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

[BethR]

Please allow me to step in to make this Public Service Announcement.

This thread was started in an effort to get people to save money.

I would ask those of you who are here only to cast aspersions on the choices made by those who have taken this challenge, to please refrain from posting those negative thoughts.

Everyone remember does what they feel is the best for THEIR family. It may not be what you do for your family and that is perfectly fine. Different strokes for different folks.

Please remember these words from the DIS Posting Guidelines:

we ask that everyone be treated with respect

Thank you.

 

[mommiepoppins]

This may be OT but I thought that people interested in this thread would find it interesting.
A link to a TIME photoessay showing families from around the world, in their kitchen with the amount of food they would eat in a week displayed around them. Below the picture is listsl the cost of the food (in local currency and converted to US dollars). The difference in amounts and costs is amazing sometimes.

Very interesting - be sure to spot the coke or pepsi that appears in all but the most remote places.

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html

that was intresting. I think I am more with the Italian family rather than the American family. also my kids are so sick of salid. I had to feed my youngest ( who is the only one who will eat it after a week and a half). She just ate 3 Romain leafs. I thate to waste but we are so sick of salid. I need to stop for at least a month, ok 2 weeks . So when I say we are having salid it dose not mean that the whole group is going to eat it

 

[punkin]

that was intresting. I think I am more with the Italian family rather than the American family. also my kids are so sick of salid. I had to feed my youngest ( who is the only one who will eat it after a week and a half). She just ate 3 Romain leafs. I thate to waste but we are so sick of salid. I need to stop for at least a month, ok 2 weeks . So when I say we are having salid it dose not mean that the whole group is going to eat it

Salad does not have to mean just lettuce leaves you know. I make salad with tomato, cuke, scallion, radish, pepper, whatever else green I have like spinach or cabbage. As long as they are eating fresh raw veggies, I am happy.

 

[mommiepoppins]

Salad does not have to mean just lettuce leaves you know. I make salad with tomato, cuke, scallion, radish, pepper, whatever else green I have like spinach or cabbage. As long as they are eating fresh raw veggies, I am happy.

my kids hate tomatoes, onions, olives. All the good stuff I like they HATE. I do put spinach in the salid. I was thinking about putting some bacon and hard boiled eggs in it to, . . I am getting sick of it to . I might make tacos on Thur night with shredded romain

 

[punkin]

my kids hate tomatoes, onions, olives. All the good stuff I like they HATE. I do put spinach in the salid. I was thinking about putting some bacon and hard boiled eggs in it to, . . I am getting sick of it to . I might make tacos on Thur night with shredded romain

How about stir-frying it with a little garlic and adding soy sauce (if you have oyster sauce, it's even better than soy). It makes a nice side dish.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Slightly OT, but today was horrible on the budget. I took the girls out for lunch and hit Ikea and "color me mine."

DD8 has an overnight camping trip with her school, so DN8 was moping that she will be bored, so I took her and DD14 (no school-finals and she has no tests today) to "color me mine". Ikea cost $90, Lunch cost $22, color me mine was $60. At least dinner will be cheap: I'm making tuna casserole and a salad: $5.25 Breakfast was $2.25. DD8's lunch and snack was $2 (they will feed her dinner and smores and lunch tomorrow included in the $20 fee for the trip) DH had lunch left over from yesterday (coworker took him out-or so he says)

No worries! You can make up for it tomorrow.

 

[DawnS]

Ok todays menu:

B: french toast w/syrup 1.00, strawberries 1.00,

S: mcdonalds ice cream cone 2.00 we were out running errands

L: chicken salad 2.99 on ww bread .65, cantelope .75

D: Fazolis kids night: 2 spaghettis and 1 pizza, 2 ceaser salads 6.32

Total:$14.71

 

[njcarita]

I absolutley love this thread--
its really gotten me thinking about how much we are spending-- and I 've actually been able to stick to my food shopping budget so far this month.

I've budgeted 500/month for a family of 5--
that's 16.44 a day--- including paperproducts, cleaning materials and eating out.


Last night we had last minute dinner guests( 3 of them)--
Plannning meals ahead really helped--

We had
roasted chicken drumsticks( made 15) ( on sale ) 5.75
white rice in rice cooker .75
cut corn .75
koolaid .35
iced tea .25
water free

tea was free

so we had dinner for 8 for $7.80
a lot cheaper than ordering pizzas and sodas

I do have a question --I've noticed some of the menus do not include drinks--
no coffee etc-- are you all just drinking water????

 

[punkin]

Another day, another menu

Breakfast: cereal w/ milk, bananas 1.75
Lunch: DH: PB&J, carrots, plum, peach $1.75
DN8, DD14, and I: chicken fried rice (use leftover chicken from soup I made last week): $1 (actually, maybe even less)
Dinner: Chili, corn-bread and salad $4
Snack: $2 (that's what it seems to average to per day)

TOTAL: $9.90 (WOW. This is the first day I will actually make it under $10. I guess I have to make up for yesterday's splurge.

 

[mommiepoppins]

WED
B- frosted min wheats 50 cents
oat maeal 15 cents
milk 60 cents=
=125
S. canned maderine oranges 39 cents
water

L. left over mac and cheese=0
milk. 60 cents
apple slices= 25 cents
salid fried in soy sauce with garlic. (thanks punkin)=50 cents salid free
=135

s. motza crackers =3 cents
penutbutter= 25 cents
apple slices = 25 cents
milk =60 cents
=113

D. left over baked ziti for 4 people =0
tuna =40 cents
mayo= 25 cents
pitia bread30 cents
milk 60 cents
salid in soy sauce with garlic= 50 cents
fruit cocktail=75 cents
=280

sn. popcorn =50 cents
canned maderine oranges= 39 cents
oatmeal =30
water
=119

872 for today

that should make up for yesterday with the cake, and pudding desert

 

[mommiepoppins]

here is anothor reason why I love this thread. I get to see how much I am spending. Also if I plan in the morning I can keep track. That way when dd 14 trys to pick somthing to woolf down. I can say have penutbutter with apples or some fruit cocktail. If my dd had it her way she would just eat chips and choclate. If I keep track and plan well during the week it helps balance my budget for weekends.

 

[smfritz03]

Ok now that summer is on and the kids are out of school, I figure I will try to keep track. Now mind you, I work 40+ hrs a week in insurance, commute 13 hrs each week and also do EMT work on the side. ( I can respond from home and get paid for the calls I take) Dh works opposite shift of me and is gone in the evening but stops by for dinner and this week happens to be on midnights so the kids are on their own during the day. We are a family of 6--dh is a big eater (cant tell it) ds 9, dd8, dd8, dd3 and me! Somedays the kids eat everything in sight and other days the rarely touch a thing. (same for me lol)

Today:

b/fast: me-----bannana and diet dr pepper ( i know really bad lol) $1.08
dh------coffee till he can get dd3 to the sitter and crash (gets this free since cops get free
coffee at the gas stations)
kids----cereal and milk 1% .50

Lunch: me-----Cherry tomatoes .56
dh-----sleeping
kids----spag O's w/ meatballs, Sandwich Melt from
yesterday made of ham, turkey and cheese) and an apple
(not the greatest lunch but the quickest I could put together
at 11pm last night) $4.00

Dinner: All----BBQ chicken in the crockpot (baseball game 2nite)
Baked Potatoes w/ butter
Corn on the cob (free from dh's dad's farm)
Cherry tomatoes $8.97

Snack: All----Carrots w/ Ranch dressing (my kids could eat these all day)
Peanut butter crackers and cheese crackers (their choice) $1.75

TOTAL: $16.86 is a guesstimate on the total cost. (I added lunch even though it was leftovers) I bet it would be closer to about $13-15 as more accurate.

Drinks: We drink water or add the sugar free lemonade packets or Sun Tea at home. We cut out buying sodas to drink at home and on occasion we will get one while we are at work. Dh also drinks black coffee at home/work. I also keep apple and orange juice and milk available if the kids would rather have that to drink.

 

[smfritz03]

Have no clue why my above post has a red mad face!! lol--Just ignore it!

 

[mommiepoppins]

Ok now that summer is on and the kids are out of school, I figure I will try to keep track. Now mind you, I work 40+ hrs a week in insurance, commute 13 hrs each week and also do EMT work on the side. ( I can respond from home and get paid for the calls I take) Dh works opposite shift of me and is gone in the evening but stops by for dinner and this week happens to be on midnights so the kids are on their own during the day. We are a family of 6--dh is a big eater (cant tell it) ds 9, dd8, dd8, dd3 and me! Somedays the kids eat everything in sight and other days the rarely touch a thing. (same for me lol)

Today:

b/fast: me-----bannana and dr pepper ( i know really bad lol)
dh------coffee till he can get dd3 to the sitter and crash
kids----cereal and milk 1%

Lunch: me-----Cherry tomatoes
dh-----sleeping
kids----spag O's w/ meatballs, Sandwich Melt from
yesterday made of ham, turkey and cheese) and an apple
(not the greatest lunch but the quickest I could put together
at 11pm last night)

Dinner: All----BBQ chicken in the crockpot (baseball game 2nite)
Baked Potatoes w/ butter
Corn on the cob (free from dh's dad's farm)
Cherry tomatoes

Snack: All----Carrots w/ Ranch dressing (my kids could eat these all day)
Peanut butter crackers and cheese crackers (their choice)

Drinks: We drink water or add the sugar free lemonade packets or Sun Tea at home. We cut out buying sodas to drink at home and on occasion we will get one while we are at work. Dh also drinks black coffee at home/work. I also keep apple and orange juice and milk available if the kids would rather have that to drink.


How do you calculate the per serving amounts??

I just guess. Like salid dressing I buy it for 98 a bottle. we use half the bottle so I say 50 cents.

 

[smfritz03]

Thanks---I went back and guessed on amts. I took total paid on some and div. that amt by quanity for a closer avg. Then I just guessed for like snacks because I have no clue how many crackers are available or oz of Peanut butter they will use! lol

 

[punkin]

Thanks---I went back and guessed on amts. I took total paid on some and div. that amt by quanity for a closer avg. Then I just guessed for like snacks because I have no clue how many crackers are available or oz of Peanut butter they will use! lol

All my amounts are guestimates. I do not measure and count every single thing that goes into everybody's mouth.

 

[dawn1967]

Today is first day of summer vacation So lets see if the house can stay on budget. This is the menu plan

Breakfast Cereal and milk for kids .25 (box was at dollar store says serves 4 still have the free milk.) They will probably want a banna or yogurt so add another .50
Coffee free for me and toast and butter .25
total 1.

Lunch
Ham sandwiches .75 for the three of us hubby went to work and does his own thing at lunch.

Dinner Tonight is church night so the kids eat there and i and hubby usually grab a pbj sandwich when we get home. So with donation and sandwich 5.75

Snacks i planned this: 2 apples .25
1 cantalope 1.35
crakers and jelly .50
I hope this holds them off.

Total of 10.60

 

[mom2my3kids]

here is a quick meal to wip out the freezer
buy a whole chicken and cook it. take the meat (your family's serving size0 freezes it. then someday take it out and heat it up with b-b-q sauce. my kids love it I usually serve it it on a bun (like sloppy joes ). also I usually can make 2-3 meals out of a whole chicken. I also freese the chicken for broc and chicken fetachine alfrado.

I guess my family is big meat eaters, one big chicken would barely be enough for the 5 of us.. But I love reading what and how differently everyone feeds there familys..

 

[mommiepoppins]

I guess my family is big meat eaters, one big chicken would barely be enough for the 5 of us.. But I love reading what and how differently everyone feeds there familys..

about 3 years sgo my dd was 7 and we went to visit a farm. She was so upset that people eat pigs and chickens that she stopped eating any pork product. (I have tried my best to get her to eat ham ect , but it will not work) She dose not like any ground beef at all. She is very pickey, she will eat chicken and a hamberger on the grill. I can not force her to eat meat. She will prob be a vegaterian by highschool.
I have taken her to the Dr about it. Basically all I got was that her iron was fine and to make sure she eats other protein. I really do not want to make a huge deal beacuse it will give the youngest an excuse not to eat the meat. Now dh he is a meat eater big time. however we are on diets so we are eating more salid

my oldest eats enough for her and the 10 year old and my youngest just nibble. I think because I offer so much (2 veggies and a bread along with the meal) They hardly ever want more meat. If they ask for 2nds it is never on the meat.

 

[dawn1967]

My 8yr old won't eat meat he rather have fruits and veggies and bread and butter. Won't even drink milk unless i put it in his cereal. He will eat ham or tuna sandwiches on occasion. Doc told me that's ok because he usually eats peanut butter daily that has more protien and iron then meat. The oldest loves meat but will always ask for seconds on potato's and bread. If his brother doesn't eat his chicken or fish he will eat it sometimes or take it to lunch the next day to school. We at dinner always have plenty of salad or homemade soup in the winter and veggies with dinner. The kids love egg drop soup and bread for dinner or corn chowder in the winter time for dinner, and in the summer they love there salads we came up with a spinach salad they will actually eat. Spinach, strawberries, blackberries (when in season because i have them all over the yard) dried cherries and tomato slices and little cider vinegar and oil. They love this. I also make some spinach fettuccine and mix this in the salad with little cheese grated on top and throw in a can of garbanzo beans and they eat this up. and it usually costs me 2.50 for 8 people.