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

[dawn1967]

How many in your family are you feeding?

I'm feeding 4 today maybe 5 neighbor boy comes over for lunch usually.

 

[phorsenuf]

So how do you figure out how much mayo you use and milk, cereal and such. I'd like to try to figure this out and see where I fall but that part has me befuddled.

For instance, I'm making a meatloaf. How do I figure the bread crumbs, eggs, ketchup etc.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I was wondering the same thing.

Remeber the $1.05 tip was not $1.05. The $9.95 needed tax too. IIRC from my family who lives in central NY it could be 8%. So that tip is only about a quarter.

 

[mommiepoppins]

So how do you figure out how much mayo you use and milk, cereal and such. I'd like to try to figure this out and see where I fall but that part has me befuddled.

For instance, I'm making a meatloaf. How do I figure the bread crumbs, eggs, ketchup etc.

well I divide the serving size into the price

ex bagels were 79 cents and there is 6 bagels= 13 cents.. now each one of my kids eats a half of a bagel. So if all 4 eat a bagel it 26 cents

 

[mommiepoppins]

Remeber the $1.05 tip was not $1.05. The $9.95 needed tax too. IIRC from my family who lives in central NY it could be 8%. So that tip is only about a quarter.

ok I will give the complete total when I get back including tip

fyi all of central NY tax is not 8% 10 min away is 10%

 

[gemjoy]

So how do you figure out how much mayo you use and milk, cereal and such. I'd like to try to figure this out and see where I fall but that part has me befuddled.

For instance, I'm making a meatloaf. How do I figure the bread crumbs, eggs, ketchup etc.

This is where I get confused too How much does a 1/4 c. of ketchup cost? What about a tsp. of vanilla this is alot of work!!!

 

[mickeyfan2]

well I divide the serving size into the price

ex bagels were 79 cents and there is 6 bagels= 13 cents.. now each one of my kids eats a half of a bagel. So if all 4 eat a bagel it 26 cents

It is easy to do this with bagel, but how about mayo. I buy a jar for $X and I make tuna fish with mayo. How much mayo did I use? I just put in some and add to it until it is to my liking. I don't like much mayo. I can figure out the can of tuna, if I kept the receipt from the day I bought it.

Do you grocery shop everyday? This would be the only way I would know how I paid for an item.

I bought cherries yesterday (about $5 worth). I took some and DH took some for lunch. I have not idea if I took $1 worth or maybe only 50 cents.

 

[disneyjunkie]

please keep your comments to your self about the WIC . I would still like to see what they have for some dinner ideas. Please do not scare them away

I don't think you have to worry about anyone being scared away.

I think it's interesting that people can pay for extras (internet, trips to WDW) yet they need assistance covering the necessities(food).

 

[mickeyfan2]

This is where I get confused too How much does a 1/4 c. of ketchup cost? What about a tsp. of vanilla this is alot of work!!!

Hell I can't even remember what I paid for the bottle.

 

[gemjoy]

I bought cherries yesterday (about $5 worth). I took some and DH took some for lunch. I have not idea if I took $1 worth or maybe only 50 cents.

Exactly... this is why I could never do this However, it facinates me to see how others do it! I'm weird like that.

 

[dawn1967]

So how do you figure out how much mayo you use and milk, cereal and such. I'd like to try to figure this out and see where I fall but that part has me befuddled.

For instance, I'm making a meatloaf. How do I figure the bread crumbs, eggs, ketchup etc.

I don't use mayo in my tuna, and milk is made with powdered milk and water since i'm the only one who has milk in my cereal kids won't touch it. Bread crumbs would be free to me since i make a loaf of multi grain bread for .25 cent.
if i'm taking 4 pieces and putting them in the food processer to make breadcrumbs it would be free. Eggs i get 5 doz for 4.00 so what's that divide 60 into 4.00 ketcup it cost me 1.00 at the dollar store so what's that .10 maybe less if i used it not sure were not ketcup people. We use salsa in our meatloaf and i make that fresh.

This is how i figure out my cost also I make everything except my hamburger hot dog buns and lasagna pasta everything is pretty much grown in my garden and home made. If we want to eat it we grow it or make it. If my husband wants cookies and chips he can have them at work or buy them with his weekly allowance. The kids can have chips and stuff if they buy it them selves with there allowance and they figured out it's just not worth it.
So only time we have junk food is camping, and if any left over we use it until it's gone.
After reading FDA.Org on all the recall foods i don't think i want to eat anything processed again.

 

[gemjoy]

Hell I can't even remember what I paid for the bottle.

yeah, and my ds uses ketchup on everything and lots of it. So I would just charge myself a buck for his portion of ketchup and call it a day!!!

 

[mickeyfan2]

Exactly... this is why I could never do this However, it facinates me to see how others do it! I'm weird like that.

It facinates me too. I ask may questions due to my facination, but some see it as attacking.

I am an analytical person by nature so numbers seem to catch my eye very easily. I know I am odd, but that is who I am.

 

[Davidsmommy]

Hell I can't even remember what I paid for the bottle.

I have been trying to do this too, just to get a handle on our food costs, but I also can't remember how much I paid for stuff.

I have been a bit more aware of food costs though, which I attribute to this thread!

I still don't know how much a quart of milk costs here.

 

[mommiepoppins]

Hell I can't even remember what I paid for the bottle.

that would be your first step to saveing $
1. know the prices where you can get the best deal.Knowing your top amount you will pay for an item.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Exactly... this is why I could never do this However, it facinates me to see how others do it! I'm weird like that.

I'm the same way.

I'll never get near $10.00 a day, I give my son $5.00 a day for lunch. However,I have found some great reciepes here.

 

[mommiepoppins]

yeah, and my ds uses ketchup on everything and lots of it. So I would just charge myself a buck for his portion of ketchup and call it a day!!!

I charge 50 cents for salad dressing my kids usually do a half of a bottle . I buy it from Aldi for 99 cents

 

[ChristmasElf]

With the price of milk and Orange Juice today, it is amazing how expensive groceries can be.
Without starting any arguments here, I personally think most of you are spending more than you think.
Orange juice at Target runs $3.69 a gallon
Milk is very high at $4.99 a gallon

This week I went to Costco

Tropicana Orange Juice was 4/64 oz containers $9.49
Milk was $3.39 a gallon. I bought 3
Ground hamburger meat was $2.29 PER LB. pkg price $15.51
10 pound bag of red potatoes was $6.99
2 loves of Sara Lee White bread for the kids $3.09
Industrial size box of Cheerios (2lb 5 oz box) was $4.85
Grapes were $1.62 per lb I bought the 4 pound clear box for $6.49
Bananas were $1.09 for 3 lbs.
I did buy some Sirloin steaks 4 were in each package $21.71 for one pkg
and $20.79 for the other.

Just all this comes out to $100.18

Then I hit Target and buy the rest. I won't itemize each item but I spent another $100 or so and bought lettuce, salad dressing, oranges,bisquik,syrup
tomato sauce, spagetti noodles,

I feed 4 teen agers,DH (home for average of 3 dinner meals per week) and me.

Even if I make spagetti with meatballs, a salad, loaf of Italian bread, and a drink of either soda or water, we come in at a minimum of $9 for just dinner and that is with everyone having an average size portion on an average sized dinner plate.

During this time of year when the kids are home most of the day in the pool or whatever, they eat lunch- this averages about $7 or so. $9 if they want chicken soup tossed in or a salad. (4 teens and me)

Breakfast is a bowl of Cheerios, oj and maybe toast. at roughly $1.25 a kid plus dh and I that is $7.50

Add all this together and the day total comes to average $25 and change.

If we have steak and potatoes dinner will come in around $26 for the bunch just for dinner.
Same with chicken. 5 chicken breasts, salad, potatoes, vegetable we are looking at at least $15 for the meal for 6 people.

I will be honest and say I don't make up a list and when I do cut coupons I usually forget to bring them. I spend approx $250 a week on groceries-sometimes more.

Kudos to posters like mommiepoppins who can toss 1 chicken breast at her bunch and call it dinner. I think that is very unrealistic as unless the entire family is Nicole Richie wannabes, they will be snacking which will add to the bottom line.

I just do not believe you can feed a family of 2 for $10 a day much less add kids to the fray and still claim to have done it.

 

[grlpwrd]

But every post has some kids not eating or eating somewhere for free. It seems usually its you and the 2 little ones. BTW, I have 4 kids and I could never have fed them all for $10 a day. Kudos to you.

I agree.

I know you mentioned some foods your dh eats, but I am curious about what your dh (mommiepoppins) is spending and eating on a regular basis and also your daycare kids (I think you mentioned you care for some kids part time). Surely, that all can't be under the $10 a day.

(Edited - my dd wanted to go online for a bit.)

 

[phorsenuf]

So your 14 year old only eats half a bagel? See my boys would eat at least one, if not 2.