Just found out that we spend less per person on groceries than Food Stamp recipients get.

[Scarlett]

One area I really focus on is not wasting food. My dh really helps in this because he can rescue produce that I thought was too far gone. Also we eat leftovers even if it means we have a night where e very person has a different dish. I often use those nights to skip supper since I always want to lose a pound or two.

 

I limit meat for my boys and dh. If I cook a 3 pound roast they will eat every bite at one sitting....so I only put 3/4 of it on the table and save the rest for shredded tacos the next night....add corn to the taco meat and it goes further.

 

I also try for two meatless meals a week. Some of my favorites are beans cornbread fried potatoes and a green.....lentil and broccoli quiche......lentil and rice tacos......

[Mango]

Maybe start feeding that puppy the cheaper protein from the freezer once in a while to get him to cut back on the dog chow?

[beaners]

I don't spend that much per person, and I don't consider my budget to be tight. It does not surprise me that food stamps allow a larger budget than I spend.

 

 

You eat out a lot right? (I think I remember you saying that before.) Are you counting that in your grocery budget? Around here even the cheap Chinese buffet or Mexican restaurant are at least $5 per person, so there is no way we would be coming out ahead even if that was our only meal for the day.

[FaithManor]

I have gluten and corn sensitivities so I can't supplement my diet with all of the grain based foods that many "cheap" diets call for - toast and bread with all of the meals, evenings of pastas, noodles, etc. Middle ds has to eat 3500 calories per day as per the endocrinologist because of "failure to thrive" (he's 14 and has a metabolic problem that they can't nail down specificially so this is the diagnosis on paper so our insurance will continue to pay for his healthcare). He has to have certain omega oils in high quantity and the doc wants the bulk to come from food and not supplements. This means an $8.00 bag of scallops, $6.00 bag of shrimp, tillapia and salmon, organic lean beef, $8.00 of macademea nuts, etc. purchased each week! If I couldn't provide this for ds, we'd be accused of medical neglect.

 

We do supplement with a lot of gardening. My dad keeps a huge garden which we help him with and what I can't get from him, I purchase from a local Amish farmer who does not use pesticides, herbicides, or commercial fertilizers....just old fashioned "nure" from his animals who are all raised on his organically raised pasture, hay, and grains. He's just not certified organic and his prices are exceptionally reasonable. In season, red/yellow/green peppers 3/$1.00, bushel of green beans $9.00, bushel of corn (36-48 ears depending on the size0 $10.00, large squash for $.75 each, huge watermelons for $2.50, bushel of roma canning tomatoes $10.00, baby red potatoes 1/2 bushel for $6.00, huge heads of broccoli and cauliflower for $1.50 each. I freeze broccoli and cauliflower by the gallon bag, some of the green beans but I can a lot as well, freeze the corn after blanching right on the ear (kids love it in the winter, I of course can't partake...pout, pout), cube some of the potatoes with the skins on and freeze for hashbrowns, store the rest along with some onions, dehydrate/dry grape tomatoes, leeks, celery, peppers, basil, apples, pears, blueberries (freeze some too...we have a you pick place and it's 89 cents a lb.), pick blackberries wild and freeze, raspberries from my folks, etc. I can the tomatoes for chili and pasta sauce (we use brown rice pasta - NOT CHEAP and the three teenage boys eat it down like they are storing up for hibernation so we only have it twice a month). In the winter, salad greens are about all I buy along with citrus, organic baby carrots, and mushrooms. I am sure my cart doesn't look healthy at the grocery store for lack of produce, but having all of that locally grown, delicious produce at a fraction of the cost of the supermarket is a real blessing.

 

Eggs - our chicken keeping adventure didn't go well. Too many predators and we live too close to town to be allowed to discharge the hunting gun on our property, nor can we poison/bait either because of the neighborhood cats and dogs since most of the owners refuse to keep their animals on their own land...there are leash laws for the dogs, but we are the only law abiding citizens in that regard that lives in and around this hamlet. So, with all of the chickens killed off by possum, skunk, coon, and roaming dogs, i've given up. I can get farm fresh eggs for $2.00 a dozen, however, I am certain they are not organically raised. Still much better than the supermarket eggs.

 

I cook from scratch except that rice pasta. But since we consume so little in grains, that makes it harder. The kids snack on yogurt and fresh fruit, however, they also need cheese and nuts in order to keep their bellies full....sigh, the youngest grew an inch last month, and the middle boy went up a half shoe size in three weeks - I had just purchased him a new pair of tennis shoes. We had to squeeze his feet into his dress shoes for DD's wedding because by the time the day arrived, our checkbook was nearly empty, and I missed getting to the bank in time to withdraw money from savings. Oh, and his jeans...the only ones that fit him properly because he's so thin...the Levi 511 super skinnies that never seem to go on sale for less than $40.00 and WERE JUST PURCHASED IN APRIL...those jeans, they are now high water.

 

And yet, I keep feeding these kids! :lol: :lol: :lol: Dh makes a good living and so even though I watch our food budget and do the best I can to keep it reasonable, the reality is we can afford to feed these kids properly. I think "properly" is the operative word there. There are a lot of low cost items like 50 cent a box mac-n-cheese out there, but I worry about the kinds of food choices many people are forced to make.

 

Meat costs have really gone up in this area. Last year conventionally raised chicken breast was $1.69-$1.89 per lb. This year it's $2.89 - 3.49 depending on sales. Even ground chuck went up a dollar per lb. and bette cuts went up more than that. Eggs nearly doubled in price. I know a lot has to do with last year's drought...winter hay and grain prices went through the roof which means these animals were A LOT more expensive to feed through the winter which means their price per lb. a spring and summer butchering went up handsomely as farmers calculated their costs. Hopefully, this year crops and gardens will be very good and some of these costs will diminish. Wages are still stagnating in Michigan and while some counties have seen an improvement in their unemployment rates, Detroit/Flint corridor is still seeing 19.89% and our county is still above 15%. Economically speaking, that's a disaster and personally, knowing that underemployment which is not reported has been estimated at 25%, my heart aches because so many people don't have enough money to pay basic bills, and rent, and mortgages, and the astronomically increasing auto insurance in this state, and....forget good, nutritious food!

 

As for the local schools, the morning meal is a pop tart and 4 oz. of milk nearly everyday and lunches are greasy, heavy carb items...typical would be chicken nuggets and fries w/applesauce. or pizza and a cookie, or hot dog, corn, and a cookie, or spaghetti, and corn and a cookie, or....corn appears two or three times per week and applesauce the other two times. No fresh offerings. However, they did remove the pepsi vending machines from the schools and in the middle and high school, the kids can get bottled water or iced tea...much better than all of the soda they used to consume.

 

Faith

[fairfarmhand]

I think what's suddenly come up is that for the first time in 18 months I'm having to buy milk and butter and any other milk based products. We dried off my cow to give her a rest before she calves in August and I'm feeling the shock of adding in those dairy products. Add to that the fact that my kids are so used to being able to drink all the milk that they want all the time, and I'm having to ration store milk again!

 

When I am milking, I also put out leftover, 2-3 day old milk for the dogs and cats which stretches things in other ways too!

[fairfarmhand]

 

 

 

Meat costs have really gone up in this area. Last year conventionally raised chicken breast was $1.69-$1.89 per lb. This year it's $2.89 - 3.49 depending on sales. Even ground chuck went up a dollar per lb. and bette cuts went up more than that. Eggs nearly doubled in price. I know a lot has to do with last year's drought...winter hay and grain prices went through the roof which means these animals were A LOT more expensive to feed through the winter which means their price per lb. a spring and summer butchering went up handsomely as farmers calculated their costs. Hopefully, this year crops and gardens will be very good and some of these costs will diminish. Wages are still stagnating in Michigan and while some counties have seen an improvement in their unemployment rates, Detroit/Flint corridor is still seeing 19.89% and our county is still above 15%. Economically speaking, that's a disaster and personally, knowing that underemployment which is not reported has been estimated at 25%, my heart aches because so many people don't have enough money to pay basic bills, and rent, and mortgages, and the astronomically increasing auto insurance in this state, and....forget good, nutritious food!

 

 

Faith

 

Want to know what? The size of the US cow herd is smaller than it has been in over 60 years because of record breaking beef prices and severe droughts. That means that beef prices will stay high. It takes 2 years for a calf to reach calving age, so it may bee awhile before consumers get any relief in the beef department.

[Murphy101]

Yes. You can't use FS just anywhere. You can't buy a side of bulk discounted fresh beef with it bc they don't sell that at Walmart.

 

I feed my kids probably triple what laurin posted. And they are all twigs. My 18 year old just hit 6' and is only 120lbs. They are all uber skinny once they hit about age 3. I am not joking when I say that I'd be worried a pediatrician would be worried about malnourishment if I told him I fed then just what laurin posted.

 

And my dh is diabetic. A diet heavy in pasta and rice is bad news and yet a diet without carbs is too. I work very hard to make sure dh and the kids have the healthy energy they need.

[*********]

I am SOOOO showing my dh this. The grocery budget is a constant source of, uh, "discussion" in our house.

 

According to this, The average food stamp recipient in our state, Michigan, gets $135. If you multiply that by four (which is what my dh would do even though I also feed my stepkids sometimes), that would be $542. That is MORE than our montly grocery budget. :/ And our grocery budget covers all toiletries, paper and plastic products, cleaning supplies, etc. Not just food.

[FaithManor]

Yes. You can't use FS just anywhere. You can't buy a side of bulk discounted fresh beef with it bc they don't sell that at Walmart.

 

I feed my kids probably triple what laurin posted. And they are all twigs. My 18 year old just hit 6' and is only 120lbs. They are all uber skinny once they hit about age 3. I am not joking when I say that I'd be worried a pediatrician would be worried about malnourishment if I told him I fed then just what laurin posted.

 

And my dh is diabetic. A diet heavy in pasta and rice is bad news and yet a diet without carbs is too. I work very hard to make sure dh and the kids have the healthy energy they need.

 

Boy do I hear ya! Ds is 5'11 now and only 99 lbs. I carry a letter with me from the endocrinologist stating that I don't starve my kid, and he is receiving medical treatment. We were turned into CPS because someone assumed a kid that skinny must be being starved to death. Dh, when he was that age, school teachers brought protein drinks to school because they assumed his parents were withholding food (didn't call CPS though) and made him drink them. He ate like a horse at home! He has always out eaten me by miles squared and yet, I am the one that struggles all.the.time with weight issues and eats hardly anything anymore. It's nuts! I do think because there are so many more teens with overweight struggles now than in times past, that the skinny kids who would have still been considered "normal" to society, now stand out and ubber skinny kids then become "abnormal" and people assume very bad things of the parents.

 

That said, while dh does not have a metabolic issue, ds does have a medical problem. If I fed him what many people consider a budget friendly diet, I would be sent to jail by the endo. It frightens me what happens to children of low income parents who have similar problems since public assistance isn't easy to get in this state to begin with and then is very stingy...families would not be able to afford the diet the endo says he must eat. What happens to those kids???? Do they end up taken away from their parents and then the state pays more to the foster family because the child has a medical issue???? I.would.not.be.shocked. That would be a normal, stinking nuts way for the state of Michigan to "help" the child. GRRRRRRRR.......

 

Faith

[Murphy101]

ONE of mine was failure to thrive. It's was awful. I felt like the worst mother ever and I let them be far too invasive with him bc of that even tho they never did come up with a dx for why he was failure to thrive. In fact, he got worse at times when I followed their demands for fear of CPS if I didn't and they still threatened CPS. They just kept shooting in the dark, getting more and more invasive and promising every time that it would make him gain weight. It was an awful awful time even without CPS but they threatened it every single time I questioned whether they were making the best call for my kid. And it was expensive. Everything they suggested was expensive and dietary needs aren't covered by healthcare insurance of any kind.

[Oakblossoms]

I think you are doing well. I am aiming for 200 a week for our family of 7. My husband works really hard and is away from home for his shifts. I think I need to up it to 300. I might be able to bring that down by buying more in bulk. We haven't done much meat in the past. Now that my husband is eating it regularly we decided to get a freezer and try and find a half a cow. My costs include everything. And, we no longer have access to Costco here either.

[SKL]

 

You eat out a lot right? (I think I remember you saying that before.) Are you counting that in your grocery budget? Around here even the cheap Chinese buffet or Mexican restaurant are at least $5 per person, so there is no way we would be coming out ahead even if that was our only meal for the day.

We eat at quick food / fast food and we always share, drink water, and eat every morsel; and often I don't really eat at that meal but grab some leftovers/cereal after putting my kids to bed. Our usual "eating out" ranges from less than $1 to max $4 per person. Chipotle is $2/person, Panera less than $3/person, McD's $1 to $2/person depending on whether we buy apple slices. The upper end would be Bob Evans. So yeah, even if you include that, we don't spend more than $100 per month per person on food.

[Oakblossoms]

Yeah I agree with this. The puppy food should be separate. Is there a way to get it cheaper? Maybe a bulk order or change foods? I do think having good dog food is nice. Our dog ways did better on good food.

 

oh...I might want to add. We spend $75 a month on dog food.

 

Why did my dh bring home that puppy?

 

I think I may show him the numbers and see if we can adjust the budget a bit. There is some wiggle room in the budget (thankfully) I just had never broken down our amounts like this before. Perhaps I need to lobby for a separate category for pet food. That would help a ton!

[Oakblossoms]

I think your doing well meant...holy moly you are rock awesome!!!!

 

Do you do beans? Dry beans bought from Azure or Bob's Red Mill in large bags are a great meal stretcher. I can get our budget down if I make sure to have beans going every day.

 

Not sure if you wanted advice on stretching your budget.

 

I am trying to figure out toilet paper and laundry detergent currently. We used to go to Costco where we lived previously. It was on our way to the gym. It is a 2 hour drive in the middle of no where now. And, the rolls I bought at Walmart seem so much smaller.

[beaners]

We eat at quick food / fast food and we always share, drink water, and eat every morsel; and often I don't really eat at that meal but grab some leftovers/cereal after putting my kids to bed. Our usual "eating out" ranges from less than $1 to max $4 per person. Chipotle is $2/person, Panera less than $3/person, McD's $1 to $2/person depending on whether we buy apple slices. The upper end would be Bob Evans. So yeah, even if you include that, we don't spend more than $100 per month per person on food.

 

 

That makes sense, and it would keep everything within budget.

[fairfarmhand]

 

Boy do I hear ya! Ds is 5'11 now and only 99 lbs. I carry a letter with me from the endocrinologist stating that I don't starve my kid, and he is receiving medical treatment. We were turned into CPS because someone assumed a kid that skinny must be being starved to death. Dh, when he was that age, school teachers brought protein drinks to school because they assumed his parents were withholding food (didn't call CPS though) and made him drink them. He ate like a horse at home! He has always out eaten me by miles squared and yet, I am the one that struggles all.the.time with weight issues and eats hardly anything anymore. It's nuts! I do think because there are so many more teens with overweight struggles now than in times past, that the skinny kids who would have still been considered "normal" to society, now stand out and ubber skinny kids then become "abnormal" and people assume very bad things of the parents.

 

 

Faith

 

That's ridiculous. If I see a abnormally thin person I think, awww...they must be ill.

 

Why would someone assume that a parent was starving their kid?

[fairfarmhand]

oopsss. double post.

[joannqn]

That was my moms experience when raising my brother and me but that was a long time ago. We always had food....I really do think food prices have gone nuts in the last few years and those guidelines haven't kept up.

 

 

Prices have definitely gone up. But this was just four years ago. Today, my grocery budget for six people is $800. It covers everything you can buy at a grocery store except over the counter medicines and pet food. We do keep eating out as a separate budget. Currently, the family is trying to limit that so we can save for a trip to Disneyland instead.

 

Yes. You can't use FS just anywhere. You can't buy a side of bulk discounted fresh beef with it bc they don't sell that at Walmart.

 

 

The butcher we buy our meat from accepts food stamps.

 

The produce stand we buy our produce from isn't completely locally grown, but it tends to be cheaper than the store, and they accept food stamps as well.

[jeninok]

For your pup...we found great dog food at our neighborhood hardware/feed store. It is lamb and rice and has no corn, wheat, soy, or byproducts. Also no BHT or other nasty chemicals. A 50 pound bag costs 37 dollars and lasts nearly a month for our two big dogs. They are doing well on it, next bag I am going to try their beef one for a change, they don't do well on the super high end foods like Candidae, it upsets their tummies no matter how gradually and how long we try it.

 

You might have a similar option nearby and 50 lbs should last even the biggest dog about a month.

[Murphy101]

Just as an FYI, this is not true in every state. We only recently got approval in our state for farmers markets to be allowed to accept FS, but iirc, none of them actual do bc it's such a PITA to deal with the govt end of it.

 

Prices have definitely gone up. But this was just four years ago. Today, my grocery budget for six people is $800. It covers everything you can buy at a grocery store except over the counter medicines and pet food. We do keep eating out as a separate budget. Currently, the family is trying to limit that so we can save for a trip to Disneyland instead.

The butcher we buy our meat from accepts food stamps.

The produce stand we buy our produce from isn't completely locally grown, but it tends to be cheaper than the store, and they accept food stamps as well.

 

[*Michelle*]

For your pup...we found great dog food at our neighborhood hardware/feed store. It is lamb and rice and has no corn, wheat, soy, or byproducts. Also no BHT or other nasty chemicals. A 50 pound bag costs 37 dollars and lasts nearly a month for our two big dogs. They are doing well on it, next bag I am going to try their beef one for a change, they don't do well on the super high end foods like Candidae, it upsets their tummies no matter how gradually and how long we try it.

 

You might have a similar option nearby and 50 lbs should last even the biggest dog about a month.

 

Check Amazon too. You can get high-quality foods on there for a good price/lb.

[fairfarmhand]

For your pup...we found great dog food at our neighborhood hardware/feed store. It is lamb and rice and has no corn, wheat, soy, or byproducts. Also no BHT or other nasty chemicals. A 50 pound bag costs 37 dollars and lasts nearly a month for our two big dogs. They are doing well on it, next bag I am going to try their beef one for a change, they don't do well on the super high end foods like Candidae, it upsets their tummies no matter how gradually and how long we try it.

 

You might have a similar option nearby and 50 lbs should last even the biggest dog about a month.

the problem is we have 2 great pyrs. One is just 8 months old and he eats like a pig. They are busy working dogs. A 50 lb bag lasts about 10 days here. I will look around though. I've found that with higher quality dog food, the dogs are satisfied with less food, so it will last longer, even if it's a little more expensive.

[*Michelle*]

As to the OP, I've finally just thrown my hands in the air and budgeted $1000/month for our family of 6 beginning in August. That will include all foods, toiletries, household supplies, diapers and wipes (3 kids), supplements, and pet food.

 

Our biggest "splurges" are for meat and dairy items. I feel like those are the most important ones quality-wise. We may not get fancy cuts, but we get good quality whole chickens, grass-fed ground beef, eggs from free-range hens, butter from pastured cows, and non-homogenized milk. I make plenty from scratch, but I also consider my time limitations and make compromises as necessary.

[Callie]

The butcher we buy our meat from accepts food stamps.

 

The produce stand we buy our produce from isn't completely locally grown, but it tends to be cheaper than the store, and they accept food stamps as well.

 

The custom meat shop (slaughterhouse/butcher) we use for our beef and venison accepts food stamps. There are signs hanging inside the building stating it and their newspaper ads always mentions it.

[Callie]

the problem is we have 2 great pyrs. One is just 8 months old and he eats like a pig. They are busy working dogs. A 50 lb bag lasts about 10 days here. I will look around though. I've found that with higher quality dog food, the dogs are satisfied with less food, so it will last longer, even if it's a little more expensive.

 

I feed my GP and my cur 2 eggs each every morning. I get approx. 12 - 14 eggs per day and supplement the dogs with a couple of eggs.

[LucyStoner]

Having actually faced hunger as a child, I refuse to see this line item as the one to cut first. I cut it last. Food, and good food, first.

 

We are living on a reduced income right now since we went double to single income and my husband is going to school FT on top of his job. We still spend a good amount on food and that is not something I would cut to the bone without cutting any and all discretionary spending first, including gasoline and cost of housing. We do all the scratch/bulk/direct/meatless meal stuff on top of trading for garden produce and we come nowhere close to getting as low as $100 a person a month unless I disregard large irregular expenditures for staples, meat from a farm and (cheap) CSA payments. Which as an accounting minded gal, I don't. We do eat 8-12 servings of fruits and veggies a day, each.

 

 

[Rivka]

By way of comparison: We're a family of 5 and spend on average about $200/week on food/household supplies. I don't include the dog food (why did I agree to that golden retreiver puppy now small horse?) which runs about $40/mo nor the cat food (they were here first) at $10/mo in that amount. Outside of a small amount of lunchmeat and the occassional hot dogs/ground beef we don't eat meat because it's just too expensive. Forget chicken, pork, turkey, or roasts - those are out for sure. It's mostly ground beef because per pound it's the wisest purchase not to mention the easiest to stretch. Even if I gave away our pets so that I freed up $50/mo, that wouldn't go nearly far enough to buy the amount of meat that both dh and I grew up eating.

 

With that $200 I have a little room for treats (cheap ice cream) plus a few small splurges (~$20). Otherwise it's things like a cart full of veggies, some cheese/milk, beans, granola bars if I'm feeling generous, some bread/pasta/grains, and veg proteins like sprouted tofu/tempeh. For me to reach the $100/month per person all splurges and meat would have to go as would cheese. I would have to invest significantly more time in things like yogurt/bread/gardening/preserving. Between everything else I have on my plate it's either homeschooling or the intensive food prep. I simply don't have it in me to do both.

The variations in budgets and costs here are fascinating to me. We have a family of 4 and spend, on average, $150-175 per week for groceries. We eat meat or fish every day, usually lean cuts like boneless skinless chicken breasts, boneless pork chops, sirloin steak, etc. We buy organic milk, lots of fruit, and plenty of treats like ice cream and cookies. It feels very strange to see someone with a similar budget whose food spending is so much tighter. Do you mind if I ask where you live and what kinds of stores you shop in? We live in a major city with a fairly low cost of living, and we alternate shopping at Wegmans (higher-end supermarket) and Shopper's Food Warehouse (medium-range supermarket).

[FaithManor]

Just as an FYI, this is not true in every state. We only recently got approval in our state for farmers markets to be allowed to accept FS, but iirc, none of them actual do bc it's such a PITA to deal with the govt end of it.

 

 

BINGO! Additionally, a huge number of our farmers' markets are run by Mennonite and Amish families. The Mennonites will take checks, but it's cash only with the Amish and neither group, due to their faith beliefs, will deal with the government on the issue of the bridge card (traditionally called food stamps). We only have four supermarkets in the entire county and one of them just stopped taking the bridge card because they A. have the best produce of the four so it's a little pricier and B. stock a lot of organics, GF, and dairy free/egg free items so they cater to a less general crowd anyway. They determined that the cost of doing business with the state did not bring enough profit from bridge card customers to be worth the headache.This leaves two very small, very crappy supermarkets that are hardly more than glorified 7-11's, or Walmart. The produce at the Walmart is terrible, the meat is worse, and if you have a food allergy, forget it. They have several aisles in the middle devoted to hamburger helper and bulk bags of noodles, oh and candy....lots and lots of candy. You can't even get a healthyish loaf of bread in there. I may go there for laundry soap when I don't have the time to make my own, or toilet paper and a mop sponge replacement, but for food...nope. The doctors in this area have even complained. The two meat markets do not accept the bridge card either.

 

I shop for 80% of what I need from two different sources. One is a Mennonite Bulk Food store in the next county over which since I live close to the line is only 24 miles from my home. For the most populous area of our county, it is 35 miles each way and we don't have public transportation out here except in the county seat and that is for the disabled only...they have so little funding that you have to have a doctor's prescription in order to use the service. It goes to Walmart, the laundromat, any of the doctors' offices or the county hospital - but not medical facilities outside of the town so you can't use any of the dentists or docs in the outlying areas even though some of them are much more reasonably priced than the ones in that town, Rite Aid Pharmacy, one independently owned pharmacy, and one of the two glorified 7-11 'supermarkets". These are the places they can go for free and are entitled up to three trips per week without paying a fee. They can pay to be dropped at the farmer's market, the county courthouse, or other places of business within a one mile radius of "city" limits. No one would be eligible to be driven to the Mennonite Store. Unfortunately, that is the best place... bulk prices, yet they are so sweet, they will sell small amounts repackaged for anyone who wants them at the bulk prices - it would be wonderful if there was funding to send the "public transport" out there. Locally grown, lots of organics, lots of GF, lots of reasonably priced, higher quality dairy, homemade cleanrers with essential oils for excellent prices, plus at harvest time they have rock bottom prices on bulk harvest for those that still can, freeze, and dehydrate.

 

The other place I shop is once per month in "the city". Meijer - TONS of good options and lots and lots of seafood. This is where I pick up the tillapia, salmon, scallops, and shrimp plus if I'm in the mood for a really yummy speciality cheese, it's more reasonably priced there than anywhere else. For our county residents, depending on where they live, it's a minimum 25 miles each way, and for me, it's 50. So, you have to shop for a lot and plan carefully so your savings are not completely eaten up in gas expenditures. At our income level, I can choose to shop there and not worry about the gas money. However, I know that is literally a luxury here. Dh and I are not well to do. We aren't wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. We are solidly in the middle of the middle class. Yet, due to the wage stagnation and high unemployment plus underemployment, we are in the top wage earners here. I know many people who have been forced to seriously cut back on what they feed their families. We are in a very underserved, limited county.

 

Faith

[Jane in NC]

The variations in budgets and costs here are fascinating to me. We have a family of 4 and spend, on average, $150-175 per week for groceries. We eat meat or fish every day, usually lean cuts like boneless skinless chicken breasts, boneless pork chops, sirloin steak, etc. We buy organic milk, lots of fruit, and plenty of treats like ice cream and cookies. It feels very strange to see someone with a similar budget whose food spending is so much tighter. Do you mind if I ask where you live and what kinds of stores you shop in? We live in a major city with a fairly low cost of living, and we alternate shopping at Wegmans (higher-end supermarket) and Shopper's Food Warehouse (medium-range supermarket).

 

There really is a great deal of variation in food costs across the country. I live in a tourist town where we see costs rise in the summer at the grocery stores. To be honest, I buy very little at the traditional grocery so this has less effect on me.

 

At the moment my fridge is well stocked with veg from the CSA and blueberries from the farmer's market. I buy my fish from one of two local fishmongers, poultry from the local butcher or my food co-op which is in the nearest city.

 

I make regular summer trips to Cape Cod where the local produce at farmer's markets is twice what I pay here. It is an expensive real estate market filled with seasonal tourists.

 

I prefer to buy ingredients over processed food because I like to know what is in my food. Yesterday I made granola; today spelt crackers. We'll have some Carolina shrimp with our local corn and tomatoes tonight; the shells will be turned into stock and some of the shrimp reserved for risotto another day. US shrimp and organic vine ripened tomatoes would probably cost someone else in another part of the country twice what I pay. Buying local and seasonal food is far more economical for me but, as noted earlier, I have seen that this is not the case on Cape Cod and I suspect in other pricey parts of the country.

[joannqn]

I think we have it pretty good here. Our Walmart carries some organic foods. I don't shop there so I can't think of a lot of examples. I know that they have organic milk. I know that there are some higher quality meats; if not organic then I know they have meat that is grown without antibiotics and growth hormones. I know you can get Dave's Killer Bread, other organic breads, and gluten free breads at Walmarts. The produce isn't bad at all. There seems to be a higher percentage of people interested in more healthy lifestyles here. Organic food is easy to find. Gluten free choices are becoming more and more common. We have bike lanes on almost every major street.

 

With all of those choices, we do have to shop carefully to make it affordable. I used to spend $1200-$1400 a month on groceries but have been able to drop that down to $800 a month while eating more healthfully than we did before. I don't typically buy organic foods though. I get most of our meat from the butcher; it is all local and there is a noticeable difference in quality. The rest comes from Costco (usually ground beef and chicken breasts). I get most of our produce from the produce stand. Some of it is local. None of it is organic. They sell the produce turned down by the stores; peaches with scars but otherwise perfect, for example. There are certain things we get at Costco (ie. wild salmon burgers, butter). Then the rest comes from Winco, if I need to do a bigger trip, or Safeway, if I only need a few items.

[Jane in NC]

 

With all of those choices, we do have to shop carefully to make it affordable. I used to spend $1200-$1400 a month on groceries but have been able to drop that down to $800 a month while eating more healthfully than we did before. I don't typically buy organic foods though. I get most of our meat from the butcher; it is all local and there is a noticeable difference in quality. The rest comes from Costco (usually ground beef and chicken breasts). I get most of our produce from the produce stand. Some of it is local. None of it is organic. They sell the produce turned down by the stores; peaches with scars but otherwise perfect, for example. There are certain things we get at Costco (ie. wild salmon burgers, butter). Then the rest comes from Winco, if I need to do a bigger trip, or Safeway, if I only need a few items.

 

Meat from my butcher is not organic either but it is definitely superior to the grocery store product. They too have local sources.

 

My preference is local first (keeping my neighbors working and tax base healthy), then organic. Great if I can get both (as with my CSA) but not every farmer goes for organic certification. Small farms with good practices work for me!

[FaithManor]

Having actually faced hunger as a child, I refuse to see this line item as the one to cut first. I cut it last. Food, and good food, first.

 

We are living on a reduced income right now since we went double to single income and my husband is going to school FT on top of his job. We still spend a good amount on food and that is not something I would cut to the bone without cutting any and all discretionary spending first, including gasoline and cost of housing. We do all the scratch/bulk/direct/meatless meal stuff on top of trading for garden produce and we come nowhere close to getting as low as $100 a person a month unless I disregard large irregular expenditures for staples, meat from a farm and (cheap) CSA payments. Which as an accounting minded gal, I don't. We do eat 8-12 servings of fruits and veggies a day, each.

 

 

I think you hit on something here. First, for those who had parents who were children of the depression and can remember that or WWII and remember the ration coupons and "Victory Gardens" for the war effort, they raised their children (my parents are included in this) with a determination that food would be the last thing that would ever see a cut. My parents would have sold the house and lived in a tent with their big upright freezer, large refrigerator, and a garden plot next to the tent, before they would have cut food. I was raised that way. Frankly, if i ever thought I was going to reduce food spending, which would mean first and foremost, cutting out some expensive food items for ds, my own parents would turn me in to authorities!!!! My mom remembers how poor her family was growing up...oatmeal for breakfast with just a little milk on it, one fried oatmeal cake and one fried potatoe cake was sent for school lunch...every single day for years on end, a merry day was a school day after a holiday in which her mother had splurged for a little bacon and they would get a slice of homemade bread with bacon grease spread on it, Supper was one egg per person because they had chickens, a slice of homemade bread, and potatoes with onions. They ate well from August through October because her parents had a garden. But, they didn't have a root cellar in the house they rented so no food storage for winter, no refrigerator or ice box/ice house, and no money for screens for drying food. If relatives didn't bring vegetables or fruits over for the children, they could go weeks, even months, without a veggie or fruit and only when her dad was healthy enough to hunt or fish, did they have any meat. Since they never had a food storage option for venison, hunting was limited to birds, squirrels, and rabbits so that they could be roasted the same day, and her mother would cover the bowl with a towel at night, stick it in a cupboard, and serve the meat the next day, but only in the winter when the house would get cold at night. The one time she did it during warmer weather, they all got sick...no one knows if it was the unrefrigerated cooked food or not, but she decided she would never try it again. Oh, sometimes they were given a bag of dry beans which grandma would ration out to last as long as she could.

 

The key is the fruit and vegetable thing, and protein source issue. In order to get 5-7 servings of veggies and fruits, especially for teens and adults where a serving is an entire piece of fruit, or a cup or more of salad, or a cup of a cooked veggie or fresh berries, etc. one has to spend a lot more.

 

The boys eat 4 servings of fruit, and three servings of veggies every day. I eat 7 servings of veggies and so does dh who also consumes a serving of fruit. (I eat almost no fruit due to digestive issues - though watermelon, apples, and citrus seem to be okay so sometimes I splurge...but since it seems that type 2 is running on my mom's side of the family, I mostly just shun it since I don't want to end up that way and keep my blood sugars in a very, very happy range.) So, if I break that down to five people who consume 36 servings of veggies and fruits, an egg a piece (two or three for middle ds), a serving of cheese at lunch and supper (more again for that ds), and a meat or fish serving at dinner, even with the Mennonite Store and Meijer, I would not be able to do it for $100.00 per month per person.

 

Faith

[ondreeuh]

I am scared to tally how much we spend. I go back and forth between cooking real meals and just "preparing" cheap food (spaghetti, bean/rice burritos, sandwiches, easy stuff). I do know that our food prices are significantly higher than they were in Oregon, and that definitely impacts what I buy. Bananas are $0.84/lb instead of $0.29/lb. Milk is $3.50 a gallon instead of $2.29. Bread is $2.50 on sale instead of $1.18. Apples are about $2/lb for the cheap ones instead of $1/lb. A single medium cucumber just cost me $1.85. A rotisserie chicken is about $7, and that feels like a GREAT deal!

 

We live in a state with poor agriculture. Well, we have a bumper crop of rhubarb right now! But we're in zone 3 and the only fruits that grow are berries, I think. Nearly all of our produce at the store is flown in from other states or countries. Last year I went to the farmer's market, because in my experience in Oregon, you can get produce much cheaper directly from the farmer. Well, here were the prices:

 

$5 for 5 small/medium new potatoes

$10/lb for green beans

$8/lb for vine ripened tomatoes

$3 for a zucchini

 

The only CSA I found costs $36 for each 20-25 serving box, and most of the produce is flown in from WA.

 

Because we get so little sunlight half the year, it's difficult to pasture animals so we don't have an affordable local source of meat. Now, I can buy meat from a local place - a side of grain-fed beef for $4.30/lb (hanging weight & processing). One place in Anchorage sells grass-fed beef for $6.50/lb. In Corvallis, OR you can get 100% grass-fed beef for $3.50/lb. I don't even want to know how much Fred Meyer charges for a pound of grass-fed beef.

 

Not only is the cost of food high here, but so is housing, gasoline ($4+ a gallon now), electricity ... and I did just find out that the regular income eligibility for FS is different in AK and HI than the 48 contiguous states. Thank goodness for that.

[Guest]

That's depressing.

 

(according to this chart)

 

I spend $600 a month for 6 people. That boils down to a little over a dollar per person per meal.

 

My 600 includes toilet paper, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and pet food.

 

We do have a a freezer full of beef from the farm and chickens for eggs, but still.

 

Once I did the calculation, I figured out why the food budget is SO tight.

 

I guess I'm not sure why it's depressing?? I think it's depressing for the people who need food stamps... most people don't WANT to need them, if that makes sense. If you don't think $600 is enough for your family, do you want them to get less?

 

Or, maybe you just think it's depressing because you wish you could spend more, and I understand that. Can you try coupons? Where do you shop? Are there stores with better deals that you could try? We have a family of 6 and spend and aim for $600, but we go over a lot. If we had to, we could definitely do it on $600. However, you might live in an area with a higher cost of living, so I'm not sure how much you are getting for $600.

[Audrey]

Your freezer full of stuff and the eggs, etc... are probably the most expensive items to buy. That is why you are able to eat for as little as you do.

 

 

I absolutely agree with you, Luanne!  I think it's a bit disingenuous to compare your food budget to food stamps when you are producing a SIGNIFICANT amount of your own food.  If I said what I spend at the grocery store each month, it would look absolutely ridiculous, but I grow around 60-70% of our vegetables and fruits for THE YEAR and we don't buy any meat or eggs at all.  It does cost us money to raise that food (and an incalculable amount of time and energy), but it is a mere fraction of the $$ it would cost me to buy it in a store.

 

I really don't think it's fair OR helpful to compare grocery budgets, in general.  For every thread like that, there will be numerous people asking how in the world so-and-so can get that kind of price. Food doesn't cost the same everywhere.  Unless we're all living in the same town, we really need to stop comparing food expenditures.  And, if you are producing any of your own food -- just stay out of those discussions.  Not everyone has a farm or can have one or wants to have one.  Throwing that into any of these budget discussions is just wrong -- on many levels.

[Mrs Mungo]

Audrey, I think your points are all good ones. But, there was someone else who touched on something else earlier in the thread-I think everyone here has stable housing. That is the biggest issue people in serious poverty face.

 

When I have volunteered for food banks, the vast majority of what we purchased and gave out was shelf stable. A significant number of our families lived in a hotel room with a mini fridge and a microwave...*maybe* a hot plate. That is why they spend so much on groceries. They mostly buy convenience foods because that is what they can cook.

[Shawna in Texas]

Another consideration is single parents who work evenings and the oldest takes care of the meals. I was like a hamburger helper master chef. I had access to a full kitchen, but uh, cooking from scratch mean Kraft Macaroni and Cheese with the can of tuna in it. Sometimes I put in a couple extra slices of cheese to feel decadent. It took me all of my 20s to learn to cook properly.

[SKL]

Interesting point about kids cooking.  My mom (and dad) worked, and my brother was the family cook starting at age 10.  The other siblings also took turns at it.  Our mom taught my brother how to cook and he taught the youngers.  This system meant that we had an affordable, reasonably healthy, home-cooked meal every day, and this included roast beef, roast chicken, spaghetti, Spanish rice, and a variety of other dishes.  For anyone working and on a budget, I would recommend teaching the kids to cook so that as soon as they can be home alone in the afternoons, they can help with this aspect of home management.

[Murphy101]

Interesting point about kids cooking. My mom (and dad) worked, and my brother was the family cook starting at age 10. The other siblings also took turns at it. Our mom taught my brother how to cook and he taught the youngers. This system meant that we had an affordable, reasonably healthy, home-cooked meal every day, and this included roast beef, roast chicken, spaghetti, Spanish rice, and a variety of other dishes. For anyone working and on a budget, I would recommend teaching the kids to cook so that as soon as they can be home alone in the afternoons, they can help with this aspect of home management.

This presumes the parents know how themselves and can manage the time to teach it to their kids. Many don't.

[SKL]

This presumes the parents know how themselves and can manage the time to teach it to their kids. Many don't.

 

It doesn't "presume" anything, it's a suggestion.  Like all suggestions, some can use it and others can't.  It worked great for my family so I thought I'd share.  I for one plan on teaching my kids to be proficient in the kitchen as soon as they are developmentally able.  I don't have much time and neither did my mom, but it's worth prioritizing.

 

As for not knowing how to cook, if your kid is approaching the age of being home alone for a couple hours, then there is the option of borrowing some basic cookbooks from the library or finding simple recipes online and learning together.

 

The audience of my comment was a homeschooler forum; I suspect at least one reader has both the ability and the time to teach their kids cooking.

 

ETA:  I probably came across a little too snippy, but I am tired of not being allowed to suggest practical solutions to poverty-related issues.  I am sick of having to repeat every time "I realize that some poor people don't have kitchens, can't read, work 5 jobs, etc." in order to be politically correct on the subject of affording food.

[Murphy101]

Well don't get too touchy about it with me. I have no qualms with your suggestion. I too was just making an observation.

 

My biggest frustration when learning to cook as a kid and an adult was cost. It's expensive and frustrating to try a new recipe and bomb it. Then be hungry bc you made what you had and you gotta eat it or do without. I remember my mother yelling at me about eggs. Oy. Many eggs ended up more on the counter than the bowl. Or fried ended up scrambled. And nothing says homemade meatloaf like egg shells. Or undercooked fried chicken. Ate it anyways. *shudder*

 

I completely agree that most home school SAHMs don't have these issues though.

[Murphy101]

And I gotta admit I know many people who would think it irresponsible of a parent to let a kid under 13 really cook while home alone. I think their silly, but it's a very common opinion. Even when I was in high school it was unusual to know other teens who could cook.

[SKL]

Well don't get too touchy about it with me. I have no qualms with your suggestion. I too was just making an observation.

 

My biggest frustration when learning to cook as a kid and an adult was cost. It's expensive and frustrating to try a new recipe and bomb it. Then be hungry bc you made what you had and you gotta eat it or do without. I remember my mother yelling at me about eggs. Oy. Many eggs ended up more on the counter than the bowl. Or fried ended up scrambled. And nothing says homemade meatloaf like egg shells. Or undercooked fried chicken. Ate it anyways. *shudder*

 

I completely agree that most home school SAHMs don't have these issues though.

 

LOL you are bringing back bad memories.  :)  I do not like to cook, and I suspect it is because when I was learning, let's just say I wasn't a natural like most of my siblings were.  There were some things I could cook well, though.  Having the kids cook isn't a perfect solution, but considering that they need to (or ought to) learn the basics sooner or later, it's worth going through the learning curve, in my opinion.  It helps to know that even the best chef probably took time learning how to manage those pesky eggshells.  ;)

 

My kid sister was cooking perfect eggs before she was in KG.  My eggs today probably don't compare to what she could do then.  But at least I'll never starve.  ;)

[SKL]

And I gotta admit I know many people who would think it irresponsible of a parent to let a kid under 13 really cook while home alone. I think their silly, but it's a very common opinion. Even when I was in high school it was unusual to know other teens who could cook.

 

Times have changed, but I still think it's a good idea to start working on it.  Only the parents can judge when a child is ready to cook alone.  My brother happens to be really good at it, but our oldest brother, two years his senior, was not trusted with the job until he was older.

 

[SKL]

Oh!  I have an egg shell tip.  If you get a piece of broken shell in the egg, use the half of the egg shell to scoop it out.  It scoops up easily that way.  I don't know why exactly, but it works.

 

If you already knew that...just ignore me.  LOL

Yeah, eggshells have amazing properties, don't they?  I remember my mom showing me how to use the shells to separate the white from the yolk in making white cake.  :)

[Aelwydd]

It doesn't "presume" anything, it's a suggestion. Like all suggestions, some can use it and others can't. It worked great for my family so I thought I'd share. I for one plan on teaching my kids to be proficient in the kitchen as soon as they are developmentally able. I don't have much time and neither did my mom, but it's worth prioritizing.

 

As for not knowing how to cook, if your kid is approaching the age of being home alone for a couple hours, then there is the option of borrowing some basic cookbooks from the library or finding simple recipes online and learning together.

 

The audience of my comment was a homeschooler forum; I suspect at least one reader has both the ability and the time to teach their kids cooking.

 

ETA: I probably came across a little too snippy, but I am tired of not being allowed to suggest practical solutions to poverty-related issues. I am sick of having to repeat every time "I realize that some poor people don't have kitchens, can't read, work 5 jobs, etc." in order to be politically correct on the subject of affording food.

 

I agree that this is a good idea. My mom taught me some things and how to read a recipe around age 11. Both my parents worked so it was handy to be able to cook for myself and younger siblings.

 

Dh and I have begun to teach ds10.

[Murphy101]

Times have changed, but I still think it's a good idea to start working on it. Only the parents can judge when a child is ready to cook alone. My brother happens to be really good at it, but our oldest brother, two years his senior, was not trusted with the job until he was older.

 

Yes, but as Wendy points out, if God forbid the kid has an accident, suddenly no one remembers their own stupid kitchen moments and are quite quick to drag a parent & her family through the mud.

 

It's the same reason they don't let the kids climb trees. They could fall and die! Well yes, but not usually. But taking any risk is deemed irresponsible parenting, do instead kids eat microwave Mac & cheese and stay indoors watching tv and everyone shakes their head in helplessness at this weird childhood obesity development so many responsible low income parents are dealing with. :(

[bettyandbob]

This presumes the parents know how themselves and can manage the time to teach it to their kids. Many don't.

 

Oh, no adult taught my siblings and I. Dad handed us a Betty Crocker basic cookbook. We were expected to plan the meals and follow the recipes. I remember studying the techniques pages. The oldest of us was 12. One thing I didn't like was getting in trouble when a recipe or meal didn't turn out--I thought that wasn't fair. Otherwise, we all learned to cook well. My sister and I developed advanced techniques (somewhat unused since having dc). I think my brother is better in the kitchen than my SIL.

 

I also see no reason why a typically developing 12 year old cannot have been raised to have the level of responsibility to stay home alone and cook dinner. I did not burn down the house. Besides dinner we had the house clean, laundry done and kept up with homework. When we entered high school we did all these things and high school sports. If you haven't given your dc expectations and responsibilities building up to this then no, they won't be able to do it.

[Scarlett]

I was starting supper when I was 12.....including frying potatoes in hot grease and making cornbread. My own ds13 almost ruined a good pan of mine when he was heating up some broccoli....and I found a dry pan he was boiling water in and forgot...so he isn't allowed to cook when I am not home. Kids are different...my dss12 is much more responsible in the kitchen....I suspect mostly because he is more interested.

 

My son needs practice though. I am about to get a good schedule for this coming school year and teach that boy some stuff.

[Murphy101]

I think people forget that just about every ADULT has had an accident that could have or was awful in the kitchen. Grease fires are pretty common. Cut fingers are pretty common. Smoke detectors going off are pretty common. Most of the time, the place doesn't burn down tho.

 

So I think it's an acceptable risk to let kids cook. But many if not most go the other way & don't allow it.

 

And I come to that even though I did catch our kitchen on fire as a child. Burnt up half the cabinets, dining carpet, curtains to the patio sliding doors and wall connected to them. And that was while my mom was napping after working a late shift! I ran and hid under a bed. When she was done hosing down her kitchen, she had no problem throwing the entire bed up to get to me and tan my hide with the flyswatter. Looking back it's pretty dang funny bc my mom was an itty frail woman who tended to just keep calm, ignore everything and sip her bourbon and coke. She drank a lot of bourbon that night. lol

 

I still let my kids cook.

But I make sure they know how to use the fire extinguisher. ;p