Can you survive with only $25 a week for groceries?

[mom-from-missouri]

Mom-from-Missouri!!!!!! I humbly bow before you. You are incredible. $12.50 a week per person!

Given that you have a farm, can I guess that you also have a personal garden from which you gather and preserve vegetables and fruit? Do you have non-store sources for meats, poultry, eggs, fish?

We need to hear more about this!

We garden -then freeze and can the produce. We also have chickens and ducks for eggs. However right now the chickens are doing to hot in the laying department so DH is threating fried chicken...... We also grow our own beef, and sometimes or own pork-or we trade beef for pork with another farm family. We also have an orchard (but the late freeze prevented it from producing more than 3 apples this year) and grape vines.

A "honeyman" I found on craigslist.org has bee hives in the back woods of our land. I let him have his hives there for free and I get a couple gallons of honey from him free.

During season we hunt for mushrooms and wild berries--lots of wild mulberrys are in our fence line.

I try to plan my meals so we use up the leftovers from the day before. We had fried chicken one day with 2 peices leftover. The next day we had stir fry with the last 2 peices diced up in it. Stir fry is a cheap meal and good way to use up small amounts of leftovers. Rice is cheap, then I add a couple scrambled eggs, 1-2 shredded carrotts, some peas (from the garden), but then I add a few store bought items from aldi's (I buy in the case)-mushrooms, water chestnuts or bamboo shoots. Sometimes however, my kids will grow bean sprouts in the window and we use those.

I find it cheaper to buy my flour and sugar and sometimes nuts in bulk at the local Amish store in 50 lb bags.

I also get what I can in the large instutional sizes-you can get 1 large gallon jar of pickles cheaper than buying 2 smaller jars, same with ketchup, mustard, miracle whip, applesauce (though we usually can or freeze our own), and peanut butter.

[mom-from-missouri]

it is interesting to me that everyone who earns spends their own money seems to be able to survive on such a small amount

Our family volunteers at the local food shelter/clothes & household closet. You see such a difference in people who come thru. Those who are truly needy take whatever is offered and they make it work. We had a lady who needed a little girls coat size 6 for winter. Her only requirement was a working zipper (they all had working zippers) then last week we had a lady who wanted a boys coat in size 12. We had them in several colors, but none in green. She wanted green and left without any coat. Apprently her child has a condition where only green keeps him warm...????

Once we had a lady who asked if she could have sugar just this once. Said she had not had sugar in several months and she wanted it to bake. Yet every month we gave her cereal--so she had been eating her cereal with no sugar. I might add this lady is in her late 80's and she refuses charity--so she does some mending on the donated clothing before we put it out. She also cuts up clothing not suitable and makes quilts and lap robes out of it. She does this in exchage for us helping her with her groceries. She refuses to take more than she thinks she has earned. Her home is paid for, has a well, only pays for electric, no longer drives..lives on about $500 a month and has been doing so for years, with a little help on her groceries and she will accept a ride every now and then. You see her walking a lot.

I know she could make it on $25 a week if she could get to a city grocery store, but she stays right here locally.

A lot of it is how you were raised, and if you ever had to work for it or always had it given to you.

[snafu]

Why can't the foodbank and a service [volunteer] organization work together to hold classes to demonstrate how to cook simple, healthy meals from items easily available at the grocery store?

There are so many knowlegeble senior ladies who have tons of time and tons of experience in the kitchen. I suggested our Service group 'adopt' a family just as our parents did for Vietnam refugees who arrived in Canada having given up everything in their homeland to escape with their lives.

Social services were horrified by my suggestion. They need to protect the privacy of individuals in need more than they need to ensure their children are well feed and cared for.

While the majority of families seeking foodbank assistance or welfare have quickly learned how to use the resources taxpayers and do-good[ers] provide, they have not learned how to manage the resources they have...no matter how tiny.

As a new homeless shelter opened yesterday, a chap was interviewed on TV. he stated he had been 'on the street' off and on for 30 years and while the new [$2.2 million] shelter had nice [5, 52" wall hung, LCD] TVs, he didn't like the fact that it wasn't in the downtown core. I presume he doesn't like the idea of having to take the free bus downtown to get to his pan handling street! Given the cost of real estate here, I want him bused somewhere else! The next time he accosts me I'll suggest he pay me!

[mom-from-missouri]

[QUOTE=snafu;138143]Why can't the foodbank and a service [volunteer] organization work together to hold classes to demonstrate how to cook simple, healthy meals from items easily available at the grocery store?
QUOTE]
Ours does--its part of the church outreach center. All our services are FREE to EVERYONE regardless of income. We do have a donation can--we even have a dr wife who comes in for some of the cooking classes-we think she is the one who drops in the $100 bill each time.

We have different classes at least 3-5 times a week. Classes most popular are: Bible study (free snack and juice included), basic finance & budgeting (several widows have taken this one because they had husbands who always did it all)--it includes checking and savings accounts, how credit cards work, how to apply for a loan, mortgage, car dealing...;powder puff mechanics; infant and child care; cooking and nutrition; basic sewing; tutoring for all subjects; literacy; and if we get a request--we try and either do an open class or get that person lined up with a volunteer.--last month we had a woman turned down for a job because she couldn't count back change-so a volunteer gave her a couple one on one lessons on how to-we heard later she went back and got the job.

We offer a food pantry; household goods (blankets, towels, mixers-what ever gets donated), carseats, fuel & utility vouchers.

We try to teach them so that they can get out of the boat they are in. But, its open to all faiths, all incomes. A lot come for story time-kids get story time and moms can visit or read in the 'cafe'--kind of a moms time out thing.

In December we are having an overnight for 6th and 7th grade girls on how to "just say no". Thats no to drugs, drinking and sex.

[boefixepa]

I think for well over the last month, hubby and I have spent less then $50 every week, so that is less then 25 a person. And since the horrible pregnant nose and pregancy tiredness is keeping from doing alot of cooking, that includes Totinos pizzas, microwave burritos, and Yoplait Yougurt!! If I am cooking I know we would do much less!! Granted I still seak out to Taco Bell some days for lunch....but it's onl 2.12 and baby doesn't make me throw it up like the sandwhiches do.....I wish the baby would hurry up and jump on the frugal band wagon!!!

[nanamom]

I have found that we consistently spend about 90 dollars a week for 4 people. That is 22.50 a week per person. Until I looked at it that way I flet like a real spendthrift. I am sure I could cut that down much more but am not motivated right now. I should be I know.