Mother Strives for Healthful Meals on a Budget

Omaha World Herald ^ | August 7, 2007 | Omaha World Herald

[kalee]

Fresh cherries are my husband’s favorite fruit. In Oct we will celebrate our 30th anniversary and after all those years I can count the times on one hand that I have bought him his favoriote fruit. They are too expensive! He works and he works hard to provide for us and he doesn’t get fresh cherries, his favorite fruit, but he’s providing them for some welfare queen.

[jnygrl]

That’s how I am with raspberries and blueberries. On the rare occasion they’re on sale, I jump for those quarts and feel such elation! LOL

[MEGoody]

When school is in session, yes, they get free breakfast & lunch

Some school systems provide food over the summer as well. (Kansas City for example.)

but to get to a church based food pantry, she would need a ride or a car.

Harvester's, Salvation Army and others purposely locate their food pantries in the areas the have the largest population of poor so that they can walk to the pantry. If she is not close to one, she can call them and they will often help her get there (or deliver the food to her).

[jnygrl]

That’s a neat story!

[Calm_Cool_and_Elected]

Yep. I regularly make up a double batch of taco meat and freeze half of it for a "fast food" dinner. I do that with many things, cook once and eat twice.

CC&E

[Apple Blossom]

I believe the article said $500 was for the whole month. She is budgeting to hold back about $100 for incedentals in the middle of the month.

[Calm_Cool_and_Elected]

She certainly has time to make food from scratch for much cheaper.

Eggsactly! I've done it, saved loads of $ and my family is now spoiled.

CC&E-you always have time for things you put first.

[SauronOfMordor]

She has 2 ADULT children. Why aren’t they supplementing the income? Notice that she has enough money for cab rides and cell phones, though.

I'm going to assume the oldest ones are doing something to make money (dealing drugs if nothing else), but their income will not show "officially"

Non-government money is reserved for partying and bling

[Vicki]

What ever happened to family and friends helping out. In my family nearly all of us at one time or another hit hard times and we all pitched in and helped that person.

We didn't go on welfare or receive food stamps.

[Calm_Cool_and_Elected]

Is that the chip aisle?

CC&E

[SauronOfMordor]

We shop at BJ’s once a month and still have to shop at the grocery store once a week. We’re very meticulous with our budget, including the food budget.

I do the same. Get most of my non-perishables at BJ's, then weekly see what meat's on sale in my local supermarkets. Generally, if it's not on sale, I don't buy, and if it's a really good price I buy a lot and freeze. For veggies and fruits we have this bulk produce place nearby that's a lot cheaper than the supermarket

[voiceinthewind]

Angel Food Ministries is another program that helps feed the needy. It accepts food stamps.
http://www.angelfoodministries.com/
They say on their site that one unit(one box) of food can feed 4 people for a week. Each box is $25.00-$30. depending on your state.They have what what they call “specials”, which for the month of September have chicken and beef and one special that has frozen dinners, milk, bread and margarine.

Sept. Menu:
(1) 4 lb. IQF Leg Quarters
(1) 24 oz. Beef Back Ribs
(1) 1 lb. 80/20 Lean Ground Beef
(1) 2 lb. Breaded Chicken Tenders
(4) 6 oz. Bone in Pork Chops
(1) 1 lb. Ground Turkey
(1) 18 oz. Stuffed Manicotti (Cheese)
(1) 12 oz. Smoked Sausage
(1) Betty Crocker Seasoned Potatoes
(1) 7 oz. Cheeseburger Dinner
(1) 16 oz. Green Beans
(1) 16 oz. Baby Carrots
(1) 2 lb. Onions
(1) 1 lb. Pinto Beans
(1) 1 lb. Rice
(1) 7 oz. Blueberry Muffin Mix
(1) 10 ct. Homestyle Waffles
(1) Dessert Item

NAYYY

[eastsider]

My Depression-Era parents, God bless ‘em, taught me how to stretch a dollar at the table, and we eat like royalty ... minus the gout!

[Tax-chick]

Sorry about your injury! Plenty of people with injuries and/or handicaps work.

I won a 10K race in June (40+ ladies’ division :-) with my toes taped and iced and enough Tylenol to shock an elephant. The downhills hurt the most.

[Clam Digger]

Congrats, but be careful with tylenol, it’s incredibly bad for your liver.

[Kieri]

And many of us, feeling slightly smug, may ourselves be only an accident, illness, layoff or even a bad investment or decision away from ultimately needing some assistance.

This isn't about smugness or assistance, it's about immediate personal responsibility.

This woman continued to have children, much to her (and society's) detriment, and she never learned the lesson that "gee, maybe I should stop having sex because I'm not married and there's no father to support them."

This woman and others like her have bought into the lie that this is a lifestyle and she's entitled to the taxpayer's dollars. This isn't a case of an emergency, this is a pattern of behavior.

[Tax-chick]

I use it very rarely, but it does kill the pain when I’m running with a foot injury. I wouldn’t have done it if the race weren’t paid for in advance!

[Clam Digger]

But you won! That helps ease the pain!

[Tax-chick]

It did help. My mother even sent me some money, which took my mind off my toes. (And nagged me to go to the doctor, but it got better without that.)

[Clam Digger]

Your mom is like mine. LOL!