One of the great things about The Non-Consumer Advocate is that it has evolved from a traditional blog to a genuine community. There are often conversations between readers within the comments section, that occur without any of my input.
And the conversations on The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook Group? They’re insanely fantastic, sometimes it’s all I can do to a word in edgewise! It’s pretty common for readers to pose questions about sustainability, gardening, simple living, how to get a particular used item or, you guessed it, money issues. And while I’m thinking through how to best answer the question, a dozen or more readers will jump in with really thoughtful answers that knock my socks off. I often get great ideas and inspiration from the group.
But sometimes, a reader will write a question that begs for a larger audience than the 2,728 current members, and I bring that question over to the main blog.
Today is one of those days, so please help Amy, who is asking for ideas on how to get by on a very small income:
I’ve been an on again off again frugal person with more on time than off. Currently I find myself in a situation of almost an impossibly TIGHT budget. I’m talking $100 a month for food and a few necessities for 2 people hopefully that will increase a bit after the first of the year. A little background, It’s just my hubby and I plus pets (2 small dogs and a very old cat) . About 6 years ago hubby was in an accident and suffered a brain injury which left him unable to work. We were doing okay with his WC income and SSD but then the Social Security people said they goofed up the math and overpaid him so for the next 2 years they are withholding his SSD to make up for the overpayment. It’s crazy and it frankly it makes my brain hurt to think about it. Anyway I’m here to learn and to share and maybe we’ll make it through this tight spot in better shape than we entered it.
Here, I’ll start:
Amy, first of all, I’m very sorry to hear about your husband, I can’t even imagine how hard this must be for you. My family has been in situations where our income hardly covered our expenses, (husband in school, me working part time with tiny children) but we always knew it was temporary.
Here are a few ideas to bring your expenses down:
- Stop buying most anything disposable. This means paper towels, paper napkins, plastic silver wear, Kleenex.
- Stop buying drinks when water will do. This means soda, juice, alcohol, and the like. Make coffee and tea at home, and keep a pitcher of tap water in the fridge, so there’s always a cool drink available. Make ice tea from tea bags instead of a mix. And it goes without saying, no bottled water.
- Buy your food wherever is cheapest. This might mean fruit from one store and cereal from another. And certainly say goodbye to any brand loyalty. Buy whatever is on sale that week rather than having a set grocery list that doesn’t waver. This means only buy strawberries in early summer, pears in the fall and asparagus in the spring. Look into ethnic grocery stores, as they often provide great bargains. Also, take a look at dollar stores.
- Eat less meat, and embrace the bean! Dried beans cooked in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker are the best protein bargain in town. Vegetarian chili, lentil soup, black bean burgers, rice and bean burritos and enchiladas are all tasty without sacrifice.
- Study all of your set expenses. Are you paying extra for low deductible home owners insurance or add-ons on your phone line? Call your insurance agent and let them know if you’re driving less and ask about any new discounts. Call all the customer service numbers and negotiate lower rates. I have done this, and it’s easy! If you have a cell phone, then cancel your landline.
- Get to know your library for what they offer beyond books. DVD’s, CD’s, audio books, whatever. And then, (this is important here) return everything on time.
- Take advantage of all the free events that your city or town offers. Concerts, movies, museum nights, readings, lectures, dances performances, etc. There is no reason to sit at home just because you have no money.
- If there’s something that you need, see if any of your friends or family have an extra one. Facebook is great for this. And if it’s something you just need to use rather than own, see if you can borrow it.
But sometimes employing frugal practices is simply not enough, and you need to be bringing in more money, in which case you should consider:
- Selling unused items in your home. It doesn’t have be a priceless object, as unwatched DVD’s, books, electronics, furniture, clothing, video games, sporting equipment and kitchenware can also plump up your bank account. Try Craigslist, as it’s free without the annoyance of shipping. Plus, if your item doesn’t sell, you’re not out any money like if you would be if you’d used eBay.
- Start using Swagbucks for your internet searches. This website gives out points (A.K.A. “Swagbucks”) for searching the web, which can then be used to buy different items, (although I always choose the Amazon gift cards.) You won’t get rich from this, but you might as well earn money something you’d be doing anyway.
- However, be aware that your government benefits may cap the amount of income you can bring in, so be careful here.
Now your turn, What money saving/money earning advice do you have for Amy to help her through this difficult period of her life? Please share your ideas in the comments section below.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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Like others have said go grocery shopping with a list but I would also add go only once a month! My husband and I went from $300 a month to around $175 for groceries. Probably just eliminating a lot of impulse purchases.
Clean your house with vinegar and ammonia instead of commercial cleaning products (google for uses and recipes).
Last but not least, around where I live there’s a program where you can get a fresh food box just for a few hours of volunteering a month. For the life of me I can’t think of what it’s call but I know it’s out there!
I shop completely differently than you. I buy what I need as I need it. That way I can buy one tomato and one avocado for the meals that I’m preparing. (Can you tell it was burrito night at my house?) However, I can walk to my grocery store. Also, if I buy treats, they are immediately
inhaled by the teenage tribeeaten, so it’s better to buy them a bit at a time. And when I have less in the fridge, I use it up and am less likely to waste it.Katy
Oy – teenagers! You are so right about this one! I have also taken to stopping by the grocery store several times a week (always when it is on the way to something else, of course) – mostly to buy the items I know will disappear instantaneously once spotted by my 4 teens/tweens. But I came up with a good way to outsmart even the most dedicated of teenaged food hunters. My husband likes to have a few pieces of chocolate at the end of his day, but it for years it kept on “mysteriously vanishing” despite repeated threats/requests/posted notices, etc. So now I wrap the contraband items in aluminum foil (re-used, of course), put them in a ziplock bag, write “Roast Pork Loin Leftovers” or “Bones for Stock” on the outside, and store them in the freezer or fridge. My husband enjoys his chocolate every evening, and the kids have NO FREAKING CLUE. Hahahhaha! Parents-1. Teens-0.
Two more ideas:
If you have the time and there’s a rescue group in your area, perhaps you could volunteer occasionally in exchange for food/supplies? Our pets are adopted from a rescue, and after my husband did a little volunteer design work for them, the organization’s leaders were more than generous with food (that we didn’t ask for) as a thank you for his service.
If you have any clothes that you aren’t wearing that are in good shape (children’s or adult’s), find a resale shop in your area. Not a consignment store that pays you when the item sells, but a place that pays you upfront. Plato’s Closet is a national chain, but most sizable cities have local options.
With both the cat and the dogs, if they do end up having tummy trouble from changes in food, adding a small scoop of pure pumpkin from a can (not the kind with spices in it) to their food can help out tremendously. I work at a local pet supply store that sells the very high grade foods, and our owner recommends using pumpkin to people for their pets all the time.
Speaking of pumpkin:
Look for free food. A pumpkin after Halloween is trash to everyone else, but to the thrifty person, it is free food. When you see one by the curb, pick it up, bake it, scoop the pulp, and freeze. The seeds are good for roasting, too. I usually post on Facebook after Halloween that I’ll take any reject pumpkins from people who live nearby. You can also eat dandelions from places that aren’t sprayed, and I’m definitely not too proud to stick my head into a grocery store Dumpster to see what food they’re throwing away–if you can find a good one that produces consistently, you could practically never buy food again. And you’d be amazed by how good some of the things that end up in the Dumpster are.
I am so sorry to her you are going through this hard time right now. I don’t know if you have a close out grocery store in your area. We had a new one open up by our home last year and it has really helped me to stretch our grocery budget. I get most of my fruits and vegetables at his store along with other food items at good prices. So you may want to check to see if you have one in our area. I also buy basic ingredients and cook from scratch.
The suggestion on not buying paper products is a good suggestion. I recently starting using rags made from cut up t-shirts instead of paper towels and this has saved us each month. We also switched to cloth napkins.
We also saw a savings in our electric bill by unplugging appliances when not I use. We use the power strips to turn them off but you could just unplug them at the wall if you don’t have power strips. I think we noticed a savings of $6-7 a month with just 5 items unplugged.
Local Food Bank! Sometimes you may feel terrible to ask for a helping hand but remember that’s what it’s there for.. TO HELP those that need it. If you have the time and want to volunteer at the local food bank then by all means do so and that way when you need that ” help” from them you will feel like you contributed. If you can’t give the time then don’t worry about it. Don’t feel bad about needing help. The foodbank (volunteers) won’t judge you. They genuinely care. Use it, my friend. It can help offset your grocery needs greatly and along with being frugal in what you purchase it may just get you through this very rough time.(along with determination).
I love this post, Katy! Everyone needs to know that they can face a financial crisi at any time, but survive it. We had one a year and a half ago when my husband was laid off, but thankfully he found work again quickly. While in transition, though, we employed all of your tactics, as well as going over our fixed expenses. I managed to get a better deal with our phones, Internet, house and car insurance. It only took a phone call and asking for a better rate or package in each case.
Also, we started gardening and it has made a huge difference. It’s not something immediate, but if the financial crunch is going to be going on for a while, the long term payoff is large.
We love our library – great free entertainment. And the free concerts in the park make a nice night out, especially with some home baked treats and a thermos of tea or coffee to take along.
And that should be the moral of this story Heidi; ANYONE can face financial difficulties at any time, for any reason but…you can definitely recover from it!
And communities like this are a big help as people share their stories and let others know they are not alone
Use homemade cleaners. Barter talents.
i certainly would file an appeal to their decision; i did that with my dad when they tried the same thing and won; see if there’s a hardship clause on whatever type of assistance this is – 99% of those programs will not totally cut off benefits due to their mistake
I second this opinion. I’d also look for a disability attorney to represent you as it increases your odds of having a successful appeal. Some disability attorneys will handle a case for no money upfront if they think you’ll be successful, and accept a percentage of the money awarded as payment. If you plan to file an appeal, the sooner the better, as the settlement may be paid retroactively to the filing date.
You don’t mention anything about your income. I suggest that the answer to your problem is making sure the thou are earning enough. It’s not unrealistic that a family of two should be able to survive off of one income plus the reduced disability assistance.
The thou? What the heck?!? Ha ha, obviously I meant “that you.”
S’alright. It comes off as Elizabethan frugality advice, which can be a brand new trend!
Katy
Combine shopping trips when ever possible. I’m amazed at how many people will run to the store every day not realizing the extra gas consumption. Also really think about every purchase you make. Ask yourself why you feel the need or want to buy it. If you are truly honest with yourself you will begin to see yourself in a whole new light.
as you don’t say if you are working, i will assume not. perhaps you are needed to care for dh. be aware that sometimes spouses and relatives can be paid tocare for a relative. check with your county services. also consider doing something at home to earn money. daycare, perhaps, or something that utilizes skills you have. when my 3 kids were little and one income was not enough to allow me to stay home with them, i used my sewing skills to develop an alterations business and eventually learned custom sewing as well. along the way i did some daycare and became a foster parent to 2 girls. as we had a small acrage, we sold lamb every fall, pumpkins for halloween, and eggs from our hens. it wasn’t that i wanted these particular jobs, rather that it allowed me the most important thing–to be present for my
kids. most of these “jobs” were seasonal, not full time, but together they made enough $ to meet our needs.
another, perhaps needed choice is a second job, if you have a primary one, for the duration of the income decrease.
good luck to you.
Check out this website: http://theprudenthomemaker.com/. She has some really great ideas there. We are beyond tight and it is amazing how far you can learn to stretch a dollar if you need to. Groceries is probably the easiest place you can cut back on. I’ve learned to make a lot of things I would have bought before: bread, yogurt, granola, pretty much homemade anything. I buy extras of things when they are rock bottom prices. We have a garden. And do accept help when offered. My dad has a brain injury — that is a tough one that not many people understand. I can feel for you!
Amazing website. Thanks for posting it!
Check your local food bank. I’m in the Phoenix area, and St. Mary’s food bank has a cash-and-carry store that will get you discounted groceries if you don’t qualify for the free boxes. Also check for local food gleaning organizations. In Arizona we have a group called the 3000 Club that operates Market on the Move events – they buy produce from distributors that wasn’t sold to stores and is close to going off, then sell it at their events for $10 for 60 pounds. Sure, you have to toss some of it, but if you process it right away, you have low-cost produce in your freezer or pantry. Good luck!
One of my favorite Oregonian articles from a few years ago, where food writer Leslie Cole went food shopping with a food stamp benefit recipient:
http://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/index.ssf/2010/02/thin_budget_smart_choices.html
It’s an awesome article, and I only just remembered it today.
Katy
If you have Internet at home, you can call the company and find out about lower service tiers. They don’t usually advertise these, but for example we have Time Warner and the advertised Internet price is close to $50 per month, but you can pay less $ for less bandwith. We pay $30 and it is still plenty fast enough for me, and that includes watching Netflix.
Speaking of which, we got rid of TV service and just have Netflix streaming. We also get movies from the Library
Consider switching your cell phone from a major carrier to a pre-paid carrier such as Smart Talk, Virgin, or Page Plus. They actually have really good deals.
I’m not very good at cutting back on the grocery bill (I’m not much of a cook), so I look for other little things to cut back on.
Maren is right. I used to call up Comcast and threaten to leave, and they dropped $10 off my bill for 6 months. It means you have to keep calling back and doing that. Or, you can talk to them about slow bandwidth. I forget how much cheaper that was for us, but my gamer husband doesn’t notice the change in speed. I have found it is still faster than my folk’s DSL.
I’ve got four suggestions:
1. If you cut your internet to save on that expense, you can still get internet access through your local public library.
2. Check out Mr. Money Mustache (mrmoneymustache.com) for ideas on how to save on utilities and fuel expenses (among other things).
3. Purchase gift cards for different stores at a discount using plasticjungle.com and giftcardgranny.com. Shipping is free and they offer discounts anywhere from 2% up to 15% on a variety of gift cards. This is an easy to way to get more bang for your buck. Availability of gift cards depends on their inventory, but we regularly get gift cards for Lowe’s, PetSmart, Target, CVS and Walmart.
4. To get free toiletries, follow iheartcvs.com and iheartwags.com. They show you how to shop combining coupons and store rewards to snag toiletries and some grocery items for FREE.
The Cheapskate Cook (http://thecheapskatecook.com/) is another great resource about how to feed yourself and your family well on a very small budget. She and her husband went through a phase where $20 was all they had each week for groceries so she knows how to eat cheaply.
Ditching the car was super helpful for me and my husband. Where I work, parking is not free so between gas, paying for parking, and electricity to warm up the engine (I live in AK) we realized that walking to work rather than driving saves us about $500 per year. You might not have that option, but if you do it’s well worth it.
As for your pets, and this is tricky, how much do you feed them? Many people over-feed their pets and they’re obese. This means that they need more vet trips and shorter lifespans for the pets. It’s hard to trim portions (my cocker spaniel would weigh 80 pounds if I let her eat everything she wants!) but it is often in your pet’s best interest. Obviously I’m not suggesting that you starve your pets, but check online to see how much food they really need. It adds up when you only have to buy food once every 3 months instead of every other month.
I also supplement my dog’s food with easily digestible leftovers. If we make too many noodles for a dish, the extras go in the dog’s food. See which vegetables are ok for dogs and if you’re not going to eat them, don’t throw them out. Also, bone-in roasts have a dog treat built right in. They’ll get all the marrow which hasn’t been cooked out.
If you have family that fish, or just eat fish regularly, we give our dog salmon skins and the rubbery leftovers. It might be worth asking around to see if your family and friends might have food which otherwise might go to waste and see if they’d be willing to save it for your pets.
Lentils and beans and rice. Raised my son on these when we had VERY little income and many debts. And Of course, spaghetti and other pasta meals. Buy in bulk not tiny bags.
Low cost veggies: carrots,celery, apples, in season produce.. shop the “ready to go out of date “counter. then don’t waste! Almost -done apples make a great waldorf salad with celery and raisins.
Co housing? A dramatic thing but getting someone to share the rent could bring in extra dollars and even new friends. Check out Diamondcut Life blog. They almost always have a housing partner live with them.
Join a church, and when there, make new friends, use any of the social services they often offer: free counseling, food boxes, and VOLUNTEER in some of their programs– it’ll make you feel a little better overall no matter what your situation. Developing a spiritual side (if you aren’t already connected to a faith community) is sometimes really helpful in times of stress,too. (not to be preachy,goddess knows I am an earth- religion person myself..not traditional, but SPIRIT helps!)
Read inspirational stuff like WAYNE DYER’S books..free from the library of course.I find him very soothing and he has good practical ideas too.
Stay healthy!! WALK every day (free. ) Get enough sunshine (I hope you don’t live in the Northwest??) Well, get outdoors as often as you can!
Make soups out of scraps of bones and veggie trimmings.
Make homemade bread vs. the stuff int he grocery.
See if you can get PET FOOD SAMPLES from your vet????
APPEAL the government decision?? I guess you probably already tried that? What they did seems unconscionable!!!!!!!! Are there more government resources?Food stamps? etc. Don’t be shy. This will pass and you’ll turn it around!!
GOOD LUCK!!!!!
Sign up for community food boxes, outreach programs, etc. Don’t be afraid to take help when you need it–someday you WILL be in a position to give back!
GROW a simple veggie garden?
This is harsh: Give UP the internet ??? I pay $55 a month and I could really just use it when I am at the library for free. We even have a coffee shop here with some funky old computers.If you buy a dollar cup of coffee you can use the internet on their computer.If you only went twice a week that would be $8.00 The internet is fun but expensive. And I did live without it for MANY years!
I didn’t read all the comments so I apologize if this is a repeat, but I just made over $500 by having a yardsale. Signs at craigslist are free advertising. Also, my neighbors donated items to my cause, since they know I have been out of work. Many people you know may have items they want to get rid of but they just can’t get around to it, and it all adds up to more $ for you at a yardsale. Hope this helps. We’re continuing to have yardsales every weekend in Sept. I hope things get better for you soon.
Ok these tips sound weird, but I am cooking with one of them now. When you cut, peel, slice, your vegies, stick those scraps in the freezer. Boil them up, strain them, and add that vegie broth to your lentil and other soups. We also save the water from boiling hot dogs, follow the Bisquick recipe for drop biscuits, and drop those in for dumplings in your boiling hotdog soup water. Those 99 cent hot dogs have carried us thru two dinners that way. Boil chicken and save that broth for future soups. As a treat, we pour broth over our dog’s food. We add a little minced garlic to our soups to help keep colds away.
I’ve been reading about folks gleaning fields after the harvest—with the farmers permission of course. Closer to home lots of people have apple or walnut trees with no interest in gathering the fruit or nuts. It never hurts to ask! I have a couple of neighbors with fruit trees who have happily allowed me to clean their yards of fallen apples which I then used to make applesauce.
Amy, I’m not sure if this would be an option for you, but when I first got out of school and had a very low paying job, I moonlighted as a server for a catering company 3-4 times month. The hourly rate was small, but at the end of the event the owner of the catering company would divvy up the leftovers between the servers and let us take them home. I used that food to supplement my very meager food budget for a couple of years and it was a huge help. Just a thought.
You could look for opportunities for urban gleaning. Blackberries are peaking here in the NW and are everywhere. We pick at the local school, at the bus stop, and the patch behind our house. By mid-month I’ll have about 25 quarts of frozen blackberries in the freezer. Also, the day after Halloween, I can often find pumpkins for free at the grocery store, and mid-November, I can get pumpkins and winter squash for free at the local nursery and holiday decor shop — as they move out the fall decor and move in the Christmas. I
ll take these home and cook up and freeze.
Yes, try to appeal the SS decision. And follow up on caregiver resources as emmer suggests.
Soup, soup and soup. That’s been the best way for me to stretch my food. You can always add some water, broth, tomato juice or tomato sauce and stretch it a bit more. (And beans as many people mention above.)
The Half Principle. We become accustomed to using set amounts of resources, in my case cleaning supplies. So every once and a while I try halfing my autopilot consumption: one pump of liquid dish soap instead of two, half as much shampoo, etc. and see if I can do the job with less. Usually, I can and then you build a new habit. Just taking a new look at the little things we don’t think about can help some of our resources last longer.
Alternate income. You mention owning dogs (and a cat). Could you dogwalk or dogsit for people? I have a friend who cares for dogs when their owners travel. She calls it kenneling, but it’s really more informal than that; the dogs just stay at her house, with her own dogs, and she cares for them as her own. Just be sure to charge a rate that covers your time and dog food. If that wouldn’t work for you, what might be some things that could? Laundry for a busy neighbor? Lawn mowing? Be creative.
Good luck, Amy! We’ll be thinking good thoughts for you. You can do it!
And, this suggestion doesn’t help Amy now, but I think this is an excellent example for those of us who are “doing okay” or “getting by” to save even the smallest amounts of money routinely for when (not if) our rainy days come.
Lili- yes to urban gleaning. There are so many fruit trees in my city that just drop and rot food. I wish there were more groups like CityFruit and SolidGround bringing this food to food banks.
Call you local county/state for energy assistance programs for your heating and electric bills. These departments often have other information about assistance for other areas in your life. We have all paid taxes, sometimes it’s good to see the personal benefits from those programs. Ask your county about opportunities for assistance.
I just joined so this may have been posted earlier (I hope Amy sees this-I couldn’t figure out how to commnt on the FB page). Since Social Security is a federal program, I would suggest she call her US Congressperson or Senator’s Office and ask to speak to a Constituent Services Director or someone who handles constituent matters. Explain the stn and ask for their assistance (sometimes they can get through beauracracies easier than the public). I don’t know the policy but this seems wrong to penalize you for their mistake. Also, I live in the Houston area and there are a couple of free legal aid groups. If you don’t have one in your area, call the one in Houston (or one that you can find) and they can prob. give you some suggestions. Good luck.
Try to walk/bus more. If you need something, check to see if freecyle has it or become involved with neighborhood goods (sharing website). Good luck!
I like the site Real Cheap Food. I got a laugh from Kate in NY’s post. My sister has “turnips” at her house, I have “liver”, she has never served turnips and I have never served liver. I also stash a “cold, hard, cash” emergency fund. Its marked “mint”.
I make yogurt from The Frugal Girl site. I grab milk that has been discounted because it is close to expiry, for $2.50/four liters instead of the regular $4.99 and make just over a gallon of yogurt. The tubs containing half a liter (2c) of yogurt sell for more than I pay for the whole batch. Being at the store within the first hour of opening improves your chances of snagging the best discounts. When I am really lucky I get enough discounted milk to freeze – with LOTS of headspace to avoid broken jars – in recipe size quantities so I can make a cream of some leftover frozen vegetable soup and biscuits when my budget is frowning.
I don’t know what state you live in, but in IL, when SSA makes an overpayment they aren’t allowed to cut your SSI by more than 10%, if your husband is receiving SSDI then they will cut the entire check. For either one though, there is an appeal plan. You can fight. I work with the severely mentally ill, many of them receive SSI or SSDI or a combination of the two. Follow up with SSA as often as possible. File an appeal, if it’s denied file another one. Go into your local office ask for assistance. Eventually you will get somewhere. Persistence will pay off.
I rarely buy full price meat anymore. I have a Fred Meyers and Safeway within one mile of my house, and both have a clearance counter for meat. The meat is usually 30-50% off. Being clearance, you either have to eat it right away, or freeze it. But like if there is sausage or thin cut pork chops, I know I have recipes for and always snatch it up. Sometimes, we even find things like scallops, or marinated kabobs or something. We don’t always buy meat, as we will only get stuff we know we will eventually eat. Oh, these areas are usually stocked up in the morning by staff, and so it is pretty picked over if you get there in the evening.
Both stores also have other clearance areas. You just have to know what and where. Both have areas for general groceries: off brand cereals, tea, vitamins, and even things like matso ball soup make it over there. One has clearance for breads, and you can get cupcakes, french bread, and other stuff, and sometimes you need older crustier bread for things like bread pudding. One has some clearance bagged lettuce and marinated mushrooms. The other has a clearance area for some of the “deli” like stuff, including prepackaged potato salads and packaged deli meats and cheeses. I also find fresh stuffed pasta there, which I grab and use with clearance sausage to make soup.
Oh, and Safeway sometimes runs $8.99 coupon for Asian deli food for 2 (more like dinner and lunch for two of us). We have found that if you buy it within half an hour of the deli closing for the evening, they pill pile it on higher rather than toss it out at the end of the day.
From Amy:
“Hi Everyone! I just want to say Thank You for everything. Its really nice to know that we aren’t alone, that there are people who care.
Thank You!”
I once had a problem with a social security overpayment. I did not have to pay it back because I appealed on the basis that
1. It was not my fault that I had been over payed.
2. Repaying the overpayment would cause me undue hardship.
I won the appeal and did not have to repay social security.
Also, I live on $100 a month for food by making a huge pot of soup once a month called a grain, a green and a bean. I add one chicken to the pot. I freeze it in yogurt containers in the freezer. Each time I take out a container I add anything else I have laying around to the soup from free food I pick up at the church once a month and also from the Salvation Army once a month. That plus my delicious daily oatmeal made with free donated oats and powdered milk every morning get me by.
I liked your suggestions as well.
Hugs,
Linda in California
You have been given some great advice so far!
Don’t give up; my family of 9 eats for $100 a month. You can certainly make it work.
I’ve got recipe and 4 1/2 months of menus that you can use. The 1/2 month is strictly pantry meals that you can make with what you have just sitting in your pantry, so if you don’t have money to go shopping this month, you can start there.
Don’t plan to buy meat early in the month – usually expensive cuts are “on sale” at the beginning of the month – things like T-Bone steak. Stock up on dry rice an beans early on, then round out with inexpensive meat purchases toward the end of month.
I have not seen anyone mention another program that you can use to get gift cards or paypal money like Swagbucks does…It is called My Points and is a tool bar search program and they send email ads and some surveys …The ads are click through and earn points with many of them being no purchase to get the points, just click through and let the page pop up..Thats all…You might want to check it out…
Just wanted to share my thanks for the black bean burger recipe. A huge hit in my house this weekend! We plan to make them a house staple.
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