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

[punkin]

wow I guess I am never leaveing hicksvill NY

Do you have any idea how expensive Hicksville, NY actually is?

http://www.longislandexchange.com/towns/hicksville.html

 

[disneymom3]

Wow, just wow! I spend about $900 a month to feed my family of five. Of course, buying organic in the city can get pretty pricey. Although, my children's health is worth it.

HOly moley Amie--I would have to get a job! (I don't want one of those. )

 

[dawn1967]

Do you have any idea how expensive Hicksville, NY actually is?

http://www.longislandexchange.com/towns/hicksville.html

See i have family in west hempstead and commack and center reach and they told me what they pay in taxes and in food i almost fell on the floor i'm grateful to be where i'm at in oregon and i'm in very expensive to live in area.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

sigh sigh sigh sigh sigh.....
I've read from both 'feed your family' threads.....sigh..... and guess what folks? you can do $10 a day on extremely healthy foods, organics, fresh, wheat free allergen specialized,and stay on a budget! Yes, some folks choose to eat differently ,but the TRUTH is you can eat VERY well very cheaply also! I don't care if others like other kinds of food,we eat what we eat.
Now I don't buy much organic cheese, due to the expense, but we eat a lot of high quality foods here,and I've ranged costs in months from $250 a month for 4 people to around 500-600.00 tops. in CT. not a cheap state to live in.
So it can be hotdogs and mac and cheese,or rice and beans with veggies- but it can be done. Joyfully,I might add,as I hate wasting money,but my family's good health is paramount to me.
rice and beans made with tomatos and peppers is basic,filling,and oh so good! it's absolutely my familys favorite food- and that includes steaks,seafoods,anything else, they love my rice and beans!

I was not implying that my family's food choices are better than anyone elses. It just so happens that we eat hardly any processed foods. I mostly buy whole and organic foods. I don't buy spray butter (read: two steps from plastic), anything with high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oil. Nothing!

Now, I think it is great that families find healthy meals that are also less costly. I am sure if I did a break down of certain meals (just like your rice and beans), I am sure they would come in pretty cheap, as well. However, to stick to the guidelines of $10/day, groceries would never be more than $300/month. That just ain't happenin'. So, for my family, my monthly food budget (including paper items) is $900. If I come in under, great....but I won't sacrifice the food choices I make! What goes in our bodies has a greater impact than mostly people realize!

 

[Plantlady]

Today's meal list..

Breakfast:

hashbrown recipe from page 114 of this thread:

browns: 1.20
cheese: 2.00
gravy mix: .70
eggs: 1.00
sausage links (on the side, so DH can eat it too): 2.00
seasonings: .10

*7.00

Lunch:

leftover pizza from last night: free

Dinner:

at the in-laws: free

Total:

$7.00

 

[bookgirl]

I love the hostess bakery outlet they closed here Use to get the ding dongs and freeze them o they are so good.

HAHA We do frozen twinkies and people look at me like we're crazy. My mom used to buy us a box as an occasional treat. She'd put them in the freezer to keep them fresh longer. We'd just eat them while they were still cold. Still love them to this day.

 

[bookgirl]

Today i took my dad shopping after we were done with our shopping and went down the tuna aisle and for some reason i decided just to look and seen deviled ham who remembers eatting that with lettuce tomato on white bread lol I bought a can i'm gonna feed it to the kids

Big 70's party food. Deviled ham on those little cocktail breads. I thought it was such a treat as a kid. Mom would let us have one each from the party tray. I bought a can a couple of years ago........I guess it was the atmosphere of the party but I could not stand the taste now. But when I was 10 it was the tops. (also pigs in a blanket and creamcheese/olives/nuts all mixed together and shaped into a big half ball to eat on Sociable crackers. we really knew how to eat in the 70's)

 

[Swimnoid]

Not a dessert but I've been tempted to post this before but didn't want to deal with the food police so I'll put it here while we're kidding a little.

My Dad grew up dirt poor. My grandmother had a recipe he loved that my mother made/makes because it's comfort food to him. It's cheap, real cheap, and filling. I usually bring it up to get a laugh out of my friends who are completely appalled at it. I'll admit to eating and liking it but if I hadn't been eating it since i was a kid I probably wouldn't touch it. I give you....Spam Casserole.

can of SPAM (or Treet brand if you want to go even cheaper)
Potatoes
Onions
Can of pork and beans
eggs
milk (optional)

She slices the onions and potatoes and Spam - probably quarter inch thick slices. Layer pork and beans, potatoes, onions and spam in a casserole. She gets at least two layers out of it, sometimes three depending on the dish she's using. Beat several eggs with milk (more milk than if you were just scrambling them). Pour this over the whole mess and bake until the spam on top is well browned and a knife goes easily through all layers so you know the potatoes and onions are done.

Really, other than the sodium in the Spam it probably isn't that bad nutritionally.

There you have it. My family's dirty little culinary secret. Bon Appetit.

My dad would have loved this. I think they must have eaten a lot of that in the army. He would make these concoctions with spam and baked beans or mashed potatoes or whatever. Luckily my mom didnt make us eat it.

 

[dawn1967]

My brother came into town with his kids so our budget might be more then normal, but he will leave me money at the end of visit or buy dinner few times for all.

Breakfast
4 people had 2 bagels half each with cream cheese .60
3 bowls of cereal with cashew milk 1.75
bananna's .33 was .33lb


Lunch
we will eat HOT DOGS on white bread lol no really hot dogs on buns 1.10
(not feeding them my kosher dogs cheap bar s dogs for .59 pk lol the buns cost more .69.
carrot sticks free from garden
cantalope free garden

Dinner
Turkey meatloaf 2.64 3lbs of turkey for .88 lb
mashed cauliflour free garden
mash potato's free garden
Broccholi free garden
Salad .79 for a head of lettuce tomato radish green onions and cukes free
home made bread 1.75

Snacks
what ever my brother buys cause he hates popcorn and fruit and veggies
drinks
water, coffee free
milk if my brother buys it
kool aid if my brother makes it for his kids. my kids drink water in the summer time we freeze water and as it thaws it tastes so good. they might add slice of lemon or lime at times.
Total 8.64 not bad..for 6 people and pretty healthy

 

[dawn1967]

Big 70's party food. Deviled ham on those little cocktail breads. I thought it was such a treat as a kid. Mom would let us have one each from the party tray. I bought a can a couple of years ago........I guess it was the atmosphere of the party but I could not stand the taste now. But when I was 10 it was the tops. (also pigs in a blanket and creamcheese/olives/nuts all mixed together and shaped into a big half ball to eat on Sociable crackers. we really knew how to eat in the 70's)

Last night when my kids and i were watching tv i broke out the can of deviled ham and ritz lol my little one screamed omg your trying to kill us haha. The dog wouldn't even eat it. I use to love little smokies wrapped in cresent rolls with cream cheese mom called them pigs in blanket i personally now find that disgusting. my kids won't eat that either. or remember portwine cheese with chopped nuts on butter crackers lol...

 

[sk!mom]

Lunch
we will eat HOT DOGS on white bread lol no really hot dogs on buns 1.10
(not feeding them my kosher dogs cheap bar s dogs for .59 pk lol the buns cost more .69.
carrot sticks free from garden
cantalope free garden

Snacks
what ever my brother buys cause he hates popcorn and fruit and veggies
drinks
water, coffee free
milk if my brother buys it
kool aid if my brother makes it for his kids. my kids drink water in the summer time we freeze water and as it thaws it tastes so good. they might add slice of lemon or lime at times.
Total 8.64 not bad..for 6 people and pretty healthy

Just curious- Don't you like your brother? I'm trying to understand why you would feed them the cheapest food possible- especially if he will leave money or treat everyone to meals out?

I've never seen that attitude toward guests before. My kids love it when we have company because that normally means some spluges- for instance, when my brother visited a couple of weeks ago I made homemade ice cream for dessert.

 

[dawn1967]

Just curious- Don't you like your brother? I'm trying to understand why you would feed them the cheapest food possible- especially if he will leave money or treat everyone to meals out?

I've never seen that attitude toward guests before. My kids love it when we have company because that normally means some spluges- for instance, when my brother visited a couple of weeks ago I made homemade ice cream for dessert.

WT* they are eating what i eat and my kids eat if they want different they know where the store is and he can cook it for us. I am supplying food roof and everything else I am not gonna go broke to entertain my brother. Just like i know when we visit him in reno he does not go out of his way. Idea of a visit is to be social not show the other guy i can cook a tbone what about u. He is right now in my back yard enjoying my kids that's what it's about not food. or how much i spend on food come on give me a break

 

[disneyjunkie]

WT* they are eating what i eat and my kids eat if they want different they know where the store is and he can cook it for us. I am supplying food roof and everything else I am not gonna go broke to entertain my brother. Just like i know when we visit him in reno he does not go out of his way. Idea of a visit is to be social not show the other guy i can cook a tbone what about u. He is right now in my back yard enjoying my kids that's what it's about not food. or how much i spend on food come on give me a break

Maybe it's my southern roots, but that just sounds so odd to me.

In my family, gatherings/get togethers/visits always include food and plenty of it. The kids play. Adults sit around laughing and talking. There's plenty of food. It may be a BBQ, a fish fry, pot luck or your typical Sunday dinner type meal.

 

[dawn1967]

Maybe it's my southern roots, but that just sounds so odd to me.

In my family, gatherings/get togethers/visits always include food and plenty of it. The kids play. Adults sit around laughing and talking. There's plenty of food. It may be a BBQ, a fish fry, pot luck or your typical Sunday dinner type meal.[/QUOTE

Food is just not that important to my family. My brother is a vegetarian he eats eggs three times a week and drinks skim milk only in his cereal what we are eating is what he normally eats daily except the hotdogs and meatloaf those are for the kids. and snacks would be for him Protien bars and shakes. (homemade ice cream out of the question) So now that you all know i'm not starving him feel better.

 

[Beca]

My brother came into town with his kids so our budget might be more then normal, but he will leave me money at the end of visit or buy dinner few times for all.

Breakfast
4 people had 2 bagels half each with cream cheese .60
3 bowls of cereal with cashew milk 1.75
bananna's .33 was .33lb


Lunch
we will eat HOT DOGS on white bread lol no really hot dogs on buns 1.10
(not feeding them my kosher dogs cheap bar s dogs for .59 pk lol the buns cost more .69.
carrot sticks free from garden
cantalope free garden

Dinner
Turkey meatloaf 2.64 3lbs of turkey for .88 lb
mashed cauliflour free garden
mash potato's free garden
Broccholi free garden
Salad .79 for a head of lettuce tomato radish green onions and cukes free
home made bread 1.75

Snacks
what ever my brother buys cause he hates popcorn and fruit and veggies
drinks
water, coffee free
milk if my brother buys it
kool aid if my brother makes it for his kids. my kids drink water in the summer time we freeze water and as it thaws it tastes so good. they might add slice of lemon or lime at times.
Total 8.64 not bad..for 6 people and pretty healthy

Dawn...I am not trying to pick on you (really, I am NOT)...but, I have to admit to being a little confused. Your brother is a vegetarian who hates fruits and veggies? What does he eat?

 

[JennyMominRI]

Dawn...I am not trying to pick on you (really, I am NOT)...but, I have to admit to being a little confused. Your brother is a vegetarian who hates fruits and veggies? What does he eat?

Hot Dogs apparently

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

My brother came into town with his kids so our budget might be more then normal, but he will leave me money at the end of visit or buy dinner few times for all.


Lunch
we will eat HOT DOGS on white bread lol no really hot dogs on buns 1.10
(not feeding them my kosher dogs cheap bar s dogs for .59 pk lol the buns cost more .69.
carrot sticks free from garden
cantalope free garden

 

[dawn1967]

Dawn...I am not trying to pick on you (really, I am NOT)...but, I have to admit to being a little confused. Your brother is a vegetarian who hates fruits and veggies? What does he eat?

He is into goya berries and protien bars and shakes. he lives on these three things when he does his work outs he will eat eggs those days. He will eat the fruit and veggies but rather not as a snack item i should of stated.

 

[sk!mom]

WT* they are eating what i eat and my kids eat if they want different they know where the store is and he can cook it for us. I am supplying food roof and everything else I am not gonna go broke to entertain my brother. Just like i know when we visit him in reno he does not go out of his way. Idea of a visit is to be social not show the other guy i can cook a tbone what about u. He is right now in my back yard enjoying my kids that's what it's about not food. or how much i spend on food come on give me a break

Actually in your original post you said that you weren't going to feed him your good Kosher dogs but cheap .59 Bar S instead. I also don't understand a Vegetarian who hates fruit and veggies. What does he eat?

Possibly it just goes against my Southern roots, as well. I don't try to impress my guests (not possible with my cooking skills anyway) but I do try to feed them well. Our most recent get together was grilled burgers (the same 93/7 that I serve my family), chips, salad, and the previously mentioned homemade ice cream. Our visits are also about spending time together which was why I chose a cookout so that I wouldn't be in the kitchen the whole time. The ice cream is a summer family tradition since my siblings and I remember our grandpa using a handcrank to make it for us when we were kids. We now try to make it for our kids (Thank goodness for electric freezers) at least once a summer.

 

[Beca]

He is into goya berries and protien bars and shakes. he lives on these three things when he does his work outs he will eat eggs those days.

I was engaged to a body builder (we didn't get married), and he lived on a VERY limited diet (protein and protein shakes mainly), and he did not eat many fruits and veggies because he didn't want the carbs during competition season. He had a LOT of kidney problems. His diet was so low in fiber, that he had a lot of other problems as well. His body was beautiful, but his health was bad....he ended up having a lot of joint pain. He had to quit after a few years.

People eat lots of things that really amaze (and, sometimes concern) me, but I don't think I have ever heard of a vegetarian who hates fruits and veggies. I am sure your brother is not starving, and he probably eats much healthier than me (even though I REALLY try to eat healthy, organic foods). However, after my experience with my ex-fiance', I really worry about people who live on protein shakes....I just don't think that is what God intended our bodies to use as fuel.

It's just my opinion....don't mean to get on a "high horse".