[lucyjoy]

Food is getting crazily expensive. My kids are now on the "whatever is on sale" diet. Was at the store today and a tiny bag of apples was $6.50(Up from $3.50 just a couple weeks ago). Gave up and went to the bargain store and bought a box of not good for you food for my kids and paid $15 for the huge box.

So far, they can still have chicken and eggs but that's about the extent of affordable meat type products. Think I need to learn to deer hunt this year.

What can you afford to feed your kids and what tips do you have for finding good deals?

[aspenhall]

Find a farmer and buy a half a cow or half a pig....get a deep freeze.

We've been on the "whatever is in the cupboard" diet since DH started getting paid minimum wage! They just fired ALL the General Managers (car dealerships) in his company. Some have been working there upwards of 12 years. They have goals of 4-5 cars a day, and they went 6 whole days last week in between sales. That's ZERO car sales in 6 days.

I start substitute teaching this week......

[arubagirl]

Checkout the Grocerygame or Hotcouponworld both have helped me stretch my $$$

[meshsgrl]

I am lucky I have small bent and dent grocery stores in my neighborhood. I dont buy junk food and I buy fruit and vegetables only occasionally and then only at roadside stands. We have the basics no extras or frills. I grew up this way so it doesnt bother me.
I also eat at my inlaws 2-3 nights a week, if my kids want sodas or junk food they get it there.... that folks is the way to save money!!

[greenrobin]

Back in the day, I had 3 kids, 2 in diapers, a husband and $50 every 2 weeks to spend on food. I memorized all of the prices of everything in town. I made menus and the grocery list right down to the number of tomatoes I'd use. Then I totalled it. If it was more than $50, I started cutting--usually tomatoes went first.

That was back before I was a math teacher. I guess the number thing was already in my head!

Seriously, we ate a LOT of beans, pasta and eggs. I had a huge garden and we froze or canned everything. I made a bunch of soup because it was cheap. We bought from farmers for meat. Now I go out to my son-in-law's daddy's farm and help butcher wild hogs. I never thought I'd do that, but 3 hogs is a lot of meat.

We're also back to eating a lot of beans and pasta and eggs. Oh, and rice, too. We're allowed to raise chickens in town, here. Heck, we have escapee roosters living on our town square! And when we have chickens, we use the eggs and eventually the hens themselves. All rooster are for the pot--no mercy because they are mean and uneccessary.

If you want inspiration about feeding your family, go look at Urban homesteading on youtube. There is this family names Dervaes who has it down to a beautiful science. My problem is uprooting my pretty yard.

It's getting sad to watch people in the grocery store. I am really worried about our little town. So many people are seriously having to consider whether to eat or pay rent here. I'm wondering what's next.

[ProspectiveSingleMom]

I don't even have a kid yet, but I've pretty much been on the "whatever's on sale diet" myself. Before I moved into my current apt. (a 2-bdrm that is over $200/month more than my previous studio apt.), I could afford to eat out all the time, buy organic frozen dinners, etc. Now I only buy stuff from the natural foods section if it's on sale. I'm not quite to the point of living on ramen noodles and egg salad sandwiches yet, so I'm still doing better than when I was an undergrad!

I am a vegetarian, so it is a little easier for me since I don't have to worry about meat prices. I have found that farmer's markets have the best deals on fruits and veggies -- good prices and way better quality than the supermarket stuff. I can't even stand to buy fresh produce from the supermarket anymore!

[kretzklan]

I go to each store each week and buy their "loss" products. You know they mark one or two things down really drastically to get folks in the door...but I ruin it because I only buy those products. I got peaches at 25 cents a pound and the bags of flavored rice for 8 cents each last week. I buy as many as they let me. I also use Costco for nearly everything - I can still get a BIG bag of apples there for $6. I also buy the meat at the grocery store that they have marked WAY down because it's about to expire. As long as I used it that day (or the next) or get it frozen right away...it's fine and usually up to 60% off!

[waited2long]

Except for soda, I haven't noticed the food prices rising much here... But, I have a pretty limited diet and it's just me.

Though I am starting to add bread and pasta back into my menu!! Now that I'm pregnant the south Beach Diet is bye-bye!

When I was a kid we ate alot of potatoes, cheap mac-n-cheese, tuna casseroles and hamburger stretched with oatmeal. Pancakes is a cheap filling meal, too.

[qs mom]

My Church participates in Angel Food Ministry. It is a national Ministry (find one near you). You get a box of food for $30. Each box is supposed to feed a family of 4 for a week. You get meat - steaks, chicken - fresh and/or frozen veggies, occasionally fresh fruit, canned fruit, a dessert and the last few months eggs. It's a great program. They have specials too that you can order. Just google the name and you may have a site near you.

We have a couple bread thirft stores too. It's a distribution center for the drivers. The bread is fresh and dirt cheap. I usually spend $ .89 for a loaf of bread. They also have little bags of chips 5/$1, perfect for lunch.

One of my son's favorites is rice, beans and some veggies thrown together with a little bit of meat. I cook rice in broth - chicken or beef - throw in a can of beans - whatever is on sale, kidney, red, black, chili, pinto - whatever frozen veggies I have - corn, peas, carrots, and just a little meat. In fact, Q could do without the meat. It is very filling.

I love oatmeal and so does Q. We have it for breakfast often. It's very filling too.

[DianeScraps]

I have become a total coupon addict, even have my own blog about it

[Original Mike]

I'm not a hunter, but my brother-in-law is a big outdoorsman and is always sending packages over for us.

I find that venison can be used almost any way beef can, unless the recipe is one that relies on the fat of the beef. Venison steaks on the grill are great and venison hamburger is VERY low in fat.

I don't care for duck or goose, but pheasant is WAY better than chicken. I've never tried "Southern Fried Pheasant", but I love to roast one with a light glaze.

If you like seafood, take the boys "crawdad/crayfishing". All a crayfish is is a little lobster. Cook them the same, but they do have a bit of a peppery taste.

[momraine]

I do a lot of shopping at dollar stores and other bargain type stores. We are always on the what's on sale diet. Someone laughed once when they heard my son ask his brother "so what's our favorite cereal gonna be this time" His brother answered "whatever mom finds on sale as usual" I had seen signs at a local church for Angel foods, but never knew what it was. Do you have to do anything to qualify?

[hydroxybutane]

I so agree with you Lucy! The cost of food is getting so so high..and I like my kids to eat good fruits and veggies. This summer I bought and froze lots of fruit and veggies from the farmer's market. I bought from one farmer who gave a me a good deal as I bought peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, corn, beans, peas, squash (ick), turnip (ick), cauliflower, broccoli and zucchini from him. I am also buying blueberries, strawberries, peaches, pears and apples. I will be making and freezing bags of applesauce. It's a huge expense upfront, but we will be eating this all winter.

I buy meat from a butcher (1/2 a cow is the way to go!). Chicken is a little more problematic, I haven't found a decent source yet. I buy dry beans, rice, etc in bulk...If you know any hunters, rabbits and venison are sooooo good...Mike you were making me drool about venison steaks..that is what we are having for supper.

The dollar store is amazing for food...I stock up on soups, cans, cereal..there..and I am a big fan of the scratch and dent sales at supermarkets! Scoop out the supermarket for when those are on...and swwwwoop in! LOL

I'm considering buying a bread maker (this kids love bread) and I'm wondering if I buy supplies in bulk if it would be cheaper then buying bread, etc...anyone have any clue?

[crick]

I second Kretz's suggestion on mark down for the meat. I got one of those vac things with the bags to use for freezing and it really does help. (Not the food saver, the cheap one)

Fruit is our killer right now. CO is not known for inexpensive fresh fruit anyway, so it really is a case of what the store is promoting that week. I have to be careful though because sometimes the fruit/veggies are going bad and obviously that isn't a good deal.

I do check the discount bakery rack every time and find it's more cost effective to get the bread there rather than make it. A loaf of bread on the discount rack is 89 or 99 cents and it freezes well (just thaw in the fridge before you need it).

The snack stuff is definitley a better deal at the bulk stores, and if you can find a friend to split costs with you, it's even better. I also found online recipes for granola or protein bars and they aren't bad. Buy the granola or whatever cereal you want to use in bulk, get some brown sugar & honey and that's basically it.

Use plain yogurt to flavor things for sauces etc. and you can also use it for salad dressings or as a mayo dressing. My dd likes to add honey to it and just eat it.

[jbee]

we go to the bent and dent for all the junk (name brand granola bar boxes for 1 dollar, cereal for 2, often they have stuff on clearance, even there) and sometimes they have meat like brats or bacon, precooked chicken or nuggets for cheap cheap cheap.
we eat pasta. lots of it. also breakfast for dinner, with pancakes and eggs. hot dogs one night a week. hamburger/tuna helper.