Ask:
Here's the situation!!
I just had a baby. I havent worked since February and I am not able to go back until June 1st. Everything has been fine money wise until the military messed up DH'S orders and for some reason he is only getting HALF pay check today. That would even be ok except his truck BROKE!! (WHAT LUCK!)So we are using every bit of the money to pay bills, and maybe have $100 dollars for food this week. AND WE NEED GROCERIES!! this house is empty. I have a lot of pasta on hand, mac n cheese, canned veggies, etc. just no meat really..
I need some ideas on how to stretch the money. We dont have an aldis or anything here. A sams club and a walmart are about it. any tips??
Answer:
I discovered at Walmart if you buy the Hamburger in the the HUGE 5.5 package, you are only paying 1.89 lb! I would go grab one of those, portion it out, and you will have meat to stretch out those other things you mentioned for quite a while!
Answer:
Don't freak out is the first tip I have- we have been in this situation many times before! This is exactly what I do:
1) go through all your pantries, freezer and fridge to see exactly what you have to make a meal right on the spot and figure out what you will need to get you through to the next pay.
2) sit down and plan a menu (with what you have on hand) until the next time your DH gets paid (my dh is every 2 weeks so I plan a 2 week menu)- if you can, try to have a few meatless dinners and try to use up any leftovers. Leave a blank space for the days you don't have food for.
3) Write a grocery list and stick to it! Put on it anything that you know you will need (BTW- my children are huge milk drinks so I try to save at least $12 to cover milk throughout the 2 week period) and I try to find family pack size of things so I can seperate them and make more meals out of them. I also but things that can serve multiple uses- like bisquick- it can make pancakes for supper and biscuits for another. Remember to use any coupons for what you may need- if not buy the cheaper store brand.
It may seem like you might be eating unhealthy- but at least you are able to eat (that is what I think when I have chicken nuggets and home made french fries when money is tight!). I think I heard of a website called Hillbilly Housewife that gives you a grocery list and recipes for whatever amount of money you have and provides a menu- that may give you some money saving ideas! HTH!
Answer:
Curious.. Is this $100 just for one week's groceries or for an entire month's worth?
Check out to stretch your food. $50 worth of food for $25 and the is pretty good. I'm not sure where you are, but there is likely a host site near you - check under the "Host Sites" tab to find out.
Some other things that stretch the grocery budget here are:
Calzones - bread dough (frozen or homemade) with various veggies, meats, etc inside them; just use whatever you have on hand.
Soup - it may be getting warmer outside, but if you have a crockpot, soup is perfect for budgets.
Super cheap cuts of beef - use the crockpot and cook them ALL DAY to make them super tender.
Oatmeal for breakfast - a container is only a couple bucks, fills you up and lasts FOREVER.
ask around for coupons - you may not get things free, but 50 cents off here and 35 cents off there makes a difference when you're on a budget.. every penny counts.
*A tip for Sam's Club - go into the store frequently to check for marked-down prices on meat. My MIL gets meat that's marked down b'c it's the last day it can be sold; it either has to be eaten or frozen by that day. She saves a lot of money that way. If there isn't anything there, ask one of the associates at the meat counter if they ever have anything like that. No harm in asking, right?
The other thing I use is Kraftfoods.com - they have a great site (under "dinner") that you can plug in random ingredients and it'll pull up whatever recipes they have that use those. (this is great for the things you get in the AngelFood box)
Make some treats to snack on throughout the day so you aren't so dependent on one meal being just your sustenance. Have popcorn for a nightly snack, for example. Or oatmeal cookies and milk. Fruit fills you up longer and better than a bag of chips, for less or the same price. (see how long $3 worth of fruit will last in comparison to a bag of Doritos)
Best of luck - you can do this!
Oh, yea, BTW, do you qualify for WIC? That brings in over $50 worth of milk, cheese, eggs, PB, cereal, juice for us each month.. HUGE SAVINGS!
Answer:
If you have alot of pasta, you really do not even need meat. I buy very little meat. I agree with the previous poster. Just go through and make a list of all the meals you can make with what you have on hand!
Answer:
Thanks everyone!! We do not qualify for wic or any other help, but thats ok because this is SUPPOSED TO BE the only time this half paycheck will happen. The 100 dollars is for a week-week and a half's supply of groceries. we dont have an angel food ministries nearby either... But I am going to plan my menu and use up the pasta and such that i have.
Answer:
Try kraftfoods.com. Type in an item you have in your pantry and recipes with that ingredient will pop up. Canned tuna is usally cheap and I've added that to mac and cheese along with peas. Hamburger Helper is another cheap meal. Breakfast items for supper: eggs, pancakes, french toast, bacon, etc.
Remember Walmart will price match other ads.
I've heard of people using powdered milk in baking or other recipes.
Do you have a Wonder Bread outlet near you? I highly recommend them to stock up on bread, buns, etc.