Laid off -- Budget Help Please

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

I am a single mom of one dd (9). On Thursday I was laid off.

I have a possible job lined up but that will not start until September 14th. So I will not get my first paycheck unitl Ocotber.

I can make my rent and basic bills. I have cut what I can storage, cable, and so on.

But.. I need to find a way to cut down on food. I have used coupons but, in truth not as much as I should have.

There are so many people on here that have some great tips. Could you please share them with me?

Thanks!

 

[ajk912]

School should be starting soon, contact your school to see about getting your daughter on the reduced lunch program. That will really help, she'll have lunch paid for everyday (at worse, it's like 50 cents) and then you have to worry about breakfast and dinner. Cereal and oatmeal is cheap, and then dinner nothing wrong with kraft mac and cheese and frozen veggies in a bag, make a pot of spaghetti and eat off that for two nights, etc.

Good luck and hope it works out!!!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

You don't say so, but I assume you have applied for unemployment? If you were laid off you should get some cash from that!

Good Luck!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Food pantries in your area? Angel Food Ministries (angelfoodministries.com)? Do a search right here for budget recipes. See foodnetwork.com and search for Sandra Lee. She has a new show where, instead of that semi-homemade stuff, it's all real budget.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, I will be getting some assistance but it won't be the same as my income. But --- every bit helps!!

Which is why I am trimming out all that is unecessary at this point. Actually it may never make it back in, lol. Now that I am learning excatly what I can live without.

I am using the power of positive thinking. I will get that job, I will get that job.

While I have very good chances of getting it I am still looking and applying else where - in case I don't. I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket. KWIM?

 

[mrsklamc]

Yes, check into food pantries in your area. Also if you attend a church call and see if they offer any type of financial assistance.

I don't know where you live but here in Indiana they have something called a trustee's office. That's a government official that is supposed to be a central resource for assistance programs.

Do you really clean houses? If so put the word out with friends and family that you're looking for work. I wouldn't pay to have my house cleaned regularly but right now our master bathroom needs a good scrubbing that I don't really want to give it.

If your new job is just a possibility work hard at finding other options too...but as long as you're off, enjoy your time with your daughter as much as possible too!

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

Yes, check into food pantries in your area. Also if you attend a church call and see if they offer any type of financial assistance.

I don't know where you live but here in Indiana they have something called a trustee's office. That's a government official that is supposed to be a central resource for assistance programs.

Do you really clean houses? If so put the word out with friends and family that you're looking for work. I wouldn't pay to have my house cleaned regularly but right now our master bathroom needs a good scrubbing that I don't really want to give it.

If your new job is just a possibility work hard at finding other options too...but as long as you're off, enjoy your time with your daughter as much as possible too!

We live in the LA area and Yes I do clean houses, well now just my own but for years I had a house cleaning business. That was years ago when I was younger however I would not turn up my nose at doing it again.

 

[Cooky]

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[Grumpy's Gal]

my sister told me her local bread outlet store is having a special during all of august and if you bring in one new school supply item, they will give you a free loaf of bread.

Her office max has folders on sale for 1 cent. So she bought those and she's going to get a free loaf every week or as often as they need it.

 

[Justsyd2]

The easiest way to cut down on food is to stop buying packaged and prepared items (if you buy them), and start buying fresh or frozen veggies, beans, rice, and potatoes, and fresh fruit. You'll be amazed at how much you can save, for instance:

Dinner:

2 Grilled Chicken Breasts (George Foreman Grill)
Brown Rice (2 servings)
Steamed Yellow Squash (1 medium Squash = 2 servings)
Fresh Pear for dessert

or

Summer Sausage
Fresh Steamed Cabbage
Pirogies
Baked Apples for dessert

= Less than $5.00 each.

 

[aceys_h0ney]

Also try selling anything you don't really need. Daughter's clothes that she has outgrown, lots of toys, movies ect. Cragislist is great for me. I will gather about a bags worth of clothes and sell it in bulk, same for toys.

Try some of the work at home sites that people do like ChaCha for extra money until you can get a job. I do it here and there when we need extra money. I don't get rich and it does not work well as a full time job as you won't make nearly as much but I set small goals like the cell phone bill or something like that.

Buy larger packs of meat and split it down to freeze. I buy marked down meat in large quantities and freeze. Most are good for 6 months or so. If you check regularly enough you begin to learn when your store will be marking down. For mine it is tues-wed since the weekend are their busy times. We love breakfast for dinner and it is one of the cheapest meals out there. Also cut out things like juice boxes, sodas, basically any bottled beverage. We make tea, the kids have water during the day and milk or tea with meals. Snacks as well, we offer whatever fruit is on sale for snacks. If we buy crackers or things like that we get the boxes and the kids get a handful or a baggie.

For me when I am in a pinch I find setting goals is easiest, I work one bill at a time or one week of groceries at a time if we are tight. If any friends need a babysitter offer your services, same for house cleaning. You will be surprised how much these little things add up.

 

[dclfun]

Take a look at the Aldi's thread if you have one nearby- their food is reasonably priced and items are usually national brands re-labelled. As to purchasing meat, one roast can be a roast beef/mashed potato dinner, shredded for bbq sandwiches, cut up for stir-fry, stew, or just shredded on tacos or burritos, etc. I find one roast goes a long way to add a little meat for various meals. Use one of the websites where you put in a list of ingredients you have on hand and it gives you several recipes you could use- great for leftovers or things that have languished in a cabinet. You may want to call your daughter's school and ask about places where you can pick up free supplies and/or a backpack. I know my workplace does a huge drive every year to help out. Just wanted to also send some pixie dust that you'll get the job in September!---Kathy

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

Thank you for all the fabulous replies and tips!

A freind of mine is having a yard sale in two weeks so I will first trying selling my extra stuff there and then try craigslist.

I am good on my bills (luckily after a dab divorce a few years ago I cut down on so much - its just food and gas that I am really worried about. Gas is easy because the less I drive the less I use. There is enough nearby to walk to for dd and I to do on our down time. I am also consolidating our outings.

All of the food tips are so appreaciated!!!

 

[HLDisney]

This thread caught my eye because I'm a single mom to an 8yo DD and was just laid off 2 weeks ago. While I have enough in savings to keep us going okay for a while and will also be applying for unemployment, I've also been working on cutting expenses.

Since I've had more time at home, I've been working on doing a lot of couponing. I've had some success with using coupons with food but A LOT of success in using coupons and sales for the school supplies my DD will need for the new school year. At this point, we're done with getting school supplies and I spent less than $25 for everything (and we had a longer list than usual this year)

I've also been going through our bookshelves and selling some books on Amazon. This doesn't get us much money but I figure it couldn't hurt and it helps us to declutter, too.

Helen

 

[amamax2]

Don't know if this is obvious or not, but the biggest help for me in keeping food costs down (besides staying away from prepared/processed foods) is to make a menu each week and stick to it!

I find that we spend waaay too much on food when I deviate from the menu and decide, oh I don't feel like that tonight, or let's just grab a pizza, etc.

I make a breakfast/lunch/dinner menu and try to use leftovers from one night as part of a meal for another night. So if you make chicken, mashed potatoes, and a veggie one night, then have chicken tacos another night, and use the extra mashed potatoes and veggies at breakfast (veggie omelets and fry up the potatoes in a little butter with some paprika - yummy). Then with the leftover rice and beans (if you had them) from the tacos, make burritos for lunch.

We also eat a lot of what we call "big salads." Lettuce, tomato, cuke, etc - normal fixings, but then add cheese, garbanzo & kidney beans for protein, beets, etc. Good for you and not expensive.

We also love getting that pre-made fresh pizza dough (Fresh and Easy or Trader Joe's) - it's only $2 a batch and my Dh and I can easily share one.

Good luck!