A week's worth of groceries for a family of 4 for $45?

I'm reading the menu. The hot dog stirfry sounds nasty but the rest isn't too awful.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/

I'm not sure but I might try a couple.

(on edit: very Christian-y kind of site and some Jesus talk but the idea of a really cheap food budget is interesting)

Home-made tortillas, make your own biscuits, and so on. Notice there are NO soft drinks on that menu, or anything like that. People spend a ton of money on "convienence" food and often they don't realize how much they're paying for very little work they could do themselves.

The poster may be a bit of a fundie or evangelical(so there might be a few laughs there at times) but her ideas were good ones. She simply states that you should make do w/ what you have and be willing to take a few minutes out of your time to stretch your budget.
If you look further on she has a pattern to make your own maxipads. Another good idea that most will not follow up on.
I don't like some of the preachy aspects of her site but it's proof to me that in some ways we have a few of the same ideas.

For me, spending 10 extra hours a week to save $10 is not worth it. I'm worth more than $5 an hour and some of us (freelancers, speculators, traders, etc) lose money when we are working on other things around the house. Oh, I love cooking and I'd love to be able to spend another 10 or even 20 hours a week on the fun, but I can't, I'll lose too much of my allocated time to preparing food, which I can easily re-coop by buying a series of products that save many steps. I'll prep certain things, but baking my own bread is a horrific waste of time and thus a horrific waste of money. I would honestly lose money on these recipes.

For those who aren't in the same world as me, the question still stands "How much is your leisure/free time worth?" It's a good question to ask...especially if you don't have an unlimited supply of time.

Um...Where's the vino in here?

Of course there's always the 2 buck Chucks at Trader Joe's, but shopping there might make you buy better food and ruin the whole idea.

need to stretch every dollar and don't have any extra to budget for wine.

You eat this because there's nothing else in the house, not because it's so tasty.

But if you insist on a refreshing alcoholic beverage with your hotdog stirfry, may I suggest an ice-cold Mickey's Malt Liquor?

http://www.angelfoodministries.com/

We were given a few weeks worth from here when we moved. You get a lot of food for $25.

and I've heard that they can do alot w/ a little bit of money.

with one of our orders that was worth about $15.

That's great.

ingredients, bought from an Asian grocery store, than she does it with Southern and Mexican ingredients. (I'm not criticizing her choice -- just thinking out loud.)

Powdered milk is vile, though. It's OK in stuff but I can't stand it as a beverage.

The rest of that site's interesting -- homemade sanitary napkins. Hm.

but I do cook w/ it. You usually can't tell the difference when it's been cooked into something.
And the sanitary napkins part was very interesting, though I prefer tampons. She makes a great point about how,until 50 or so years ago, all women used something similar and it was a fact of life that most men either ignored or just lived w/. Loved that she pointed out that the marketing was a scam and that we shouldn't keep it so hushed up.

Basically wadded up baby socks.

No thanks.

But there is a site for seasponges to be used for that purpose. I believe you replaced them every six months to a year and I think she did link to them.
I'll have to go back later and look around.

for bacteria.:scared:

There is a cleaner for the sponges that sanitizes them. If cleaned properly there would be no problems at all.
If cleaned improperly, OTOH...

Except.. heh... her cat kept finding them and tearing them up. There are also reusable silicone cups that one can get (the Keeper, the Diva Cup). I don't have any experience with 'em, tho'.

are much easier. The sponges absorb while the cups just hold it all in place(which, until you learn the trick behind removing it, can cause a big mess).

That just seems incredibly dangerous to me. Toxic shock syndrome?

Most have the absorbancy of only a regular tampon. TSS occured more in women who used tampons w/ too high an absorbancy rate for their needs and kept them in for way too long(such as women who only need a regular and buy the super plus w/ the aim of not having to change it all day long). I've read of women who would do this(even had a friend in college who did the same thing) who had very light flows and would buy the strongest absorbancy so that they "never had to worry".
If cleaned well and changed regularly(every 3-4 hours) the risk should be low, according to my gyn. I asked her about them a couple of years ago and she said that she used them. She said that she thought that they were better for you since there were no chemicals used in the process, compared to a regular tampon.

But I'm a boy and I personally don't have a dog in the fight. If it works for you, do it.

Women are getting frustrated when it comes to the prices of hygiene products. Any way to reduce the cost and create less waste is something I'll gladly take the time to look into.
BTW-haven't bought them yet. I'm still weighing the pros and cons. Convenience does factor in.

baby socks. If I put anything even remotely (even 1%) nylon near my ...pudanda, I'll land myself in the hospital. I'm super allergic to nylon.

I've seen what a mess those things are the first time around. I don't see myself rinsing and reusing that. It's good to save where you can, but reusing sanitart anything is unsanitary and gross.

Pads I can see washing & reusing (not that I do!!)

I like the little applicator free tampons from Trader Joes -- not a lot of trash to them, very efficient.

Holy shit, are we discussing tampons in the lounge? Sorry guys!

If someone could get by with it, it would be funny to start a post with the subject line "Ever feel not-so-fresh?" and then talk about sponges. :rofl:

Ok this is really wicked of me but have you ever stood in back of somebody at the grocery store who is buying like TONS of douche and wondered what the hell was up with them?? I have....this afternoon actually, this very nice looking woman was jockeying around all these damn douche coupons and like, ALL this douche!! I never touch the stuff, personally -- it'll mess you up. I suspect it messed up this lady but I thought it would be out of line to suggest to a total stranger that the Summer's Eve crap might BE the problem!

If it is to keep clean "down there" then it looks like water would do just fine. When I was little, there was one of those douchebag contraptions with the hot water bottle looking thing with a mouth looking part at one end and a tube leading out to a wand on the other end. It was hanging on the bathroom door.

This is a hilarious story, btw.

One day when I was about 8 years old, I held the hot water bottle part under the faucet and filled it up with water. It had a valve thing on it so I could control the flow. I carried it out to my little plant stand and let 'er rip. It made a great watering can for my plants.

Next time, I planned on mixing some of that Miracle Grow plant food with the water. I carried the douchebag into the kitchen ( I had it thrown over my shoulder like I was going hiking or something) , opened up the cabinet, and got the Miracle Grow out. I was taking the cap off the Miracle Grow, when all of a sudden my mother said, "NO!!! What do you think you are doing?" I wondered just what I could possibly be doing wrong. I mean the thing was just hanging there. Nobody would tell me what it was and nobody seemed to be using it. I was so perfect for watering my plants. My mother asked me how long I had been using it and I told her I had used it once before. I wish I had a picture of the look on her face and the size of her eyes when I said that. She asked if I had used the Miracle Grow before and when I told her no, I could actually hear her exhale.

Needless to say, she took my nearly perfect watering can away. Later she got me a bag of those red plastic solo cups and a small mister/sprayer. Those never seemed to work as good as the douchebag did though.

I do see people buying stuff and wonder what's up with that. Some of the observations I have made:
Men who go to the store alone, buy one or two things tops.
Men who go with their wives, but not the kids, turn into the kids.
Men who go with their wives AND kids, spend the whole time pretending they don't know the wife and kids.
Women who go alone seem to have a sense of purpose almost like experienced rock climbers or hikers.
Women who go with their husbands but not the kids, spend the whole time trying to reign in the husbands.
Women who go with both the husbands and the kids, try to pretend they don't know the husband or the kids.
The kids want one of everything, except what they already have.

And those grocery carts that look like racing cars are the strangest commentary on people in general. If you think about it, seeing a woman pushing around a kid in one of those looks like the car broke down and the woman decided to let the kid drive while she pushes it.

The fresh produce is never dripping wet (where the stores mist it for what reason I don't know) when you Do Not want to buy some, but oh when you do want to buy some, it will be dripping wet. And it's wetter and colder when it's cold weather.

And last but not least, I always forget at least one thing. Actually, I almost always get the groceries stocked at home and sit down to rest when I realize I cannot have the meal I planned for that very evening without that one igredient. It never fails.

I used to drink it for awhile (God knows why), and it was the absolute worst when it was first mixed up. After a couple of hours in the fridge, it improves quite a bit.

It still sucks.

Anyway, you gotta wonder what someone who doesn't have a refrigerator is doing on the Internet. Here's the site's handy hints on how to properly reconstitute the stuff:

*

Use cool water when possible. The powder tends to dissolve more readily in cool water.
*

Stir the milk a lot, to dissolve the milk powder. Then let the milk sit for a little while and stir again. The protein in the milk powder blends most easily if it gets a chance to stand after mixing.
*

Chill the milk whenever possible. Use a refrigerator if you have one. If you don't, then wrap the milk in a wet towel. As the water evaporates, the milk will cool. If you have a root cellar or basement, you may want to keep the milk there, or even outside in the fall and winter.
*

If you store the milk outside be sure that it is protected from critters who may be thirsty. A box with a large rock on top is sufficient to keep out most animals.
*

If you do not have refrigeration, then only prepare enough milk to last the day. I prepare it the night before, so it has a chance to blend and chill overnight. About 2 quarts will be enough to last a family of 4 for most of the day. If you continually find you have some left over, then prepare less the next day. If you find yourself running out, then prepare more.
*

Some people add a drop or two of vanilla to their milk to improve the flavor. Other people add a spoonful or two of sugar for the same purpose. I don't use either of these ideas, because we are accustomed to reconstituted milk, and prefer it plain.
*

If you have fresh milk available, then it may be mixed half and half with reconstituted milk to improve the flavor. If you use half whole milk and half reconstituted milk, you will end up with a very good tasting milk that is equivalent to 2%.

These people must really be hillbillies. For real. No shit. I'm imagining the neighbor lady from when I was a kid - who really did come from Eastern Kentucky and had an accent you could cut with a knife provided it was really sharp - reading this aloud.

The real hillbillies I used to know ate frozen burritos and twinkies.

My guess is that this person is a former suburbanite who got into fundamentalism, big time.

The cookbook seems to be more universal than what we are used to dealing with. The author may be a missionary.

And I have met people who have shut off their refridgerators in the wintertime in order to save energy. They put their food in sheds, snow, etc.

there are growing numbers of folks off the grid - refrigerators are one of the heaviest electricity users.

Have some friends we are going to go visit Saturday in fact, satelit for communication, solar for most elect and they actually have a gas refrigerator, but they are finicy to run.

They're much more comfortable than the paper kind. Even if there weren't an enviornmental, economic or health benefit, I'd stick with them for that reason alone. :)

Maybe you should put the pattern up somewhere on DU sometime. I bet there are others who would also be interested in them.

and post down in Frugal Living. It's a varaiation on this pattern: http://www.diapersewing.com/clothpads.htm

I'll have to bookmark it for later.

Literally, cotton rags. They served her well for years. My mother talked about the embarassment of having the 'rags' hanging out with the rest of the laundry. There is something to be said for using such a straightforward and reusable solution to 'the curse.'

was washing the rags for her stepmother and older sisters (by hand, in the yard where anybody could see.) Her older brother dumped the bucket on her head once. Eight decades later and many years after he'd died, she was still indignant telling that story.

I think I would be, too.

She pointed out that, when future generations shift through our landfills, they will find a disproportionate amount of diapers and hygiene products. What a great thing to be remembered for!:sarcasm:
I've been interested in sponges for a while now and have wondered about how much care really goes into them. If it's not too much I plan to purchase some soon.

:evilgrin: You can be my guinea pig to test out its safety. :pals:

She uses them and recommends them to anyone who is interested. She said that as long as you are willing to put up w/ carrying them around in a ziploc bag when you're out and you're willing to clean(she soaked hers overnight in a bucket, rinsed, used this cleaner that is for that purpose on them and let them airdry the next morning) she said that they would, in some cases, be safer than regular tampons. She said that they are only a regular absorbancy and that if you look on any insert in a tampon package they will tell you what the biggest risk for it is(using a tampon that is too high an absorbancy for your period, leaving them in for too long). She also said that she was concerned about the bleach and other chemicals that are used on commercial tampons. Think about it-we b*tched about chlorinated coffee filters years ago yet we use chlorinated tampons and place them in a very intimate spot in our bodies.
She felt safer w/ the sponges and I think she raised some good points.

and not that much cheaper than fresh either. If you buy the Carnation brand, it is probably more expensive than fresh.

And it will last for a long time. I buy the offbrand and mix it by what I need to use at that moment instead of by the liter or gallon. And I only use it for cooking, not for drinking.

Just saying....

In places where the big three have the grocery market sewn up (Safeway, Kroger and Albertson's) Carnation or the store brand (which is a few cents cheaper, but not that much cheaper) is all there is.

The stores you refer to aren't even in our area (previous poster is nearby).
Powdered milk is something that you have to watch for pricewise. There have been times where I've actually found Carnation cheaper than shopping at Aldi's. And the nice thing about powdered milk is that you can make it by the tablespoon instead of making it by the liter or gallon, as they show on the box. It does keep longer and I can cook for cheaper in the long run w/ it.

It's also good for making cottage cheese, buttermilk and other curdled milk products.

I'm buying mine these days at wild oats, because even buying it bulk in bags is cheaper than buying it in the normy grocery store.

(One of the bad things about having the big 3 is they do tend to "price fix". Gotta love oligopogies or whatever they're called.)

I'm going to try some of that--I'm dirt poor until the first week of January. Then I go back to being regular poor as usual. :silly:

Might try that one after the holidays.

I've bookmarked it.

I love saving a few dollars here and there. And she had a few good ideas.

:P

I'd prefer the plain veggie stirfry, thankyouverymuch.
But the bread sounded really easy. I like to make homemade bread so I might have to try her recipe sometime soon.

How is baking soda a substitute for hot dogs?
Is it a joke I am too dense to get?

Big funny argument/flamewar/discussion many months ago about Rachel Ray (actually, many about her), but one in particular was about her saying one could substitute Kielbasa for Chorizo.

Then it became funny in the weeks and months to come to come up with more and more bizarre kinds of subsitutions whenever Rachel Ray is mentioned.

I guess I wasn't around for that.
I was so puzzled!!!!!!!! Hahaha!
:rofl:

Very few people can infuriate me like Ms. EVOO. :grr: :grr: :nuke:

See here for the basic thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=353x95

there are more in the group.

I love finding frugal sites run by downhome people who know the value of a dollar!

I think FDA says 2400 mg/day. Most of those days are >3000.

Though I'd bet most people don't fall into the proper levels in the first place.

I think it's mostly in the ramen and bouillon cubes. Also, the packaged foods (mac and cheese) and any processed meats (hot dogs). I think some could definitely be cut and replaced with some other seasonings.

I'm pretty sure most people exceed their sodium levels. Ever look at a frozen meal. Even the lean and healthy ones are loaded with sodium.

and still keep some of the taste.
We don't eat hot dogs or packaged meats(like cold cuts) in our house so those options would not be considered. And I make my own mac and cheese instead of buying it prepackaged. I just make large quantities and freeze the rest.

I've found that an easy way to eat healthy and save a lot of money?

You're talking some hippie,LIEbrul shit there!:sarcasm:

I actually know someone else from your town.

That's how we get most of our population.

Yum.

Throw a salad and some homemade bread w/ it-perfect meal!

club for being poor single moms who like to live as cheap as possible!

:toast:

There's a DU group for everyone else!

Of course, I add cheese to even the Kraft kind when I can afford it.

But I prefer a blend of cheese for homemade mac and cheese-usually a sharp cheddar, swiss and co-jack or a pepper jack for an added kick.

Replace everything in a can with its frozen equivalent (might add a few bucks to the plan). Also you can make your own stock out of chicken bones or ham hocks, and that should help too (or just buy the low sodium broth).

Fresh veggies, fresh meats, fresh dairy.

No crap from a bottle or a box, except the few things that need to come in bottles or boxes: pickles, catsup, mustard, etc., flour, sugar, spices, etc.

Make your own bread, make your own sandwich meats, re-use plastic bags, etc., you can save a sitload of money AND eat healthier than all that convenient bullshit boxed crap.

And I think that's part of her point. I understand that fresh fruits and veggies can be higher in some areas of the country than others(we recently saw a rather high increase in the price of tomatoes-much higher than usual this time of year) so in some cases it might be cheaper to buy canned produce rather than fresh(though I don't). But her point is that so many depend on prepackaged foods and that is runs the grocery bills up. She lays down a whole weeks worth of menus and breaks it down into what kind of prep can be done each night to make it easier for the average person.
I've gone much cheaper than this in the summer but the winter my bills tend to run higher. Then again, I have a garden in the summer that makes my bill practically nothing(milk and eggs, some fruit) and I try to put aside a small amount of money every week so that I can purchase my meat from a local farmer instead of the grocery store(I have a freezer in the basement). But I do like the point that she makes about beans and wish more would consider them as their protein source instead of constant meat. It makes your bills alot cheaper!

I don't have a garden, but produce is way cheaper, and there's also the farmer's markets with even cheaper produce than the grocery stores.

Bring the beggies home, smother 'em in olive oil, and throw 'em on the grill.

Cheap, quick, and easy as pissing your pants laughing at a Pat Boone concert.

so I won't skimp on it), eggs and fruit from the local farmers markets and area orchards. I've done my own bread baking in the past and usually do it late at night in the summer. And cooking on the grill is a priority. I always have beans on hand in case I need them and there's usually some meat left in the freezer from winter and spring that can be used sparsely.
It's salad cravings that kill me in the wintertime!

Every year I plant "Monet's Mix" lettuces around Nov 1 and for Christmas I make this salad that's my fave part of the meal, spicy greens, goat cheese and walnuts in balsamic vinegrette YUM! But this is the first year that the hot weather lasted so far into Nov that the lettuce kept bolting...I can plant it now but it won't be ready til the end of January. Climate changes everywhere...

at my only store there is the McCormick section in bottles and the Mexican section in plastic bags. Almost every spice I buy is way cheaper in the Mexican section.

Reading it makes me realize how much money I waste on convenience foods. I draw the line, however, at powedered milk and homemade sanitary napkins.

You really don't taste much of a difference. I draw the line at drinking it(though I did while I was pregnant-couldn't afford milk and didn't qualify for the WIC program at the time).
If I used sanitary napkins I would be very interested. I just don't like them but I can see her point. It's no different than cloth diapers.

I imaging that's where the expression "on the rag" came from.

you can get very, very creative with the basic ingredients she's included... And since a good portion of the spices are just an occasional purchase, the money there can then be used towards real meat products and fleshing out the menu with fresh seasonal fruits and extras, thereby reducing the meal plan budget even more and providing variety.

With the rice, some basic spices, a tomato, a wonderful paella can be made; add some hamburger found on sale, or some chicken, and you can make tacos; add some cheese, you've got quesadillas, etc.

I'm very, very impressed with this.

You can use this as a basis on how to cook cheaply and then add onto it for your personal taste. I think that the best part was how she included what prep needed to be done each night to make this menu work. It makes it seem less intimidating and sound like something anyone could do if they budgeted short amounts of time for it.

Cornmeal mush...:scared:

but I've had decent mush made by old farmers wives who knew what they were doing.

You make it with a bit more cornmeal than that recipe calls for, pour it into buttered loaf pans and let it cool. When it's cool and set, turn it out of the pan, slice it and fry it. It makes a nice side dish or top it with butter and syrup in the morning for something different for breakfast. If you want to get inventive, add herbs while it's cooking. And mush is the basis of scrapple. While it's cooking add left over bacon, sausage, ham, other meats, whatever's handy. Slice and fry when cold and set.

but is that another way to make polenta


I think these recipes are interesting. My problem is that I am allergic to corn, peanuts and most beans, except green beans. I suppose I could live on this for a week, but I work outside of the home quite a few hours as I have a middle-manager position, and I trade my sleep for lots of cooking.

I have a friend who is really good at frugal cooking too...like making butternut squash-onion soup, etc. She makes the best best pad thai at a reasonable cost--instead of using real shrimp, she uses shrimp powder and keeps the dish veggie.

Seriously. If you like cornbread and honey, you'll like cornmeal mush. Especially when you make it, chill it, slice it, fry it in bacon drippings and serve with maple syrup.

Down home heaven.

So I couldn't do it. Oh well.

That's amazing however, a week's worth of groceries for a family of 4 for $45! Before I opened this thread, I was expecting to see someone's grocery shopping receipt from 1965.:rofl:

I think her whole point was convenience food is what runs so high and so many are dependant on it.

or websites...

I practically lived on potatoes in college.

I'd bet she has alot of recipes for potatoes.

Also beans and whatever cheap piece of meat thrown in. Rice, eggs, potatoes, repeat menus. Potatoes were my favorite out of that bunch.

"The Tightwad Gazette"

She bought a few cereals and other things with coupons--and told you when to expect which ones in which months.

Regarding homemade pads for menses, I had one housemate who used cloth and safety pins, then let them soak in a bucket in one of the bathrooms in the house. We just made sure they were moved if guests came over. Ever since the toxic shock sydrome of the 70's or early 80's, I know several women who shied away from tampons.

Certain things go on clearance in certain months. If you're smart you'll learn the pattern and how to take advantage of it.
Truthfully, I'm trying to get away from prepackaged foods so most coupons don't help me.

which are tolerable when you are in a hurry and on a budget.

Nice to see you, Xmas 74. I thought of you when I went to see DMB two weeks ago tonight! :-) He's still in my head...:-)

I'll buy frozen in the offseason but otherwise I freeze them while still fresh myself. And we rarely use canned-too much sodium and they lose so much of their value.

welcome to the world of disability. Of course when times are really lean i stroll in the mall fountains looking for loose change. In all serious though I am greatful for my parents for putting up with me when they dont have too. Id be in real bad shape if i didnt have the safety net to fall back on.

Most of them look positively nasty. :scared:

I think we'll stick with our East Coast liberal elite diet of organic produce, soy milk and free range eggs. :thumbsup:

I look upon this as good-to-know information. A few years ago my husband and I had a serious debt problem we were trying hard to get out of, and I was lucky enough to have on hand some cookbooks from my Grandma that dated back to the 1930's--at the height of the Great Depression. We tried some of the recipes, many based on BEANS. Some of those recipes were indeed quite nasty, but some were very very good. Anyhow, we did manage to shave quite a few dollars off our grocery bill. I cherish those cookbooks now, and what they represent to me.

Thanks for posting this, I'm quite interested in all things frugal so I have it bookmarked. Some of this information could be vital during real hard times which I fear may be right around the corner.

Beans, rice, potatos, meat (stew quality or some cheap cut), and whatever veggies you can pick up for cheap should give you just about all of what you need. The hard part comes in making a tasty meal with only cheap ingredients. Also, if you look for sales, you can make a really high class meal for what you'd pay for fast food. I've found lamb chops for $1.50 each, a whole 4lb prime rib for $15, and trout for $0.50 each. Of course, then you're kinda at the mercy of what the store puts on sale.

I don't think it's that difficult to make a meal with just cheap ingredients; it's taking the time to make the meal suit to your family's (or your) taste in doneness (or tenderness), flavor, or having the appropriate cookware/tools to be more efficient. My spouse doesn't appreciate veggie meals very much, so this meal plan listed would not be suitable. But OTH, spouse might take it for a week--especially the breakfast because I never make that fancy of breakfast.

Sure you could eat unseasoned beans and rice everyday, and while that will give you most of what you need to live, it doesn't exactly sound too appealing. If you want the food to actually taste good, that requires a bit more effort and creativity.

Whenever I try to eat cheap, I usually do beans or lentels and spice the hell out of them. But not everyone goes for that sort of thing. Also, the spices weren't free, but since I already have them it doesn't cost much replace a bottle here or there whne they run out.

I don't know if I'd like this specific menu, it seems a bit bland to me, but I like the idea of seeing what you can do with a little money.

spouse is particular..and I have food allergies as mentioned earlier..

Most of the time, only I want to graze at night...graze with a few crackers and cheese or a piece of cooked chicken.

We've all got different tastes, and it's even more difficult when you've got to take into account other people's tastes too. Allergies certainly don't make that easier too.

I pretty lucky in that regard, I've got no allergies and most of the time I'm just cooking for myself. Sometimes I'll cook for my parents when I'm home, but they're pretty open minded when it comes to food. The only thing I have to be careful of is that I don't make the food to spicy, because I'm kinda a chile pyschopath, or that I don't make something with too many carbohydrates, as they're trying to cut back on those.

some of this stuff for those prices. I want to shop there. Three dozen eggs would cost almost $5 where I live. Also, three pounds of margarine would be $3. Cheese would be $2.50. Five pounds of carrots would be like $5.00. A can of peaches would be $1.29. Five pounds of ground beef is more like $8 or $9 here. Damn.

On the other hand, Ramen noodles are cheaper than real food everywhere it seems.

(large) for 0.59 sometimes.
I would say that she probably lives somewhere in the Midwest, where food prices tend to be cheap. I can buy a dozen eggs from a farmer at less than a dollar a dozen. Cheese at a store like Aldi's (all over around here) will run you about $1.60 and a tub of margarine there would run you a little over a dollar. If you are frugal enough to save money throughout the year and have a deep freeze you can easily pick up cheap meat specials from a local farmer in my area. Plus, our area grocery stores will have 10 for $10 specials about 4x a year on ground beef-10lbs for $10, limit of 50 lbs total. And carrots around here during the farmers market season cost almost nothing. Peaches-I can get them fresh in season cheaper than that(local orchards).
I would say that she prices it out by what she can purchase very cheap at her local level. I know that, if I take the time, I can get even cheaper than her.

First of all; we live less than a hundred miles apart. Second of all; you need to COUPON. I would explain but it is easier to point you to this thread here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=353x16
Also, demgurl (link in the group)is ALSO from here (Greensboro) and has her own couponing site; got me started. YOu don't have to be as hard-core as her to benifit from the idea. The number ONE thing you want to remember is to get 2 Sunday inserts; to save time if you are rushed just cut out the stuff you use (can sell the others but that's another story). THEN, look for 2 for 1 sales at your local grocery and use BOTH coupons on the 2 for 1 items (apply one coupon to each item) therefore getting double the amount off you would have with just one. THEN see if your store doubles coupon values (HT and BILO do; Lowes after you spend $35). THEN you have saved QUADRUPLE the original coupon amount!! You can do very very well with just this method. PM me or visit the group for more info.

On edit: and yes; they DO have coupons for eggs!

when it comes to prices. Food Lion has no double coupons deal and every time I have tried to use a coupon on a sale item, they give me the run around about it. I miss the days when we had a Harris Teeter. They were workable.

I clip coupons when I see them for what we use or when I see a good deal. I try to always catch the sales, but sometimes I can't get to the grocery store until it is too late.I wish I could find prices like those though.

Food Lion should not be giving you ANY grief about coupons; but one thing you need to know about them is that they have their own coupons. If you have a printer go to their website and do two things: sign up for their email newsletter and then follow the link marked Coupons. Sign up with Smartsource (not the Coolsavings one) and when you print your coupons you will notice that they say Food Lion on the side. These are the only internet coupons they accept. I would also take the coupon refusing problem up with a manager to clear it once and for all. It COULD be that the store is allowed to make its own decisions about coupon policy but I thought it was standardized throughout the chain.Just call them first, ask to speak to a manager, and ask them to explain their coupon policy in detail to you. Also; when you are in the store look for "blinkies"; those red boxes in the isles that have little red blinking lights on them and dispense coupons. Always get 2 coup from each. If a store has those they can't very well refuse to take them at the register.
Man; it's making me mad they are giving you grief. Monopolizing bastards. There is a significant amount of money to be saved even without doubling; and considering your limited options it is surely a pain in the butt. I can't believe Harris Teeter gave up; their basic prices are higher but they double EVERYTHING and have better selection too. If by any chance you get into this and like it; it might be worth your time to plan a trip to a bigger city for a once a month stock up.
Sorry for the length but any time I can help someone save money I like to try. Let me know what you do about the FL situation. Good luck.

On edit: the sale cycle runs from Wed. to Tues.; just keep that in mind.

They take coupons, but they never have a double coupon type deal here ever. If they have a sale and I give them a coupon in addition, usually, I don't get to use it. That's what I meant. Maybe I wasn't clear on it.

I remember BiLo and Winn-Dixie both did have double coupon deals, but they are both gone now. I loved Harris Teeter because the food was always fresher and the store was way cleaner too. They up and left too. I've noticed sometimes the meat in Food Lion's meat section has been "repackaged." There was a special about that 20/20, I think, years ago. Some stores are known to use chlorox on the fish to make it seem fresher than it actually is. I am particular about the freshness of meat. When I was little, my aunt would get deals on beef that had turned dark. I'll never forget eating old greenish brown beef. It was awful. It made me nauseated unless she took out that mallet thing she had and beat it flat and coated in in flour and made gravy on it. Then I loved it. I don't have the kind of time it would take to do that. By the time I get through with my day and help my aunt out, I'm wiped out most days.

I buy fish from a local small fish place here in town. He cleans them the best too. I'd clean them myself but my hands can't handle the cold too well and last time I tried, the knife slipped and cut me pretty bad. I let Mr. C do it now. He's funny too. He once counted change out to me like this: 2 cents, 25 cents, 75 cents, 21 cents is your change." I enjoy his old salty sense of humor.

I know they don't double coupons. However, you should be able to use a coupon on a sale item; that is ridiculous. I still advise you to call and get a detailed explination of their policy; make sure to ask why they are being different about it than other stores in the chain. I know this sounds like a bit of trouble but it is worth it in the long run. I remember that scandal in the 80s about Food Lion meat. I usually get my meat from a different store (and I wrote in for some Laura's meat coupons..can't wait to use those!!) I do also suggest that maybe; if you have to go into one of the bigger towns for something else; that you maximize your visit; take your coupons and stock up. You can get to most of the sale circulars online anyway. BiLo here has the best deals on meat and I have found them to be pretty consistent with the quality.(actually; they just changed the name to Southern Home Market but it's the same company).
BTW this reminds me that Omaha Steaks has a deal for 4 fillets for 29.95 + a steak knife set (Xmas gift?)I'm thinking about it (nice treat for me and hubby; we have a wonderful grill...)

vavuum dried in the packages. I have always wondered about meat that isn't kept cold or frozen. I'm weird that way. It's probably some sort of compulsive mental thing. I can't touch raw chicken without getting nauseated. I also once baked a chicken so long, the meat turned to something like charcoal or jerky. I never know when chicken is "done." I'm sort of paranoid about the diseases you can get from raw eggs and chicken. Yep, that's right. I kiss my cats on the lips, but I'm paranoid about diseases in meat. LOL. :shrug:

But probably safer for you in the long run. Do you like slow cookers? Great way to make sure the chicken is done without drying it out...

roasts. We can't have those too often. They average between $7 to $10, but I tend not to work on cutting too sharply on costs when I do get a roast. In other words, if I can get a London Broil for that price and I have, I will. I usually add about 5 potatoes (small to medium), an onion, and some carrots. It makes a great 2 day meal. Eat fresh one day and reheat the next day. Now, that is one meal I would consider asking for if I could only ever eat once again in my life. It's my favorite.

The only thing I hate about slow cookers is that I have so slap my wrists to keep from "taste testing" too much. My aunt and I have a running joke when it comes to vegetable beef soup or roast. When the meat is pretty much done and it's safe, my aunt (who taught me how to cook) will say, "Now, a good cook always tastes their own cooking before they feed it to the people they are cooking for." In other words, out of respect to add any seasonings that may be needed. Then she'll say, I think it's about time we "taste tested." Usually I'll dip up about a tablespoon full for each of us and we do that twice before pigging out.

We had a Bilo but it was turned into a Country Mart about a year ago.

I have no kids...but I buy prescription diet food for them, and they are doing very well. At some point there should be a thread on the topic of pet food costs (for health) but perhaps I've missed those conversations.

O8)

Love my babe-so's...

from a Weight Watchers recipe. They LOVE it.

I make hotdog hash.

They remind me of growing growing up very poor and receiving turkey franks as a commodity. We had them at almost every meal and I swore that when I was an adult I'd never eat them again.

Wanna feed all of them without adversely impacting your weekly tithe to Rev. Moonbat? There ya go.

I didn't read the parent post all the way through on the first pass, so I was a bit taken aback by the "How to be a proper fundamentalist wack job and brainwash your kids" links at the bottom of the page.

But she does have a few good ideas about budgeting for food. That's why I put up the link. Times are tough and groceries are getting pretty expensive for the average family. If someone has a few good ideas about cutting down the grocery prices I'll listen.

I'd change the hot dogs for chicken on the Friday night menu. If staying within the $45 budget was an issue I'd find another corner to cut.

:hi:

even more, afford one extra cost and still stay well within your budget.

Good for her for putting together a site of what looks like cheap, substantial food! I agree there is too much sodium -- I would substitute low sodium broth, but even if a person doesn't do everything she suggests, there are enough good ideas there that can help with the food budget. I'm assuming she is a SAHM, so some of these recipes aren't practical for someone who isn't around all day, but if you have a pressure cooker, you can work around that for most of the bean recipes.

Bookmarked!

would help quite a bit. And w/ bread machines it is much easier and quicker to make bread than it used to be.
I would reduce the sodium but still try to stay w/in five dollars or so of the budget. I think it can be done.

Of course, that's all consumables and not just food. One thing I've noticed is that I save money when I make out a menu for the week or two-week period. Without a menu, I go to the store and think "Wow... I'd like to make that, and that, and that... "

And I really liked how she stated what prep needed to be done each night. It takes quite a bit of guesswork out of what to do. You know exactly what needs to be done each night before you go to bed so you know what your timeline is.

She also has a menu up for $70 a week for a family of four. I need to take a further look at that menu.

and when I make a menu for the week, there is less of a chance of us having to order out for pizza because I wasn't prepared.

for instance this week's menu included steak on monday, homemade lasagna on tuesday and wednesday...today is thursday...and lasagna again..(sorry I don't worry about variety with kids)...tomorrow is turkey...so saturday is turkey too...but for lunch we will have more lasagna if it is left...hahhahaha...

We get the sale sheets on Tues. On Tues. evening I go through the sheets and decide what's the best bargain. On Wed. I pull out recipes for what I want to make. On Thurs I go through the cabinets, cupboards, fridge and freezer and find out what I already have. On Friday I make the shopping list (by item per store, down to the aisle that it is in so that I don't need to go into unnecessary aisles and I save money that way) and the menu. On Sat I shop and prep what I can in advance. On Sun the new menu cycle starts.

my husband argued over the purchase of the freezer but I an buy items on sale and save them for later...and it has helped me take advantage of sales on items for lunch (we pack ours for work)...like when frozen meals go on sale...(sometimes sandwiches get boring)...

I've saved probably hundreds in the past couple of years by using a freezer. Even the bread recipe-you could take one day a month when you have time to make up the loaves and freeze most of them. Just pull them out a day or so before you need them.

just milk and bread. Where do these ppl live!? And I wonder how old that site is. Hmmm, off to look around.

Gott say, I'll be skipping hot dog stir fry lol. Yuck!

Couponing couponing couponing. See here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=353x16
and check my links upthread in post #17.

I think her idea is to use the most basic ingredients you can, shop cheaply and look for sale items.
My theory? Maybe the Midwest. I can get things at those prices if I'm willing to shop around and I live in MO.

I don't buy boxed, pre-made stuff, so I'm already starting out pretty basic. I have never successfully managed to make my own bread though, so I have to buy it. And milk...good grief. We have 3 kids, and they go through a lot of it, and at $4.50 a gallon. :grr: Milk is never on sale. Bread is occasionally, and thankfully I can buy a few loaves and freeze it. Otherwise, I don't buy anything that's not on sale. Which really bites here lately...getting pretty sick of chicken. ;) Food has always been expensive here, but this year's it's just gone through the roof.

We should do a "how much do staples cost in your area" post. I'd love to know that, because when I do see ppl mention prices it's generally much cheaper than here. I don't have a lot of options either. It's the grocery store, Walmart, Sams, or a special trip up to the commissary.

I can run to the Hostess bread store and pick up rye for 0.99. It expires w/in a few days of purchase so I have to freeze some of it. If I run over to Aldi's I can get a loaf for 0.35(but won't-I don't like really cheap bread). And produce inseason is almost nothing. There are stands in the parking lots of all the stores w/ gardeners and farmers selling produce. I can get generic honey for around $2.50 but tend to splurge and pick up the local honey for $3.99(tends to last longer around my house for some reason). Eggs-Aldi's sometimes sells them for 0.59 but I try to pick them up from a local farmer @ a dozen large brown for a dollar.
Meat-I work out deals w/ local farmers. I put aside money and every month make a payment (getting a receipt, of course). In the fall I get a cow and a hog that they take to slaughter and package. I split it up w/ a couple of friends and it comes out to practically nothing (usually less than a dollar a pound when it's all over). Much cheaper and tastes better than the store.
And I try to grow my own garden every year. I freeze most of it and it's ready in the fall(except this last summer-too dry for a decent crop).

I looked at the price list on that website. It would cost me much more. We do have a bakery, thankfully, which is where I get most of my bread for much less than the grocery store. Even there, it's over a dollar a loaf. Last time I bought honey (few months ago) it was $4 for a little bottle. Eggs, $1.20/dz. Produce is iffy. The local stands are rarely less than the grocery store, but the quality is much better, so I prefer them. Meat is outrageous. I do get some venison and wild boar from friends and that helps, but I realize most people these days don't eat those. A friend of mine got a line on someone who'll butcher and sell us a cow to split, but we'll have to wait till we can come up with the cash. Not this time of yearly definitely lol. and I had a decent garden over the summer, but I learned a lesson and next year it will be bigger. :P

and see if you can work out a payment plan on the beef. Sometimes they will also pass on the name of someone who raises hogs, chickens, sells eggs, produce-even beekeepers. A nearby beekeeper who sells their honey to the area grocers has made comments about if I were to come to their farm(about five miles from their house) w/ my own jar they would give me a discount.
Maybe start your own group? I know of a canning group around here that I'm very interested in. They use the produce from their own gardens to can fruits, veggies, make sauces and jams. Each member makes large quantities of one thing and they bring their extras for trade w/ the other members. One does pickles, one spaghetti sauce, one strawberry jam, etc-whatever you have alot of in your garden to share. Plus, they get together and split up large orders on bulk spices from Amish markets and bulk shampoo from warehouse stores(everyone brings in regular shampoo bottles and they split the amount up).
It's a thought.
And the bread-find an easy recipe and try it on your day off. Once you find the right recipe make it in bulk and freeze it.

Even the broken, bent, and expired stuff at my local grocery stores is more than many of those prices.

The trick is to buy in bulk and to NOT buy pre-prepared meals. My wife is a mac and cheese addict, so we buy elbow macaroni in 5lb bags and processed cheese in blocks. Cook the macaroni, drop in a few chunks of cheese, and a little milk, and you end up with a mac and cheese that's not only 80% cheaper than the boxed stuff, but that actually tastes better since the cheese isn't some powdered substitute.

And I do it for even less than that most of the time. I live in an area w/ alot of farmers so I talk to them first and can usually get better prices directly from them.

I can buy eggs for $1.50 for a two dozen flat, and whole fryers for $1 during the semester while the students are raising them. Not all colleges and universsities have ag extensions, but if they do they can be a WONDERFUL resource. Many of them are also stressing organic and sustainable farming techniques nowadays, so their food tends to be healthier too.

I love it!

It wouldn't kill ya I guess but I think you could do the oatmeal without the toast and brown rice instead of white etc., try to get some of the empty calories out. There just seems to be a lot of bread and white rice and stuff in here -- empty calorie food.

The biggest budget stretcher ever is TVP, the dehydrated fake meat stuff, SHUT UP! SHUT UP IT'S REALLY, REALLY GOOD I'M NOT KIDDING...killer spaghetti sauce and chili with that stuff!