BudgetPOV is a proposed series on making ends meet in these troubled times (especially since the “ends” seem to be hacked off and cauterized).

This, the first article in the series, looks at ways to save on food costs. My main focus at this time is just making sure bellies are full on a reduced budget, because I am fully aware that it can be difficult to make sure meals have added nutrition or are organic when your budget gets smaller (or when your family, bless you, is getting bigger). But I will have a few tips on eating nutritiously as well.

I have set up an email address to receive suggestions: Budget.POV@lunatextpublications.com I will also send out updates to those who request it.

We face challenging times. One of the most challenging (although that list is long and hard to prioritize) is making sure you family has food on the table.

Please understand that this article will be far from exhaustive. I doubt PlanetPOV has enough disk space to contain all the “tips and tricks” for feeding your family on a budget. However, check out the comments below, as many of our members definitely have ideas on the subject.

Also, I do not quote prices very often. When I do mention a cost, you will notice I am vague. There’s a reason: I don’t live where you do, I do not know the prices at your store, and I have no idea what stores you have nearby. Calmly asserting that Brand X chicken broth is on sale for 39 cents a can is arrogant and misleading, and it does not help your family at all.

 

Cooking Facilities

It might sound odd that I am discussing this, but the truth is that many poor people are currently living in situations where they do not have adequate cooking facilities. For purposes of this article, let’s assume that “adequate cooking facilities” means that you can conveniently microwave, boil, fry, sautee, bake, and broil your food. That would require a microwave, at least one (preferably two) stove-top burners or hotplate, and oven.

Adequate food storage should mean that you have at least a few cubic feet of freezer space and I recommend at least 10 cubic feet of refrigerator space.

I know a lot of people who are lucky to have a microwave and a mini-fridge. According to what I see on the internet, you can consider a mini-fridge to have between 1.7 cubic feet (18.62 x 17.5 x 19.62 inches) and, on the “luxury” model, which has 4.6 cubic feet. Remember that freezer space on these are part of that cubic footage. Some of the larger models have separate doors for the freezer, but I have seen only one of these in actual use and they are hard to find in stores. Most of the smaller models barely fit one normal-sized ice cube tray (but some dollar stores have smaller size trays).

A few lucky souls are allowed to have a hotplate in their room or “apartment”. Quite a few landlords that operate so-called “boarding houses”, weekly motels, or just rent-a-closet buildings do not allow hotplates, private (i.e., not shared) microwaves, or other appliances.

If your landlord is one of these, the following suggestions are not for you. I could write an article on ways to hide or disguise your personal appliances from management, but that is not the scope of the current article.

First of all, there are no cheap alternatives to the lack of an oven. You can buy convection ovens at various stores (I just saw one for sale at Fred Meyer’s), but have never seen a working one at a thrift store. It’s possible that thrift stores might get some, but they would probably go so fast your chances of snagging it are remote.

A toaster oven can be used for small items. They are not big enough for a pizza, but they can and will do well with biscuits, pizza rolls, turnovers, calzones, baked cheese sandwiches (a personal favorite), etc. If it’s bigger than your two fists together, though, I wouldn’t recommend it. However, I do recommend a toaster oven rather than a toaster, because they are more versatile and will help to extend your food budget.

A slow cooker (also called crockpot) is always a good idea. I got a nice 5-quart one for dirt cheap at a discount grocery store, and it is in use at least three days out overy week. Soups and stews are easy to make, but you can also make casseroles, roasts, and even meatloaf in a slow cooker. Not only that, but if you have left-overs, the “Keep Warm” feature means you don’t have to worry about storing leftovers for at least 12 hours (I have safely kept food warm for 24 hours) after the meal is initially done.

One little item, and I often see them for a buck or two at thrift stores, is an item known as a “hot pot”. Usually made mostly from plastic, this is essentially a small (3-4 cup) kettle for bringing water to a boil quickly. College students love them, because they are usually not considered a violation of the “no hotplate” rule, and you can even make macaroni and cheese or ramen in them. If you get one, invest in some good scrub pads, as clean-up can be a bitch, especially if you forget to unplug it in time (these items have no on/off buttons, so please, dear gods, be careful!).

One item that can, potentially, save money and increase nutrition, is a breadmaker, usually at thrift stores for about $10. I wish I still had one. You can make very inexpensive bread, while maintaining good nutrition, while out looking for work or waving a sign at an intersection, because it mixes the ingredients (you have to measure the ingredients yourself), lets the dough rise, and bakes the bread for you, usually all within 4 to 6 hours. I believe all models have an automatic shut-off function; at least I have never seen one that does not. I have made my own recipes (that I never did write down) just by using recipes from breadmaker recipe books (usually 25 or 50 cents at thrift stores) and substituting a few ingredients. I actually made “wheat bread” by grinding up unsweetened puffed-wheat cereal and substituting that for wheat germ.

See my note in Recipes, below, however.

If you see a one-cup coffee warmer at a thrift store, by the way, don’t waste your money. It will not get any liquid hot enough, unless you enjoy tepid Cup-A-Soup (and it won’t mix completely). There was a version which was essentially a heating element on a handle, which you placed inside the cup of liquid, but the idea of combining electricity with liquid in that close proximity bothers me, and I have seen enough injuries from mishandling soldering irons (which the thing was, essentially).

An alternative (and a bit safer) to hotplates is an electric skillet. I have seen these for sale at thrift stores for as low as $1.50 and as high as $5. Not only can you fry in it, you can fix casseroles (especially the skillet-only casseroles from the box). I have seen some people put a metal grate into one and use it as a grill, but this can burn out the skillet as well as constitute a worse fire hazard.

Another god-send is a rice cooker. Rice cookers usually cook the rice within 30-40 minutes (giving you time for a rest, a shower, or even to concentrate on another part of the meal) and many come with a vegetable steamer basket. Here’s a tip: even canned vegetables can be steamed and the flavor cooks into the rice. However, some models of rice cookers do not turn off automatically; they let you know when it is (or should be) done and then stay on to keep it warm. Turn off the cooker as soon as it is done cooking, or your rice may burn.

I personally can not do without a coffee pot, and you can use one to heat water for tea, instant soups and broths, or even Theraflu.

Blenders can be nice to have, and some things are much easier to do with one. Same with an electric mixer. However, don’t bankrupt yourself. Just keep your eyes open for a working one at the thrift stores, when you have a couple bucks to spend (knock wood). But if someone in your family is too young for solid food or has teeth problems that make some foods hard to eat, a blender can help a lot.

I do not recommend using a propane camp stove indoors. Not only are the little propane canisters a huge drain on your finances (I have yet to see anyone allow them at canister-exchange businesses), but they are dangerous as hell inside. The propane fumes alone could kill you, and then there’s the open flame. Your family is worth more than that, and so are you.

For those of you lucky enough to still live in an actual house, you may be really special and have a fireplace (or you may be squatting someplace with one). As long as the chimney is unobstructed (please check), you can do most cooking in that. I am not qualified to speak on how to bake bread (or a frozen pizza) in a fireplace, you may want to look for suggestions on the internet.

For refrigerator space, you’re screwed. There are a few things you can do to jury-rig extra cold storage space, but they are either impractical or dangerous.

One creative but disturbing alternative was to put food in the water tank of a toilet. If you do this, invest in some zip-closure freezer storage bags. You want the plastic as thick as possible, so you might have to get these at a regular grocery store, as the dollar store version uses the same thickness of plastic as cheap sandwich bags. And for heaven’s sake, make sure the bag is closed completely. And remember, when you flush, you won’t have as much water as you did before (the food will displace water) and you may need to check to make sure the food doesn’t block the flush valve (the usually rubber flap that stops the water from rushing out of the tank all night).

Another way, and possibly impractical, is a cooler with ice. If you live in a place, such as a weekly motel, that has an ice machine, you’re in luck. Most such places do not have this option, however (or worse yet, require putting in money to dispense ice). I strongly recommend putting the ice in zip-closure freezer bags (mentioned above) to prevent your food from getting waterlogged as the ice melts. Few people can eat soggy bread or waterlogged apples. Be careful with your cooler, especially if you are just using a cheap Styrofoam cooler.

The most expensive item, and quite complicated, is the cooler that comes with a built-in refrigeration unit. However, these are built to be plugged into the car-lighter of a vehicle or RV. Some electronics stores do have a small gadget that you can plug these into, that then plug into the wall outlet. However, this requires a huge outlay of cash (you could spend at least your month’s grocery budget on this).

My partner and I were lucky to have a very permissive landlord, and he allowed us to move a full-size refrigerator into the studio we were renting. We also lucked out on finding an economy-sized refrigerator for dirt cheap ($60) off Craigslist. Be careful, though, if this is an alternative for you to pursue, as there are scammers on Craigslist that will sell you useless, broken appliances.

One more note: if you are living in a vehicle, a tent out in the woods, or squatting in structure with no utilities, you may want to get that cooler and that camp stove.  Some states have become paranoid about campfires, due to drought and wildfires. Try to be safe, save your life and the lives of countless others as well.

No matter what your cooking facilities, though, you can still extend your budget.

Recipes

I used to say that one of the bad things about being single is that you have to eat your mistakes. I suspect that is why a lot of my single friends have dogs. But there’s no way to get a refund on food you already cooked.

But when your food budget does not stretch far enough to feed your family, the mistakes are too expensive to just throw away.

But I do encourage you to experiment a little. Substitute ingredients when you can, to save refrigerator space and money.

For example, we all know how hard it is to keep milk around when you are scraping pennies off the bottom of your shoes.  Did you know you can use chicken broth instead of milk in instant mashed potatoes? Not only did you just get added protein and vitamins, but you didn’t have to use milk! And broth comes in a can! Or you can use chicken bouillon!

Speaking of bullion, never underestimate the importance of flavor, especially if you are not the only person in the home. You know how hard it is to make the food stretch to feed everyone, but those that are not actually cooking the food might have a skewed perspective. Make it taste a little better, and they won’t mind so much.

So spend a couple bucks a month, at least, on spices and flavorings. And a half teaspoon of salt can bring those flavors out a little more.

Beware salt substitutes, especially if people in your family are on medication or have allergies to peanuts. Besides, salt substitute are often more expensive than salt.

Look at ways to combine ingredients to be filling, tasty, and nutritious. Remember that combining things can often make them more nutritious, such as beans and rice; beans and rice, cooked together, have more protein than they do when cooked separately (whether this is true with canned beans I am not sure, but it makes a handy excuse).

If you get given something at a food bank, don’t dismiss it. We have used cranberry sauce as jelly on sandwiches (and I am still tempted to try cooking chicken it in the slow-cooker). We have used canned chicken in soups. You can make salmon cakes from canned salmon in a skillet (however, some brands leave the bones in, happy hunting!). Peas can be used to make pea soup. A friend of mine was given a box of pre-made pie crust; he cut it into squares and triangles, fried it up, and sprinkled it with cinnamon and sugar – instant treat!

You can turn chocolate chips into a chocolate dip for fruit (or those pie crust treats) in the microwave, just add a little water and be a little patient. There is no reason that you can not do the same with peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips; just don’t do it with candy-coated chips or toffee chips, it won’t turn out the way you think.

The main things to remember is to figure out how certain foods are made, traditionally. My discovery with chocolate chips was because I had seen a show on how they make chocolate glaze for candies and cakes.

Then take a look around the shelves at grocery stores. Look what flavors they are combining. I have a recipe for lemon-ginger chicken soup that I created after I saw a lemon-ginger tea at the store and thought how great that would be with chicken.

Another great place to get ideas are recipe books. Those small, handy books that used to be sold next to the cash register at grocery stores can be found at thrift stores for small change. Larger books, such as “700 meals for under Three Dollars” are okay, too, but usually cost a bit more (and may not be very cost-effective for you). You can also find one of kind recipes, on occasion, in recipe books made and sold with appliances, which often wind up at thrift stores. I have found recipes for bread made with cream cheese, a beef-mushroom-barley soup, and others, that I have never seen anywhere else. Old calendars are good for this too, my partner found the recipe for salmon cakes, an authentic Dutch recipe from the Old Country, on one.

A few stores also have racks of free cards with recipes on them, as well as interesting (and very important) cooking tips. Nobody is going to blink twice if you take one of each recipe for reference. Even if you can’t afford lamb, that doesn’t mean you can’t adapt the recipe for something else. I know a guy who adapted a fancy lamb recipe to eggplant, using his store of spices and odd items he got at a food bank (and his kids never suspected that it was good for them; his seven year old scolded him for spending too much on dinner).

There is not space here to list specific recipes, but if you email me at the address at the top of the article, I am more than happy to send you those I have and those shared by others.

Food Banks and Coops

Search around your community for food banks. Don’t settle for just one (especially if it is far for you to travel). Usually communities have a few. Some charities will try to scare you with ramifications of being found using more than one, but I know of no charity, currently, that actually checks. Back in the 90’s it was more common, as charities communicated through common programs like Continuum of Care, but I have not seen such in use lately.

One place to start is Feeding America: http://feedingamerica.org/ They are a network of food banks across the United States, and have a locator for food banks near you. Be warned however, they are not the final authority. When we went looking for a food bank, the website directed us to a place ten miles away, but we later discovered two more within three miles.

Some states now have hotlines to find services. In California, it is 211. I believe (but may be wrong) that Nevada has discontinued this service (since the initial announcement of that budget cut, there has been a lot of complaints, but no further news that I could find). You may want to ask around.

You can also search for these agencies and charities (while they may not have the services, most of them will help you find services if they know you and your family are in need): Catholic Charities, Community Action Agency, Jewish Family Services, Boys and Girls Club, YMCA/YWCA, your local Episcopal diocese, other churches, your local welfare office (usually they keep a list to hand out to people), unemployment offices, etc. These resources will lead you to others.

And people often exchange word of these resources in line at food banks and “soup kitchens”.

Find out where the food bank is. Find out what time they open their doors, and get there early (lines usually start anywhere from 1 to 2 hours beforehand, especially for programs only open one day a week). Find out what information they need, and take it with you (we have a file folder of our information)! If you can, take a box with you, as these programs are often short on boxes (we use a large milk crate, which is reusable, I have seen people use large coolers, laundry baskets, wheeled carts, etc.).

And while you are there, inquire about volunteering. If you and your family help out a little, you’re helping a lot of people in the same circumstances as you. This can lead to job leads, resource referrals, or just a little extra food (not very often though). And it teaches both your family and other families a valuable lesson.

Take your patience and your tolerance with you. Do not assume that someone else is scamming the system or isn’t worthy. I formed an instant friendship with an older woman one day, who appeared to be a retired college professor (not that retirees don’t need the help). It turns out that she was also collecting food boxes for five other retirees that were shut-ins. She tried to give me some of her food in return for carrying the boxes to her car, but I refused.

Some food banks will give you as much day-old bread or baked goods as you can carry. Don’t go overboard with this. Take only as much as you can eat before it goes bad (usually about a week, sometimes less), leave the rest for others.

You may run into “food distribution co-ops”. These are programs which pool money to buy large quantities of food, and then sell it to others at a large discount. Often they often receive donated food, which they distribute for free. My partner and I spent $25 at one of these co-ops (they also take food stamps, legally) and received more than $100 in food, including produce (most of which was relatively fresh) and some odds and ends (such as bake-yourself items like cookie dough and frozen unbaked biscuits). These programs are self-perpetuating: the more they sell, the more they can buy to benefit more needy people. They also usually have no limit on how often you receive food or how much you can spend.

Food Stamps

Let me first point out that there is nothing noble about starving your family to satisfy some deep-seated need to proof you are a good provider. There’s nothing noble about starving yourself either.

Most states (I actually don’t know of any that don’t, but the information can be in odd places) post the requirements for eligibility for food stamps and other services.  They also post lists of the information needed, office hours, and other needful information. Get the information together, and get there early. If you can, do not take your kids. The office will be a madhouse, other people are in the same situation you are in. Don’t force your kids to go through several hours of that.

Expect to spend at least three hours there. Depending on your circumstances, income, and other factors, your state may award you emergency food stamps. You could walk out of the office with an EBT card with food stamps already on it.

Try to apply early in the week and early in the month, in case extra documentation is needed. You may need affidavits regarding homeless status or living conditions (such as inadequate cooking facilities, etc.). Some families need to submit affidavits certifying that all of the children reside in the home (or with the family, if homeless). These affidavits will need to be filled out and signed by a relative, friend, or other person that is aware of the situation (such as homeless shelter staff, employer, landlord, etc.).

And applying for food stamps can help you get other services, such as job search assistance, health care for children or disabled relatives in the household, assistance with rent and/or utilities, etc.

Buying Food

First and foremost, try not to get food out of dumpsters. It might look good, but you can never tell, even if the packaging seems to be intact and sealed. Some plastics degrade in sunlight or in the presence of other chemicals, some plastic wrap can actually allow mold to pass through unrestricted (like bread wrappers and cellophane on donuts. Metal can corrode, and bent cans can have microscopic cracks that allow food-borne bacteria quick and easy access (and cooking may not kill everything).

Also, stay away from fast food. A $3 burger, or even a $1 “value menu” burger, is not that cheap. It feeds one person. Three cans of beans, combined into one batch of chili, with spices, costs less than $3 and can feed at least two people for one meal.

I strongly recommend you look around your area for the following stores:

Discount grocery stores (often carry stock over-runs, generics, and discontinued brands or varieties): Grocery Outlet, Aldi’s, Sav-A-Lot (not the rebranded Albertson’s stores), Food 4 Less, Sak ‘n’ Save, etc.

Bulk stores (usually buy large quantities to save cost, often off off-brand or generic-brand groceries, as well as large selections of bulk foods): WinCo

Day-old bakeries: Hostess, Wonder

These stores specialize in carrying items as inexpensive as possible.

Do not buy food at dollar stores! Usually the same item is at the other stores for a lower price, from 10% to 50%, or more! And the quality is usually less!

Many people will chant the old saw “Comparison shopping saves you so much money!” That only counts if you have the time and money to spend on running between different stores. If you don’t have transportation, time, or money, this becomes a losing proposition fast. Instead, try hitting a different store each time for a short while, so that you can mentally take stock of the prices of items you commonly buy. Then, hit other stores every once in a while (every few months or so) in case price structures change or specific items are marked down.

Newspaper ads and circulars can be a clue as to which stores have lower prices. However, many stores are no longer advertising in newspapers, preferring to have their ads delivered to postal customers once a week as a bundle of ads. If you do not receive those ads, ask a friend who does to save them for you. A newspaper subscription is not going to be worth the expense, so save the money for something else. You can’t eat newspaper.

Also, many stores advertise what is on sale (and many of the items “on sale” actually aren’t) while jacking up the price on the items that you need, such as basic staples. While it is tempting to grab items that are on sale, I noticed a few years ago that some items are on sale every week, or every other week.

Some people insist that the Sunday paper is worth the expense, because of the coupon inserts. I disagree. Most of the coupons these days are for non-food items or for brands that usually priced way above your budget. And you can live without seeing six come-ons for custom check designs per week, trust me (there has been no reputable research into how many of those fly-by-night companies are just harvesting routing and account numbers and other information used by identity thieves – but it’s not zero).

Do not rush out to buy whatever is on sale. Buy what you need. I knew a guy who, every time he got the sale papers, rushed out to get the items listed on sale, whether or not he needed them or not. He wound up with two freezers of food that never got eaten, because he was buying the same items every week.

Stay away from name brands, unless the price is below every other brand (which happens once in a blue moon or during a closeout sale). Stay away from the ends of the aisle, where specials are advertised. Often the placement is to get you to buy the item without realizing that the store has other brands for less.

Actually, let me amend that. Stay away from all displays. Concentrate on the fact that your family needs to eat, not get top-of-the-line name brands. The USDA has no “recommended daily allowance” of brand names, and the FDA still has not decided if name brands have any nutritional value anyway.

Fun fact: most generic brands are actually the exact same as the name brand, literally. Some name brands sell off their product in bulk, if they believe they have overstock or can’t sell as much as they produced, and the generic company is allowed to repackage it.

If your kids are stuck on a name brand (“I want Fruit Loops! I hate Fruitee Loopeez!”), buy one box, and refill it from the generic. If you do not take them with you to the store, they’ll never know, but they will tell their friends for years how their parent loved them so much they sacrificed everything to get their favorite cereal. And you can get a bag of cheap plastic toys for a dollar at the dollar stores  – if it doesn’t match the box, just tell the kids it’s “one of the ultra-rare extra-special versions! You are sooo lucky!”

I personally believe that if a celebrity endorses it, it’s not worth the price. The celebrity is never going to date you or sleep over at your house, no matter how many you buy. I made the mistake of buying the Brad Pitt NASCAR Fruit Loops, and he still won’t return my calls.

If you have kids, keep them away from the free samples (which are getting pretty rare these days, actually). Free samples are an excellent marketing strategy, making the nay-sayer the big, bad meanie who won’t get their kids the new Tangerine-Sushi-Watermelon flavor of Jell-O. There are easier ways to embarrass yourself in public and give yourself a headache, try those instead.

I will be honest. You are going to be sacrificing a bit of quality and a bit of taste (your mileage may vary) in order to fill stomachs. You will not be having fine, richly bold and silk smooth coffee every morning.

It sucks. Admit it, deal with it, and get on with it.

I may get screams of outrage over this, but try to switch to instant soft drinks rather than soda. Soda and fruit juice are more expensive. I’m not saying don’t buy a bottle of juice for the kids, I’m saying replace soda with instant (brands such as Wylers and FlavorAid are even cheaper than KoolAid). As a kid, I thought we were special because we had green (lime) KoolAid (actually FlavorAid) and the other kids had never heard of it.

Try to buy grains. Pasta, rice, and bread will fill a belly faster. Do not buy white bread, no matter how cheap it is. The perception of white bread as better is a holdover from when mass-produced bread first came on the market: only rich people could afford to buy white bread. Today, most white bread has as little nutritional content as plaster of Paris (in fact, one highly-publicized brand of “fortified” white bread has the same exact chemical content as plaster of Paris!). And the fiber from whole wheat (even if it is over-processed wheat) is better for your kids.

I admit I have a slight prejudice against buying fresh produce. It doesn’t keep in the fridge long, even if you have space for it (onions, yams, potatoes, and bananas are an exception, as they are not refrigerated). But a small selection of fruit once a week is good for you and the family.

I prefer frozen veggies, but that comes down to space again. Frozen usually has most of the same fiber and nutrition of fresh, as it is flash frozen uncooked. You can “defrost” the frozen by putting it in a colander and running cold water over it. Never let frozen veggies defrost on the counter! It turns into a soggy mess that is as appetizing as if you boiled it for several hours.

But canned veggies will feed your family! There is nothing wrong with that.

Stay away from boxed “complete” dinners or frozen “complete” meals, the kind you cook in a skillet or casserole dish from the ingredients in the box or bag. They are not your friend. They want to steal your wallet and do disgusting, reprehensible things to it.

Hamburger Helper (and Tuna Helper and Chicken Helper) might seem like a deal, but are not. Stores often have their own brand of pasta- or rice-dishes-in-a-box which can be as much as one-quarter the price. While some of the more special varieties won’t be represented, such as bacon-cheeseburger-macaroni, you can fake it. Just crumble a slice or two of cooked bacon into macaroni and cheese and add hamburger. Much lower cost and nobody will tell the difference. Add a can of diced tomatoes (or stewed tomatoes you chop up yourself, although the cost is about the same) and your kids will think you are Wolfgang Puck. Just don’t get pretentious, I know where you came from.

We have added chicken to “parmesan pasta”, tuna to “Italian herb pasta”, hamburger to “Spanish rice”, and many more.

One again, I have to say, do not turn down a gift. We were given a small bottle of white wine once (a sample from a winery) and that added a little flavor to several dishes over the next month. If it is something your family really won’t like, pass it on to someone who wants it (we were also given a jar of whole garlic stuffed into green olives – a friend devoured them in five minutes).

If you prefer fresh produce (and there is nothing wrong with that!) I recommend locating a local Farmer’s Market. The money goes to the people growing the food (a revolutionary concept), and they often price below the national chains. But stay away from prepared foods. I have seen people flock to so-called Farmer’s Markets which were nothing but outdoor booths from up-scale “boutique” groceries and bakeries. The day I pay $8 a loaf for bread (I don’t care if it is hazelnut-chocolate), either shoot me or delete me from the Internet.

In some states, you can buy “take-and-bake” pizza, the pizzas you buy from the pizza place uncooked and take home to cook it, on food stamps. If you have the cooking facilities, this is okay for a treat, once a month or so, but I do not recommend it. Also, there are rumors, often repeated, that some of those places will cook the pizza for you, for no charge, after you pay for the pizza. I can not confirm this, as I have never seen this happen. Do not count on it, though.

I saw one restaurant/meat-market that was advertising that they would cook food for free, if the food was purchased from them. This was a small seafood market in Portland, Oregon (about 7 years ago). This was an attempt to increase exposure, word-of-mouth, and feel-good community sympathy. I have no idea how well that worked out for them, but that is not an option for you.

Frankly, seafood is not on the budget. Second, it doesn’t keep very well. Third, if you are waiting for pie-in-the-sky, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, your family will starve.

Pace yourself. Try to figure out how many meals you have on hand, and whether that will last as long as it needs to, until your next windfall of pocket change, your next miniscule paycheck, your next disbursement of food stamps, your next trip to the food bank.

Try to limit snacking. While some baked goods at the food bank may be suitable for snacks (such as coffee cake, doughnuts, etc.), do not get too used to it, because you can  not count on that continuing. Concentrate on providing at least two meals a day for your family. Snacking sets up habits you may not be able to maintain.

Last Notes

I certainly do not want to rain on anybody’s parade, but telling yourself “this is only for a little while” is bullshit. This is going to continue for quite some time. Some people will never get out of this situation, unless our society takes a sudden 180 degree turn towards compassion in action.

Get used to this. Get used to visiting food banks. Don’t get used to food stamps, there’s no telling when those programs will get slashed to shreds. Don’t get used to hand-outs, either (and no, food stamps are not hand-outs). As more people fall into this situation, hand-outs will get much less and more rare.

I have seen charities stop programs for the hungry, the homeless, the unemployed, the destitute. They ran out of money and the donations were not keeping up with the expenses. I have witnessed free clinics, food banks, shelters, and “clothes closets” abruptly close, without warning (although a number of charities have tried to warn people).

I do not advocate committing crime to feed your family. Your family will not be fed if you go to jail or prison, and it is a lot more intelligent to expect to get caught than assume that you won’t. And as a poor person, you can count on getting a worse sentence than someone who has a job and a nice house. Even if you are only in jail for 3 months, how is your family going to survive for that long? Even if you are single, how is a recent jail term going to help your job prospects?

You may be forced to the point where you are catching squirrels in the park with your bare hands. You may need to learn what wild plants can be safely eaten, and which ones taste better and which ones have actual nutritional value.

Your family needs to be fed, and so do you.

 

I leave you with this excerpt from Queen of Sorcery, by David Eddings:

“How are things going in your village?” Detton asked.

“We’re hungry. The taxes took all our food.”

“Ours too. We’ve been eating boiled tree roots.”

“We haven’t tried that yet. We’re eating our shoes.”


 

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BigDogMom
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BigDogMom

Great post 2ndClass, how did I miss this? About seafood, if you live near the water, go to the docks and speak with the local weekend fisherman, not the commercial ones. These guys fish only for fun, a lot are hardcore like my husband and most of what they catch is released.

Find out what they are going out for and ask them if they would mind if they could keep a few aside for you on ice, they always have ice for bait. Then get an estimated time of arrival or have them call you when they are heading in to the dock. They may even fillet them for you, if not learn, it’s not hard, you will need a really sharp knife though.

Since we live near the water and my husband is an avid fisherman, we have plenty of fresh fish every week from Spring until Fall.

Several people have asked my husband to do this, which he has no problem with, most fisherman are more than accommodating when it comes to this…heck it just gives them another excuse to go out again!

What’s nice, is that sometimes in return we get fresh veggies out of their gardens or great homemade bread!

On cooking, white fish, such as Bluefish, Striped Bass, Blackfish, Flounder it’s better fried, (with homemade breadcrumbs made from old bread), or baked with lemon/butter or tomatoes, onions, peppers and spices over it. Meatier fish like Tuna, Mahi Mahi or Sword, (hubby goes off of Montauk, NY for them in Spring and Fall when they are running), are better grilled with just a little butter, lemon, S&P.

If you ever get a hold of clams, even canned clams in juice, I have great recipes for baked clams and chowder. I make everything from scratch, we buy very little processed food and chowder goes along way.

We barter for our lobsters, hubby works on their boat at cost, we get lobsters all season…good recipe for lobster bisque.

Another alternative is to see if there is a fish wholesaler in your area, sometimes you can get smaller cuts at cost that are close to the sell by date, but still good enough to eat. Most will be willing to sell direct just to get rid of it. The key is, if you can smell it, then it’s bad…

Hope this helps!

(ps: have a great recipe for Tuna Glop, we kids called it this because it glops onto the plate! My mother made it up one night, she used on can of tuna, with one can of mushroom soup, 1 cup of cooked rice, frozen peas, enough that you want, bunch of spices and throw it in a casserole dish and bake at 350 till bubbling)

Chernynkaya
Member

I found these 2 articles while working on Daily Planet that I think should go here?

Do You Really Need It? 8 Expenses You Can Cut Out of Your Life
http://community.careonecredit.com/b/life_balance/archive/2011/01/20/do-you-really-need-it-8-expenses-you-can-cut-out-of-your-life.aspx

Monthly Expenses You Don’t Need:
Home Phone
More and more people are moving away from having a land line in their homes. With competitive cellular carriers and increasingly reliable (and cheap) VOIP plans, traditional land lines are becoming unnecessary. I’ve been without one for almost four years now – no problem.
Credit Card Insurance
It may seem cheap at a few pennies for every hundred dollars you owe on your credit card, but credit card insurance is not only exorbitantly expensive in relation to comparable forms of insurance, but it’s also one of the least effective and most difficult insurances to successfully claim on.
Bank Account Fees
Take a look at your bank account. Do you pay a monthly fee? Could you avoid paying that fee if you maintained a minimum balance? What about withdrawal, debit, or other transaction charges? A friend of mine recently scrutinized all her bank account statements to discover she can save over $400/year in unnecessary fees, simply by paying more attention to the structure of her account and transactions.
Cable TV
For some people, television is a non-negotiable requirement, and if you’re one of those people, far be it for me to tell you that you don’t need it. All I ask is that you take a look at exactly what you watch on TV that gives you the greatest sense of satisfaction, and ask yourself if there’s any other way to view the same show or obtain the same information (online, for example).
Years ago, I moved into a place that (accidentally) had free cable. When the cable company realized the error of its ways and revoked it, I decided to do an experiment and see if I could live without it. Although there was an adjustment period at first, I coped pretty well, and also managed to save some cool cash each month in so doing.
Other Expenses Worth Reconsidering:
Coffee Shop Coffee
As much as I love a really good cup ‘o’ jo, I refuse to feed my daily addiction at a coffee shop. Instead, I buy good quality coffee beans, grind them fresh daily, and use a nice French press to create the perfect cup. If I need one for the road, I take a travel mug with me. I figure I’m saving about $1,000/year on lattes, as well as the environmental cost of ordering all those coffees to go.
Bottled Water
In grocery shopping with a friend recently, I was shocked to see her load up the cart with multiple cases of bottled water. I see very little up-side to bottled water; it’s largely unregulated, the plastic leaches unhealthy toxins into the water, the waste factor is horrific, and for all this you pay a formidable price. There are alternatives; please consider them.
Lazy Lunches
After too many uninspiring sandwiches and granola bars, I lost the plot and spent a small fortune eating lunch out for a short spell. I tried to justify it by choosing inexpensive and healthy lunch options, but no matter which way I sliced it, I was consistently spending more money than I did on my packed lunches.
But I couldn’t bear to prepare and force back another dull packed lunch. So instead, I started cooking larger dinners at night and taking the leftovers for lunch. Now I enjoy a hot healthy meal at lunch; one that I often look forward to enjoying during my mid-day break.
Grocery Shopping Strategies
This is yet another lesson learned the hard way by yours truly. Despite having a solid routine of weekly grocery outings armed with a well-prepared list, I moved somewhere with great shopping nearby and it all fell apart.
I truly believed I could shop just a meal or two in advance without spending any more money. In some ways I still don’t understand why it didn’t work since I bought many of the same ingredients, but ultimately my grocery expenses doubled. A little planning and fewer trips to the grocery store can go a long way.
These are just a few expenses that I’ve found success in cutting out of my life without too much ado. What expenses could you do without?
RELATED ARTICLES:
Avoiding Pain at the Pump
Running Your Business on a Shoestring Budget
Balancing the Needs of Tomorrow with the Desires of Today

and this:
How the recession turned me into a scavenger
After my husband and I were laid off, I discovered an unlikely way to put food on our table — I scrounge for it
http://www.salon.com/life/life_stories/index.html?story=/mwt/pinched/2011/03/01/recession_turned_me_into_scavenger

When I moved from Seattle to the country, I imagined a well-stocked pantry. I could see myself happily squirreling away shiny Ball canning jars full of tomatoes and beets from the garden. I envisioned myself braiding garlic and maybe building a root cellar. What I did not imagine was relying on handouts from my friends to keep food on the table.
[…]
I do hoard crusts, but I’m nowhere close to starving. Even without the canned goods from GH and Kamari, and a beautiful Christmas basket full of preserves from our neighbors, I wouldn’t be starving. To some of my friends in Mexico, our larder, with its jars of dried lentils and rice and three types of sugar, would seem as incomprehensibly lavish as Imelda Marcos’ shoe collection. I’m just a little close to the wire by American standards, which means a dearth of meat or fresh vegetables. I tell myself that poverty breeds creative thinking, which is good for the brain. Though as I sniff at a rubbery end of cabbage, hoping that it’s still good enough to serve to unexpected guests, the Steve Earle line springs to mind, “I was born in the land of plenty, now there ain’t enough.”
I avoided writing this for a long time — it’s not necessarily the face I want to show to the world. As Orwell writes, “You discover, for instance, the secrecy attaching to poverty. At a sudden stroke you have been reduced to an income of six francs a day. But of course you dare not admit it — you have got to pretend that you are living quite as usual. From the start it tangles you in a net of lies, and even with the lies you can hardly manage it.”
I don’t want anyone’s pity or charity or worry, and I don’t need anyone’s scorn either. For a long time I thought it would be best to put forth a successful, positive face and hope that my attitude of success engendered actual success. I played that card for about a year. But that’s the thing with worrying about how to put food on the table — pretty soon you can’t think of much else. And if I can’t think about much else, I can’t write about much else either. I’d rather write about this than nothing at all.
I wouldn’t bother if this were just a litany of complaints, but now, as always, bright points make life worth living and writing about. GH and Kamari have discovered that yellow-footed chanterelles grow in the Deadwood woods throughout the winter, and they are willing to divulge their favorite hunting grounds (which I deeply appreciate, since mushroom hunters are traditionally a secretive lot). As I traverse the cathedral stillness of the forest, padding on a bouncy carpet of moss and fir needles, it occurs to me that I’m bringing up the gathering end of the hunter/gatherer equation. Like my distant ancestors, I’m actually dependent on gathering as a major food source.
I’m not claiming that gathering mushrooms is going to save us from starvation; we aren’t starving. Gathering mushrooms is going to make the difference between a dull meal and a delicious one. And as I sit by candlelight eating pasta with a chanterelle cream sauce, I am grateful for this winter bounty. I’m grateful because it mitigates the meanness of existence and allows me to forget the wolves at the door: Even in these hard times, we’re lucky. We eat like kings.

ghsts
Member

Mushrooms god’s gift to the meek, six more weeks before I get my boots muddy once again.

ClassicalGas
Member
ClassicalGas

Good article, 2ndClassCitizenPundit. An approach I would add is to barter with your neighbors, if you have the good fortune to live in a community where it’s possible.

I have extra freezer space, and a small but functional kitchen, and I would jump at the chance to trade storage and/or cooking privileges for some help with some maintenance and handy-man type assistance. I don’t drive, either, so a weekly ride to do errands would be another good trade for me. You may be able to find older people on limited incomes who would be happy to engage in mutually beneficial arrangements.

coveark
Member
coveark

Very good article. I kept reading looking for something that you could have forgotten and you truly covered a lot of ground. I have always found food and survival very interesting.

If you do have electricity there is am electric skillet that also has a broiler unit built into the lid. The ones I have seen were avocado green or yellow so they were not new. If one of these can be found in the thrift store they are very useful. Actually any hardware that I mention would come from a thrift store. An electric percolator will boil water pretty quick. If you have a single burner you may put on a pan of water then put a streamer, this can be bamboo or I found 3 metal ones that are not foldable. You can easily cook whole meals for many people in this way. Stack the steamers over the water and put the lid on top. I think the Chinese have done this for eons.

If the weather is very warm you can put frozen burritos in the sun wrapped in foil.

Eggs are a relatively inexpensive source of protein.

If you have a place to be for awhile almost all grains and seeds can be sprouted in old canning jars. Use the rings to hold pieces of stretched nylon stocking, then you can rinse and drain easily. If you do not have cooking facilities at all this allows you to eat enhanced protein and if they green a tad …veggies. DO NOT USE SEEDS OR GRAINS INTENDED FOR PLANTING !!! They more than likely have been treated with chemicals and perhaps mercury.

These same type of jars are also excellent for keeping grains, flours, seeds, pasta, and many dry foods clean and pest free. Unless you have to travel all the time , they are attractive.

While at the Thrift store again, search for old boyscout books and other survival books….many of these will give really useful info that you may or may not ever use but knowledge is a good thing.Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss is an old book but covers the uses of many North American Herbs for healing.Learn to make snares and traps. Also look for books on plants of your area and before you eat anything wild unless you are absolutely sure….look it up. If you have to get water from an outdoor faucet…….take the hose off and get it direct.

Some stores will give you boxes of produce that is still quite usable if you have ‘ animals;-)’ and come by to get it.

Well, I will close this now……sleep time….Best wishes to us all……good night.

Chernynkaya
Member

I love this series, 2nd! I’ve read so many good ideas here, many I already use and some that I will try.

To add to the many great comments, let me say that for years now–even during the “fat” times– I always brought my lunch to work. When money was no object, I did it because I usually worked through lunch. But those days–working and having extra cash–are over. Now I make both breakfast and lunch for my husband.

Lunch is almost always the leftovers from last night’s dinner. Sinece he has access to a microwave at work, he has a hot lunch every day. AND much healthier! I add fruit and raw veggies.

I figure it saves at least $50 per week. That’s a whopping $2500 a year! And that’s our vacation money–or savings, or whatever.

Gransview
Member
Gransview

KB,

FWIW, I always enjoy your posts.

Should have said something! 🙂

KB723
Guest
KB723

GransView, I am not sure what you are saying. Please elaborate.

Gransview
Member
Gransview

Nothing more to add. It’s just people don’t know you appreciate them unless you tell them. From your post, it sounded like you needed to hear that.

KB723
Guest
KB723

Gransview, The last time I talked to you I was telling you how I fell asleep in my computer chair on the music thread back at HP. You mentioned how sometimes that’s how you go out as well… I am a bit lost here.

Abbyrose86
Member

OH and don’t forget, the websites for bartering or even craigslist, which has free stuff or offers to trade things.

YOU never know if you might have something someone else wants, that you might not even consider important but might be to someone else.

KillgoreTrout
Member

I think it was my father who once told me, “Always leave the table just a slightly bit hungry.
Not only is this good advice concerning one’s overall health, it really helps to keep the food bill down a bit.

CleoPatra333
Member
CleoPatra333

It was maybe 36 years ago, when my mother told me that there were millions of hungry children in the world. She was trying to get me to eat brussels spouts. I was so confused. She always told me that she loved me, but then she placed this horrible veggie on my plate followed by that awful statement. I couldn’t sleep that night thinking about all the hungry children in world. How little things have changed.
I failed to grasp at that time what she was actually saying. Be grateful for what you have and recogize that people are suffering. Always do what you can for others irregardless of their circumstances and try not to forget my blessings, even when I don’t always recognize them.

jkkFL
Guest

CleoPatra
No matter HOW you try to sugar coat them, brussels sprouts are for rabbits, Not people!
Smiley

KB723
Guest
KB723

jkkFL…. Who are you talking to??? Is Cher also Cleopatra33?????

jkkFL
Guest

LOL- I was thinking about something I saw on Cher’s column, and had a brainfart!
MyBad.

KB723
Guest
KB723

jkkFL Thanks for the clarification, Man I am in circles right now.

Abbyrose86
Member

I love brussel sprouts! 🙂

jkkFL
Guest

Abbyrose- send me your address, I will overnight mine!
Smiley

Abbyrose86
Member

LOL! I would take em too! 🙂

KillgoreTrout
Member

When considering my circumstances in life, even when I was homeless, I would recall a saying I had heard many times in the past. It went something like, “A man was feeling sorry for himself because he had no shoes, until he met a man who had no feet.”
I am rather fascinated with the holocaust, because of the human spirit of the survivors. They lost everything, homes, savings, clothes, family members, including their own children. They endured starvation, beatings, brutal forced labor, diseases…..etc. But the human spirit within them would not break.
Then I look at my own life and invariably think, “Man, I am living like a king. And I live on very little. I even manage to save about 100 bucks a month.

CleoPatra333
Member
CleoPatra333

This should be in OT, but, I know the world is not always a safe place. Not to diminish hardships that people have suffered. I too have been homeless, wondering where my next meal would come from and where I would lay my head.

I’m only saying this to ask, have you seen the movie “Bent”. A tragic depiction of the Holocaust and it’s horrible affects on our Gay/Lesbian brothers and sisters. It stars, Clive Owen and Mick Jagger in a minor role? We cannot allow this to happen again!

KillgoreTrout
Member

Thanks cleo, I will look for it. My daughter is gay, and it really makes me angry at times to think of how American society treats gay people.

CleoPatra333
Member
CleoPatra333

I don’t normally advocate spendng money when it is not necessary. But it is a powerful movie. Check it out on “Net-Flix”. You won’t forget it.

CleoPatra333
Member
CleoPatra333

In need on entertainment, seek out your local library. I visit my library least twice a week. Our library offers the lastest and the oldest, DVD’s and CD’s, that can be checked out for 7 – 21 days, depending on the article. Books on tape, wonderful for those of us on the go. Also, they have the newest offerings of best sellers. If it is not of the shelf, you can reserve it.

Abbyrose86
Member

Fabulous idea!

KillgoreTrout
Member

Cleo, thrift stores are also a good way to get books and dvds. If it is a decent thrift store you can find real diamonds in the rough as far as books are concerned. usually about fifty cents a book. Even hardcover books.

Abbyrose86
Member

Tag sales or garage sales are good for those things too!

KillgoreTrout
Member

Yeah, I forgot about those.

CleoPatra333
Member
CleoPatra333

Wonderful post. I agree that we need to tighten a wallets, because, the uncertainty that we, as a society face, can be daunting. I’m not a big fan a television, however, I did watch a episode of “Oprah” awhile ago, where she stated that too many Americans, were “living unconsciously”. Too wrapped up in credit card debt, trying to keep up with the Jones’, who ever they are. I will never forget how true those words were.

I visited my local “Union Mission Thrift Store” yesterday, and was surpirsed that the prices have gone up so much.

I did, however, purchase four cereal bowls, @1.25 each, which my partner loves. In addition, to the bowls, I bought four glasses, four blouses and pair a white Tommy H shorts and made a donation, which totaled a whopping $35.00.

I hadn’t “shopped” in so long, I felt a little guilty in my extravagence.

When it comes to comfort, I always look to home cooked meals. Macaroni and cheese, a roast cooked my slow cooker with potatoes and frozen veggies, which was our dinner tonight, and my all time favorite, home cooked artisian bread.

Much love to everyone. We fall down, but we get up.

Abbyrose86
Member

Great article…with MANY great tips.

On of the things we do in my family to save money(we have the storage space) is buy food in bulk. IF one has the luxury of storage space, and/or a freezer, buying in bulk really SAVES a ton of money in the long run.

Yes, it is an upfront investment, but it does save on one’s monthly food budget. I usually do bulk shopping a couple of times a year or if I see a really good deal on something that we use, we stock up on that item.

Another avenue to consider IF one has the access,(meaning knowing someone in the restaurant business) is restaurant supply stores and food purveyors, the purveyors sometimes have outlet stores located near their warehouses that are open to the public. Some good deals can be found there, if you have the space for the quantities sold.

Other ideas, for buying kitchen appliances and/or kitchen necessities is believe it or not is Targets end cap displays…they have some good household stuff CHEAP on those displays. Also, ALWAYS, ALWAYS first check the clearance racks at ANY department store or discount retailer, such as Big Lots, TJ MAXX, Marshalls, Ollie’s, K-mart or even JCPenneys. I have found unbelievable deals on the clearance racks at these stores. I mean really cheap. It’s hit and miss, but it’s worth the look, if you are there or looking for something you need.

My Fiance is a chef, and he has taught me many ways to keep our food budget in check and make cheap food taste good…as well as different recipes that can feed a family without breaking the bank.

Soups, stews, casseroles, are all good, healthy ways to feed a family.

Also, instead of buying fancy drinks and sodas, water is always a great option. If your tap water is not that good, I don’t suggest buying bottled, but rather get a pitcher style water purifier. THEY are a one time investment of under $20 and the filters usually run around 5-8 bucks, and only need replacing every 60 days. So if you do the math, they are well worth the money for decent drinking water.

Abbyrose86
Member

Oh and further on the soup thing…YOU can buy a chicken, or turkey…have it for a meal and then use the bones to make and leftovers to make a great soup.

CleoPatra333
Member
CleoPatra333

So true Abbyrose.

jkkFL
Guest

2ccp,
Another wonderfully humorous article on living thru being down and out!
I can tell you, for a fact, you can cook a chicken in a slow cooker!!!
If you luck into a whole chicken, you can wrap the whole chicken in foil- (you CAN use foil in crock pots!) turn the pot on low, and you will end up with moist succulent chicken- drawback- no crispy skin, but it will retain that flavor.. you can use chicken thighs, or legs, layered with whatever veggies you have on hand, and cook them in about 1/2 c water with a bullion cube disolved in it.
I am a frequent shopper at Dollar general markets. One of my friends, (who is the wife of a bank president 🙂 gave me a $5 off coupon, because she didn’t need to go on a Sat- which is the only day they honor them!
Their store brand is Clover Valley, and I have found it rivals any name brand in flavor, and it ranges in price from $1.00 to $1.75. They also carry fresh produce- not top grade, but perfectly good- and they carry small quantities, for those who are alone- or who don’t want to eat mistakes for a week!
I loved your idea of shopping for appliances in thrift shops- very helpful!
Again- thanks for helping us chuckle our way through our circumstances; and for good solid ideas that will preclude boiling last year’s shoes for lunch!
Bravo! and Keep it up, we need this!