Food and happiness

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I would say the best investment you are likely to make now is that accounting degree.
 
Ridgerunner said:
I would say the best investment you are likely to make now is that accounting degree.
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Absolutely agree. Depending on how much additional schooling you need, you could start taking classes this spring at a community college or local state school. There are very likely night classes available in accounting.
 
I, too, receive Food Stamps, aka Supplumental Nutritional Assistance or SNAP. In your OP, you mentioned that you share some of your food with your girlfriend. I hope you realize if she is not on your case you are breaking the law. So you should stop that and encourage her to apply for SNAP herself.

Try to conserve the SNAP dollars you have and are awarded, since they cannot be taken back from you. So using coupons and budgeting is very good advice.

If your income falls again, apply again.

P.S. One of my past jobs was an eligibility worker in a transitional assistance department of our county.
 
I was reading that eating eggs for breakfast will satisfy your hunger longer than cereal and they are good for you. A dozen should last awhile, if you eat two a day. You can also hard boil some and take to work for a snack.

I recently started eating bagels again and found they were too filling, but they do last you for a long time and the store brands are pretty inexpensive. I normally eat cheerios with sliced bananas, strawberries, and rasberries. Berries are expensive and I know I would have trouble affording them without SNAP. Old fashioned oatmeal should be pretty affordable. Not the prepackaged and sugar added.

Dr. Oz just had a segment on his show yesterday about eating black soybeans prior to meals to help you to need to eat less. Just a few and they are good for you.

Beans in general are very filling and good for you.

I find that eating an apple as a snack helps me to keep hunger away. Also, drink plenty of tap water with meals. It costs nothing, fills you up, and is good for you.
 
I’m abnormal then. Eggs don’t fill me up or stay with me for very long unless it’s a decent sized omelette loaded with meat & veggies. I just made my first loaf of bread. Tastes way better than anything I’ve bought at the store… ever… and its my first one. I think that will help fill me up longer
 
On a side note, she was a little annoyed that I posted the question of whether or not to continue sharing with her. She felt like I was saying that her opinion doesn’t matter. Any advice there? I told her I was sorry and that regardless of what anyone else said I’m going to keep doing what I am doing. Anything else I should do?
 
Stillsosola said:
I have had to feed a family of 6 on less than 5 dollars a day american and here are my cheap staples
oatmeal keeps you full all day
rice a versatile go to
any kind of dried beans protein
can tomatoes
noodles to make noodle soup my favorite is moderna they cost like 45 cents in the US on the spanish foods aisle
and chicken feet, hearts, livers and the neck to flavor soups and the livers cook up nicely in green chile sauce the feet add loads of calcium to foods
eggs
and powdered milk 4 kids drinking milk is expensive
tortillas niacin, calcium and iron if you buy corn ones
lentils protein and can be made like a soup 1 pack yeilds days worth of food for just 2 people go to save alot! My husband and I exclusively shopped there when we lived in the states sure wish there was a sav alot here
with these you can build many delicious meals try googling depression ere recipes as well and mexican recipes for ideas also dont discount wild foods like mushrooms and certain flowers are good to eat try googling edible weeds and wild foods for a reference guide
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This is great advice. 👍

More ideas:

Carrots and sweet potatoes are also good–a source of both carbs and loads of Vitamin A, and they last far longer than red bell peppers. Squash are good for you and very cheap. Cabbage is a cheap and extremely nutritious cruciferous vegetable–don’t overcook it, though. If you live alone, you can make the coleslaw dressing and keep it separate from the shredded cabbage. Both will last longer. Vinegar and oil coleslaws will often last a week, though. Get thee to a library and learn how to handle foods so you coax the flavor out. Browning is your friend! When you’re cooking on a budget, knowledge is your friend!

Apples are cheap fruits and very nutritious, but consider buying what you need as you need them, rather than a whole box. Commercial storage is far better at preserving apples than you are, and more to the point apples kept near your other produce, especially in your refrigerator, will make your other produce ripen and wilt much faster. Pears in season are a great buy, but only if you don’t let them ripen their way into the compost bin.

Waste is a huge thing to avoid. The way to make red bell peppers last is to char them all over, let them cool covered (so they steam), peel them, chop them, and freeze them. They’ll last a year–they do not necessarily stay at 78 cents a pound all year!–and you can use them straight out of the freezer. Plus: wow, roasted red bells are wonderful. A jalepeno can also be had for a few cents. You can also char, peel, and freeze a bunch of those. There are also places you can buy frozen chopped green peppers. They are usually cheaper than fresh, very convenient, and if you have the space and mind your freezer, they don’t go bad. Frozen berries are sometimes attainable on a budget and are very nutritious, but forget the fresh ones. Even in season, their price is out of this world. If you buy frozen spinach, it works very well in casseroles; in most recipes, it pays to squeeze out the excess water.

If you lack freezer space, allot it to things that relieve you of the most expense when you buy frozen. If you have parents with freezer space that is going begging…there you are! A full freezer is an efficient freezer, so it is better for Mom and Dad to have your stuff in their freezer than to run a half-full freezer that loses many cubic feet of cold air every time the thing is opened. Yes, you use their freezer and save them money. How cool is that?

The other thing to watch for is when homemade does and does not save you money. It can save huge amounts on breakfast cereal–oatmeal vs. prepared flakes–or things like salad dressing. Some prepared casseroles are so cheap at Costco that you can barely make them for the cost of the ready-made. You have to do some math, then. The bulk bins can save you lots of money–look for them. I’ve found some great deals on dried herbs and spices; it depends on the store.
 
brgregmack said:
On a side note, she was a little annoyed that I posted the question of whether or not to continue sharing with her. She felt like I was saying that her opinion doesn’t matter. Any advice there? I told her I was sorry and that regardless of what anyone else said I’m going to keep doing what I am doing. Anything else I should do?
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Help her to apply for food stamps. Get her to go on line and apply if your state/county has on line applications. Transport her to the office or tell her how to get there.

Do you live in the same household? Did you know each of you can have a separate cases even within the same household, as long as you buy and prepare food separately?

When you apply for Food Stamps you agree under penalty of law not to share the food you purchase with anyone outside your case. If you continue to do so, you are commiting fraud. Best to keep it to yourself if you share food purchased with food stamps. Sometimes it is hard not to want to under certain circumstances. I have bought food for a beggar once myself. Not good to make it a habit, for sure.

Once you are off SNAP, you can choose to share food with her that you purchase with your own money. If you can help her get on SNAP you will be helping her to feed herself. If you are better at preparing meals, teach her.
 
Me and my beloved are somewhat poor. The economy has not been kind. You have gotten a lot of great suggestions, try to balance lower cost staples with affordable veggies and fruits. Try co ops, food programs, and farmers markets. Our archdiocese has SHARE, I’m not sure if they are everywhere but there should be an equivalent. Try food banks, and also don’t be too proud to accept help. If you are anything like me you find it difficult to let anyone help you but God often wants to use others to be a blessing to you. My parents help us or will buy me things when their Sam’s club membership. Best of luck to you 🙂
 
brgregmack said:
I’m abnormal then. Eggs don’t fill me up or stay with me for very long unless it’s a decent sized omelette loaded with meat & veggies. I just made my first loaf of bread. Tastes way better than anything I’ve bought at the store… ever… and its my first one. I think that will help fill me up longer
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My wife adds soybean meal in homemade bread. It does add some “heft” to it.
 
brgregmack said:
… that’s .78 per pepper not per lb
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I know. You save so much cooking from scratch, you can make some careful splurges and still come out ahead. You just have to keep track of what you’re doing. I’d roast red peppers for the freezer while they are relatively cheap (they go through the roof in February) and use greens in with the reds (since the green are always cheaper and the two flavors do complement nicely).

The unprocessed foods in the freezer section can be a great resource for nutritious food that gives a single person enough time to use them so they don’t go to waste. The cheap processed foods tend to be low on the nutritional end, though. Use with discretion.
 
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