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

[bookgirl]

You're doing better than me. I'm a southern girl, & have never even tried cheese grits.

Don't feel bad I've never had them either.

My mom grew up on them and said it was like eating sand, so I never had them growing up and have never had them as an adult. Haven't had polenta for the same reason.

 

[disneymom3]

July 11 (Wednesday) Plans:

Dh: free at work
Me: cereal bar (bought on sale .25), orange (.25), tea
Lunch:
DH: free at work

Where does your DH work that he gets to eat for free?? What a deal that is! We were excited that DHs new job provides free coffee. (You had to buy it out of one of those little machines at the last place.)

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Don't forget the banana puddin'!

How could anybody not love banana pudding, esp. if it's made right? YUM!!!

I don't care for fried foods or drinkable syrup (aka sweet tea) though. When you're not a fan of fried &/ or fatty foods that severely limits your southern (country) cooking selections.

 

[mommiepoppins]

How could anybody not love bread pudding, esp. if it's made right? YUM!!!

I don't care for fried foods or drinkable syrup (aka sweet tea) though. When you're not a fan of fried &/ or fatty foods that severely limits your southern (country) cooking selections.

how do you make a good bread pudding . I would love to make that as a treat!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

how do you make a good bread pudding . I would love to make that as a treat!

Oops! That was actually a typo. I meant banana pudding. I love a good bread pudding too, but haven't found a recipe for an outstanding one yet.

 

[Southern4sure]

You're doing better than me. I'm a southern girl, & have never even tried cheese grits.

Cheese grits are best with Fried catfish filets and fried dill pickle slices.

 

[Blondie]

how do you make a good bread pudding . I would love to make that as a treat!

I'll share a most excellent recipe, but it might set you back in your $10 a day tally. It's some of the best Banana Pudding I've ever tasted, money well spent!



Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding
(from Paula Deen's Home Cooking)

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.

Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

[Angel A]

Family of 6

Breakfast- Toast with butter and homemade jam, 1 lb turkey bacon, 1 dozen eggs, OJ coffee 4.50

Lunch- Kids at camp lunch included
Me salad~lettuce, red pepper, grilled chicken, onion, & nuts 4.00
DH had a yogurt and some nuts at his desk 1.50


Dinner-Steaks bought at Costco (they have the best meat)
Baked Potatoes, Fresh String Beans. 38.00

Total 48.00 and I am proud of myself.


Tomorrow my challenge is to keep it under 40.00

 

[thelionqueen]

Been watching this thread and keeping it in mind for several weeks now. I am PLEASED to announce that I have done this for 2 days so far and am anxious to see how well I can keep going. Here is yesterday's menu.

Wednesday

French Toast Sticks w/syrup
$1.00
3 bananas
$.66
Milk
$.50?

Lunch
1 ham sandwich & chips (me)
$1.25
2 Lunchables
$1.34
Milk
.50

Dinner
Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce
$3.00
Garlic Bread
$1.00
Salad (2 dinners)
$.75

Grand total
$10.00 exactly
(had to check it twice even )
If you don't count the drinks I was under $9.00

Also, we have a local grocery store that has excellent meat department and even better markdowns! I stock up on these whenever they are on sale. For example, today I got ground beef and pre-formed hamburgers for .60lb. Spaghetti sauce (Ragu our favorite) is only .75 cents a jar, so we can make a great meal real cheap. Can't wait to post tomorrow's today!!

 

[Nanu57v]

Where does your DH work that he gets to eat for free?? What a deal that is! We were excited that DHs new job provides free coffee.

I was curious about this too. My DH gets free popcorn like once a month and free soda when they ask him to work lots of unpaid overtime.

 

[Blondie]

Family of 6

Breakfast- Toast with butter and homemade jam, 1 lb turkey bacon, 1 dozen eggs, OJ coffee 4.50

Lunch- Kids at camp lunch included
Me salad~lettuce, red pepper, grilled chicken, onion, & nuts 4.00
DH had a yogurt and some nuts at his desk 1.50


Dinner-Steaks bought at Costco (they have the best meat)
Baked Potatoes, Fresh String Beans. 38.00

Total 48.00 and I am proud of myself.


Tomorrow my challenge is to keep it under 40.00

That sounds more like our day in terms of money spent on food! Thing is, I don't even have the desire to keep it under $10..... or $20 for that matter! Too much effort on my part! I just like reading to see how other people do it. If I had to pull a calculator out every time I put something in my mouth or a meal on the table, I'd go crazy!

But the rest of you....rock on!

 

[tinkarooni]

I wanted to let you all in on something I discovered. Some states have a minimum charge for milk such as where I live in PA. One gallon of milk is $3.65. I am very close to WV and travel there for meetings often. I stop at Krogers on my way back and often get milk for $1.99 per gallon! Savings of $1.66 per gallon, no cost in gas, I am driving right by. I buy three gallons at a time and freeze it until I get back down there. At a gallon every two days for my family that's a big savings. Worth checking into if you live near a state border.

I will post a menu for today, so proud that so much is coming out of the garden. Unfortunately I don't know how to calculate the cost of home grown and home canned:

Breakfast: Homemade blueberry muffins, milk, OJ, homemade yogurt flavored with homemade strawberry syrup

Lunch: Zuchini lasagna left over from yesterday (baked zuch, home canned sauce, mozz cheese, ricotta cheese, water or milk
Dinner: Wedding Soup (chard, onions, garlic from the garden), Grilled cheese sandwiches with sliced tomatoes (homemade wheat bread)

Snacks: Blueberry snack cake, milk
Popcorn, Water

As you can tell we have a bumper crop of blueberries this year. Zuchinis are actually reproducing on my countertop in front of me.

Can't be bothered to calculate the daily cost, but between what I have in the freezer, baking from scratch and the garden coming in I spent less than $100 this past month. For my family I am thrilled with this. Me. DH and DS 9, DD6. It is possible to serve healthy, hearty meals for a good price. For me it takes planning, coupon clipping, serious gardening (my hobby) and I have a price book a friend and I compiled together. Good Luck!

 

[Nanu57v]

I wanted to let you all in on something I discovered. Some states have a minimum charge for milk such as where I live in PA. One gallon of milk is $3.65. I am very close to WV and travel there for meetings often. I stop at Krogers on my way back and often get milk for $1.99 per gallon! Savings of $1.66 per gallon, no cost in gas, I am driving right by. I buy three gallons at a time and freeze it until I get back down there. At a gallon every two days for my family that's a big savings. Worth checking into if you live near a state border.

I will post a menu for today, so proud that so much is coming out of the garden. Unfortunately I don't know how to calculate the cost of home grown and home canned:

Breakfast: Homemade blueberry muffins, milk, OJ, homemade yogurt flavored with homemade strawberry syrup

Lunch: Zuchini lasagna left over from yesterday (baked zuch, home canned sauce, mozz cheese, ricotta cheese, water or milk
Dinner: Wedding Soup (chard, onions, garlic from the garden), Grilled cheese sandwiches with sliced tomatoes (homemade wheat bread)

Snacks: Blueberry snack cake, milk
Popcorn, Water

As you can tell we have a bumper crop of blueberries this year. Zuchinis are actually reproducing on my countertop in front of me.

Can't be bothered to calculate the daily cost, but between what I have in the freezer, baking from scratch and the garden coming in I spent less than $100 this past month. For my family I am thrilled with this. Me. DH and DS 9, DD6. It is possible to serve healthy, hearty meals for a good price. For me it takes planning, coupon clipping, serious gardening (my hobby) and I have a price book a friend and I compiled together. Good Luck!

Awesome!!! You'll have to give me tips next spring.

 

[punkin]

Awesome!!! You'll have to give me tips next spring.

We really should start a gardening thread. I'm a city girl with no idea about growing things at all, but I live in the suburbs, so I do have some land on which to garden. I just need a step-by-step guide. I can't even grow houseplants.

 

[samanthacatangel]

Lunch: Zuchini lasagna left over from yesterday (baked zuch, home canned sauce, mozz cheese, ricotta cheese, water or milk
Dinner: Wedding Soup (chard, onions, garlic from the garden), Grilled cheese sandwiches with sliced tomatoes (homemade wheat bread)

Snacks: Blueberry snack cake, milk
Popcorn, Water

I made zucchini lasagna once, but it came out watery. How do you make yours?

I would also like the recipe for the blueberry snack cake?

Thanks!

 

[BethR]

Thing is, I don't even have the desire to keep it under $10..... or $20 for that matter!

But don't you see, that maybe the $10 a day challenge is not for you, but maybe a $20 a day would be a good goal - or $25. But whatever number is that works for your family, you would hopefully be SPENDING LESS ON GROCERIES (and still satisfying your family.)

Perhaps some of you would like to start a DIFFERENT challenge? The idea is to be aware of your grocery spending and try to decrease it if you can.

And if it is something that does not interest you, no problem.

 

[marcyinPA]

I would also like the recipe for the blueberry snake cake?

Thanks!

Ooo, that sounds scary!!

 

[samanthacatangel]

Ooo, that sounds scary!!

Does sound scary!

I was tired.

I have a thing for spelling errors, too. Pet peeve.

I guess it was spelled correctly, though, if you like snake cake!

 

[dawn1967]

I made zucchini lasagna once, but it came out watery. How do you make yours?

I would also like the recipe for the blueberry snack cake?

Thanks!

You can grow tomato's and zucchini with no effort tomato's grow great in containers and zucchinni throw a seed down and it will take off. just make sure you water every day. My dad has a little tiny patio all cement he went over to the bakery and gotten those 5 gallon egg buckets you know like paint containers and filled with potting soil he has garlic tomato's peppers and zucchinni growing and in the house he has rosemary and basil growing as house plants. really it's very simple just get a good seed. Great potting soil not top soil and water. The 40 dollars i spend every planting season on new soil and seeds is worth the hundreds of dollars i save year round only time i don't have fresh veggies is janurary threw march that's when my frost happens.

 

[dawn1967]

OOps that reply was for pumpkin on the gardening.