Money is a major issue in my life right now. I was wondering what I can feed my kids without feeling guilty. I find it easy to buy crappy food because it is really cheap but I feel so bad feeding it to my kids. Thanks!
2007-10-15 08:01:05 · 20 answers · asked by lvbrdy4vr 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
get frozen veg potatoes and some cheap meat then you can make a casserole and still have enough ingredients to make another 1, its amazing what you can throw in a pan and make a meal of, try this www.alternativeco op.com/AFCshoptips htm
2007-10-15 20:53:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buy some kind of noodle, anything that is on sale will do, and then get the cheapest veggies you can find, then find the cheapest possible meat, or just forget the meat. You throw the veggies in a pan till they are cooked/defrosted. Boil the noodles, throw it all together, est voila. quick and yummy.
On ocassion a supermarket will have a low piece on a huge cut of meat. The price will still look high, but it will actually be low when you look at it in perspective. Buy the cut, the cut it into smaller peaces and freeze it. You can do the same with those huge packs of ground meat, split it into like, 1/4 pound bagies and freaz them.
oh, and if you need tomato sauce don't buy a can of sauce, get a small CAN not tube, CAN of tomato paste and add water, it is EXACTLY the same add spices to taste.
2007-10-15 08:06:44 · answer #2 · answered by A Reading Girl 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
don't feel guilty, seems a lot of people are struggling right now. I remember some days when my were younger we would eat breakfast foods and even cereal. When times were rough they got a lot of ground meat and chicken, yeah i would clip coupons, buy what was on sale and I always make my menu for the week, see what I have and what I need, and I make a list and stick with it. Good Luck, and I pray a blessing in your finances!
2007-10-15 08:57:37 · answer #3 · answered by goodgirlabout2gobad 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
definitely only buy what is on sale... stay away from processed carbs... those are the worse (for adults and children.)
Potatoes, canned veggies and fruit (better than none), ground meat, peanut butter... offer a piece of wheat bread with the meal...
Make sure you skip juice... spend your money on healthy foods and give them milk or water!
Maybe you'd feel better if you gave them marginally healthy meals and gave them vitamins too... just an idea (not the best, but you have to do what you have to do)
Don't feel too guilty - some people with plenty of money feed their kids junk food for no good reason!
2007-10-15 08:51:55 · answer #4 · answered by amber 18 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it would depend on the children's ages.... here are some good easy cheap meal ideas... ( i am a single mom of 2 10 year girl... 11 year old boy )
for a family of 3-4
spaghetti $8
hamburger / tuna helper ( add a vegetable to the side ) $8
can of beef stew with jiffy corn bread mix on top and bake $6
any of the frozen main courses ( Salisbury steak ) add rice, and veggie $9
frozen pizzas $8 ( buy them when on sale )
baked chicken, noodles, and veggie $9
bar b q chicken, mac n cheese, and veggie $10
sausage dogs, fries, and corn on the cob $10
grits, eggs, and bacon $6
sloppy joes and corn on the cob $8
hot dogs and fried zucchini ( can be found pre-breaded in the frozen section ) $5
you just have to be creative... i have started making a grocery list with meal pre-planned a head of time... you know how people tally what they spend?? well, i try to decide before i even get to the store how much i am willing to spend on each item i need and come up with a total. as i shop i keep track of how much i have gone over or under and as long as i am under by at least $5 the kids get a candy bar ( that is on sale ) as a treat....
2007-10-15 08:18:03 · answer #5 · answered by Jeanette 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Some times they have saled at stores like 2 for 5 dollerss and I dont have a husband but I am getting married so money is really really tight, so everything I buy its like 2 for 1 deal. Oh and places like Target they have a selection not a big one but a selection and they have food sales a lot
2007-10-15 08:21:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
easy and fairly healthy: (we have had to use some combination of this several times)
2 or 3 top ramens.
(60 cents)
bag of frozen vegetables (1.50)
can of tuna or salmon (1.00)
A little mayo or olive oil (it is a 5 dolalr investment but you can use it a hundred times, so ti is like 5 cents per time)
cook the top ramen then drain it and run it under the cold water to cool it off. Microwave or cook the frozen vegtables until heated and put it in the top ramen. then add the top ramen seasoning packet, tuna, forzen vegtables and oil or mayo to the top ramen and mix it all together. It is very cheap and contains a lot of stuff that is good for you!
2007-10-15 08:12:42 · answer #7 · answered by Wendy S 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Lentil Soup-very nutritious and easy to make
Farina with tomato sauce and grated cheese-alot of iron in this and relatively cheap, just make it thick add a little salt to the water and stir constantly, add tomato sauce cold to the cooked farina, Get pancake mix that just needs water. Have peanut butter on hand and eggs, good inexpensive protein. Pasta can be used in many ways also and is not expensive.
2007-10-15 08:08:20 · answer #8 · answered by Maria b 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You can save money by buying things in bulk like at Sams Club. Small things like buying a large bag of chips and dividing it up into ziploc baggies saves money on lunches over buying the little individual chip bags. Also buy store brand stuff. There is virtually no difference between store brand items and name brand except the price. I also shop at Kroger which gives discounts on certain items just for using their card. Also stay away from frozen meals, they are overpriced for convenience. You save a lot of money cooking things for yourself although I do like frozen or canned vegetables for cooking because they last longer.
2007-10-15 08:08:12 · answer #9 · answered by Lauren B 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
There are alot of sites out there that can help
rember that pasta, potatos are great fillers will fill up on little , also always include bread with the meal.
beans and peanutbutter are great protein (meat subtutues) foods
here are a few sites to help with frugal(cheap) meals
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Frugal_moms_menus/?yguid=192853103
http://meals.allrecipes.com/display/categorymeals.aspx?catid=26
http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,easy_cheap_meals,FF.html
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf000892.tip.html
http://www.stonedcrow.com/travel/budget_meals.htm
http://www.frugallawstudent.com/2007/09/05/12-meals-that-are-easy-cheap-and-healthy/
http://homeparents.about.com/cs/recipescooking/a/budgetmeals.htm
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrecipelist.htm
2007-10-15 08:46:22 · answer #10 · answered by ladysilverhorn 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋