HELP! I’m broke and need to buy groceries for the rest of the month?
Posted by admin | Under Buy Groceries Online Sunday Mar 28, 2010I have 126 dollars to last me the rest of the month for groceries (I am layed off from work and my wife doesn’t make a whole lot). We have 4 kids plus the 2 of us. Does anybody know where I can get some online coupons or budget cooking recipes?? I’ve done a yahoo search and came up basically empty handed, so any help at all would be appriciated.
http://www.grocerycoupons.com/
http://www.couponmom.com/
There’s a couple sites to get you started. I’ve been in a similar situation several times, I know it sucks.
When we’re broke, we live off of rice, ramen, potatoes, sometimes mac and cheese, and whole chickens. Tuna is also good. After you roast a chicken, make chicken stock out of it, in the biggest pot you have, and use that for cooking rice, etc, and use the leftover meat (every little piece you can find) for casseroles. Get frozen vegetables to put in the ramen. Use sour cream in the mac and cheese if you can instead of the butter. It adds way more flavor and I think it makes it more filling.
Obviously you’ll have to cater to your family’s tastes and needs, but there’s a few suggestions. Google "frugal living" and you’ll find a bunch of blogs and stuff that will help you save money on food and everything else. If all else fails, find a place near you to get a food box. Apply for food stamps, but if you just got laid off and made a good amount of money last month, you might not be able to get them, although you might still be eligible for emergency food money. It never hurts to ask.
Best of luck to you.
angel food ministries is an organization that helps people buy groceries at low cost. click here: http://www.angelfoodministries.com/
References :
take ur most recent paycheck and get a payday loan
References :
There are always coupons, ask friends for some…and sell some stuff on Ebay…some random rich idiot will will buy any of your crap. You can sell pieces of paper that say "my soul" on it, and people will buy it for $1,000…its crazy!
References :
Sign up for food stamps. There’s nothing to be ashamed about. Hell, I even get them. It’s just free food for people who need a little help.
References :
sorry i cant find the online coupons either but im really broke to so what i do is go to the ghetto store and buy a lot of off brand shyt and like that other guy said yeah get food stamps man we have had those since i was real little im 18 now and still got them nothing to be embarrassed about just do what you got to do so you can eat
References :
The more from-scratch cooking you do, the more you’ll save. Only buy groceries that are ingredients, not finished product processed foods. This is also healthier.
Staples:
Rice
Flour
Milk
Eggs
canned beans
hamburger meat
canned tuna
canned tomato products
You will be able to make basically anything you want using just the staples. Try to find a discount grocery like Aldi or Savealot.
References :
You can do a different thing every day with potatoes………..sorry that’s the best I can do.
References :
thats not alot for a family of 6!
cheap foods are your best bet , even if it means its unhealthy – buying fresh / organic produce can be very pricey.
going to small local stores is cheaper than big competitive supermarkets
‘Spree’ books cost $22 and have hundreds of coupons inside – definitely enough to last 6 people at leat 4 months – the only thing is i think they have to be purchased online so may take a few days to reach you
References :
Get a big bag of rice. People have fed themselves for pennies a week on that stuff! Also, some eggs, white bread, and milk and syrup for french toast. Whatever meat is on sale. And collard greans for vegetables. You can go without fruit if you take vitamins but maybe some oranges. Maybe some bacon so you feel like kings. And you snack at the grocery store, so that saves a bit right there.
References :
You can print coupons here:
http://www.campbellkitchen.com/Coupon.aspx
And budget wise recipes here:
http://www.campbellkitchen.com/RecipeCategory.aspx?categoryId=2
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/budget-tips/main.aspx
References :
Breakfast: Oatmeal with dried cranberries, raisins, a dash of cinnamon.
(Or an egg w/toast, Farina or a grapefruit, etc) Breakfast for 25 cents! (pound of Oatmeal 29 cents, raisins in bulk, or eggs from your chickens).
Lunch: A sandwich- Peanut butter, meat, a pita with sprouts, etc.
(Or last nights dinner leftovers). another 25-50 cents. (2 slices of 3 for $1.00 bread or pita)
Dinner: Stuffed peppers, stuffed Cucumbers, red sauce from fresh tomatoes, Baked Chicken breast, or something pre cooked and frozen, thawed and heated, etc. Dinner is never more than a couple bucks total.
Be creative. A BIG pot of split pea soup…. less than $2.00 to make. It freezes just fine! That could be 15-20 servings!
References :
Do you have any food pantries available to you? They give food away. Also Food Share programs sell food at a low cost. Good Luck!
References :
Look into food stamps, at least for now.
Anyway if we had any idea of what you already had on hand it would help us t be able to give you suggestions on what to buy for the meals.
Also how old are the kids? Are you making brekfats, lunch and dinner or just brekfast and dinner?
Here are my suggestions:
Pasta, pasta, pasta you can buy canned sauce for pretty cheap.
Or saute some garlic and chopped onion in some butter or oil, toss in some sliced lunch meat, and frozen peas, toss with cooked pasta what ever you want or have avaliable.
Frozen veggies are very cheap, and you cna get a good variety.
Pork chops are also cheap.
Buy meats that are in the reduced for quick sale section.
Walmart and Smiths/Kroger have leafs of bread for .88 to a dollar.
Couple of cans of tuna fish for either sandwiches or casserole..
References :
I don’t know about coupons, I would imagine they vary locally. However in terms of budget cookery you have lots of options. Food prices vary from city to city and town to town so it’s hard to suggest specific recipes that would save you money. If you have a freezer and a little bit of time though you can do very well for a little bit of money. Try and buy foods from the cheapest source possible, in many communities this is a independent butcher or grocer and in some communities it is the larger grocer.
If your family eats meat it’s probably the going to make up the bulk of your grocery budget, so buy meat when it’s on special and freeze it. Try buying cheaper cuts of meat like blade, pork shoulder, whole chickens. It becomes easier to get a lot of meat for little if you’re willing to spend time cleaning the lesser cuts and often braising them.
Grains like flour and rice are generally quite cheap and can be made into diverse foods. Often times grains can be got in bulk sections for very little. Stop buying breakfast cereal, it’s over priced. Look up a good granola recipe or find a cheap granola recipe and buy your grains for it in bulk.
Canned vegetables can often be cheaper than fresh, not necessarily as nutritious buying them on special at discount grocers can really save you when you’re running low on cash near the end of the month.
Essentially if you’re willing to cook from scratch, even with a limited selection of grocers you can do alright if you’re frugal.
References :
Check out MyPoints, they have a couple of coupon finders. And you can earn points just by reading ads, then trade in points for gift cards (this takes a while, but really works, & free!). Also try couponmom.com, freestuff.com, grocerycoupons.com, & individual companies like kraftfoods.com etc.
References :
http://www.grocerycoupons.com/
http://www.couponmom.com/
There’s a couple sites to get you started. I’ve been in a similar situation several times, I know it sucks.
When we’re broke, we live off of rice, ramen, potatoes, sometimes mac and cheese, and whole chickens. Tuna is also good. After you roast a chicken, make chicken stock out of it, in the biggest pot you have, and use that for cooking rice, etc, and use the leftover meat (every little piece you can find) for casseroles. Get frozen vegetables to put in the ramen. Use sour cream in the mac and cheese if you can instead of the butter. It adds way more flavor and I think it makes it more filling.
Obviously you’ll have to cater to your family’s tastes and needs, but there’s a few suggestions. Google "frugal living" and you’ll find a bunch of blogs and stuff that will help you save money on food and everything else. If all else fails, find a place near you to get a food box. Apply for food stamps, but if you just got laid off and made a good amount of money last month, you might not be able to get them, although you might still be eligible for emergency food money. It never hurts to ask.
Best of luck to you.
References :
Coupon Mom has great printable coupons.
Cheap easy meals:
Spaghetti
cheese omletes and toast
grilled cheese and soup
pancakes-super cheap if you make you own mix and even your own syrup (recipezaar)
You have $63.00 a week for the next two weeks, you have plenty of choices, it is cheaper to make from scratch than pre-packaged. You should check out Grocery Cart Challenge, she has oodles of cheap menu plans, grocery items and recipe links.
References :
coupon mom, recipezaar, Grocery Cart Challenge
http://www.angelfoodministries.com/
Angel Food can help. It’s a non-profit organization available in most states, that provides low cost groceries to anyone who wants them. But there are a few conditions. For one thing, Hurry!! Distribution day is once a month and orders must be placed in advance. The day varies depending on where you are, but in my area the last day to place an order is tomorrow (Jan. 15) !!
References :
Get food stamps we have 4 and my hubby works and we still get some.
pasta and potatoes you can make a lot of things
pancakes
french toast
chili and soup goes a long ways
shop for basic things at the dollar store and aldis
Ask at churches, food pantry, there is help you just have to look
Instead of having servings of meat buy it and cook and add to things like stews, noodles, etc. make that go farther.
Chicken and noodles, tuna casserole, chicken and dumplings
you need to plan a menu before you go and your money will go farther
I have a cooking group with over 16000 recipes and I have sections of cheap recipes. You have to join but its free.
http://cookingwithkay.yuku.com
References :
Go apply for the food stamps. Your state may consider your situation an emergency and expedite your claim.
References :
Try local church food banks, the area food banks have programs and some you just have to volunteer and pay like $20 for a package of food. Also you may qualify for food stamps – just do what you have to free up what cash you have until the picture changes. Also don’t forget your local health dept. to meet your families health needs. Also if you have a child under 2 years old look for the WIC program at your local health dept to get formula, and baby food. The Salvation Army and local churches can also help out with utility bills.
As far as recipes goes look for soups that you can use leftover food in.. Stews, Spaghetti with ground beef crumbled instead of meatballs, Beef and Macaroni, and chili. Cook in bulk and stretch meats out with vegetables.
Good luck in your search for a new job.
Follow the food ads and buy meats and food at bargain prices.
References :
personal experience, working in soup kitchens, and working with the homeless