*Feed Your Family $10 A Day Challenge*(AT HOME)

[mickeyfan2]

I have a few questions about how you spend so little.

Friday
B. frosted Minnie Wheat’s= 75 cents
Milk= 30
=105

Around here milk is $3.49. 30cents of milk is (.3/3.49)*128 oz = 11 oz. You served 6 people breakfast. So each person got 2 oz of milk. How is that realistic. That is only a few tablesppons of milk/person.

L. PBJ
Bread 20 cents
Penutbutter =25 cents
Jelly=20
Apple slices = 25
Milk=30
Fruit cocktail =75 cents
=195

6 sandwiches x 2 pieces of bread = 12 slices. That is easily 1/2 of a loaf of bread. Where do you get bread for 40 cents a loaf?

Again 2 oz of milk per person.

One apple to split.

25 cents of peanut butter. I am not sure on the price, but this seems impossible for this much PB to make 6 sandwiches.

D. chicken =1$ (pre cooked whole chicken divided into our families serving sizes)
Milk=60
Corn=50 cents
Green beans=50 cents
Noodles= 50 cents
Butter= 25 cents
B-b-q sauce= 50 cents
= 385

Now much chicken do you get for $1?

Now there is 4 oz of milk each.



So you kids get 8 oz of milk per day. Does not seem like enough to meet their growing bones.



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General statement:

Sorry but I find that some of the totals given by posters on this thread wrt to cost for a meal are way under estimated and in many cases extremely lacking in total nutrition.

The poster who grows fruits and veggies gets enough. But many here resort to canned (sodium far too high) as the only veggies and canned fruit in syrup as the fruit. Neither of these are nutritious and healthy options.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I agree, I think someoone just mentioned that free food is a gift for some, but not all, on this thread. That's just life, just like if you happened to be in the grocery store when they put out $.50 packages of ground turkey, as I was last week, and you jump on it--well, that's lucky, too.

I do have to disagree with saying that you spend $10 a day to feed your family, when one member is buying meals outside the home that you don't "count". For example, my Dh gets Chinese food every Wed. for lunch--they place a group order. All other breakfasts and lunches he packs from home. This is his one treat each week. Works for me. But, it IS an additional food cost, one that we both feel is okay.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I personally don't care how much anyone actually spends to feed their family, nor do I care what they feed them. Neither affects my life in the least. To me, this thread is all about getting ideas to reduce my food cost. I really appreciate those who take the time to document their menu, & hope they feel comfortable continuing to do so.

 

[dawn1967]

My oldest boy ended up going to a friends house for lunch and the mom served this Nacho chips and tostino cheese dip and tomato's green onions olives and avocado and bean dip. I though i could make this since i have corn tortilla's and i always have green onions and tomato's from the garden and instead of bean dip i can make a batch of refried beans easy and the cheese dip i could just sprinkle on cheddar and melt it. Has anyone done this for dinner? Seems like a fun easy night dinner. What else would you put with it besides maybe sour cream and salsa.

 

[mommiepoppins]

I have a few questions about how you spend so little.


Around here milk is $3.49. 30cents of milk is (.3/3.49)*128 oz = 11 oz. You served 6 people breakfast. So each person got 2 oz of milk. How is that realistic. That is only a few tablesppons of milk/person.



6 sandwiches x 2 pieces of bread = 12 slices. That is easily 1/2 of a loaf of bread. Where do you get bread for 40 cents a loaf?

Again 2 oz of milk per person.

One apple to split.

25 cents of peanut butter. I am not sure on the price, but this seems impossible for this much PB to make 6 sandwiches.



Now much chicken do you get for $1?

Now there is 4 oz of milk each.



So you kids get 8 oz of milk per day. Does not seem like enough to meet their growing bones.



-------------------------------------------------------------------
General statement:

Sorry but I find that some of the totals given by posters on this thread wrt to cost for a meal are way under estimated and in many cases extremely lacking in total nutrition.

The poster who grows fruits and veggies gets enough. But many here resort to canned (sodium far too high) as the only veggies and canned fruit in syrup as the fruit. Neither of these are nutritious and healthy options.

1. Well first off not everyone eats an entire sandwich. Three kids each have a half. I do not eat a sandwich due to I am on a diet
2. . I bought the entire whole chicken for 235, cooked it and I was able to get three good serving out of it. using the dark meat to
3. Also not all the kids like apples
4. I never drink milk with any meal nor dose my husband and my 14 year old dd... My hubby doses not eat breakfast.
5. Milk, I paid 219 and they just wet the cereal.
6. My bread I bought at ALDI for about 45 cents per loaf.
7. I paid 198 for a bag of apples. The kids do not just have apples they have
Fruit cocktail also
8. Like I said I do not make 6 sandwiches for 6 people.

I do not have a problem with nutrition nor do my kids nor dose our Dr. Now I could make 6 sandwiches and poor tons of milk, but it will not be eaten., and it would end up in the garbage.

 

[mommiepoppins]

here is a quick tip. I bought pancake mix at the $ store. All I had to add was water. I made the entire box. I then froze the pancakes for quick snack or part of a meal.

 

[dawn1967]

Great idea. Especially for a quick dinner just pop in the toaster. Reminds me we are going camping next week i need to prepare some things like pancakes a head of time.

 

[njcarita]

6. My bread I bought at ALDI for about 45 cents per loaf.

.

Boy , I wish I had an Aldis close by-- there seems to be such great deal/prices there.

 

[dawn1967]

When we go camping i buy store bought bread normally, i make it homemade. But we go to the bread outlet store and get it usually for 3 for a dollar. We went last week and picked up bagels and english muffins for .10 a pack.

 

[mommiepoppins]

When we go camping i buy store bought bread normally, i make it homemade. But we go to the bread outlet store and get it usually for 3 for a dollar. We went last week and picked up bagels and english muffins for .10 a pack.

That is an awesome deal . I have walked in to aldi's and they were giving away bread and hamberger buns . That was pure luck.

also I would like to add that my dh travels sometimes during the week ,and his job gives him money for food and hotel. I know some people had some concerns

 

[dawn1967]

My hubby normally does not eat with us he's at work normally 14 hrs a day 4 days a week so he uses the money that he takes for himself weekly for lunch. Usually most days in the breakroom there are donuts, bagels, fruit, coffee his main food staples that he will eat and never have to buy lunch. So unless he's home i do not include him.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

forgive me if someone already posted this.....

the Target Sutton Dodge $2 meat coupon.....print it out and put it in your purse. Actually, print about 5 of them out.....

Every time I am at Target, I check their meat. When they have packs (for instance) for $4.11, and it is going to expire in a few days, they put a $2 off coupon on it. Then I use my $2 off coupon and viola! A pack of red meat for 11 cents.

I get 4-5 packs at a time like this and put them in the freezer. They are steak so I make strir fry or fajitas or beef burritos etc.

Leave more money for other things in the budget.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

someone I knew once told me that they went to the local dinner buffet towards closing time and they let them fill up several syrofoam containers of food and take it home for no extra charge.

I can't remember where it was.......it was like a Montanna Mikes or a steak place buffet.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

you'd have to plan this in advance with your neighbors but what if one person grew tomatoes, and one grew peppers, and one grew cucumbers, etc and everyone traded?

We did this one year when we lived in our old neighborhood. We'd put the tomatoes in our wagon and the kids would walk two or three houses each direction of our house and share the tomatoes. The neighbors would take however many they needed for the next few days. They always knew we'd be back in a few mor days with more so no one was ever too greedy. There was plenty to go around. Then we'd find ears of corn on our front porch etc.

 

[dawn1967]

Grumpy's Gal;19345587]you'd have to plan this in advance with your neighbors but what if one person grew tomatoes, and one grew peppers, and one grew cucumbers, etc and everyone traded?

There are a few of us that do this i love zucchinni but the rest don't unless it's zucchinni bread. So my neighbor she know's this and gives me some. In return she loves jalepeno's and she's the only one in her home so we exchange.

 

[grlpwrd]

I've been lurking on this thread, and I just wanted to pop in to tell sk!mom, no, you're not the only one who doesn't get free food handed to them all the time. Personally, while I think it's always nice to get something for free, it seems like a lot of people use that to get under $10/day. But hey, different strokes, so long as people get food, right?

Oh, my MIL lives near a Pepperidge Farm outlet and does, occasionally, bring us a bag of goodies. But that's maybe twice a year. And it's not unusual for, say, my sister to bring produce when she comes for a weekend, especially if it was going to go bad.

And completely OT, but the reason I HAD to post is, grlpwrd, I caught your sig. I had a male ragdoll for 13 years (not a purebred--his mom came from a shelter! A SHELTER!!!). Anyway, he had extra toes and a face like a white tiger, and was absolutely the best cat, ever! Great looks, great personailty. Sadly, he died this winter. I would get another ragdoll in a heartbeat!

Sorry for your loss...

The cat we adopted is a seal mitted one and the young son of the previous owner named him Whiteboy. lol We call him Blanco. He really has a great personality and is oh so loving. I hope I stirred up happy memories of your special guy.

 

[EpcotGuy]

Friday
B. frosted Minnie Wheat’s= 75 cents
Milk= 30
=105

L. PBJ
Bread 20 cents
Penutbutter =25 cents
Jelly=20
Apple slices = 25
Milk=30
Fruit cocktail =75 cents
=195

S. matzo crackers= 3cents
Tomato soup=50 cents
=53

D. chicken =1$ (pre cooked whole chicken divided into our families serving sizes)
Milk=60
Corn=50 cents
Green beans=50 cents
Noodles= 50 cents
Butter= 25 cents
B-b-q sauce= 50 cents
= 385

S. Box of little Debbie cakes 1$
Whale crackers 1$
=2

$9.38 for today and nothing was free. Also Friday night is fun night and the kids are getting snack food to

How much are pre-cooked chickens where you live? They are $5.99 here at all the stores, and I dont know how you could portion it in to seperate meals for your family size. You are pretty amazing.... maybe I need to move....

 

[dawn1967]

Tommorrow's Menu

Breakfast:
French toast and homemade strawberry syrup .50 (eggs and milk) Bread is left over from other days' batch. Strawberries out of garden.
Coffee Free,
Milk .50

Total 1.00 for 3 people Hubby at work

Lunch
Turkey sandwiches All leftovers even the bread so free

Dinner
Italian wedding soup made with Turkey instead of meatballs. cost me 3 dollars tops because of the cheese and spinach and pasta this is a high estimate to.

Home made bread .50

Total 3.5

Snacks for the day will be
All the fruit and veggies they want garden or tree's
Banana bread .75 that's what it cost to make a loaf
Air popped popcorn friends coming over to watch ghost rider so i'm thinking 1.00 they have like 6 kids coming over.
pitcher of koolaid 1.00

grand total for the day 7.75

 

[shortbun]

you'd have to plan this in advance with your neighbors but what if one person grew tomatoes, and one grew peppers, and one grew cucumbers, etc and everyone traded?

We did this one year when we lived in our old neighborhood. We'd put the tomatoes in our wagon and the kids would walk two or three houses each direction of our house and share the tomatoes. The neighbors would take however many they needed for the next few days. They always knew we'd be back in a few mor days with more so no one was ever too greedy. There was plenty to go around. Then we'd find ears of corn on our front porch etc.

We're doing this in our neighborhood. I'm growing the herbs and tomatoes. My neighbor is growing peppers. The woman across the street is growing squash. Down the street, they are growing green beans. Another neighbor is trying pea pods. We even did this with annual cutting flowers. It's our first year trying this share thing. In years past we've all growns several things and shared our succeses. We thought focusing on one or two things would be easier and possibly more productive.

 

[shortbun]

Yes, I make everything from scratch.

We also dont' have soda or junk food in our house (chips, cookies, ect). I found that was my biggest expense, when I went to cut back.

We also eat 99% vegetarian foods. Lots of beans. Very rarely do we eat the fake meat products.. those are expensive. I also reduce the cheese required by a recipe by about 1/2, because we were spending way too much on cheese.

I follow a list, and stick with it. I don't ask the kids to eat anythign I wouldn't.

See, this is how I could save a lot-making things from scratch. This summer, I'm soaking beans instead of getting them from a can and baking desserts like cookies and brownies instead of buying sweets. This does save some in our budget. My son is a vegetarian and because he's an athlete, I feel he needs some leaner protein products so I buy the 'fake' meat products like Boca burgers and some Morningstar products for him. Expensive but I really try to stock up when they are on sale or I have coupons. Luckily, so far, he's not a vegan so he'll eat eggs and cheese. At least eggs are still pretty cheap.