it. I buy as much fresh fruits and veggies as possible and I avoid the center of the grocery store to avoid the processed foods. I try to keep us in sandwich fixin's, sandwich meats, peanut butter, eggs etc. My kids eat a ton of cereal and I'm trying to wean them off of cereal bc I know it's not healthy. I know it doesn't make much of a difference but I try to stick to cheerio's, mini wheats, raisin bran etc. I buy ground turkey and chicken breast when I can.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I've been racking my brain trying to make this work. At this point it's no bad that it comes down to paying a bill or buying food. Our cupboards are bare! I'm trying to keep us healthy and continue losing weight.
If you're on a limited budget, you just don't get things you don't really need. Your biggest issue will be convincing your teens that the cutbacks would be better for you.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I do all that stuff bc I like to. Yes, I sew. I also make their cakes for birthdays and stuff like that. I have always done these things regardless of my financial status. When I see something I look at how it's made and then do it myself. My girls like the big hair bows and I'm not spending $20 on a bow so I learned how to make them. I just like doing that stuff I guess.
We have made tons of cut backs. I have never been too frivolous in general tho. Cable has never been a priority so I've never had it, but we do spend $12/mo on netflix. We don't spend money on getting our hair done monthly, I rock the grey unfortunately. We don't spend thousands a year on clothes. We are fairly simple really. I have gotten rid of my truck payment and the ins to go with it so that will free up $550/mo which should make a drastic difference soon.0 -
Good then. I've had lots and lots of friends who complained they had no money, but spend frivolously on crap they didn't need because they were just trying to impress people.
Hope it turns out well.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition 0 -
Good for you! I like to sew too, although I am pretty poor at it. Very simple stuff only.ShelliesTrying wrote: »I do all that stuff bc I like to.
I also DIY the car maintenance and simple repairs, things like plumbing and electric, and just about anything that a youTube video or four can teach me. Most 'repairs' nowadays really means install a new part, and that has gotten much easier as manufacturing quality and tolerances, inexpensive tools, and ease of use has improved by leaps and bounds in the last decade.
Even better.I have gotten rid of my truck payment and the ins to go with it so that will free up $550/mo which should make a drastic difference soon.
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ashliefisch wrote: »And white potatoes don't have the best reputation, but when money is tight they go far and do a lot for filling.
I don't understand why 'regular' potatoes have such a bad reputation. I can't stand sweet potatoes and never eat them. White potatoes are a vegetable. They are high in potassium and vitamin C, have trace amount of micronutrients like zinc and riboflavin. They are a complex carbohydrate. They contain antioxidants. Fat free, sodium free, cholesterol free.
You can have about 280 grams for about 250 calories. That's a pretty good serving size. I see them at Walmart, the 10lb bags for $1.99 frequently. I would never use that many before they went bad but potatoes are multipurpose.
Added to soups, mashed, boiled, baked, fried, oven roasted, grated hash brown. Very versatile and don't deserve the 'bad' reputation. They are filling, inexpensive and nutritious.
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ashliefisch wrote: »And white potatoes don't have the best reputation, but when money is tight they go far and do a lot for filling.
I don't understand why 'regular' potatoes have such a bad reputation. I can't stand sweet potatoes and never eat them. White potatoes are a vegetable. They are high in potassium and vitamin C, have trace amount of micronutrients like zinc and riboflavin. They are a complex carbohydrate. They contain antioxidants. Fat free, sodium free, cholesterol free.
You can have about 280 grams for about 250 calories. That's a pretty good serving size. I see them at Walmart, the 10lb bags for $1.99 frequently. I would never use that many before they went bad but potatoes are multipurpose.
Added to soups, mashed, boiled, baked, fried, oven roasted, grated hash brown. Very versatile and don't deserve the 'bad' reputation. They are filling, inexpensive and nutritious.
Here here white potatoes are good!0 -
I feel you! I bought a 10 lb bag of leg quarters for $3.50 with a competitor's ad at wal-mart this past weekend. Normal price was around $7. I cook it either in BBQ sauce or Italian dressing which is also very cheap. Also, chicken and dumplings with cornbread go a long way and is not expensive at all. It's a good thing your kids like veggies!!
The cheapest leg quarters are around here is .49cent a pound so $4.90 a bag...but I use them for BBQ, baking and even a huge pot of soup!!!0 -
Coupons are a must!!!! Also, Wal-Mart will price match ANY competitors ad so if you don't have a Wal-greens but have an ad for cereal for $1.50 a box, take the ad, make sure it is the same box of cereal and price check at the counter. 0
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ShelliesTrying wrote: »I highly doubt her mother is going to be willing to give up the tax credit for herself. In reality she has it pretty good. She can collect all the benefits of being a single mother without having to support the child. I'm not raising her to collect money on her. I just posted my question to get some information on feeding my family more healthfully. If you would like to know more about the situation feel free to pm me. Please don't misunderstand tho, I do appreciate the information.
There's two ways to get more groceries for your dollars - spend less on groceries or get more dollars. I know you want to focus on spending less, but getting more dollars to spend is also an important consideration
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My heart goes out to you! Finances can be stressful, especially with 3 kids. If there are any winco by you they are a lot cheaper than Walmart. Also if your open to helping people I work from home so I can stay home with my daughter and make pretty decent income. I could explain what I do and see if you wanted to do that on the side for extra income? If so then just shoot me an email and we could chat. Briannamaeholt@gmail.com-1
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So I didn't get all the meal prep done that I had planned this weekend, however, I did make a whole chicken in a crock pot on sunday. Huge hit!! I think it was a 4/5 lb chicken and it was around $5 and it made probably 3 solid meals worth of chicken or possibly double that depending on how you use it. I did kick myself because I had planned on using the left over bones and whatnot to make stock to freeze but I kind of forgot about that and seasoned the chicken cajun style. I did use the left over juices to make rice so it wasn't a waste. I didn't know that it would have that much fat/grease so I will know for next time. I am super stoked I tried the chicken! $5 of chicken to make several meals will make a difference! I bet the I could get way more than 3 meals out of it if I use it for like pot pie or something like that. We just ate the chicken with the rice since I seasoned it cajun style.0
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Great start.0
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ShelliesTrying wrote: »So I didn't get all the meal prep done that I had planned this weekend, however, I did make a whole chicken in a crock pot on sunday. Huge hit!! I think it was a 4/5 lb chicken and it was around $5 and it made probably 3 solid meals worth of chicken or possibly double that depending on how you use it. I did kick myself because I had planned on using the left over bones and whatnot to make stock to freeze but I kind of forgot about that and seasoned the chicken cajun style. I did use the left over juices to make rice so it wasn't a waste. I didn't know that it would have that much fat/grease so I will know for next time. I am super stoked I tried the chicken! $5 of chicken to make several meals will make a difference! I bet the I could get way more than 3 meals out of it if I use it for like pot pie or something like that. We just ate the chicken with the rice since I seasoned it cajun style.
Crock pot chicken is one of my FAVORITE recipes! I pour the stock into leftover spaghetti sauce jars and use it for soup the next day. keep an eye out for two packs of whole chicken, it's often a lower per-pound price.
Also-- look at the frozen bags of chicken. It can often be a lot cheaper than the stuff in the meat section.
One of my favorite meals is putting some raw chicken into a deep pan, putting in "instant" rice with the appropriate amount of water, stirring in a can of cream of chicken, and topping the whole thing with whatever frozen veggies I have.
Toss it in the oven for 45 minutes or so (the rice will absorbe the water, the chicken will cook) and it's a fully balanced meal in one big casserole type dish. It's probably $1 worth of rice, the cream of chicken is $1, the frozen veggies are $1, so it's just whatever the chicken costs on top of that for a very hearty meal that can be warmed up again the next day.
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great ideas here. wanted to add eggs - can be scrambled, used in fried rice (brown rice+veg), hard boiled for snacks, used in egg salad sandwiches or omelettes(w leftover meats, cheeses & veg ). also beans& rice, soups.0
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one of my friends who had 7 siblings & their family lived on a teacher's salary had lots of salads-filling. they'd not get any prewashed greens, just normal lettuces and wash and chop.
their mom also belonged to a food co-op.
and they had beans lots of different ways- she'd soak & cook up large quantites and freeze for bulking up taco salad, chili, soups, mashed up (refried) on tortillas for bean burritos.0 -
I have been feeding my family of 6 on about 50 bucks a week now. It's tight, but they are well fed. First, you need to make a list of the cheapest dinners you can make. Spagetti, hot dogs and beans, potato soup, mac n cheese, etc. Try and find 10 you like. Now rotate them 3 times a month. Breakfast for dinner is always cheap. Next, get rid of cereal. Breakfast is pancakes, french toast, eggs and toast, oatmeal, or coffee cake. I buy concentrate lemon juice and make lemonade. Lunch is a sandwinch, chips or crackers, and a pudding or fruit. I bake like a madman, so I can pump out about 75 chocolate chip cookies for around 4 bucks. Those are for snacks and lunches as well. An entire 13 x 9 cake will cost you about 2 bucks to make and should last 3 days. We go onto state land in fall and pick apples, blueberries, raspberries and pears. I then make desserts, applesauce, or jam with them. A tuna casserole is super cheap to make, and you can pick up a 10lb bag of legs and thighs for 3.99. Out of that, you can get a ton of meals, and stock. I freeze the stock in ice cube trays and use as needed. You can make an easy pilaf out of stock, rice, onions and butter. I live in rural michigan, so I know it's kind of sparse out in timbucktu finding stores.0
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You're crafty. You could make that into your second job. Go to etsy.com and sign up. Start creating your product (bows, clothing, "how to"s, etc) and sell them there. I haven't tried it since I'm not very crafty, but I'm sure that could help out a lot and you are doing something you like.0
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In college I bought as much food as I could from dollar tree. I'm not talking frozen food, but bagged beans, rice, tortillas, things like that you can stretch out. I also made alot of soup with broth and would add rice and beans and cheap veg like corn I would buy 5 for a dollar and cut it off the cob after boiling it. Carrots, potatoes. Oatmeal is also really cheap and filling and you can add your own cinnamon or apple sauce to it.0
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