I don't have much money. How do I make it stretch for food.?

Question

We have literally about zero money right now and my mom is unemployed and the child support doesn't come until some time next week at earliest. I do have 10 dollars I have saved for a long time and theres nothing for me to eat here except ramen noodles. I was wondering what the best what would be the stretch the 10 dollars into a cheap/tasty/filling food. thanks.

Answer 1

Pasta and rice are filling and cheap. Chicken is cheap, so are potatoes.  

Answer 2

Peanut butter.  Your family may be eligible for food stamps, so please check into that.

Answer 3

Cabbage is usually pretty cheap, and makes a wonderful tasting salad with the ramen noodles. Here's a google search for many different ways to make ramen salad: http://is.gd/29gL

Dried beans are much cheaper than canned beans. They're easy to cook in a crockpot. Beans are protein, so you can substitute them for meat, or use them in combination with meat so you can use less expensive meat.

Eggs are a good source of protein too. Find a place that sells half-dozen packages, then combine them with beans, or use them in cornbread (cornmeal is still fairly cheap).

Store brand macaroni and cheese boxes are pretty cheap. Same with potato flakes.

Hopefully these hints will get your family through until you get your check, but in the meanwhile, if you're in the US, your mother should go to the Food Stamps place. Have her bring copies of bills, and money information like IRS and bank records. Once everything is filled in, and your family qualifies, then your family might qualify for emergency credit. Also, if your mother has any young children, she might also qualify for WIC assistance, which helps with food a little too.

http://www.wikihow.com/Apply-for-Welfare...

This is an excellent site, hopefully there's one in your area: http://www.angelfoodministries.com/hosts...

Do a zip code search to see if there's any where you live. If so, find the closest, and email or call them to see when their order date is (probably in a week or so). Then check out their food units under the menu tab; the main unit is mandatory, but you can also get additional units too. I'd compare the prepared foods to something found at Sams Warehouse, but I've been pleasantly surprised with the frozen meats. Angel Foods Ministries accepts cash, and food stamps (maybe some other kinds of payment too). The church that's closest to me doesn't preach or recruit on pickup days, but I can't say that about all Angel Food Ministries participants.

My state allows buying vegetable seeds with food stamps. Maybe you could start tomatoes in a container if you don't have a yard with good soil. And even though my soil isn't the greatest, yard-long green beans grew great in my yard, even if my tomatoes do poorly in my yard. I only grew half the pack of yard long green beans, and gave plenty to friends and neighbors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yardlong_be...

Answer 4

Beans. Fat free.

Canned chili, fat free of course.

Answer 5

Some cheap meals...

Rice and beans

spaghetti and meatballs (armour makes frozen meatballs...you get 80 in a bag for 5 bucks)

Ground beef with mac and cheese (just buy the mac and cheese in a box)

Chicken drumsticks and baked potatoes

Peppers and eggs on hoagie

Tell your mom if she's unemployed, she's eligable for food stamps. Visit your local DCF office, or apply online.

Also google where there are food banks in your area. There are places that can supply you with non-perishables in an emergency.

Answer 6

get a value pack of hotpockets. 12 come in them so it should last you a little while!

Answer 7

Go to the local food bank, your mom has to go with you. she has to show that she has no money and they'll give her food for the week.

Wth your 10 dollars, buy some eggs, tiny bit of milk, some bread and some apples. If you have any left over, you can buy a bit of cheese. Now you can have omlets with toast and an apple. Filling for any meal. Or simply some eggs and toast. maybe some cheese on your eggs too.

But tell her about the food back. Tell her not to care what people will think, but do it anyway. Tell her i pay in good money on my taxes and expect her to use it to feed her and you with! Tell her i am happy that my tax dollar could help you two out! I would be completely unhappy if she wasted my tax dollars and didn't go get the help she needs.

You can go to the food back every single week if she doesn't have enough income coming in. That's what it's there for. We all pay in taxes and it goes to that whether she uses it or not. The food is just sitting there going bad without her going to pick it up. She could offset the cost of her groceries this way on a weekly basis so you'd never be out of food again. This way you can continue to save your money. If she is out of a job right now, she might be able to get food stamps too. She really needs to check out all the things she could be getting to make it a tiny bit easier for both of you. Even with food stamps, she can go to the food back.

good luck.