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

[BellePrincessBelle]

I live in Manhattan, which I think is similar in terms of median HH income. I make roughly that for a single person and with my rent, cable, student loans, credit card, electric and transportation bills I find I have just enough.

You have my sympathies because I know how expensive Manhattan is!!!! Food is crazy there. I think it's cheaper to eat out than shop there.

 

[frndshpcptn]

You have my sympathies because I know how expensive Manhattan is!!!! Food is crazy there. I think it's cheaper to eat out than shop there.

Thank you!

I honestly think for the most part it really can be cheaper to eat out! $5.95 for a turkey sandwich at the deli - it's big enough for two meals if I have something small (salad, chips, etc..) on the side.

Gristede's, Food Emporium and Whole Foods are just SO expensive. There is no such thing as a jar of mustard for 50 cents. Ever.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

re the Farmer's Market.

The big one here is in the parking lot of a local health center every Sunday afternoon. It is just starting to get going with the good veggies. I'm a very poor planner so we usually just drive over and everybody in the family runs around buying everything that looks good. Then the rest of the week I'm trying to plan my meals around what we have.

Once a week is usually enough. When I buy vegetables at the grocery store they always go bad after 2 to 3 days. But most of those come from California or someplace else warm a thousand miles away. By the time it gets to me it has been picked, sent to a sorting facility, sent to a warehouse, shipped by a truck to the local grocery store distribution, and then to the grocery store -- in other words -- it is already about 7 to 9 days old before I buy it. I can't tell you how often I have to throw away veggies from the grocery store because they start to rot on my counter.

But when you buy from the Farmer's Market -- it usually was picked just one or two days before the sale. So it lasts much longer at the house.

 

[frndshpcptn]

re the Farmer's Market.

The big one here is in the parking lot of a local health center every Sunday afternoon. It is just starting to get going with the good veggies. I'm a very poor planner so we usually just drive over and everybody in the family runs around buying everything that looks good. Then the rest of the week I'm trying to plan my meals around what we have.

Once a week is usually enough. When I buy vegetables at the grocery store they always go bad after 2 to 3 days. But most of those come from California or someplace else warm a thousand miles away. By the time it gets to me it has been picked, sent to a sorting facility, sent to a warehouse, shipped by a truck to the local grocery store distribution, and then to the grocery store -- in other words -- it is already about 7 to 9 days old before I buy it. I can't tell you how often I have to throw away veggies from the grocery store because they start to rot on my counter.

But when you buy from the Farmer's Market -- it usually was picked just one or two days before the sale. So it lasts much longer at the house.

We have a good Farmers Market near my office in Union Square that I love to walk through. I won't buy homeade breads, etc ( I have a thing with hand washing and am never sure that the people who cook are as germophobic as I am, but will buy fresh herbs and veggies and fruit!

Although my favorite apples I usually find at Whole Foods in the early fall...I can't remember their name right now but they are very sweet. Not Pink Ladies...but something else...

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Honey Crisps?

Those are really great. Apples don't usually start showing up until late August or September. Right now we're getting some good berries.

I don't buy any baked items either although my husband has been known to get some pies. Over the past couple of years there has been a real upswing in candles and crafty-stuff also. I'm really not interested in that either.

We also usually buy some corn fed beef right from the farmer. You have to order it and then go into a local store to pick it up - I think the Health Dept prevents him from selling right from the back of his truck. But OMG the steaks he sells are awesome.

 

[frndshpcptn]

Yes! Honey Crisps!!

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

Today's food---for a family of five, kids ds14, dd12 with food allergies, dd7

Breakfast

leftover coffeecake from yesterday
whole wheat toast w/ butter (not the girls), $0.50
oj, $0.88
coffee etc, $0.90

Lunch

leftover grilled chicken, grilled veggies and salad from yesterday (packed for dd12 at ballet intensive, eaten at home for dh, dd7 and I)
ds14 used his own money to purchase a stromboli (spinach!) for lunch while at robotics camp at the U of Delaware
peaches, $1.00

Snacks

frozen Minute Maid lemonade, 4, $0.50 (last box, must go to ShopRite)
sun tea, left from yesterday
dh ate some potato chips left from his men's group meeting Tuesday (he works from home a few days a week and wanders through the kitchen every hour or so---I guess thinking the food supply might suddenly change )

Dinner

We were going to grill turkey burgers until the rain started at 2pm---it hasn't stopped yet!
So I picked some veggies from the garden and created a veggie baked-ziti-like dish:

sauteed zucchini and yellow squash (cut in hunks), free
sauteed thinly sliced onion and garlic, free
smidge of olive oil, negligible
15 oz carton of ricotta cheese, purchased as dairy dept markdown, $0.92
half a jar of lowfat pasta sauce, $0.50

I mixed that all up and popped it into the oven until bubbly

then served it with/over organic whole wheat pasta, $0.99/16 oz bag (supersale at ShopRite--I bought all they had)

Meal received 10 from all my family members. Dh thinks some mushrooms should be added.

Total for today: $6.19!

Thank goodness for my garden

 

[frndshpcptn]

Today my plan is:

Breakfast:

Iced Mocha -4.06
Sourdough roll - free from yesterday's lunch

Lunch:

Sushi with co-workers - free (treat by boss)

Dinner:

Eating with parents - free!

Total for today - 4.06!

 

[dawn1967]

Breakfast Coffee cake for everyone (thanks LuckyMamaInDE) I'm not sure the cost but can't be more then 2.00 for the whole cake and there was enough for snack with coffee with my mother in law and today and snack again.
so will say 2.00

Lunch
Taking kids shopping for daddy's bday so will do mcdonalds or Bk yug. 10.00 for kids and me. 15.00 if my dad comes along to.

Dinner
Eatting at the inlaws just drinks 4.00 We have to bring our own drinks not sure why it's just a rule they have.
snacks
coffee cake
fruits and veggies
Total 21.00 high estimate.

 

[Plantlady]

Today's plan: One kid is at the grandparents' house, so we're feeding two boys, 5 and 10, and two adults

breakfast

cereal: .50
Milk: .20
Juice: .25

* .95

Lunch

Shells and cheese: 1.25
carrots: .10

* 1.35

Dinner:

Burrito skillet
boca meat (1/2 bag) : 1.25
salsa: .20
kidney beans: .30
taco seasoning: .20
tortillas .10
cheese: .50

Tator tots: 1.20
BBQ and Ketchup : Free... I bring home extra condiments from fast food places, when they give us too many.

*3.75

Total: 6.05

We'll eat ice cream left over from last night for dessert, free, since I accounted for it in yesterday's total.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I just stumbled across this thread. I eat for about $5 a day, but that's just for me.

My meals yesterday cost a total of $3.12. This is what I ate.

Breakfast

Cereal - 20 cents, (the box cost $2, I figure I get about 10 meals out of a box, I don't eat a lot for breakfast.)

Lunch

Burger $1.00 (50 cents for the burger and 50 cents for the bun.)

Snacks

Ice Cream Cone (22 cents. 8 cents for the cone and 14 cents for the ice cream, which I paid 1.33 for the half gallon, I'm figuring I can get ten servings out of.)
Muffin (99 cents, paid full price for at work. Work is where it costs me money, since I buy impulse buys.)

Dinner

Easy Mac (25 cents)

Drinks (Throughout the day)

Two Capri Suns (12 cents, paid 60 cents for a box of ten pouches.)
One Diet Dr. Pepper (17 cents, paid $2 for a 12-pack.)
One Water (17 cents, paid $1 for a 6-pack.)

I usually spend between $20 and $30 weekly, which includes hygenie and cleaning products.

 

[jordansmomma]

Friday~
Breakfast~
DS7- cereal- .50
Me- venti blueberry Iced tea- free card
DS11- cereal bar- .21, water
total- .71
Lunch~
DS 7 & 11, & me-
shells & cheese- 1.40
strips of pork steak & green beans- free (leftovers)
water- free, iced tea- .20
total- 1.60
snacks-
watermelon- 1.00
Dinner-
birthday party @ Chicos
pizza & pop free

total- 3.31

 

[mom2dea0813]

Yes! Honey Crisps!!

Oh my we found these last yr while picking and they were SOOOOOOOOO good . Dh wants a ton this yr . He just keeps saying we have to get honey crisp . They are the #1 reason we will go back after the baby is born in OCT sence they are not good till then .

So yummy !!!!

Sarah

 

[dawn1967]

My family loves this Cake so easy we make it often with brown spotty banana's

Banana Spice Cake
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 + 2TBSP Butter
1 1/2 Cups brown sugar
2 lg Banana's mashed
2 Eggs beaten
1/2tsp vanilla
3/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3tsp baking powder
1/2tsp anise ground
1tsp cinnamon
2/3c evaporated milk
2TBSP water
1/2cup Ground Pecans (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 Flour and grease 13x9 pan.
In a sauce pan melt butter and brown sugar add the mashed bananas mix it well leave to cool.
In another bowl mix eggs and vanilla and sugar and butter until creamed. Take the cooled banana mixute and mix with egg mixture. (very important must be cooled or it will scramble the eggs.) Mix until creamy.
Add dry ingredients one at a time slowly to mix. when all mixed add Milk slowly. Then water and mix.
Pour into pan and bake for 50 min
When done and cool serve with whipped topping

Heavy whipping cream
1/2c sugar
1tsp of banana extract

Mix until stiff put in piping bag and serve on top of cake.

 

[mom2dea0813]

B~
Girls 4 packs of grits free
DS and DH Cereal and milk fee
me rest of grapes .25
I had a glass of tea nothing eles sounded good Already accounted for

Lunch
Kids
Hotdogs (5) .14 (whole pack was .27 at target )
ketchup .25
Carrotts and dip .50
Me - rest of stew and 2 pieces of bread .10 and butter .5

Snacks
yogurt .25 last little bit
apple sauce free already accounted for (2 servings left )

Dinner -
Tacos
1 lb of hamberger meat 1.00 ( on sale I brought 26 lbs of it back 4-5 monthes ago and we are down to our last 4 lbs )
taco seasoning .25 (buy a huge jar at sams club )
lettuce .50 (half of the head the whole head was 1.00 )
sour cream 1.00 (will count whole container now )
Cheese free
Salsa 1.00 (counting whole jar now )
Taco shells 1.50
soda already accounted for
lemondae .50 (for whole gallon will use till prob Monday )

Snacks
maybe the kids and DH will eat there pudding cups finally .50

Total 7.79 if any of the snack change I will repost

 

[punkin]

Just wanted to post about yesterday's chili. I made the vegetarian, but of course I didn't have half the things in the posted recipe, so I improvised as usual. I had pinto beans (I actually made them before we went to Lexington and froze them because we did not eat them). I sauteed onion in oil and added chili powder, paprika and cumin. Put in beans (and their liquid) and 2 cans of tomato sauce. Simmered for an hour and added salt to taste. I also added a teaspoon of cocoa powder. I served it with sour cream and shredded cheddar. The girls ate so much (because they loved it), I had to brown meat and add to the chili (also added a can of diced tomatoes) to have enough for DH and me for later. My DDs also ate again with us after DD's friend left. Total cost for dinner (also include corn on the cob and watermelon from farmers market) was about $6 (We went out for lunch-cost me $25).

 

[jsmla]

I just wanted to say that I've just finished reading all 107 pages of this thread and to thank those of you who are posting. Hubby and I are just beginning to think about cutting back on our expenses so that he will be able to retire early. Currently we aren't extravagent spenders but we don't make much of an effort to be frugal either. I know that our food/dining costs are way out of line with our income and an area where we could probably realize signigicant savings with some effort on my part. I don't know if we could ever manage to stick to a $10/day budget but the discussion here has inspired me to take a look at how we spend our money.

I can't tell you our current grocery budget because I don't have one. I have horrible shopping habits and tend to make many quick trips to our local, and rather $$$, grocery during the week. I'm hoping this is something I can change. I'm also very prone to random impulse purchases that sound good at the time but usually end up buried in the back of the pantry or freezer. I got very motivated yesterday and took a quick inventory of the pantry. We have a 6 lb./10 oz. can of pizza sauce in there! (I have no idea what I was contemplating on making when I bought six plus pounds of pizza sauce.) Finally, we love going to restaurants. It's a big part of our lives, not only as a family but when socializing as well. Baton Rouge is a huge dining out town. I think that of all the cutbacks we could make giving up restaurants would be the most difficult for us. We do need to cut back though.

Thanks for helping me to think!

Jennifer

BTW, does anyone have any good recipes that involve pizza sauce?

J

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

Jennifer, if it makes you feel any better, most people have no idea how much they spend on groceries and eating out!

My dh is a Certified Financial Planner. Every day he helps clients decide if/when to retire. One of the very first steps they have to do is to determine how much they spend on everything----housing, utilities, groceries, gifts, coffee, gas, vacations, everything. Clients are almost always shocked once they add those $3 coffees, $4 ice creams, $30 dinners up

Adding up your spending is the first step to saving

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

BTW, does anyone have any good recipes that involve pizza sauce?


Have a pizza party! Seriously--make or buy dough, get cheese, toppings, and do this some time for casual entertaining. Then take any remaining sauce and freeze it in freezer bags, in more manageable portions.

My sister got me some industrial-sized cans of tuna for dirt cheap--great! But what to do with pounds of tuna at once? The good news is, my family has grown and now we could swill down that much tuna in 3 days (sandwiches, etc.), so it's less of an issue.

 

[dawn1967]

Pizza Sauce

16 oz can of whole tomato's
1/2 white onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 tsp of Italian seasoning.
1/2tsp salt
if it's bitter depending on the tomato's pinch or two of sugar.

Put these items all in a blender or food processor and puree. If you like it chunky use pulse. can use garlic and onion powder if you would like and if your lucky enough can find everything at the dollar store and make huge batches, with the spices.