Tell me I can do this

[aiminator]

I haven't read every post on here so I apologize if someone else already made the suggestion but most grocery stores have discount produce that is ripe - which is perfect to eat that day or the next and most are discounted to half off. I will only buy mangoes from the discount section (delicious and juicy)

You might have to make a few trips to the store - because the shelf life is less - but if you plan on eating the produce quickly (or freezing it) it is a great way to save money and get some veggies into your meals.

Also - the ripe tomatoes are great for stew or sauce and you can make that up ahead of time and freeze it.

While whole chickens or chicken parts are more time consuming to prep and cook they are generally less $$ than buying the prepped cuts of chicken. The meat is usually really tender and it goes great in fajitas or quesadillas which you can add some of the discount produce you bought earlier in the day I've also snagged some managers special meat before - just be sure to cook or freeze before expiration.

Good luck. You can do it!!

 

[marmalade]

Wow..people are really going down a slippery slope here acting like her DH is a troll who wants his kids to starve.
It sounds to me like they have a food/gas budget and OP has been borrowing and playing around with it and wants to even it all out by having a tight month. She has said her DH will give more if needed, but what's the point of a budget if you don't stick to it for the most part? Maybe it will need to be readjusted but right now she is talking about ONE MONTH and she has a great store of stuff in the freezer and I'm guessing other pantry stuff not mentioned. It can be done..and I agree with NOT supplementing with any type of aid.
All those proteins can be stretched, for example the pork chops can easily be made into some stir fries, stew, etc.Great idea for popcorn for snack, also a huge batch of cowboy cookies (light on the chocolate chips heavy on the oatmeal) are good and jello is cheap with some fruit cocktail thrown in. Your daughter's allergies make it tougher but not impossible. If you see it as a game, and really buckle down, you can do it.

This is how I read her follow-up post as well.

 

[aiminator]

Do your kids like fruit? Maybe it would be fun to blend up some fruit and pour it into dixie-cups and freeze for fresh made popsicles? I used to love doing that with OJ. That way the kids are getting some fruit but it is presented as a "treat" and they can help create different fruit concoctions.

 

[veraletta]

No where does she say she doesn't have the money, she says she is on a budget. I don't know how or why all these posts have turned into that she has no money. I didn't get that out of her post at all.. I got that she is trying to stay on her budget amount of food money which she happens to go over each month and then she needs to get her husband to pail her out and give her more money. If I missed something then please show me where it says that.. I hate to say this but there are tons of people dealing with having a budget and trying to make it work. It doesn't mean they are broke.. Just that they are on a budget...

 

[ICF]

This is all messed up...

1) Taking money from the husband/father/sperm donor/bread winner....whatever he is, to feed the kids is NOT a bailout. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never understood married people that keep seperate funds, but it's not really my business. However...if the kids can't eat and he won't share the money. That's really a big problem.

2) If you can't afford to feed the kids half way decent meals and are concerned about feeding your kids / driving your car on $80 for the next 29 days....You have NO BUSINESS going to disney world....as clearly there are some financial issues at work. Take a cheaper vacation and sell the gift cards. Disney is a want...a damn expensive want...it is not a NEED under any circumstances.

 

[Minnesota!]

I think you can do it. We get by on a very very low grocery budget (on purpose...so I have money for WDW!).

And we eat very healthy. It's about portion control, stretching meals, etc.

We eat mainly vegetarian here. Which means mounds and mounds of beans. Lots of farro, quinoa, and wild rice. And tons of fresh veggies.

Black bean tacos, with some salsa quinoa....very cheap, very filling.

Stock up on eggs, beans, peanut butter, tuna, etc.

Hardboil up a ton of eggs for breakfasts. Quck, easy, cheap.

Make a few loaves of bread.

One of our favorite dinners is brown rice, with stewed tomatoes, and for the carnivores in my house, browned ground beef on top. Add some lemon pepper to the top of it. So good! (FWIW, this is a meal my mom grew up on...and her parents were loaded...so it's not a meal we came into because of needing to save $$$...it just happens to be tasty and super cheap!).

I can't recall if you have chicken in your stockpile, but I would throw some in a crockpot with salsa, shred, serve over rice. My kids love this!

Make a few huge pots of stew. I throw stew meat, V8, potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery in the crockpot with Worchestershire, salt and pepper, and whatever other seasonings I have on hand. Cook all day. Last 30 minutes, I throw a cup or 2 of brown rice in the crockpot. Makes it really thick, really filling. Lasts at least 3 - 4 dinners for us.

 

[donaldlovesdaisy]

I think it's disgusting the lengths people will go to (and encourage people to go to) to go to Disney. Not surprised all the people encouraging this have trip countdowns in their signatures. Feed your kids properly, or get your husband to "bail" you out so his children can eat properly.

I find it a little funny that people posting on a budget board really have no concept of how to properly budget. Vacations do not take priority over groceries (maybe they do if they're Disney vacations...).

ITA!!!!

 

[Finally08]

I understand separate finances, but most people that have separate money also have joint funds for household expenses. If someone can't feed their family on what they have, and considers asking their husband for grocery money as a bailout, then their system isn't working.

95% of where our money goes is household expenses, so that wouldn't really work for us anyway. We don't have a lot of expendable income and what we do have of it...is typically mine, lol.

 

[mdsoccermom]

No where does she say she doesn't have the money, she says she is on a budget. I don't know how or why all these posts have turned into that she has no money. I didn't get that out of her post at all.. I got that she is trying to stay on her budget amount of food money which she happens to go over each month and then she needs to get her husband to pail her out and give her more money. If I missed something then please show me where it says that.. I hate to say this but there are tons of people dealing with having a budget and trying to make it work. It doesn't mean they are broke.. Just that they are on a budget...

She said she tries to stay on budget, comes up short and now has only $80 dollars for food and gas. She then has to figure out what to do because she can't afford any more or ask her husband for a bail out. Yes, that sounds pretty darn clear that she has no money.

If she had money, she wouldn't worry about asking her husband for more, wouldn't worry if she can get by with putting $20 of gas in the car, and wouldn't fret about stretching what's in her freezer for the next 28 days.

 

[Finally08]

Sorry but that is not always the case at least it wasn’t for me. I worked for the State of Louisiana and I was able to roll my state retirement (the money that I contributed for 7 years) into a IRA account . I see your tag says Louisiana so I am assuming that is the state you are talking about and wondering why you were not given the same option.

Maybe it was an option...I honestly don't remember as this was 8 years ago. Either way, it wasn't an option I would have taken since I needed the money at that time to be able to stay home with my newborn. If only we were like Canada and got a year of paid maternity leave, I would have kept my job!

 

[veraletta]

She said:
I am one of those people that sort of has a budget but then by the end of the month, I am taking from next months money to make it through the last week or so.

Okay and then on her third post:
DH, the only one in the house currently bringing in a real paycheck, can and will give me more money if I need it but it would be really nice to get through the month without a bailout.


So no where does it say she is broke and has no money to have a bail out.
She has money, she just doesn't want to ask her husband for more money, she would love to stay on her budget....
This is a budget board so that is why she is asking how and if she can do it...
She wants everyone to help her be creative in helping her stay on her budget.

Please tell me where it says she is broke and that they have to do this, as she has no more money....

 

[thelionqueen]

I respect everyone's opinions whether or not they are my own..but an opinion and judging someone are two completely different things.

What I find interesting is someone who is "appalled or disgusted" by a married couple living their lives as the see fit and as works for them. In my marriage, we ALWAYS kept separate bank accounts and had responsibility to pay a specific # of expenses. It TOTALLY worked for us in EVERY way! That is NOT to say that if someone came up short the other wouldn't help..of course they would. But, staying on a budget requires sacrifice sometimes, and I see her trying to stick to her budget without altering their financial arrangement. Trying to make her budget work without "help" from the hubby.

One poster said that the $ coming into the household is "shared". He makes it and she figures out how to spend it. That's GREAT if that works for you..that arrangement doesn't work for everyone though. I personally would not feel comfortable not making a financial contribution to my family income. That being said..I was a SAHM for 10 years and had misc. jobs here and there because that is what I wanted to do. I'm not suggesting that is right for anyone's situation but my own..just pointing out that what you see as "normal" is not at all "normal" for me and others I'm sure.

Everyone has a right to live their lives and do what works for them without having someone judging them (an opinion is something completely different). I encourage my children to live their lives responsibly, but how they choose to do that is completely up to them. I can offer my advice and opinion, but at the end of the day, they are human beings and will choose their own way...that is what I hope they learn from me. There is no "normal" and I encourage them to think "outside the box" free from discriminating judgments of others.

 

[morethananyonex]

I respect everyone's opinions whether or not they are my own..but an opinion and judging someone are two completely different things.

What I find interesting is someone who is "appalled or disgusted" by a married couple living their lives as the see fit and as works for them. In my marriage, we ALWAYS kept separate bank accounts and had responsibility to pay a specific # of expenses. It TOTALLY worked for us in EVERY way! That is NOT to say that if someone came up short the other wouldn't help..of course they would. But, staying on a budget requires sacrifice sometimes, and I see her trying to stick to her budget without altering their financial arrangement. Trying to make her budget work without "help" from the hubby.

One poster said that the $ coming into the household is "shared". He makes it and she figures out how to spend it. That's GREAT if that works for you..that arrangement doesn't work for everyone though. I personally would not feel comfortable not making a financial contribution to my family income. That being said..I was a SAHM for 10 years and had misc. jobs here and there because that is what I wanted to do. I'm not suggesting that is right for anyone's situation but my own..just pointing out that what you see as "normal" is not at all "normal" for me and others I'm sure.

Everyone has a right to live their lives and do what works for them without having someone judging them (an opinion is something completely different). I encourage my children to live their lives responsibly, but how they choose to do that is completely up to them. I can offer my advice and opinion, but at the end of the day, they are human beings and will choose their own way...that is what I hope they learn from me. There is no "normal" and I encourage them to think "outside the box" free from discriminating judgments of others.

I'm disgusted with people who think it's more important to save money for a vacation and skimp on the food budget. Split your money however you want, but when it comes to the point that children are sacrificing healthier options because of the split when the money is physically in the family I think that's wrong too.

Oh and to add I'm disgusted that someone would even think to mention going to a food pantry. That's not for people who can't afford to eat because they're saving for their next Disney vacation or because they have chosen to split financial responsibilities with their husband. That's hardly what struggling is.

I think passing judgement is one of the least offensive things in this thread.

 

[veraletta]

thelionqueen:
I have one daughter has always had her money and her husband has had his money. They would put money into her checking account the money they needed to live on, but both had their own saving account.
She has what is called our money... Her money and his money...three accounts

My oldest daughter does it the same way my husband and I have done it.
One checking account and no savings. Which is called our money..

I think everyone has to do their own thing when it comes to their money....

I did ask my youngest daughter why they did it this way. She said mom, he can't save any money and he would go threw all of his, mine and our if we didn't have our own accounts.. She said the our account is for bills... his account was for him and if he used it all, then he was broke, but not the family... lol
She said it cut down on the fighting...

I think she did was right for her family... Also I think its the new thing as more and more family are doing this...
Is it wrong? No ....as long as they can make it who cares...

 

[kaytieeldr]

Welcome to the DIS, where people make your business, their business.

More accurately: "Welcome to the DIS, where by posting personal information you make your entire situation other peoples' business".

 

[kaytieeldr]

No where does she say she doesn't have the money, she says she is on a budget. I don't know how or why all these posts have turned into that she has no money. I didn't get that out of her post at all..

Well, some of the most irritating posters who did get that out of the original post are the ones suggesting food pantries and WIC ! It's obvious the OP doesn't "need" outside help, she just doesn't want to get help from her own husband/father of the kids she's trying to feed.

 

[RitaE]

Well I don't know if you can do it but I sure couldn't

I'm not much of a gardener myself but I have started some container vegetables on our back deck. But June, July and August are prime road side stand and farmer's market buying around here and we hardly eat from our pantry or freezer AT ALL during these months.

And if I had to ask for a "bailout" to eat like we do during fresh food season I guess I'd be standing in front of my husband with my hand out. I can't imagine having to do that though.

 

[okeydokey]

Could you do it? Sure, if you want to sacrifice your kid's health. Should you do it when you have alternatives, that's for you to decide, but I sure wouldn't. My DH would be appalled if I fed my family on $15 a week when there was money available.

You are just asking about this one month, aren't you?

 

[DianeW]

I haven't read through the entire thread, so pardon me if this link has already been posted, but definitely check out www.hillbillyhousewife.com She has emergency menus and great savings tips for those who have to reduce their grocery budget...either by need or by choice.

Good luck! I think you might be able to do it, but you will have to plan out every single meal and snack, and make everything (snacks included) from scratch.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I couldn't OP - although my kids are a little older and my son eats as an adult already. I also work half an hour out of town, so even with carpooling, I'm spending $200/month in gas.

I think you have a great stockpile though - I think you'll have to really focus on making sure you are looking at your nutrition needs when planning your meals. Just carbs and protein aren't going to get those little girls what they need.
Good luck!

Good post but. . .uhm. . .all foods that have calories have 3 components - Fats, Protein and Carbohydrates. Some fats are better for us than other fats, just as some carbohydrates are better for us than other carbohydrates (for example, a food that gets its carbs from fiber), but they're still just 3 components. . .so everyone's children are getting what they need from carbs and protein.

Maybe you meant "empty carbs"?

(Yeah, I'm the carb nazi these days. I can only have a miniscule amount of carbs each day, and it's amazing how many people think "healthy carbs" aren't carbs - and they're the people who really do listen to advice on healthy eating!)