Help with saving on groceries.
We recieved this email from a reader and I thought I would share mom's answer.
I have been reading your articles suggesting meals to
prepare for the family. We can't afford to make these
kind of meals. We are a family of 11 at home now and
my husband has irregular income. We don't usually
have any more than $100-150 a week, at best, for
groceries, and that includes all the non-edibles like
diapers for two, wipes, detergents, etc., which takes
up almost half the money. Many weeks we don't even
have that much. We live on peanut butter sandwiches
for lunch everyday and beans at least five or six
times a week for supper. It is difficult to buy
fruit, vegies, and meat for eleven people. My family
hates eating like this. One son doesn't eat supper
but once or twice a week rather than eat beans. Can
you suggest meals for families like mine that don't
have the money to prepare the kind of meals that
you've been suggesting? We seldom eat desserts
because we can't afford those either. My kids don't
even drink milk much because it would cost too much
just to buy that for them.
Please don't suggest I buy ebooks because I don't have
the money for those either. Thank you.
Jill's Answer:
Here are a few things that I did to help you get started. First learn as much as you can on the exact amount of nutrients and amounts of things like Vitamin C, protein, green veggies etc. that your family needs a day and only buy that amount. That means if they get an orange for lunch they probably have their vitamin C for the day so they don't need any juice just water.
If they have milk in their cereal for breakfast and in a slice of cheese for lunch they have their dairy for the day. Learn how much you need to eat and fix no more then that. I then used less expensive filler foods like potatoes, bread or popcorn for everyone to eat if they were still hungry.
We drank nothing but water. No juice, milk, coffee, tea etc. For desserts I would make things like popcorn, cookies that didn't take expensive ingredients or cakes from mixes that I had gotten on sale (I buy Valentines cake mixes after Valentines for .49 etc.).
I would stretch my food as much as possible. I would boil the bones of a chicken even if there looked like there was no meat on them and make soup. Nothing went to waste. It took a lot of work on my part but I soon enjoyed the challenge of making attractive good tasting meals for almost nothing. I even became a psychiatrist and when I had less then the best to serve I would put on a nice tablecloth, some candles and set the table beautifully. Everything looks good in candle light. They ate it up. literally.
It will take some work and don't give in to the idea that you have to eat only beans and oatmeal. If you are really serious about getting help then spend sometime reading reading our web site. We don't just have "too expensive meals" but lots of ideas like I mentioned above and most of what is in our books is on the website.
It is full of free tips but you need to really read it through. I almost get the feeling that you have given up and that you feel no one is or has been in as bad of a situation as you so you have given up trying. Also are there any teens in your family? Mine were working and contributing to the household funds by the time they were 14 so let them help. There is always a way it just may mean thinking of things in a different light. It can be done. Hope this helps, Jill
Visit us for money saving tips and free recipes!
www.LivingOnADime.com
I have been reading your articles suggesting meals to
prepare for the family. We can't afford to make these
kind of meals. We are a family of 11 at home now and
my husband has irregular income. We don't usually
have any more than $100-150 a week, at best, for
groceries, and that includes all the non-edibles like
diapers for two, wipes, detergents, etc., which takes
up almost half the money. Many weeks we don't even
have that much. We live on peanut butter sandwiches
for lunch everyday and beans at least five or six
times a week for supper. It is difficult to buy
fruit, vegies, and meat for eleven people. My family
hates eating like this. One son doesn't eat supper
but once or twice a week rather than eat beans. Can
you suggest meals for families like mine that don't
have the money to prepare the kind of meals that
you've been suggesting? We seldom eat desserts
because we can't afford those either. My kids don't
even drink milk much because it would cost too much
just to buy that for them.
Please don't suggest I buy ebooks because I don't have
the money for those either. Thank you.
Jill's Answer:
Here are a few things that I did to help you get started. First learn as much as you can on the exact amount of nutrients and amounts of things like Vitamin C, protein, green veggies etc. that your family needs a day and only buy that amount. That means if they get an orange for lunch they probably have their vitamin C for the day so they don't need any juice just water.
If they have milk in their cereal for breakfast and in a slice of cheese for lunch they have their dairy for the day. Learn how much you need to eat and fix no more then that. I then used less expensive filler foods like potatoes, bread or popcorn for everyone to eat if they were still hungry.
We drank nothing but water. No juice, milk, coffee, tea etc. For desserts I would make things like popcorn, cookies that didn't take expensive ingredients or cakes from mixes that I had gotten on sale (I buy Valentines cake mixes after Valentines for .49 etc.).
I would stretch my food as much as possible. I would boil the bones of a chicken even if there looked like there was no meat on them and make soup. Nothing went to waste. It took a lot of work on my part but I soon enjoyed the challenge of making attractive good tasting meals for almost nothing. I even became a psychiatrist and when I had less then the best to serve I would put on a nice tablecloth, some candles and set the table beautifully. Everything looks good in candle light. They ate it up. literally.
It will take some work and don't give in to the idea that you have to eat only beans and oatmeal. If you are really serious about getting help then spend sometime reading reading our web site. We don't just have "too expensive meals" but lots of ideas like I mentioned above and most of what is in our books is on the website.
It is full of free tips but you need to really read it through. I almost get the feeling that you have given up and that you feel no one is or has been in as bad of a situation as you so you have given up trying. Also are there any teens in your family? Mine were working and contributing to the household funds by the time they were 14 so let them help. There is always a way it just may mean thinking of things in a different light. It can be done. Hope this helps, Jill
Visit us for money saving tips and free recipes!
www.LivingOnADime.com
posted by Tawra Jean at 8:44 PM
27 Comments:
Please tell your reader to check out Hillbilly housewife. She has a menu for $45.00 to feed a family of 4 to 6. It would give some ideas even if they couldnt all be done on the amount she has to spend. I'm sure the prices she quotes arent the same everywhere (they sure arent the same here in Connecticut), but it is helpful in trying to vary your meals and make them nutrious on very little money.
You know I can think of a couple of other things to help this reader. One, do not buy diapers. Cloth diapers, wash cloths to clean a baby's bottom will save a bundle. Also no one really NEEDS paper towels.
Also she should check out the Hillbilly Housewife site. There are several menus there for just $45.00 and $70.00 a week. These are not just beans either.
I really hope this person is getting some government help too. This just the kind of person I would love to see get some food stamp dollars. That will go a long way in feeding a growing family.
Bless you all for the blog, the newsletter, and the web site. It is a good thing for many people who are struggling in this economy. Roxie from Texas
One more idea, check the library for a book called Feeding Your Family on $12.00 A Day by Linda West Eckhardt. It is a book full of recipes and ideas for saving money at the grocery store. I learned more from her book when I needed to learn quickly than any other place. So it is worth a read. Roxie of Texas
Check out this blog, which might be helpful:
http://lentilsandrice.blogspot.com/
Rice is also a cheap ingredient and when mixed w/beans is a complete protein. Also, I have found that our local grocery store discounts meat on Mondays, so that is when I buy it. A little hamb in meat or rice would give you a change of pace, and you could stretch it quite a ways. We also have a local food bank and when our income is low, we can access that. Last year we were even able to get fresh veggies from a community garden. In the summer, if you know someone who has a garden, maybe you could barter something for food-and freeze what you don't use immediately. I really empathize with the writer, its getting tough out there!
I would humbly suggest to use wash cloths instead of wipes, cheaper home made cleaners, cloth diapers-even potty training as soon as possible-if two are in diapers and are not twins, chances are one is ready to be trained. Cutting other expenses as much as possible-we usually can cut more than we think, though I am sure this family has cut much. Possibly getting food from Angel Food if it is available in your area: $120/month for 12 people-not a lot of food but more variety. Also the meal plan for those with little funds on the Menus4.com site is great. Can you garden????are you using off brands and discournt stores like Aldi and Save-A-Lot? Coupons? A little chicken broth, potatoes and carrots mixed with the beans makes a nice soup. Are there any ways of getting more income in the home??? Can the father get a better job or like you suggest teens working or Mom working from home???? Do the children attend school-if so they get lunches and probably could get breakfasts there. Have you applied for help with such things as food stamps-I do mot advocate this but in desparate need for my children I would not be too proud to do this. Closely, examine all other expenses-can anything be cut out, or trimmed a bit??? Is anything being wasted and costing money. baking is much cheaper than buying-deserts, bread, etc. Cooking from scratch is a must. Cheaper canned fruit and veggies is better than none and still have nutrients.
Be assured, I do not make mention of any thing in judgement, I have been where you are and have had to examine our lives very closely. I found things I had not considered at first. I have been discouraged and ready to give up many times but had to continue on. I found that many times my wants were greater than my needs and I felt deprived so would get depressed because I could not have a want. We have went many years without buying clothing-got much from hand me downs and good will, etc. We still drive old cars, no payment, repairs and insurance is cheaper.
Examine your life closely and I am sure you will find the creativity to have more on little.
Prehaps she should look at not buying the non food items. Wipes and diapers are very expensive. A diaper pail with lots of old cloths, some cloth diapers and training pants would save lots of money. My kids wore disposables to bed and to go out. I used old wash cloths to clean bottoms.
I know this won't be a popular suggestion with many folks for a variety of reasons, but if the scenario is as our reader describes, then they should be able to get some food stamps, WIC, free/reduced breakfast and lunch at school, etc. Also, unless the two in diapers are twins, at least one of them should presumably be nearing toilet training age. As long as the picky eater isn't seriously underweight, he is making his choice and he can live with it.
Just my 2-cents worth.
Christy
She said about half her money goes to diapers, wipes, non-food things. This reader could save a bit by either making her own wipes (cut paper towel roll in half, add to ~1 cup water, 1 tsp dish soap, 1 tsp baby oil) OR cut up an old tshirt/knit shirt into rags and put the rags in same solution to use as baby wipes, then wash. Has she considered cloth diapers- she could probably get used ones at Goodwill or garage sales. Cutting those two costs could add a fair amount to her grocery budget. Also, use towels/rags instead of paper towels- cheaper and better for the environment to boot. It really wouldn't increase the laundry much, just add a few to each load or wash with the cloth diapers.
I don't know where they live, but if she is in a more rural area she could check the local farmers to see if they have surplus veges she could get cheap. Also, neighbors may be aware of places to pick wild fruit or pick-your-own fruit farms- then she could make cobblers/jams etc. At the end of the day (usually on Sunday where I am) you can get pretty good deals on what is left at the local farmer's market.
I can't help but wonder if this woman has considered, making her own breads, using cloth diapers, growing her own vegetables. With spring coming on she could definately do some seed starts and grow a small garden to suppliement their food needs. A larger garden could yield enough to be canned or frozen for the next winter.
Another great site to look at for frugal hints is http://www.tammysrecipes.com/.
Tammy makes almost everything from scratch and uses cloth diapers.
If the reader would just look to the past as to how people were able to survive and thrive without much at all.
Good luck to the reader and her family. It does sound as if she has given up. I have a suggestion. Angel Food Ministries. Go to their website and see if they are in your area. Might not always help, but you can plan ahead and get a decent amount of groceries for a smaller price. Maybe she could do that once a month? Just a thought.
What about a food pantry to supplement? There are lots of organizations who will help, you just have to ask. No child should go hungry in this country.
I dont want to offend,but I always wanted more children and could not afford them. I have 2 because I did not want to struggle all the time.How is that fair to those kids? I am sure many who read that post thought the same thing but did not want to admit it.
Buying diapers? How about cloth diapers.
A garden? Even tomato plants in pots would help. Aldi's? Is there a 'salvage food' store around? I'd imagine buying gallon size cans of food would be cheaper and more practical.
It really isn't as hard as one might think to feed a large family. Granted, my family is only half as big as hers (we are a family of 7 - with five children) but I can feed my family well on 40 dollars a week including fruit and veggies. In fact, right now, I am trying to do it on 21 dollars a week just for fun. I discuss it on my blog. I just started on Monday.
We do eat a lot of beans but if her family doesn't like beans, maybe she could try different kinds of beans and/or seasoning/cooking them in a different way. Maybe she could use beans as a meal stretcher with the meat she buys. A large pot of chili goes very far and the leftovers could be used for burritos or to top baked potatoes or rice or macaroni.
I agree that Hillbilly Housewife is a very good place to start. And perhaps she could find some good cookbooks at her local library.
I understand how you must feel. We are a family of three and I only have at the most $50 a week to buy grocery and non-food items. I am having to learn how cook with almost next to nothing which is difficult. Six months ago we were eating $750 on takeouts plus another $500 a month on groceries. Then, my husband lost his job. He hasn't been able to find a full time job yet but is working temping jobs. I never thought about where our money was going as we were both working full-time jobs and were rolling it. Now I have to watch every dime. I honestly didn't realize how much money we were wasting.
Since then we have put in our own garden, made most food from scratch, are wearing our clothes and mending them until they are unwearable.
My current motto is: "Where there is a will, there is a way."
I agree with the suggestions about Angel Food Ministries, food bank, etc. Some stores also do something called a "garage sale" or a "box sale" with food. In addition, you can start going to CVS if there's one in your area. I got 9 packages of baby wipes and a pack of diapers there free a couple of weeks ago. I regularly get diapers there free, as well as most of our toiletries. I also agree with the poster who mentioned family size. We, too, would love more children, but can't afford to provide for them. I don't want to offend, either, but it's just something to think about in this day and age.
I've written a lot on my blog about our own journey, having been without income for a year (twice) and now living on disability because my husband became progressively too ill to keep a full time job.
I understand where her frustration can be coming from as we were not trained "in school" to be frugal, we were trained to go to work and become good consumers.
However, the journey to being more frugal and stretching money can actually become enjoyable. Especially as one needs to be more creative.
I would also suggest the reader get a doctor's check up. She may be anemic or have developed thyroid problems which made everything such a challenge. Mom must take care of herself or she can't take care of little ones.
I applaud her for asking the question in the first place.
Something that helped me was the www.miserlymoms.com website. She has a list of tried-and-true extremely frugal recipes. I have used many of them and have found that almost all of them are good, and almost all of them are frugal. We are on a tight food budget too, but I have found that it is making me a better cook and a wiser consumer. And I know that if we had not gone through these tough times, that is something I wouldn't have ever learned, so there is a silver lining in this cloud...
Mom sounds tired (understandably so with that many children to care for). My suggestion is to use the buddy system similair to the Duggar family on the Discovery Health channel.
A garden is great and with so much help everyone can pitch in. Bread making can be the same way. Teach some of the older children how to make it and hand over that chore to them.
Delegate so that everyone pitches in and the burden is not all left on Mom. That will free up some of her time and energy to devote to meal planning and sale shopping.
Please have your reader check the local agencies for help. If there is a Wic program or something like that they would get each month milk, juice, cereal and cheese. They really give you quite a bit-- enough that would help stretch their meals.
Also the little ones would be monitored for health.
Also, recently one of the TV programs had a special on checking out dumpster belonging to grocery stores. (it really isn't as bad as it sounds)
They got lots of fresh vegies/fruits, can goods, etc. There is a certain name for it many people are doing it now. Some for saving money, some for the enviroment.
if she has that many children and her husband doesnt work full time, she can definitely get help with state assistance (food stamps, wic, etc...)... also, the food banks are a good source to try ... and while going to the farmers market is good too, with that many children, each one of them should offer to help those people sell and instead of getting money maybe trade their services for food (or half money/half food for their wages)...
there is no reason why those kids cant help out and bring food in... also, if she is in a rural area that have fruit on trees, well they fall off of trees, have the kids offer to pick up the fruit and see if the owners wouldnt give it to them...
my dh came from a rural area and said lots of times people with big families would ask the local farmers to help out and clean the chicken coops or whatever and instead of pay, get food ...
when i was 7 and we were sooo hungry we all did things to help out... i remember raking leaves and shoveling snow and even did a bit of housecleaning to give my mom money to pay for food...
and like the other said, stop paying for diaper wipes, use a small wash cloth and wash it out after each use... and start using cloth diapers... diapers are expensive...
and like jill said, boil some chicken bones or even beef bones and well, soups are a great frugal meal... my mom used to make soup to feed all 5 of us kids with chicken necks... and even today, those neck bones are still like pennies a pound ...
also, my friend goes to a place called harvest time, and its really cheap to shop there too... also, like someone else said angel food ministries and also the share program... plus the local churches might be able to help them out with their food banks...
i would also like to read what the person who is trying to feed their family on $40 or less a week... maybe they can share their ideas with us...
also, on the discovery and tlc channel, they sometimes do shows on huge families and everyone of those families say they spend about $150/week on avg to feed families of 10 or higher... if they have access to the internet they could probably look up some ideas from these large families too...
all of our situations are different but yes WIC is a programs for children under the age of 5 granted you have to go in for check ups and for other things but the benefits you get iun return will be exponential to the time you take out of your day. you may not drive your kids to schoool but that is the most wasteful gas guzzler on the planet I think. That is why there is bus services and the coats that parents buy every year. unless you live in alaskan Tundra honestly no need to drive the kids to school. Food banks food banks food banks. If you do not know wher ethey are Calll up your local catholic church and ask them.even ask your wic tech . Craigslist.org to barter or get for free. freecycle.org for free items. you can give and receive here just sign up for your local group. I know thi sounds nazish but don't keep the tp in the bathroom for the kids to waste or play with. assign 2 sheets per person per visit. make a rule that kids's friends only have water. I also find a lil cheese helps with flavor. as for the food banks, the one closest to me gives a lot of junk food. honestly i don't need two lg bags of chips in my food basket. i need stff like tuna or apple sauce or peanutbutter if i am desperatefor a food box..or even dry milk. instant dry milk xcan be used as a substitute for milk in recipes and stretch your own milk budget. My mother used to take milk and add powdered milk to it to make it more fortified. maybe to evn strecth it out. while i dis like our local save a lot it is an alternative. I shop sometimes at a high end store because Of logistics but I always check their mark down areas first. especiallly for meat. I've gottenn roasts and chickens for mor ethan half price off that is about to expire. as long as you use or freeze right away your ok. saturdays on pbs here locally tehre are a lot of cooking programs and a lot of recipes calll for bechamel sauce(sp) i forgot whats in it but its staples you would have in your home. and real easy to make. its like a thickener and some add a lil cheese and make their own mac n cheese. except fo rthe cheese if you use a lot it is way cheape than box made. My Winco food store aka cub foods ot some of you has some bulk items. i buy my pasta by the lb there its atleast 25 cents cheape rthan buying a bag or a box oif pasta.some stores circulars you can plan your food around. i had a friend that did that religiously so she could affor dthe rent on her apartment.like the other day my safeway has a thing that if they dont have roasted chicken out there between 4-7 you get a coupon for a free roasted chicken the next toime your there. believeme it wa snice the other day to not have to cook and use my free coupon for a free chicken already cooked.I haooened to be ther eowhen i got my coupon with a friend with no intention of shopping there. just a place she was going and we stoppped in. I have some pakistani and Indian friends and those diets and food s when i have dined with them were low in meat and high in lentils and riceand spices. nothing like a goood flavorful meal. I remember one time instead of yogurt or sour cream for my haole pallette they served a cucumber slices to take the edge off the spice heat . i had three slices and that worked fine. although I hate shopping there, walmart is lower on somethings but their variety stinks. might i also siggest homemade alfredo sauce. most recipes ar e simple and much xheaper than the jarred kind. if i'm desperate i will use delmonte italian stewed tomatoes to thicken soups and stews. i'm sure you could us ethe generic brands but this helps me a lot. I know some ppl say younger but any child ove rthe age of 2 should be potty trained. I honestly don't see hwy ppl waste monety on diapers when these kids can learn to use the pottys. even if you have to get one for free off raigslist. Start a coupon sharing group and a clothes sharing group with some friends or neoighbors. or your church group. honestlythis will help. I've seen this where a group of 5-7 women make one meal but enough for the family's of the group . this way you make a cheap but delicious casserole to share with 5-7 other families and then in turn you get 5-7 other meals or casseroles. honey evenif its mostachili. meatless mostachili or baked ziti or something cheap and easy. this solves all the problems and you get variety. I hate cornflakes all the time but they are the cheapest per ounce out there and make great filller for meatloaf and bread crumbs need to be used and any place you need a little crunch. `well those were some of my thoughts to help the poster save.
I was going to suggest the Hillbillyhousewife.com site but see that it has already been suggested, so here is my other tip. Go to angelfoodministries.com and see if they have a pick up site in your area. there you would be able to get enough of the basics meat, potatoes some fruit, and veggies and the occasional dessert for pennies on what you are spending now! There is no criteria to meet. I would also check out some of the other church organizations like angel food there are several I understand I don't know the names right off hand maybe someone on here does. I hope that helps!
while most ofmy suggestions were already mentioned , i do have another ... try to shop at ethnic markets for some items . my local asian market has 25 pound bags of rice for 1.99 . rice can be your BEST friend . a bigm pot of cooked rice with a bag of frozen mixed veggies is darn near a meal in itself . my local mexican market has packs of 50 tortillas for 2.99 . add ANYTHING to it for a burrito . my kids like to warm one & spread peanut butter on it . the pb gets melted . boxed mac & chz (if found for under 10 cents / box) or mac. noodles mixed with a pkt. of gravey mix and a bag of frozen veggies is cheap and filling , and has that comfort fel . good luck hon & know that your in my prayers !
All the suggestions are very good and I know this one has been left too but you should really check out area ministries. Even here in the very rural area we live in, there are food "closets" that anyone can go to and pick up a box or bag full. Check with local churches, Catholic churches do this alot or check your phone book yellow pages. I have been thinking about this dilemma of your for several days and I really cannot stress the importance of making sure your children are eating enough to get the fuel they need for school. I can't help but think that with as little as they are getting, especially nutrition-wise, are they doing poorly in school or have short attentions spans? I realize you may homeschool so this may not be a good idea but you could pick up a little extra money yourself buy babysitting. I homeschool 2 of my kids, have a baby and I babysit a 2year old. It gives me just enough money for groceries, especially on tight weeks. If your kids are all pretty much in school, you could do this. It is hard work, as you know, but it is a few extra dollars and keeps you home too. Again, babysitters are in high demand everywhere. In the couple years that I have been keeping this little girl, I have been offered 5 or 6 more kids by various parents that need sitters, I have only been keeping the 1 child tho because I know that is my limit right now. Hope you can get help for your grocery problems.
Tawra, have you been in contact with this writer any more? I would be interested in knowing if she was able to implement any of our suggestions.
These are all great suggestions. Another source of ideas/inspiration would be to look at 'ethnic' foods - meals eaten by a lot of Asian and Latino immigrants to the US. RICE, if you get it at an Asian grocery store is extremely cheap, and is prized in Asia because it is a calorie-rich, nutritious food, easy to prepare, versatile, and cheap. Buy a really big bag and it'll last quite awhile. DRIED BEANS are a staple in much of the world. Cheap, nutritious when paired with a grain like rice, and very good. I think shopping at Asian grocery stores in general are a good idea. Fresh vegetables are generally much cheaper than what you would get at a nearby grocery store. I don't think most people realize that.
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