If you are working and too BROKE to buy groceries PLEASE READ THIS

I "get it" its really hard out there to just make it these days I too was a working mother with 3 kids and came home exhausted.. had to feed everybody.. get them ready for bed, do homework, errands to run.. so we ran out or called in for "fast food" THIS is why we were BROKE... here are some EASY IDEAS that almost anyone can do!!!

1) get out your CROCK POT and have food prepared the night before put in fridge.. before you leave for work. turn crock pot on and a nice hot meal will be waiting for family

2) neighbor "cook and share" have a friend or relative cook for you during week extra portions....you cook for them when its your turn! (think friends from church? neighbors? friends that live close?)

3) one of my favorites! "cook ahead meals".. ZIP LOCK FREEZER BAGS ARE YOUR FRIENDS!!!!!
When you do cook on the weekends large meals.. chilies, soups, spaghetti, meatloaf??? what ever.. make a double or triple batch and let it cool.. store in freezer bags or plastic tubs in the fridge... when its time to eat on a busy night.. have a few freezer meals on thaw in the fridge on busy weeks.. just reheat in oven or stove for a hot meal!

4) save all fridge scraps for refrigerator soups,,,, save any bones/skin/fat from meat (chicken beef pork) in a zip lock bag for the week.... one night... warm up meat scraps and remove fat/skin bones.. Add your fridge leftovers.. MMMMMMMM good... no 2 batches are ever the same. cheap and easy!

5) eat cereals or "breakfast foods" some nights for a fast treat (scrambled egg tacos?) fast and easy

6) Grow a patio garden or small back yard container garden.. ANYONE ANYONE... CAN GROW TOMATOES AND LETTUCE ON THEIR PATIO.. Some companies even make indoor table light gardens.. fresh food is cheap and easy

What ideas do you have.. please post ideas for busy people that are too broke to cook....what are your BEST ideas???

Grew up too poor to order food. We had food for about 3 days every month, then 2 weeks of slim pickin's and the last week of the month was pretty much nothing but water tainted with sulfur and iron. What I'm saying is, starve...you'll survive.

reply to post by bluestar.ranch

I "get it" its really hard out there to just make it these days I too was a working mother with 3 kids and came home exhausted.. had to feed everybody.. get them ready for bed, do homework, errands to run.. so we ran out or called in for "fast food" THIS is why we were BROKE... here are some EASY IDEAS that almost anyone can do!!! 1) get out your CROCK POT and have food prepared the night before put in fridge.. before you leave for work. turn crock pot on and a nice hot meal will be waiting for family 2) neighbor "cook and share" have a friend or relative cook for you during week extra portions....you cook for them when its your turn! (think friends from church? neighbors? friends that live close?) 3) one of my favorites! "cook ahead meals".. ZIP LOCK FREEZER BAGS ARE YOUR FRIENDS!!!!! When you do cook on the weekends large meals.. chilies, soups, spaghetti, meatloaf??? what ever.. make a double or triple batch and let it cool.. store in freezer bags or plastic tubs in the fridge... when its time to eat on a busy night.. have a few freezer meals on thaw in the fridge on busy weeks.. just reheat in oven or stove for a hot meal! 4) save all fridge scraps for refrigerator soups,,,, save any bones/skin/fat from meat (chicken beef pork) in a zip lock bag for the week.... one night... warm up meat scraps and remove fat/skin bones.. Add your fridge leftovers.. MMMMMMMM good... no 2 batches are ever the same. cheap and easy! 5) eat cereals or "breakfast foods" some nights for a fast treat (scrambled egg tacos?) fast and easy 6) Grow a patio garden or small back yard container garden.. ANYONE ANYONE... CAN GROW TOMATOES AND LETTUCE ON THEIR PATIO.. Some companies even make indoor table light gardens.. fresh food is cheap and easy

so many things I could say here...but I guess it's not the type of topic to discuss, critically.

Anyway...thanks for the advice.

I will however try to refrain myself from producing offspring I can not feed or provide for in a normal manner. Guess I'm an ugly human being for being calculated about having kids.


by the way...want to ask you a question...since you say you were too tired...doing all the chores and working and dealing with kids...do you have time to grow a garden or prepare meals the day before ? But isn't that the reason why you ordered out too much, cos you were too tired to prepare it yourself?

That's usually my motive in ordering out...lack of will to cook something myself...or lack of time to do it.

Anyway...good luck.

Coupons! My wife saves allot of money by cutting coupons and shopping where the sales are.

And, number 3 is my favorite as well. I do that all the time with soup, chili, spaghetti sauce, lasagna, etc. Big time saver.

Originally posted by zonetripper2065
Grew up too poor to order food. We had food for about 3 days every month, then 2 weeks of slim pickin's and the last week of the month was pretty much nothing but water tainted with sulfur and iron. What I'm saying is, starve...you'll survive.

edit on 13-5-2013 by zonetripper2065 because: (no reason given)

You say that now, but we all saw the tunnels you had under your bunkers, with the coffee pot radio and the secret entrances and exits for the allied forces...

but *taps nose* I see nothink.. I seee notink!!!



noodles... rice... stock cubes..

food or at least it smells like it!

reply to post by MarioOnTheFly

Wow... I don't quite know what to say to that level of compassion. Not everyone who has kids, has the good life for all 18 years of raising them? Perhaps not having offspring..regardless of your financial position, may be a good idea. I'd hate to think that level of coldness is spread. Darwin would be horrified.


@Op

Thanks for the thread and the idea! My wife just got a nice crock pot here recently after talking me into it and I wish we'd done it much sooner. A garden doesn't work for us, but it sure does allow for cooking a very nice meal for a fraction of eating out and with creativity which isn't very realistic without it.

I can share something that helped us both through tough times when we'd first met. It's a 'starving student' menu option, but it worked for us. Good old Ramen noodles

We used to look forward to a couple packages of those with bread and spaghetti sauce. Oh, not the little flavor blocks that come with them. Yick. They formed the noodle base for a budget pot of spaghetti though and it was real good stuff. Maybe it was the also the times and care put into making it that made the difference.....but while I know I've heard people laugh at the idea of eating them, as if second hand food....I look over at our supply shelves and see a few cases of them with Prego sauce line up next to them, today.

Old habits and fall backs die hard, eh? ...and you're right. Times are pretty tough for a good % of the nation right now. Times I don't think many of us thought we'd see come quite like this, at this point in life. Falling back to the basics is a good thing to recall about now, isn't it?

* Oh... and what we still enjoy today. Never underestimate the humble potato. An ingredient with a hundred uses and the center for many a meal!


So who else has some ideas? Lets keep it going!

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


yes thank you rabbit.

I already anticipated such a response by

Guess I'm an ugly human being for being calculated about having kids.

Shop smart. Limited resources can be stretched quite a bit by doing the following:

1) Make new shopping habits. To get the most food for the least money, you're going to have to make an effort. That means that the days of just going to your favorite store are over. To stretch ones dollar, one needs to be wiling to utilize all options. In a small town this may not be possible. But in most cities or suburbs there will be a handful of places to shop - all close enough together to mitigate the worries of fuel costs.
2) Learn the coupon / specials policies of all local grocery stores. Some stores offer double coupons on certain days. Others have really good "buy one get one" programs. Master couponing and knowing which stores run what offers. Plan shopping trips around such things.
3) Do NOT shop hungry. Eat before shopping. Yes, it's a drag and one never has much energy on a full stomach. But one also doesn't tend to impulse buy or cater to cravings when full either.
4) Abandon brand name loyalty. We all have favored brands that we consider important to our happiness. But the truth is that there are probably alternatives available that are of the same quality but which may apply to coupons or BOGO offers. Keep quality loyalty in mind, but seek to find the best deal for that quality.
5) Expand your food storage areas and buy dry and canned goods in quantity when you find them at an amazing price. Stocking up on staples when things are cheap will definitely help in the big picture.
6) Learn to include alternative proteins into your diet. Meat is high these days. Cutting back on meat portions and augmenting with beans, for example, can shave a fair amount from a food budget each week.

For the record, portion control is the primary way that restaurants control their food costs. Most people in the western world are overfed to begin with. Finding a balance to portions as well as balancing out the processed, sugary, and meats in ones diet is not only financially sound advice, it's also healthy.

reply to post by winofiend


Your a good man Schultz.

This one time I found a box of corn muffin mix laying flat on the top shelf out of my normal line of site, thought I hit a jackpot but upon further inspection it was expired by 2 years, clumpy and had bugs in it. Tried to eat it anyway but damn it tasted like a musty basement smells.

There is more than one way to skin a cat. Get a fishing license, catch squirrels with rat traps and peanut butter. Think outside of the box. There is plenty of food around.

Cool post and good ideas. I remember while I was studying, in my final six months was quite difficult, close enough to be independent from my parents but not close enough to take take of myself... needless to say I ate a LOT of potatoes...

Next month I want to try buying chicken breasts and fish in bulk, gonna be my healthy dry month, with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cucumber as a side dish. it should work out surprisingly affordable.

This might not be for everyone, but it does produce food in about one week. iPlant Sprouter Garden
You would have to get a decent stock of seeds to sprout in it, but it is worth it. We grow bean, radish, alfalfa sprouts and are experimenting with Wheat Grass. So far it sprouts a large range of seeds. After about one week, the sprouts start to mold though, so you may have to watch it and harvest and/or transplant the sprouts for further growth or consumption.

Also, invest in a pressure cooker and canning supplies. Buying produce with in season and then using those in canning recipes or even storing them in a deep freezer until use could cut down on food bills. Supplementing your car with a bicycle or even an adult tricycle could cut back on gas.

Yes, I know some of these require out of pocket money in the beginning, however, the cost down the road is worth it.

Just on the sprouter alone, you can buy more seeds then you can the finished growing plant. Canning allows for non-refrigerated food that can last for at least 1-year when done right.

personal online library of canning

pickyourown.org - wonderful resource for growing and preserving

reply to post by bluestar.ranch


By your post I dont think your really qualified to tell broke people how to spread a dollar. Sounds more like your problem was time to cook. Fast food is expensive so it doesnt make sense to tell others with less money than you how they can eat on the cheap. I eat one meal a day lately but I cant complain because I cant get a job for another four months.
Look buy rice and noodles there your friend. Buy meat that hasnt already been cut and cut it your self. Beans are pretty good to after a day in the crock pot with some cornbread. Gardens dont work were I live the clay kills the plants and the neighbors are just as broke as we are.

reply to post by Hefficide

For the record, portion control is the primary way that restaurants control their food costs. Most people in the western world are overfed to begin with. Finding a balance to portions as well as balancing out the processed, sugary, and meats in ones diet is not only financially sound advice, it's also healthy.

Awww... You mean to say the rest of the world doesn't belly up to an all you can eat buffet like piggies to the feeding trough at their local Golden Coral or Pizza place? lol... (I've had some international folks tell me it's such a foreign concept to them, elsewhere, it's almost obscene to see what a "dinner out" can be here).

If there's one important thing I think is lost about American attitudes toward food, since you mention it? It's that we eat, for whatever reason, out of a sense of clock time or the "need" to, without actually feeling any physical hunger to support it. I'm as bad as anyone for falling back into that at times...but it's amazing how fast I've dropped what I weighed on the truck by literally only eating when I had physical need...not mental need.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
reply to post by MarioOnTheFly

 

Wow... I don't quite know what to say to that level of compassion. Not everyone who has kids, has the good life for all 18 years of raising them? Perhaps not having offspring..regardless of your financial position, may be a good idea. I'd hate to think that level of coldness is spread. Darwin would be horrified.


@Op

Thanks for the thread and the idea! My wife just got a nice crock pot here recently after talking me into it and I wish we'd done it much sooner. A garden doesn't work for us, but it sure does allow for cooking a very nice meal for a fraction of eating out and with creativity which isn't very realistic without it.

I can share something that helped us both through tough times when we'd first met. It's a 'starving student' menu option, but it worked for us. Good old Ramen noodles

We used to look forward to a couple packages of those with bread and spaghetti sauce. Oh, not the little flavor blocks that come with them. Yick. They formed the noodle base for a budget pot of spaghetti though and it was real good stuff. Maybe it was the also the times and care put into making it that made the difference.....but while I know I've heard people laugh at the idea of eating them, as if second hand food....I look over at our supply shelves and see a few cases of them with Prego sauce line up next to them, today.

Old habits and fall backs die hard, eh? ...and you're right. Times are pretty tough for a good % of the nation right now. Times I don't think many of us thought we'd see come quite like this, at this point in life. Falling back to the basics is a good thing to recall about now, isn't it?

* Oh... and what we still enjoy today. Never underestimate the humble potato. An ingredient with a hundred uses and the center for many a meal!


So who else has some ideas? Lets keep it going!

edit on 13-5-2013 by Wrabbit2000 because: (no reason given)

Lets not forget a cheap and delicious favorite of our family "beans and sausage with rice... will stick to your ribs and its a tasty meal too We LOVE potatoes.. my favorite is baked potato soup with broccoli and Velveeta cheese.. you can feed an army of hungry kids on this....

Note from this OP.. there are a lot of "down "out there in response to my post.. I am looking for helpful happy responses ... not glum and doom sad messages....Sorry if you are not compassionate souls,,, I am trying to be helpful keep your misery to your selves!!!! Lots of family's have 3 kids and work for a living.. My life is not that unusual... So all of you angry depressed people... "SSHHADDD - UP!"

I may have missed it, but may I suggest you look for a St. Vincent de Paul group near you? The one in our town has supplanted the food shelf by providing more food for less money, or for free. They also sometimes arrange grants of small amounts of money, furniture, appliances,or occasionally repairs. Though it is a Catholic group, religion is not a factor in obtaining aid.

If you are a little better off, find one near you and work with them. They have an almost magical way of getting food donations that result in tons of food each week. Of course, different sites have different strengths and priorities, but it's really worth a quick internet search.

A package of Ramon is $0.15 each, even less if you buy it by the case.

I agree! Many are broke because they buy take out. I get that it's quick and easy but it's expensive!

My mom always made a big roast or something like that on Sunday then she used the left overs throughout the week to make other meals. She would also do the make a meal and freeze it thing too, I do this now!

I will make things like baked mac and cheese or lasagna and freeze it into 2 person serving sizes. People don't realize how much money you save when you actually cook for yourself. Crock pots, skillets and casserole dishes are your friend! You can make anything in them!

I have lived off of 35 bucks a week in groceries before. On my days off I'd cook the food for the next few days so all I had to do when I got home from work was reheat it. You could do this with so many meals.


It's crazy because before the rise of the fast food and box food empire people cooked!! Now not many people do. I am really amazed at how many people I know that can't cook. I should say won't since everyone CAN cook. It really isn't hard, some are just scared I think or just lazy. Cooking is really rewarding, well to me it is. I love being able to make my something like tuna casserole vs the store bought box crap. It's easy and it's better for you! I have 2 friends who actually cook and a few who are learning and have said I made them want to learn, that makes me feel all happy inside too. You can get your whole family involved! My fiancee and I cook together and it's nice. He does one part of the meal and I do the other. You can do this with your kids. My mom did it! I swear this is why I cook so much. I remember when I was a kid helping make whatever side was needed and my sister and sometimes my brother were also helping out. Sometimes we'd fight over who did what lol It was a family thing. We didn't have money to go out and eat so we made it at home. Now you can't keep me out of the kitchen!

Originally posted by TFCJay
Coupons! My wife saves allot of money by cutting coupons and shopping where the sales are.

Your wife shops smart! I always shop the sales! I check the weekly ad to see who has what and then I go from there. Both our local stores always have "buy one get one free" deals or "2 for $4/5" deals. I only buy those items when they are on sale otherwise I just wait til they go on sale. I get more for my money that way! One store, Winn Dixie has BOGO on meats a lot too and I sooo stock up then! I will not pay 7 bucks for chicken unless it's BOGO and right now london broil is BOGO. You can't beat that!

My fiancee has had to learn to shop like I do. He has the mindset of get it no matter what where I feel it's better to wait and get it on sale. I mean do you really need that box of Triscuits right now or can they wait a week when you get two?! I prefer to wait lol

I dont do coupons because i always forget them! I clip them then leave them at home. lol

reply to post by zonetripper2065


I don't see her complaining about food,but see her point on the cost of fast food.She has a time/energy issue.A crock/slow cooker is a great idea.Pasta and sauce is as simple as boiling water.Brown up a pound of hamburger,add a cup to mac and cheese,the next night make a cheese sauce with another cup over a baked tater,so on.You need to eat like a college student! Half a can of mixed veggies with ramen is a good meal! Make some rice,a can of gravy,some veggies,kind of a dirty goulash.
Regarding your tiny livestock in your corn bread...toss it in the freezer for a day or 2 after you get it home,kills the lil critters.Same with flour or bisquick,any wheat product