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

[TNKBELL]

I just wanted to say that I made bread dough yesterday, and have to give a BIG THANK YOU!!to the PP for suggesting to add whole wheat flour and also add white flour....that worked great(I also added some wheat bran) and I was able to make 3 1/2 dozen cinnamon rolls(shared with an ill neighbor and 2 relatives) and a huge yummy pizza crust that we made white pizza with.

You know we always have 1 or 2 days a week where we eat leftovers, that's what we did today, tacos and leftover white pizza, and cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I love leftover day!!!! For snacks the Dks have been munching on apples, oranges and cheese crackers.

Mommiepoppins...my whole extended family and Dh's too, are all sweet freaks!! We never have a family celebration without yummy desserts!!

 

[mtblujeans]

Sounds like an opportunity to share a recipe to me...

 

[LauraR]

I agree that it can be hard balancing health with cutting costs. I find that BJ's has good deals on apples (10 lbs/ $6.99) and bananas (3 lbs/ $1.14) and carrots (5 lbs/ $3). We end up going through that amount of each (well a couple bags of bananas) every week. I try and supplement with other fruit when it's on sale, like grapes at 99 cents/lb, or watermelon at 49 cents/lb, or strawberries when they are under $2 a pound, and broccoli at 99 cents/lb and corn 6/$1. Sometimes going to a pick your own farm is good for berries, that we then freeze. I don't worry too much if we aren't getting much variety, though, since we eat a lot of lentils, beans and whole grains, so I think there are a lot of vitamins and fiber there. Also if there aren't many fruits on sale some weeks, I'll dip into the frozen fruit (bananas, blueberries and strawberries) for smoothies.

But I will say that I do sometimes resort to empty calories like top ramen to fill up my kids. Their nutritional bases ARE covered, but it's like I'm constantly shoving coal into their furnaces, and I occasionally run out of the healthy stuff. I'm pretty sure they'll make it into adulthood, though!

 

[2angelsinheaven]

Hum, let me see....this is a typical day for us. There are two adults in the house. No kiddos. These prices are for two servings.

Breakfast
Home Made Smoothie (Juice, FF Yogurt, Frozen Fruit, Flax Seed) $1.80
1/2 Cup Cereal $.25
1/2 Cup Milk $.28
Total: $2.32

Lunch
PB and Jelly on Whole Wheat $.84 cents
Banana $.36
Total: $1.20

Dinner
Fresh Chicken Breast or Fish Filet $2.00
Potato $.32
Veggies $1.00
Total: $3.32

Total for the day: $6.84
Sometimes we have another smoothie mid day and so that would add about $1.50 to the total, as we don't use flax seed in the second one. So the total would be $8.34.

 

[StephMK]

This is a great thread! I've been reading through all pages and saved all the links. This is a big area I need to improve so thanks for all the great tips! We moved from the East Coast to the Midwest so I've had to get used to all new grocery chains. There is an Aldi's/Big Lots about 5 min & a Hostess Outlet another 5 from that. I'll definitely check those out. Doing the grocery game but haven't seen big savings yet, still trying to get organized.

It's been interesting moving here that so many people garden. It was unheard of back home. My kids love the idea so we're planning one for next summer. We threw a few seeds into the ground this year but we'll be gone several weeks & DH won't remember to water. If I can grow strawberries & blueberries, I can't imagine how much I'd save, the kids inhale those!

 

[averysmom]

I admit that I sometimes feed my kids regular old Kraft Mac N Cheese from the box - I in no way, shape, or form think that it is healthy.

I am a stain goddess and the one stain I can't get out - with the exception of dry erase markers - is from Mac N Cheese.

Makes you wonder what kind of dye is in that cheese powder!

 

[TNKBELL]

This is a great recipe to make bread, cinnamon rolls, pizza, breadsticks or whatever else you can come up with.

1 pkg yeast
1 3/4 c lukewarm water
1/2 oil
1/2 c sugar
1 whole egg
3/4 t salt
5 1/2 c flour ( you may need to add more or less, depending on humidity) When I made this recently, I used 2 c white flour, 2 c whole wheat flour and 1 c wheat bran

Put lukewarn water in large mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast over the top and let dissolve. Stir in oil, egg and sugar with whisk. Add flour and salt. Place in a clean bowl and rub oil on the dough and cover with towel in a warm area(I turn on the oven while I'm making the dough to about 200 degrees, then turn it off for 10 minutes with the door open and then put my bowl inside) Let rise until double in size, 4-6 hours. Punch down and roll out. Brush tops with melted butter. Depending on size bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly golden. Upon removing from oven brush the tops again with melted butter.(this step can be omitted to cut down on fat)

As far as the white pizza I just partially baked the crust then added Alfredo sauce(Ragu reduced fat parmesean cheese sauce) you can make your own healthier version. Then piled on toppings, cheese, baked chicken breast strips, parsley, more parmesean...ect. One thing we do is go to the salad bar at the store and get toppings, so I don't have to buy a whole bag of spinach or other veggies and they are already chopped up and cleaned! Then bake until edges are golden. 350 degrees

 

[TNKBELL]

I just wanted to add that I always double the recipe above and there is no kneading!!! And it only has to rise 1 time but after you roll out the dough, let it rise about 10 minutes before you put in oven.

 

[mtblujeans]

Thank you sooo much! I look for no-knead bread recipes, now, as I am beginning to get pain with heavy use in my hands but we loooove fresh bread!

 

[grumpy28]

Just wanted to say thanks for this great thread! We need to save some $ off our grocery bills, and it is great to see how you all are doing it! I appreciate all the meal ideas as well! We are a family of 3, but I seem to spend so much money on food. I am intrigued by these ideas, and plan on trying my hand at $10 a day!

 

[mommiepoppins]

ok here we go for today 4 kids
b- minnie bagels with jelly. half off the bag from bread store
Milk- Aldi
cranberry juice for one child- wal mart brand

L - romain salid (free from the party yesterday I have 2 free bags that people sent home with us )
Turkey(free from the party left overs)
Pitia bread half off at bread store
1 peach wal mart with price add from other store
milk

S apple slices and pretzels both from aldi. Pretzels were 99cents a bag. I will get min 7 feedings out of it

D- salid (free)
dressing -aldi
Chicken from whole chicken I pre cooked.
b-b-q sauce aldi
whole wheat garlic bread. bogo wal mart with price comapre

s. crackers

 

[punkin]

Today:

breakfast: cereal and milk for 5. $2.50
sanack: DN(8)-orange and some cheezits ($.50)
Lunch: DD14 peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apple
DD8 slice of Challah, carrots, apple, fruit leather
DH farmer cheese and jelly sandwich, apple, carrots, celery, leftover chicken leg
DN8 mushroom, rice and miso soup, bread
Me Salad, bread

$6.50
Dinner: chicken schnitzel (I can't spell), salad, mushroom soup (see above), fried potatoes and onions

$ 11 (but this will probably include leftovers for lunch tomorrow)

Total: $20.50

There is no way I can make $10 on a consistent basis.

 

[Sorsha]

Today for us:

Breakfast:
Kids: Cereal and milk, bananas, toast, apple juice
DH and I: Cereal and milk, bananas, coffee

Lunch:
2 youngest kids: Chicken noodle soup, crackers, baby carrots, sliced tomatoes, milk
Me: Tossed salad, croutons, dressing
Oldest daughter: school lunch
DH: leftovers from last night's dinner

Dinner: Whatever leftovers we can find in the fridge and throw in the microwave, cause middle daughter has kindy graduation tonight and we have to be at the school by 6. Being as DH doesn't get home till 5:30, that doesn't leave a lot of time for dinner.

I think I may actually come in below $10 today, since most of the food is either a portion out of a larger box (i.e. cereal or crackers) or leftovers from another meal. Doesn't happen very often though... LOL

 

[smfritz03]

What types of side veggies are you guys making? Like ingredient wise--how are they coming out so cheap? By the time I add the extras to things--the cost is well above what everyone is saying it cost to make.

 

[nzdisneymom]

For us, we come out about $90 / week on average over the course of a month, so that's about $12 / day. My kids are "picky" with one who will eat typical kid-fare and the other who won't. I made up my mind about a year ago that my job is to provide healthy food / snacks; it is their job to eat them. And if they don't like what we're serving, they can make their own food - which is why I try to limit the amount of "junk" in the house, so when they're looking for something to eat, they'll only have the healthier choices to pick from.

Now that they are home for the summer, we have the opportunity to experiment more with different foods, getting them to help with meal-planning and cooking. They are almost 11 and 9 1/2, so plenty old enough to take on some of those responsibilities. My older DS said he only wants smoothies for lunches this summer - 1/2 c. skim milk; 1/2 c. fat-free vanilla yogurt, 1/2 c. sliced strawberries, 1/2 medium banana (sliced), and 4 - 6 ice cubes. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend. He can make it himself and it's healthy! Sometimes he'll be nice and make a double-batch to share with his little brother, but ssshhhh.... don't tell anyone he's actually being nice! (hee hee)

Anyway, I'm enjoying reading this thread not only for $$-saving ideas but also meal ideas. Keep 'em coming!

 

[TNKBELL]

Ok so far today, for breakfast cinnamon rolls still leftover from a few days ago
Lunch was pb&j on a bun with cheese crackers and apple slices.
Snack was DQ blizzards(B1G1 coupon) Not healthy, but it is summer!!
Dinner will be SHorty Smalls...OK this is a budget blower today but it's with a www.restaurant.com Gc purchased for 1.20 and it will cost us $10 over face value with a tip. We only go here once a month. It is Kids eat free day so Dh and I will get to use the whole GC for ourselves!! Bring on the leftovers!!

 

[Reese]

Today is a pretty good day. It was oatmeal for breakfast. I made bacon ( I buy a big bag of real bacon bits from Costco for $8.00) and cheese muffins for lunch with yogurt and apples. I made four loaves of bread today to last for the next couple of days. So for supper we are having tortellini with pasta sauce, salad and bread. For a snack the kids had tofu(on sale) and carrots.
Breakfast $ .75
Lunch $ 2.75
Snack $ 1.75
Supper $5.50

So I went over by about $.75.

 

[disneymom3]

Okay, I have a whole slew of bread I got at Aldi and on clearance at Walmart, but when that is gone I will be trying the homemade bread recipe TNK. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[hsmamato2]

I thought of this thread last night at dinner my family ate the cheapest dinner ever,and loved it more than just about anything I've ever made...go figure!
It was rice and beans(dirt cheap to begin with) leftover from the other night, I fried 4 onions up, shredded some cheddar,sliced a tomato,chopped a bit of lettuce from the garden,- then heated the R and B in a pan,and warmed some tortillas-
rolled all ingredients up- ds14 ate *6*,ds7 ate *4*-I ate one,and dh ate *3*..... I could NOT believe they were all so thrilled! It cost almost nothing,but they raved! I thought it was funny....

 

[tcarr5]

loving this thread has anyone ever done a "pantry challenge"? just curious.....How long could your family eat from the food in your house without going to the grocery store, besides for milk, eggs and bread and fresh produce?