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

[ChristmasElf]

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

Here too. My boys eat more than their Dad at dinner.

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

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

My son too and he is only 5

 

[dawn1967]

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

Is aldi like a big lots? I can get dressings there 3 For $1. I get all our paper products there. I can get toliet paper paper towels napkins and my laundry soap and dryer sheets and dishwasher soap for the month for under 15.00 that's getting tide 48 load and 70 dryer bounce sheets.

 

[dawn1967]

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

Orange juice today for a gallon was 2.59 at albertsons and on sale tommorrow for 2. I buy .79 frozen concentrate if i buy orange juice also this time a year it's always expensive in the fall and winter much cheaper good time to stock up then and freeze it. I can get minute maid frozen concentrate for 2 for 1.00 then and i stock up. Also milk here is 2.79 for a gallon as of today ground beef 15% fat is 1.99 lb but ground turkey breast is .88 lb, chicken today whole .99lb but grill paks were .39 lb guess what i bought. I think it's where you live and when you shop. Learned a trick from a friend who caters and she says keep a spred sheet for a year on what you buy and you will see when it's time to get chicken veggies and fruits. Also i suggest try your farmers markets can save lots of money that way .

 

[Plantlady]

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.

Perhaps it's regional. Spagetti is one of my cheap dinners for my family.

one can of Sauce: 96 cents @ walmart
1/2 box of whole wheat pasta: 1.25 per box @ walmart -- 63 cents for the meal.
Garlic Bread: 1.25 @ Aldi
Meatballs (1/2 bag per meal): 2.00 per bag @ Aldi -- 1.00 for the meal

so.. rough math.. around 3.84 before the salad. For a family of five.

 

[mommiepoppins]

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.)

I do not feed day care during the summer. I take in less children. I do it during the school year

 

[mommiepoppins]

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

yes she dose. also only 1 pop tart. She just dose not eat alot of stuff only the week before her.... then she eats like mad

 

[mommiepoppins]

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.

you pay WAY more for food than I do. My milk is 269 and it went up from 219
I aslo bought a bunch of tropicana oj from the $ store. You have crazy prices HARD CORE

 

[mommiepoppins]

by the way pondorosa was 10.06 and 1$ tip. That place was crazy . and not to clean

 

[jordansmomma]

You've seen the canned meat recall, haven't you? Just checking!

http://www.castleberrys.com/news_pressRelease0721.asp

Sorry, missed the fact it was Monday's list.

No I haven't seen it. However, it was Hormel chili and it wasnt on the list. I havent ever seen any of the brands on that list. I live in Washington state, so maybe if i lived in Seattle area i would. But thanks.

 

[jordansmomma]

how do you make the chili cheese dogs. I think dd 15 might like them, I do not know if the rest will eat it though?

I use 1 package of hotdogs and buns, 1 can of chili, and 1/4- 1/2 cup of cheese, it depends on how cheesy i want them.
preheat oven to 350
put foil on baking sheet
I heat the hot dogs and chili.
I put buns and hotdogs on sheet.
add chili and top with cheese.
bake about 10-15 minutes depending on how crispy you want the buns. my kids like them pretty crispy. I usually have coleslaw with them but i didnt have any so they chose mac & cheese.
They are pretty good.

 

[mommiepoppins]

I use 1 package of hotdogs and buns, 1 can of chili, and 1/4- 1/2 cup of cheese, it depends on how cheesy i want them.
preheat oven to 350
put foil on baking sheet
I heat the hot dogs and chili.
I put buns and hotdogs on sheet.
add chili and top with cheese.
bake about 10-15 minutes depending on how crispy you want the buns. my kids like them pretty crispy. I usually have coleslaw with them but i didnt have any so they chose mac & cheese.
They are pretty good.

I will pob try it some time during the next month

 

[jordansmomma]

I'm amazed by the number of DISers that receive WIC. QUOTE]

Comments like that are not wanted. Who cares if someone receives WIC or foodstamps. Atleast their kids are eating and not going hungry. WIC is a government program to keep expecting and breast feeding mommy's, infants and children healthy. Not meant in anyway to degrade someone because they qualify for something. Not everybody has the money that some may have on this board. In less than one year i maybe one of the food stamp moms, why because i will be entering the nursing program to make a better life for my kids and have a career. will i be embarrassed heck no, i will be a fulltime student with out a job and will still need to feed her kids. sometimes you gotta do what ya gotta do to get by.

 

[mommiepoppins]

I'm amazed by the number of DISers that receive WIC. QUOTE]

Comments like that are not wanted. Who cares if someone receives WIC or foodstamps. Atleast their kids are eating and not going hungry. WIC is a government program to keep expecting and breast feeding mommy's, infants and children healthy. Not meant in anyway to degrade someone because they qualify for something. Not everybody has the money that some may have on this board. In less than one year i maybe one of the food stamp moms, why because i will be entering the nursing program to make a better life for my kids and have a career. will i be embarrassed heck no, i will be a fulltime student with out a job and will still need to feed her kids. sometimes you gotta do what ya gotta do to get by.

very well said and I would love to here EVERYONES food ideas regardless of income

 

[mom2dea0813]

Actrully we go to Disney ever 2 yrs sence we no longer live in Florida (were BTW Dh made more money and I STILL did NOT spend more then the 300 dallors cause to me as long as my kids are eating veggi, fruit , are happy and healthy then it dose not really matter what I spend .

Yes we get WIC and BTW anyone who has a child under the age of 5 can get it , its VERY high income limits .

Also the only way we get to go to Disney is by me saving every penny I make on rewards places, surveys , samples, coupons (to make monthly food bill smaller) , birthday money , christmas money , and any other money that is considered Found money .

Also we have the internet cause my Dh is in school full time and he has to have it in order to do his classes online .

Either way my point in you CAN do it if your willing to shop around , use coupons , garden (you can do this in mason jars inside your house just search online ) we also cloth diaper , breastfeed NO formula , make our own baby food no jars , make everything from scratch , you don't NEED meat at every meal , try a breadfest meal 1 night a week that cuts alot out of the budget .

Sarah

 

[ChristmasElf]

you pay WAY more for food than I do. My milk is 269 and it went up from 219
I aslo bought a bunch of tropicana oj from the $ store. You have crazy prices HARD CORE

When you said this, I went out to the Wegmans site for comparison. Some of the prices that you would pay where you live were the same if not higher than here in Florida.
Then just to make sure, I checked the Kroger site in Michigan. Milk is definately lower in Michigan but meats were higher as were a number of other items.
Safeway didn't fare much better. Nor Tom Thumb in Texas.
As far as adding water to the Orange juice, it just doesn't taste the same and I would end up tossing it out as they would not drink it. Plus, the water would have a cost unless you were using tap....

We don't have Aldi here in Florida, and if we did, I probably wouldn't shop there. Just because of the lack of selection.
I used to be a big PUBLIX shopper, until they got totally obnoxious with their pricing. I do run there if I happen to need something on the spur of the moment and don't have time for Costco.

I will admit I could shave money off each week if I had to. However, I still fail to see how feeding a family of more than 2 people on $10 day is possible.
Even with coupons, free food meals, whatever.

There would be a mutiny in this house. if I even thought about trying it.

 

[bookgirl]

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).

How do you know they don't acess the internet through the public library or at work, how do you know that they don't save up coins for three years to be able to give thier kids a vacation. You don't and neither do I.

WIC is not like welfare(for one thing even the middle class can qualify for WIC), it's almost impossible to abuse since it only covers about 6 food items and nothing else. I don't begrudge a baby getting formula and don't think any kid who gets subsidized for milk is not worthy of a little pixie dust.

 

[ChristmasElf]

Actrully we go to Disney ever 2 yrs sence we no longer live in Florida (were BTW Dh made more money and I STILL did NOT spend more then the 300 dallors cause to me as long as my kids are eating veggi, fruit , are happy and healthy then it dose not really matter what I spend .

Yes we get WIC and BTW anyone who has a child under the age of 5 can get it , its VERY high income limits .

Also the only way we get to go to Disney is by me saving every penny I make on rewards places, surveys , samples, coupons (to make monthly food bill smaller) , birthday money , christmas money , and any other money that is considered Found money .

Also we have the internet cause my Dh is in school full time and he has to have it in order to do his classes online .

Either way my point in you CAN do it if your willing to shop around , use coupons , garden (you can do this in mason jars inside your house just search online ) we also cloth diaper , breastfeed NO formula , make our own baby food no jars , make everything from scratch , you don't NEED meat at every meal , try a breadfest meal 1 night a week that cuts alot out of the budget .

Sarah

Mom, wouldn't using cloth diapers in the long run end up costing more than the disposables? You have to figure in your cost of hot water, laundry soap,bleach and softeners. PLUS the cost of using the dryer does
add up.
Then you would also have to figure your time is worth something. Washing, sorting,folding,putting away. Where is the savings? With disposables, you could find them on sale and possibly using a coupon, get them really reasonably priced.

 

[mommiepoppins]

When you said this, I went out to the Wegmans site for comparison. Some of the prices that you would pay where you live were the same if not higher than here in Florida.
Then just to make sure, I checked the Kroger site in Michigan. Milk is definately lower in Michigan but meats were higher as were a number of other items.
Safeway didn't fare much better. Nor Tom Thumb in Texas.
As far as adding water to the Orange juice, it just doesn't taste the same and I would end up tossing it out as they would not drink it. Plus, the water would have a cost unless you were using tap....

We don't have Aldi here in Florida, and if we did, I probably wouldn't shop there. Just because of the lack of selection.
I used to be a big PUBLIX shopper, until they got totally obnoxious with their pricing. I do run there if I happen to need something on the spur of the moment and don't have time for Costco.

I will admit I could shave money off each week if I had to. However, I still fail to see how feeding a family of more than 2 people on $10 day is possible.
Even with coupons, free food meals, whatever.

There would be a mutiny in this house. if I even thought about trying it.

I bought the Tropicana from the container. I did not have to add water/ It was a great deal so I bought about 10 and freeze them

 

[dawn1967]

I use 1 package of hotdogs and buns, 1 can of chili, and 1/4- 1/2 cup of cheese, it depends on how cheesy i want them.
preheat oven to 350
put foil on baking sheet
I heat the hot dogs and chili.
I put buns and hotdogs on sheet.
add chili and top with cheese.
bake about 10-15 minutes depending on how crispy you want the buns. my kids like them pretty crispy. I usually have coleslaw with them but i didnt have any so they chose mac & cheese.
They are pretty good.

Just let you know Krogers brand is on the list that's our fred meyers here on the west coast. And i love your chilli dog recipe i'll make that for the family they will love it.