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

[punkin]

I've read that number too, I asked someone and they said it was $3 per person per day in most places. So if you have a family of 4, you are getting $12 a day.

That should be our next thread, can you live on a food stamp budget?

As a child, we lived on foodstamps and welfare. Let me tell you, it was tough. My grandmother could make one chicken stretch to feed a family of four for a week. We also ate a lot of rice, macaroni, and potatoes. I distinctly remember her buying chicken backs for 9 cents per pound and making a stew out ot them to last 3 days. 1 day w/ noodles, 2nd day w/ potatoes to stretch it, 3rd day the leftovers served over rice.

We never went out (even as a special treat), we never got candy or junk food either. I don't remember there being any WIC in those days. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm just glad I'm not in that position anymore (and haven't been since I was 10yo and my mother married my wonderful stepfather)

 

[grlpwrd]

As a child, we lived on foodstamps and welfare. Let me tell you, it was tough. My grandmother could make one chicken stretch to feed a family of four for a week. We also ate a lot of rice, macaroni, and potatoes. I distinctly remember her buying chicken backs for 9 cents per pound and making a stew out ot them to last 3 days. 1 day w/ noodles, 2nd day w/ potatoes to stretch it, 3rd day the leftovers served over rice.

We never went out (even as a special treat), we never got candy or junk food either. I don't remember there being any WIC in those days. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm just glad I'm not in that position anymore (and haven't been since I was 10yo and my mother married my wonderful stepfather)

We got foodstamps and welfare for a while when I was a child, too. We were those families who got the Thanksgiving basket each year and help from the Salvation Army. We survived on corned beef, fried rice, Spam, and pork and beans. My mom also never gave us 100% fruit juice - she used bottled juice syrup to make us juice. The best thing, though, is my mom made everything homemade - food (except all that junk because it was so cheap) and even my clothes.

Nowadays I am a health and fitness freak, but it wasn't always this way...

 

[dawn1967]

Breakfast
Cereal and milk and baby banana's 1.35

Snack apples and cantaloupe 1.75

Lunch Hot dogs and chips and watermelon 2.08

Snack Crackers and jelly .50

Dinner Bacon breakfast sandwiches and hash browns 2.75

Dessert fudge pops .80

Total 9.23

 

[mom2my3kids]

Food stamps are different now. There are girls at work getting 400+ a month food stamps on a card. (single, boyfriends living with them) They eat better then me and my family. Not meaning to diss on anyone but I think they get a good amount here in Indiana. The system is broke and needs to be fixed, sorry I am very bitter about our system. When my father died ( a military veteran), there was no temporary help for my mother. They told us if she was 16 and pregnant there would be a lot of help for her. This was 15 years ago...Sorry back to topic..

 

[disneyjunkie]

I don't have a problem with people who really need foodstamps, WIC or any other program using them.

It bothers me when people cheat the system or miss use the system.

I believe able bodied people should be required to work. If you're working and still need assistance, then it should be given.

If a family makes the choice for one parent not to work, then I don't think that family should be able to recieve foodstamps, WIC or any other assistance.

 

[mommiepoppins]

Well my dad is retired and has some health problems and he is on Social Security. He qualifies for food stamps but will not get them. I personally would love to see him get some nutrition classes and food stamps. He is a diabetic and I worry about what he eats. He spend a lot of his money on special food just for him. He dose not have they money. He is always at the DR. shelling out money for his meds. Thankfully he lives with my brother, so my dad dose not have to pay for shelter.

 

[mommiepoppins]

B
Bagels =0
Cream cheese= 0 (I already accounted that in during the week)
Jelly=20 cents
=20

S .apple slices=25
Motza crackers =3 cents
Penutbutter= 25
Cents
Jelly = 20 cents
=73 cents


L. vegetarian beans=40 cents
Chicken noodle soup= 1$
Green beans=35 cents
Pears= 50 cents
Milk =60 cents
=285



THURSDAY



S fro the rest of day and night
. Mandarin oranges=45 cents
Gram crackers= 50 cents
Popcorn = 25 cents
Cookies =50 cents
=170

D. left over pizza= 5$
Milk = 60
Salad 1$
=660

12.08 For the day

 

[TNKBELL]

I don't have a problem with people who really need foodstamps, WIC or any other program using them.

It bothers me when people cheat the system or miss use the system.

I believe able bodied people should be required to work. If you're working and still need assistance, then it should be given.

If a family makes the choice for one parent not to work, then I don't think that family should be able to recieve foodstamps, WIC or any other assistance.

I mostly agree except that there are some circumstances where having 2 parents working would cost the family more than what they would bring home.(after daycare expenses)

 

[dawn1967]

I mostly agree except that there are some circumstances where having 2 parents working would cost the family more than what they would bring home.(after daycare expenses)

I agree for me to go back to work full time with my husbands hours i would pay more in babysitting and more in taxes. It would bump us up in a much higher tax bracket that after sitters and taxes and gas someone would probably owe me.

 

[mom2my3kids]

Not in all cases, you see where I am from they even can qualify for free daycare. So they get free housing, big fat tax returns(earned income credit) food stamps, welfare and free daycare.. Hey what more can you ask for.. It should be a stepping stone until you get on your feet. Not a way of life to pass on to the next generation. We are no way well off, we are minimal middle class so its not that I am rich and trying to pick on the poor. Now back to topic, can you tell this is a sour subject to me?

 

[dawn1967]

Yes back to topic lol
I was just given a 10lb turkey it's 90 degrees outside i really don't want to turn on oven (it's thawed) If i cook it on a low oven what temp should it be? i usually would cook this at 375 for 2 1/2hrs. So has anyone cooked one at a much lower temp?

 

[mom2my3kids]

I am not positive, but I would think you could stick it in your slow cooker on low all day.. Be nice and yummy..

 

[jordansmomma]

Thursday
Breakfast
Me- 2 eggs .14; toast .10, milk free
Kids- ½ box of cereal, 3 cups of milk- 1.00
Total- 1.24
Lunch-
Me- stouffers meal- 0 already had it from last week, ice tea- free at work
Kids- 2 ham sandwich, chips, 2 Hawaiian punches, and 2 bottles of water free- already had from last week so I didn’t add it into the food budget for this week. So two of the kids will have a picnic lunch at the swimming pool today plus they have their own money for snacks and anything beyond what I packed them.
My youngest will have a cup of noodle soup .25, green tea- 1.29, fruit cup .50
Total- 2.04
Dinner
2 rib eye, 2 sirloins & 1 porter house steak- free we have ¼ of a cow left in our freezer from last year, so I won’t count the price of it in.
Salad w/ ranch- .75, I already have lettuce, tomatoes, & ranch from before.
Garlic bread- 1.79
Baked potato w/ sour cream, cheese & butter- 2.00 (I just have to buy the potatoes)
Watermelon- .50
Ice tea .18 (I use 6 tea bags to make the tea)
Water free
Total- 5.22, not bad for a steak dinner
Snacks- ds7- at my aunts house- free
The other 2 free, they have their own money.
Me- rootbeer float- free provided by my work today.

Total- 8.44
I work tomorrow night so they will have whatever my BF makes or buys them.

 

[punkin]

Breakfast: Pancakes (buttermilk and Chocolate chip), milk, OJ, lingonberry jam, maple syrup $2.50 I had two "guests" for breakfast, so I made homemade pancakes and we ate very late, so it was really a brunch (I aslo had a bowl of cereal-$.75).

Lunch: Leftover Fish Chowder, Bread, Salad, Macaroni w/ butter and salt (feeding another 8 yp today and all she eats is macaroni) $3

Dinner: Spinach Quiche, salad, bread $2.75

snacks: I am planning to bake chocolate chip cookies $3 (will have some in the car for our trip to Disney tomorrow )

TOTAL: $12

 

[Accentuate+]

Yes back to topic lol
I was just given a 10lb turkey it's 90 degrees outside i really don't want to turn on oven (it's thawed) If i cook it on a low oven what temp should it be? i usually would cook this at 375 for 2 1/2hrs. So has anyone cooked one at a much lower temp?

Many, many years ago when I was a kid my dad actually cooked a turkey on the grill. (Oven was broken and it was Thanksgiving) I remember it cooking all night and being good.

If you have or know someone that has an outdoor cooker (basically a stove eye attached to a propane tank) you can deep fry it lickety split. Fried Turkey is wayyyy faster than baking and is all kinds of good and you do it outside (don't want gallons of hot oil in the house). I'm not sure it would be all that economical, though.

 

[disneymom3]

As a child, we lived on foodstamps and welfare. Let me tell you, it was tough. My grandmother could make one chicken stretch to feed a family of four for a week. We also ate a lot of rice, macaroni, and potatoes. I distinctly remember her buying chicken backs for 9 cents per pound and making a stew out ot them to last 3 days. 1 day w/ noodles, 2nd day w/ potatoes to stretch it, 3rd day the leftovers served over rice.

We never went out (even as a special treat), we never got candy or junk food either. I don't remember there being any WIC in those days. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm just glad I'm not in that position anymore (and haven't been since I was 10yo and my mother married my wonderful stepfather)

A family of 4 gets $120 a week here in MN. That is the statistic I heard most recently anyway. They also have good nutritional information programs here when you go into to pick up your stuff/remeet or whatever. They meet in the same room as WIC which we received for a bit when DH was laid off and we had one still on formula.

 

[KKB]

I gotta figure this...so I'll join in!
I spend about $500/mo for a family of 5 (kids 12, 9, 7), not including most household items. I generally shop at one store (NOT the warehouse one, believe it or not), watch ads closely, use coupons ONLY for items we use regularly.

B: bowls of cereal all around $1.25 (about 1/2 box at $2.50/box name brand)
cran/rasp juice for kids .75 ($2/64 oz. store brand)
2 cups coffee for me .50 (Gen. Foods)
T: $2.50

S: chips .20 ($1/bag store brand)

L: 3 grilled cheese .60 (singles/loaf of wheat bread for .88)
6 fish sticks/chix nuggets (DS7!) .50?
carrots .25?
3 bananas .45
2 salads w/ turkey/crab for DH & I $2
Wyler's s.free lemonade .20 ($1 for 3 qt. pkgs at Walgreens everyday!)
T: $4

S: cookies .30 ($1.25 for 14 oz.)
blueberries $2 (I ate them all at once! YUM!)
T: $2.30

D: BBQ chicken breasts $5 (there will be leftovers)
can of green beans .50
4 apples .40
3 glasses of milk .60
tea for me .10
T: $6.60

S: 3 popsicles .12 (.99/box!)

TOTAL: $15.72

Well, I'd say this was a fairly cheap day...the blueberries were a "splurge"
But if you figure I spend $500/mo that averages $16.66/day...so we are VERY close. We do go out about once a week for $30-50.

$10/day is pretty low...unless you buy in BULK or garden or hit sales all over or have double coupons (we don't in our area).

Having read around these boards, $500/mo. on food for 5 seems to be pretty low, so I'd say $15/day isn't doing too bad, either.

 

[disneymom3]

Breakfast: Pancakes (buttermilk and Chocolate chip), milk, OJ, lingonberry jam, maple syrup $2.50 I had two "guests" for breakfast, so I made homemade pancakes and we ate very late, so it was really a brunch (I aslo had a bowl of cereal-$.75).

Lunch: Leftover Fish Chowder, Bread, Salad, Macaroni w/ butter and salt (feeding another 8 yp today and all she eats is macaroni) $3

Dinner: Spinach Quiche, salad, bread $2.75

snacks: I am planning to bake chocolate chip cookies $3 (will have some in the car for our trip to Disney tomorrow )

TOTAL: $12

Hey look at you! You almost did it!

Today we had
FREE donuts and muffins(these were donated to our group for a festival and there were left overs from the bake walk.)
Coffee for me .60
Milk for kids .50
strawberries from the garden(MAN we have a ton of them today!!) FREE!

So, breakfast was only 1.20 but I feel like those bakery items are kinda cheating.

Lunch--well we haven't eaten yet. We were going to go see Night at the Museum today for the cheap kids movie, but I decided that we have been way too on the go and even if the kids could handle it, me and my MS needed a break. So we watched the movie at home. We had popcorn(practically free 79c for the whole bag) and I bought treats $1.19 for Sour patch kids and they ate less than half the bag and Licorice for 99c. Probably 1/4 of a bottle of root beer so .25. That makes 1.85.

I will update when we eat lunch or snacks later

Dinner is going to be
Frozen vegies 89c
Chicken marinara 2.50+ half jar of sauce .50 + pasta .89 +cheese 1.00 +half pkg of shake n bake .50=5.89
Rolls .80

So, I am at 9.74 and we really haven't eaten lunch and we had a practically free breakfast. Sigh.........

 

[sk!mom]

What about drinks? I see some mentioning them and others not. When I attempted to figure out my daily spending I only included milk.

Drinks would add more to my weekly total. I buy 3 / 12 packs of diet soda a week usually about $7 ( 2 are generic brand and one Diet coke). Dh and I have a DCoke most days at lunch. DD11 only drinks soda maybe 2 or 3 times a week in the summer and never during the school year. DS drinks several each day. We have cut back. DH and I used to have a serious DCoke addiction.

I buy 6 - 8 bottles of flavored sparkling water @ .50 per bottle. DH and DD love this stuff.

DH and I have wine with dinner every night. I rarely buy this, DH does, so I'm not sure of the cost.

Believe it or not DH, DD, and I also drink a lot of plain tap water or bottled water at work. DH's and my employer both provide this at no cost to us.

Almost forgot- coffee every morning for DH and I and he makes us cappucino on the weekends.

Anyone else spend a lot on beverages? or do you just refuse to buy it and everyone drinks water?

 

[punkin]

What about drinks? I see some mentioning them and others not. When I attempted to figure out my daily spending I only included milk.

Drinks would add more to my weekly total. I buy 3 / 12 packs of diet soda a week usually about $7 ( 2 are generic brand and one Diet coke). Dh and I have a DCoke most days at lunch. DD11 only drinks soda maybe 2 or 3 times a week in the summer and never duing the school year. DS drinks several each day. We have cut back. DH and I used to have a serious DCoke addiction.

I buy 6 - 8 bottles of flavored sparkling water @ .50 per bottle. DH and DD love this stuff.

DH and I have wine with dinner every night. I rarely buy this, DH does, so I'm not sure of the cost.

Believe it or not DH, DD, and I also drink a lot of plain tap water or bottled water at work. DH's and my employer both provide this at no cost to us.

Almost forgot- coffee every morning for DH and I and he makes us cappucino on the weekends.

Anyone else spend a lot on beverages? or do you just refuse to buy it and everyone drinks water?

We drink milk (which I include), OJ (which I include) and Iced tea (which only costs me less than $.50 to make for the week so I don't include it). When I made citrusade, I did include that cost. Mostly we just drink water (from the fridge, not bottled-it is filtered).