Price of food and lack of money...Help needed!

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AshleyE1122
AshleyE1122 Posts: 8
in Food and Nutrition
Hello everyone, I have a couple questions for everyone. My family is very strapped on cash. I have brought our monthly food to 400.00 so far, but it isn't enough. this is the only place we can save money at. I am unable to go to work as my 3 yr old is home and childcare is way more than we can pay. My 5 yr has started kindergarten and gets out early every other Wednesday. My question is do any of you know how to cut back on food and still stay healthy? We are used to eating fresh veggies and fruits. I am going to buy the frozen kind as well now, but on things like healthy meat, there are little coupons. We currently do have 1 vegetarian meal a week. Any help would be great! My husband and I are on our last leg and know that we will not even be able to afford anything for the holidays! Thank you.
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Replies

  • Xandi
    Xandi Posts: 319
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    Eating healthy doesn't have to cost a lot. I like checking out the farmers markets and seeing what is available locally. Frozen is a great way to go. you might want to see if there is a "outlet store" in your area. we have hostess a few blocks away and it is a great place to get the breads, however, they do need to be checked to make sure they haven't started going bad.
  • mjgregg12
    mjgregg12 Posts: 36
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    Do you shop at discount food stores, like Aldi, Price Rite, etc (not sure where you live)?
    I have saved a fortune on fresh veggies and fruit by going to a deep discount store.
    Frozen veggies are usually ok, I use them alot, especially spinach.
  • BranMuffin21
    BranMuffin21 Posts: 157 Member
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    Soup/stews are always a good option and the nice thing is if anything is left over you can freeze. I wish I had a better answer, I'd love to hear your responses you get.
  • bdurls
    bdurls Posts: 128 Member
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    I find planning my meals very helpful when it comes to saving money. Then I make a grocery list and just buy what's on the list. You won't be as tempted to get other things you don't really needs. Also, check online for flyers of the grocery stores in your town. You might have to shop at two or three different stores for things, but you can find out where the good deals are. Good luck with everything! I know how hard it is to make healthy meals for a family on a budget!
  • natekorpusik
    natekorpusik Posts: 176 Member
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    Sorry to hear of your situation. While I cannot claim to be in the same situation as you I can tell you that my wife and I shop the sales. I know it sounds silly, but we shop the sales and buy more during the sales and use it for a couple of weeks. For example, I was at shaws the other day and they had ALL chicken on sale for 99 cents per pound. I filled our freezer and we won't have to buy chicken again this month. We also look for the pasta that is 10 for $10. There is always something on sale, they just rotate through different companies. Also good to buy things that you can reconstruct at home, rather than pre-made meals. Frozen section for anything other than veggies is too expensive. And buy store bought when you can. Today we got 2 pounds of carrots for $1 just by shopping the sales. Best of luck to you and your family.
  • androidhelen27
    androidhelen27 Posts: 6
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    Unfortunately food is pricey right now, but meat is definitely the most expensive. I love meat but don't eat it often as i just can't afford to. I eat lots of grains, lentils, rice, polenta as they are filling and not too expensive (the amount of things you can do with polenta are amazing!)

    If you can't do without meat at all, try making stews but bulk them out with pearl barley or other veg. This is easy to do with curries as well (and many other dishes like lasagne, shepherd's pie) etc - this way it'll make your meat go further and you'll still be able to enjoy the meat.

    Try buying from a butcher instead of a supermarket - they often have deals and the quality will be better. I also get my veg from market stalls as they can work out cheaper (and the veg is often bigger than what you can get in the supermarket!)

    Hope you manage to get your costs down!
  • AshleyE1122
    AshleyE1122 Posts: 8
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    Hi! I live in summerville,sc and there is no deep discount like aldi's. The city I used to live in did have one and loved it. I will check out the sara lee store here for bread. Thank you so much for the advice!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    buy whole chickens and break it down, instead of buying already cut up breasts and thighs. then use the carcass for stock
  • jeff261159
    jeff261159 Posts: 385
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    Buy cheap cuts of meat and use a crockpot / slow cooker
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,224 Member
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    Dried beans, whole grains (brown rice, wheat berries, oat groats, lentils and the like) can stretch meals a long way. Frozen veggies are just fine, but make sure they did not add anything else. You just want the veggies not added salt. Nutritionally they are not much different than the fresh versions, but much more affordable usually.
  • Julijulz
    Julijulz Posts: 119 Member
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    I agree...farmers markets tend to be a very cheap alternative to the grocery stores and I find that the quality of my fruits and veggies are so much better. And they don't have the hormones and pesticides that can cause cancer. Also, if you don't mind frozen veggies, they save you a lot of money as well. Compared to canned veggies, the price can be so much cheaper.
  • nygiantschick
    nygiantschick Posts: 289 Member
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    How about bulk items like dried beans, oatmeal, etc. I stock up on that stuff. Frozen veggies are definitely great. Stay away from the processed stuff and boxes of cereal, etc. Doyou have a friend who has a Sam's/BJ's/COSTCO card? You may be able to split te bill and then split up the items so you can save money that way? Or maybe you can have a community potluck where a group of friends/neighbors/family all cook huge protions of a main dish and everyone bring freezerware to split it up for meals. Everyone may be able to save money that way.
  • AshleyE1122
    AshleyE1122 Posts: 8
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    Oh my! Thank you for all the advice! You guys have really came through for me. I can go the local butcher, but make lots more soups. The really do last longer. I am an extreme couponer and have seen some really good sales. This all does help and will make a difference. I will keep everyone updated on how it goes. thank you again!!
  • jeffrodgers1
    jeffrodgers1 Posts: 991 Member
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    Have you considered looking into Barter clubs? We all have some kind of service we can offer in exchange for something else... My brother is a locksmith by trade. He does maintenance for people on barter which has to date provided him with a great deal of luxury items at very low costs. For example, he replaced the locks and safe for an electronics store and ended up with a 50" Plasma tv. He changed the locks on a property for a guy who does websites and had a website built for him.

    My point is, that you likely have some kind of service you could trade for food (or at least deep discount). I see you are a CMA. Perhaps a small business could barter you groceries for doing their books?

    Just a thought.

    Hope it all works out for you!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Eating vegetarian more than once a week would save money, as vegetarian sources of protien (beans and nuts) are much cheaper. Also, eggs are a good cheap source of protein. Omelet's are a filling, nutritious dinner than most kids love.

    Some other suggestions that have probably already been mentioned are plan your meal around what's on sale. Stock up on non-perishables when they are on sale. Grow your own when possible. Many vegetables will grow in containers (pots) if you don't have the room to till up a convential garden. During harvest season check farmer's markets or local farm stands for affordable fresh vegetables and fruit.
  • gogonunubean
    gogonunubean Posts: 160 Member
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    Oh yes, I have been there!

    Bulk up on healthy carbs (brown rice, etc) buy these in bulk, they cost more up front, but they are worth it. Also, check the sales lists and stock up when the are reduced. Milk I would buy on sale and freeze for the month - same with bread and cheese (I would cut up a big block and freeze it).

    Then I would spend one weekend a month, batch cooking. With 1 lbs of ground beef, 2 big cans of tomato, a bag of frozen corn, a bag of frozen spinach, some water and some gravy powder, I could make enough to portion out and freeze for at least 4 family meals (me, hubby and my child). One of my go to meals right now, is rice, a can of kidney beans and a can of tomato. My whole family loves it!

    I am also quite good at internet stuff and so I approached a local farmers market and did a trade - I helped them keep their website updated and got nice fresh produce in return! Now we are not struggling quite so much, I still trade for so much!

    Best of luck - I know it is hard.
  • H2Ologist
    H2Ologist Posts: 122 Member
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    http://www.foodonthetable.com/?trackid=mealplanning&gclid=CMnV25aBmKsCFYWo4AodbHmUeA

    http://family.go.com/food/pkg-budget-recipes/cheap-dinner-recipes-pg/view-all/

    http://www.cheapcooking.com/articles/cooking-on-a-budget.html

    One other thing is that, although the food available is not always the healthiest, the local food pantry is one place that could help with finding a few of the essentials: rice, noodles, etc. The food pantry is there to help. Just remember them when you are back on your feet. If you can't pay it forward, at least pay it back!
  • Xandi
    Xandi Posts: 319
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    We also make a menu and post it on the refrigerator. We do this for a 2 week period, mainly because that is when we get paid.
    we take the menu with us and go shopping. It definitely makes it easier for us to figure out what we need to get. I spend Monday afternoons going through the flyers of the various grocery stores. I try and make a list ( this affects how our menu is written). I figure out what I need to get based on what I can get for a reasonable price. I cook a lot in the crockpot.
  • crazedmomof5
    crazedmomof5 Posts: 14
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    I think a lot of us are in the same boat to lose weight you need to eat right HOWEVER to eat right is cost more money so I feel strapped as well and your right normally the groceries are the easiest to cut. Not sure in your area but we have a farmers market that I use instead if the grocery store for most of my fruits and veggies. The farmers market saves me a ton of money and my family still gets good fruits and veggies to eat! Hope this helps some and good luck
  • stroken96
    stroken96 Posts: 436 Member
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    My husband and I both lost our jobs in 2008, I went to work in 2009 and he just got a job we make half what we did so when I go shopping I buy a couple bags of frozen veggies, and dried beans, so when hard time hits we have something

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