Being poor/ food insecurity

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Replies

  • agbmom556
    agbmom556 Posts: 694 Member
    Please talk to your neighbors. Most people are stocked up for winter and may have extras.
    I would also barter. Help them do some work on their land in exchange for food etc.
    Older neighbors will appreciate the help.
  • sallymarcus413
    sallymarcus413 Posts: 11 Member
    I'm so overwhelmed with the support and advice! A friend is coming to get me today and we're going to the food bank, and I also met a dairy farmer who gave me a buch of raw milk and I've just started a batch of yogurt. Things are looking up! Though my situation hasn't changed yet, I'm feeling so much more hopeful and inspired just by having all of you guys.

    Thank you to the ones who have sent me links of places to look for help in my area.
  • healthy_hermione
    healthy_hermione Posts: 64 Member
    I really recommend stocking up on bags of frozen mixed vegetables when you can. They are relatively inexpensive and sometimes are healthier than fresh produce because they are picked right at their prime and then immediately frozen. They can also last up to a year or so in the freezer.
    Also look into canned beans, all natural peanut butter, low sodium soup, etc.
    I know that churches and food drives in general often have lots of canned goods. With the holiday season/colder months coming I know that there should be a lot more food drives available.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    I'm glad people have been able to help you both here with links and in real life.
    Hunters are your friends as i'm sure you know. they usually end up with more meat than they know what to do with. In Wisconsin, we have a donation program for venison.
    Also, when i was out in Bozeman for a few weeks, it felt like everyone there was very helpful. a lot of people helped my friend who needed some assistance in winter. He lived in Belgrade
    try second hand stores for warm clothes. or churches.
    seriously, churches are great resources.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Food banks are usually pretty good for the non-perishable stuff like canned goods. So use any cash you have to stock up on fruits and vegetables. Someone else has mentioned the value of stocking frozen veggies.
  • beachhouse758
    beachhouse758 Posts: 371 Member
    This is not going to solve your immediate problem, but hopefully it will help

    "Eat Well on $4 a Day" (which is the amt. allotted for food assistance programs)
    https://8e81c55f4ebf03323905b57bf395473796067508.googledrive.com/host/0B2A2SnkA9YgxaHdzbEhGSmJOZDg/good-and-cheap.pdf
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    sallymarcus413 wrote: »
    I'm so overwhelmed with the support and advice! A friend is coming to get me today and we're going to the food bank, and I also met a dairy farmer who gave me a buch of raw milk and I've just started a batch of yogurt. Things are looking up! Though my situation hasn't changed yet, I'm feeling so much more hopeful and inspired just by having all of you guys.

    Thank you to the ones who have sent me links of places to look for help in my area.

    400x400_1423175260014-hooray.jpg
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
    Great update. I hope things keep on looking up for you!
  • becky9188
    becky9188 Posts: 8 Member
    sallymarcus413 wrote: »
    And thank you guys for even just providing me a safe platform to speak of such things. I'm too embarrassed to talk to my friends about this kind of stuff.

    I recently vented my frustrations to a friend about me being in a similar situation and much to my surprise a few people got together and I ended up with close to $100 worth of meat as well as milk cereal and many sides for lunches/dinners ....a lot of times people are More eager to help than we realize

    Hope things start looking up for you
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    I had similar issues years ago and vented to a friend once and ended up with an anonymous gift card to a grocery store. It was the sweetest gesture ever.

    I know if I had a friend going through this I would just split my dishes and bring them over as often as I could, and buy a few extra items when I was at the grocery store.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    edited November 2015
    Ive been in such a situation myself.

    When you do get to shop, stock up on things like dried beans, rice, lentils, barley. Those are very inexpensive foods and very healthy. Frozen vegetables also are nutritious and give the most bang for the buck in winter months. I used to always try to keep a big bag of broccoli cuts, california blend and mixed vegetables on hand.

    Also look for roadside farm stands or farmer's markets. You can usually get great produce for cheap. Especially if you buy in bulk and have room to freeze or tie to can a lot to stock up for the winter.

    I used to keep the above on hand along with some frozen chicken breast tenders. A 3 pound bag could last me easily for a month and costs only about $7. Also eggs. While the prices seem to be high these days compared to what we have been used to $3 for 12 eggs is only 40 cents per egg.

    With some spices and seasonings, soup stock and a little imagination you can eat fairly well for $10/week or less.

    Also consider wild harvesting. This website has a lot of really good information on foraging as well as recipes and you can supplement your diet with fresh wild greens for much of the year. http://foodunderfoot.com/

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