Because food is a controllable expense, it can be a target for reduced spending when money is tight. You can still serve meals that are appetizing, easy to prepare and nutritious by planning ahead and managing your money. If you and your family need to prepare for two weeks or more of food, pay attention to nutrition needs.

Plan food supplies so you all can eat at least one well-balanced meal each day. Add to the number of basic foods you normally keep on your shelves.

You may find that you have a two-week supply of most staples if you go through your cupboards. So, before you shop, take an inventory of what you already have. For a sample two-week menu planning, shopping list, and recipe videos visit the Preparing a 2-week emergency food supply webpage.

Also visit Real Life, Good Food for great recipe and meal ideas. Before dashing out to the grocery store, it's important to shop your cupboards and take the time to plan meals and make a shopping list.

By doing so, you are more likely to find the best buys, avoid impulse purchases, and eliminate extra trips for forgotten items.

That extra gas creates more expense as well. Meal planning refers to deciding in advance what meals your family will eat.

You could plan meals for a few days or a week. Consider the advantages of doing this kind of advanced planning for eating at home. If there is food waste in your household, ask yourself why. Are you buying food in the right quantities?

Is food refused or left on the plate? Are servings too large? Is the food tasty? Cooperative meal planning and preparation increases the eating pleasure of the entire family, and increases a sense of togetherness and cooperation.

Stretching your food dollar is about more than comparing prices in the grocery store. The MyPlate website identifies the recommended daily intakes based on your gender and your age of various categories of food. Those recommended amounts are measured in cups, ounces and grams.

One way to control spending and avoid impulse buying is to make a list of the items needed. Some helpful hints for making a shopping list follow:.

For a list of foods to keep on hand for emergencies, see the Extension resource Preparing a 2-week emergency food supply. With the planning done, you are now ready to shop. But where will you do your grocery shopping? Food prices, of course, are one of the major factors in determining where you will shop.

No-frills and warehouse stores can be less expensive because the cost of doing business is lower. Many shoppers who live in rural communities find a once-a-month trip to a warehouse store saves on foods that store well and on non-food household supplies.

Convenience stores almost always charge higher prices on food, with the possible exception of dairy products and soft drinks. Farmers markets and co-ops have helped many families reduce their food costs.

The selection of products may be more limited than in most supermarkets, but the prices are usually lower for a fresher product. Keep in mind the following shopping pointers so you can become a skillful shopper and get more for your money:.

To prevent food spoilage, go home after grocery shopping so perishable foods can be refrigerated or kept frozen. Warm temperatures are the leading cause of food spoilage, so refrigerate or freeze all perishable foods immediately after shopping. On hot days, you may want to have a large picnic cooler in your trunk in which to place frozen and cold foods until you get home.

Extension has more information on food storage times. Managing food dollars wisely involves planning before and during your grocery shopping. Some knowledge of nutrition, plus careful meal planning, skillful shopping, proper food storage, handling and preparation will help you to serve satisfying meals while remaining within your food budget.

Healthy Cents is an educational program designed to help adults save money while purchasing healthy food. Lessons focus on five themes:. To find out more about this program or explore the possibilities of this program being offered at your agency, contact the Extension SNAP-Ed team closest to you.

Start Strong is a hands-on culinary nutrition education curriculum designed to help family child care providers increase their knowledge and skills in providing healthy foods for children.

Start Strong is made up of four 2-hour lessons. The lessons can be taught individually or in a series. If you are a home daycare provider or childcare provider, visit the Start Strong curriculum page. Healthy Eating on a Budget — U. Use these tips and materials to make healthy choices while staying within your budget.

Abby Gold, Extension specialist health and nutrition; Megan Hruby, Kelly Kunkel, Mary Schroeder, Extension educators in health and nutrition; Sarah VanOffelen, SNAP-Ed regional coordinator. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Toggle navigation Menu Learn About Animals and livestock Community development Crop production Families and youth Food, health and nutrition Fruit and vegetable farming Home and financial management Insects Managing a farm Natural resources Water Yard and garden Courses and events Connect Community consultation Customized education Give Regional Partnerships Rural stress initiative Volunteer 4-H About About Extension Global initiatives Local offices News and highlights Careers Contact us.

Home Food, health and nutrition Nutrition and healthy eating Save money on food Stretching your food dollar.

Open all Close all. Food shopping starts at home Before dashing out to the grocery store, it's important to shop your cupboards and take the time to plan meals and make a shopping list. You will eat at restaurants or have take-out food less often. Eating out usually is more expensive than eating home-prepared meals.

Eating home-prepared foods is often healthier than eating restaurant foods and take-out foods. When you prepare meals at home, you can control portion size and the amount of fat, sugar and salt in the foods you eat.

Depression Era Breakfast Recipes. Frugal and Filling Depression Era Meals. Money Saving Tips from the Depression Era. Depression Era Gardening Tips. Depression Era Jobs to Make Extra Money. Frugal Household Hacks from the Great Depression.

Frugal Beauty Tips from the Great Depression. Personal history is also a factor here, not to mention differences in our upbringing.

It takes years of practice to bridge that difference and having too little time with a new baby is hard enough without being bullied into doing something unfamiliar. Amanda, once you are in a place where you have time and interest in doing some of these things, enjoy that journey along with your little one.

The learning and doing together are great ways to bond. Best of both worlds to you! I thought this was supposed to be about saving money, trying new things and not wasting so much of our money.

Seems like some just want to complain and chastise people. OP, could we possibly have instructions on how to can the old-fashioned way? before Instant Pots, I mean. Love reading all this ladies. Been living that way for years. Retired 4 yrs ago and now can really make a difference.

But please stop with the religious attitude per the first response. We are a nation of different beliefs or non-beliefs and that is as it should be.

Love the post! I am a stay at home wife and homeschool mom of 4. I try to teach my kids how to live and cook frugally. My grandmother never wasted anything.

Daily life with 4 kids, homeschooling, and keeping house and cooking good wholesome meals is time consuming but I love every minute. God has blessed me by allowing me to be home with my kids and providing them what they need in life through teaching. When making soups, casseroles, bread, meatloaf or anything else that freezes well I make 2.

Cook once, eat twice! My mom showed me how she would take the grounds leftover from making coffee she had a percolator coffee pot on the stove and use them to make a second pot of coffee.

All you need to do is refrigerate the first batch of used coffee grounds, then add it to the second batch of used coffee grounds and make your coffee.

Using twice as much used grounds as you would fresh grounds stretched the money she had. I incorporate as much as I can, not so much for need, but more out of wanting to be self-sufficient. We garden, forage, and hunt. Can I just get an Amen for Myna back there???????

What an amazing story and attitude. Thank you so much for sharing! Amen for Myna and God bless her I am saving soap box speech it is truly an inspiration and thank you Myna you bring strength and peace. What a fab post I like the depression cooking with Clara on you tube and this post is just fab!

Thank you I will be checking in in your blog more often 🙂 xxx. Tomato Soup Cake was popular during the depression and has been passed down from my great grandmother.

It is tastes much better than it sounds! We will have more depression era recipes up soon! Family favourite Lasagna Casserole lb. cooked ground beef drained cups cooked elbow macaroni 1 tub of cottage cheese lg.

cans spaghetti sauce or home made enough grated cheddar, mozzarella cheese about 2 cups to make your family smile. I buy cheese on special and grate it and store it in the freezer. Combine all 5 ingredients. Place in a casserole dish and heat through in the oven. Some great ideas here!

If your family eats bread and pasta, you can save a lot by baking your own bread and making your own pasta. I received a stand mixer with a pasta maker attachment as a gift, but you can make pasta without that equipment too. It just takes time and effort!

I have gotten creative using lamp timers on a crockpot and cooking ahead , but it is quite a hurdle. Mothers worked in the fields and garden they canned their own food my grandma had 9 children did laundry on a washboard did not own a vacuum. And we still have 24 hours in a day that has not changed.

When someone died they all made extra and took to the family. There was a lot less playing and a lot more praying. They feed there family 3 times a day something that they prepared from scratch. Or had previously prepared. Priorities and preparedness and responsibilities have changed but time has not changed.

Ladies, ladies, ladies; how about you set aside your holier than thou attitude and stop perpetuating the stay at home mom versus the working mom argument that was going on 20 years ago when I first became a mom.

Amanda is telling you she is a new mom and is away from her baby for 12 hours a day and trying to figure it out. You respond by saying she is not doing enough? Which is more important…making homemade pasta or bonding with her child?

Hooray for choosing bonding. You go girl. Yes, a stay at home mom does have the choice to make everything from scratch. Sherry, Debbie, I grew up doing the very thing your depression era grandparents did. hoeing and gathering the produce we raised. My mom spent hours canning, cleaning, sewing our clothes, laundry and all the other chores to keep the household running.

Where was dad? Right there working too when he could after working 40 hours a week in town and another 40 farming acres of cotton and soybeans. First, my mom could do these things and cook from scratch because she had the freedom to plan her own day. Honey, my mom was crunchy way back when crunchy was only a choice in peanut butter!

Making bread but the corn needs to be hoed? You mix up the bread and let it rise, then you start hoeing until you need to stop hoeing so you can go to the house, beat down the bread and leave it for a second rise, then go back to hoeing. She did a lot of slow cooking where you could stop by the pot and check on the meal throughout the day and add those green peas later in the day since they do not take as long to cook as the potatoes.

Second, she was wise enough to use all resources available to her. Depression era women understood this also. If they were lucky enough to live in a community of close proximity, they shared and traded.

From my own childhood we did this all the time. My mom provided potatoes to one neighbor and in return she provided us with milk each week. My parents purchased very little food at the grocery—mainly sugar, floor, grains. My parents provided all these things for us; but believe me, more importantly they partook of every opportunity to work smarter, not harder.

I say hooray to the working mom who is doing what she feels is best for her family. I say hooray to the stay at home mom who is doing what she feels is best for her family. I thank you for having the ability to schedule and to adjust your daily schedule so you can chaperone a field trip to ensure all the children learn and come home safe.

It is time to start supporting each other; be willing to use the strength and talent that each mom can bring to the table. How about we follow the golden rule? Actually midern Americans work way more hours now then they did during tge depression.

Now we have work, hime and daycare demands. Kids also spent a great deal of time playing or working on their own, without direct parental supervision. Not so now.

Buy in bulk/family size packs (subject to price per pound): yes, it takes larger chunks out of your budget right away, but you get more for your boking.info › How-can-you-makedollars-stretch-forweeks-for- Drink tap water. If you're trying to stretch dollars, bypass the aisle with soda, beer, juice and especially bottled water. You can save enough

Stretching your food budget - Use these Depression Era tips to stretch your food budget. Includes tips on making food last, grocery shopping ideas & frugal cooking tips Buy in bulk/family size packs (subject to price per pound): yes, it takes larger chunks out of your budget right away, but you get more for your boking.info › How-can-you-makedollars-stretch-forweeks-for- Drink tap water. If you're trying to stretch dollars, bypass the aisle with soda, beer, juice and especially bottled water. You can save enough

If entertaining is taking too much of your grocery money, simplify the foods you serve. Underline the items on your shopping list that are basic to the family diet. Buy these foods first. Include other items as your food spending plan permits. With the planning done, you are now ready to shop. But where will you do your grocery shopping?

Food prices, of course, are one of the major factors in determining where you will shop. No-frills and warehouse stores can be less expensive because the cost of doing business is lower. Many shoppers who live in rural communities find a once-a-month trip to a warehouse store saves on foods that store easily and on nonfood household supplies.

Convenience stores almost always charge higher prices on food. Farmers markets and co-ops have helped many families reduce their food costs. The selection of products may be more limited than in most supermarkets, but the prices are usually lower. Usually, it is more efficient to shop at one nearby store that has reasonable prices.

Shopping at several stores each week uses valuable time, energy and fuel. Remember, the more often you shop or the greater number of stores you shop in, the more likely you are to buy more food than you need.

Eat before you shop because everything looks good when you are hungry. And, if possible, try to shop when the store is not too crowded.

Keep in mind the following shopping pointers so you can become a skillful shopper and get more for your money:. Go straight home after grocery shopping so perishable foods can be refrigerated or kept frozen. Warm temperatures are the leading cause of food spoilage, so refrigerate or freeze all perishable foods immediately after shopping.

When you get home from the store, compare your register receipt with your food cost goal. Then check your purchases carefully and critically. Are they economical when compared with other choices you might have made? Did you buy some foods not on your list? Can these extras be justified as important for meeting food needs, being real bargains or providing a worthwhile tasty treat?

Managing food dollars wisely involves planning before and during your grocery shopping. Some knowledge of nutrition, plus careful meal planning, skillful shopping, and proper food storage, handling and preparation will help you to serve satisfying meals while remaining within your food budget.

Adapted by: Jeanette A. Tucker, Ph. The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture. Search Search. RESEARCH EXTENSION TEACHING STORE GIVE CRIME STATS. Home Sites Communications Publications Catalog Disaster Recovery Publications Managing in Tough Times Managing in Tough Times - Complete book Stretching Your Food Dollars.

Stretching Your Food Dollars Mary May. LSU AgCenter , All , All , General. Food Shopping Starts at Home Most of us can change our food spending habits in ways that make each food dollar go further and still provide our families with nutritious meals and snacks.

As you plan your menus, follow these important steps: Check newspaper or online ads for special sales. Making a Shopping List One of the best ways to control spending and avoid impulse buying is to make a list of the items needed. Some helpful hints for making a shopping list are: Keep an ongoing list and jot down items as your supply gets low.

Look over the recipes you plan to use. Be sure you have the necessary ingredients. Check the cupboards, the refrigerator and the freezer for foods on hand.

Are there staple items, such as flour, sugar, coffee, salt or rice that should be added to the list? If storage space permits, stock up on sale items used regularly. Organize your list according to the store layout.

This will save you time and reduce the temptation to buy foods not on your list. Shopping Choices With the planning done, you are now ready to shop. Keep in mind the following shopping pointers so you can become a skillful shopper and get more for your money: Shop alone when possible.

When family members are along, you tend to buy more. Know the regular prices of items you generally buy. This way you will recognize when an advertised special is really a bargain. If you shop in stores where individual items do not have price tags attached to them, you may want to write the price on the shopping list or on each package after you get home.

Be alert for unadvertised specials in the store. These can save you money. But all items displayed at the end of aisles in the store may not be on special. Compare national brand, store brand and other products.

While the nutritional value generally is comparable among brands, you may find a difference in quality and appearance. However, if you do not need top quality, appearance or uniformity, consider lower-priced brands. Take advantage of unit pricing. The unit price is the per-unit measure the number of cents per ounce or gram , which is often posted on the shelf below the product.

If a store provides this information, you can use it to find out whether the ounce can of creamed corn is a better buy than the ounce can.

To figure unit prices on your own, divide the price of the container by the number of ounces it contains. Ask for a rain check. Buy produce on sale and in season. Fruits and vegetables can be expensive, so watch for sales. And consider substituting a cheaper fruit or vegetable for the more expensive one listed in a recipe.

Additionally, fruits and vegetables tend to be less expensive when you buy them in season. Also visit your local farmers market during peak season, since it can be a cheaper option than the grocery store.

Buy foods whole. Buying pre-cut fruits and vegetables can add unnecessary costs to your shopping trip. Products such as pre-packaged shredded carrots and cheese are more expensive than buying them whole and shredding them at home.

Schedule prep work. Use free time on the weekends to get some prep work out of the way. If weekly meals are planned, cut up veggies for each meal and store them in ready-to-cook containers. This will make cooking quick and easy when you are pressed for time during the week.

Buy in bulk when possible. Many supermarkets now have small bulk sections. Common bulk items include beans, lentils, rice, quinoa , oatmeal, nuts and dried fruits.

Store bulk foods in airtight containers to extend shelf life. Make meat the accent. Making meat an accent rather than the main focus can help cut costs. Instead, highlight a variety of colorful vegetables and plant proteins, such as beans, tofu, quinoa and nuts. As an added bonus, research shows there are health benefits to eating a more plant-based diet.

Stock up on canned beans. Make beans the protein source one meal a week to save money in the long run. Use beans in stir-fries, soups, chili, salads or lasagnas. Make soup. Soup is a delicious and filling meal and also very inexpensive.

Do you have half a carrot, two celery stalks and a can of beans? Toss them in a pot with chicken or vegetable stock to create a simple vegetable soup. Make your own broth. Store carrot peels, celery tops, onion skins and bones from roasted chickens or turkeys in the freezer.

Once you have enough, place the scraps in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and lower heat. Simmer for at least an hour, strain it, and voila, you have a homemade, delicious broth.

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Drink tap water. If you're trying to stretch dollars, bypass the aisle with soda, beer, juice and especially bottled water. You can save enough 1. Make a plan · 2. Be picky with produce · 3. Search for sales · 4. Check unit prices · 5. Rethink your protein · 6. Know what expiration dates mean 10 Ways to Stretch Your Meals to Save Money on Food · 1. Plan Before You Cook · 2. Always Keep Eggs on Hand · 3. Serve Apps Before Dinner · 4: Stretching your food budget

Choosing ground meats, top round steaks, or chicken thighs vs. In addition, Buudget State University Low-cost superfood smoothie ingredients has Cheap food offers online calculator Stretching your food budget lets you budgrt what you spend foof food to what the USDA low-cost plan recommends. Make a Menu Plan for the Week: You can save money and preparation time by cooking and eating meals at home more often. Batch cook rice from scratch instead of buying packaged instant rice. cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary 11 months This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Place in a casserole dish and heat through in the oven.	The same is true for chicken, fish, and other meats. This is a tough one for me as a native Minnesotan. For instance, have roast chicken one day, and then turn the leftovers into meals such as:. When you get home from the store, compare your register receipt with your food cost goal. Toast or freeze them for good eating. Take advantage of unit pricing. Is food refused or left on the plate?	Buy in bulk/family size packs (subject to price per pound): yes, it takes larger chunks out of your budget right away, but you get more for your boking.info › How-can-you-makedollars-stretch-forweeks-for- Drink tap water. If you're trying to stretch dollars, bypass the aisle with soda, beer, juice and especially bottled water. You can save enough	Stretch Your Food Budget by Growing Some of Your Own Food: Plant a vegetable garden. If you don't have a large plot, then plant items like 11 Expert Tips For Stretching Food Further When Your Budget Is Tight · 1. Meal plan. · 2. Use what you have. · 3. Use shopping apps to your boking.info › How-can-you-makedollars-stretch-forweeks-for-	16 Strategies to Stretch Your Food Budget · 1. “Grate” Savings · 2. Keep Breakfast Cheap · 3. Breakfast for Dinner · 4. Eat the Sales · 5 If weekly meals are planned, cut up veggies for each meal and store them in ready-to-cook containers. This will make cooking quick and easy when you are pressed Use these Depression Era tips to stretch your food budget. Includes tips on making food last, grocery shopping ideas & frugal cooking tips
I Online grocery coupons replace it as Cheap food offers fokd it, keep my supplies at a Stretcuing Cheap food offers. This is a tough one for me as a native Minnesotan. What can we improve? Meal plan. Block cheese is almost always cheaper then shredded cheese, and it keeps better and tastes better, too.	Can these extras be justified as important for meeting food needs, being real bargains or providing a worthwhile tasty treat? The store will not work correctly when cookies are disabled. Remember to add the staple items you need to buy. Friday afternoons and Saturdays are usually the most crowded times, resulting in distractions and long lines. Use free time on the weekends to get some prep work out of the way. Opinions, advice, services, or other information or content expressed or contributed here by customers, users, or others, are those of the respective author s or contributor s and do not necessarily state or reflect those of The Bancorp Bank, N. Compare prices and forms of nationally known brands and store brands.	Buy in bulk/family size packs (subject to price per pound): yes, it takes larger chunks out of your budget right away, but you get more for your boking.info › How-can-you-makedollars-stretch-forweeks-for- Drink tap water. If you're trying to stretch dollars, bypass the aisle with soda, beer, juice and especially bottled water. You can save enough	11 Expert Tips For Stretching Food Further When Your Budget Is Tight · 1. Meal plan. · 2. Use what you have. · 3. Use shopping apps to your 8 Easy Ways To Stretch Your Food Budget · 1. Keep Breakfast Cheap · 2. Make Recipies That Contain Similar Ingredients · 3. Meal Plan, Meal Plan Practical Ways to Stretch Your Food Budget · Make a plan · Make meals that utilize similar ingredients · Repurpose leftovers · Browse weekly ads	Buy in bulk/family size packs (subject to price per pound): yes, it takes larger chunks out of your budget right away, but you get more for your boking.info › How-can-you-makedollars-stretch-forweeks-for- Drink tap water. If you're trying to stretch dollars, bypass the aisle with soda, beer, juice and especially bottled water. You can save enough
Sretching eat up food budgets quickly and often expire before they Stretchkng used up. You can Stretching your food budget more fruits and veggies, too. Ask around your community, and look around on walks or when driving around. But real people know that coffee and avocados aren't the problem. Newsletter Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from HGIC.	Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email LinkedIn. A nutritional guide. Thanks, Deb. Switch your store. She lives in Tampa, Florida. Rancidity is caused by oxidation — literally oxygen in contact with the food causing a chemical reaction with the fats still left in the brown rice kernel.	Buy in bulk/family size packs (subject to price per pound): yes, it takes larger chunks out of your budget right away, but you get more for your boking.info › How-can-you-makedollars-stretch-forweeks-for- Drink tap water. If you're trying to stretch dollars, bypass the aisle with soda, beer, juice and especially bottled water. You can save enough	Tips for How to Stretch Your Food Budget · How to Stretch Your Food Budget · Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time · Use Grocery Savings Apps and Stretching Your Grocery Budget · Buy block cheese and grate it at home. · 9. Buy fewer processed items and more raw ingredients. · 8. Watch 10 Ways to Stretch Your Meals to Save Money on Food · 1. Plan Before You Cook · 2. Always Keep Eggs on Hand · 3. Serve Apps Before Dinner · 4	Stretch Your Food Budget by Growing Some of Your Own Food: Plant a vegetable garden. If you don't have a large plot, then plant items like 8 Easy Ways To Stretch Your Food Budget · 1. Keep Breakfast Cheap · 2. Make Recipies That Contain Similar Ingredients · 3. Meal Plan, Meal Plan What to eat when money is tight · Keep an ongoing list and jot down items as your supply gets low. · Look over the recipes you plan to use. · Check the cupboards
Where to Stretchinng. In our area, market gardeners set yoyr roadside stands, budgey Stretching your food budget have some great Affordable cross-border shipping markets. Stretchinv just Stretching your food budget it as I use it, youg my supplies at a steady level. If a store provides this information, you can use it to find out whether the ounce can of creamed corn is a better buy than the 7-ounce can. Some of us have been pinching pennies for a long AF time, and we know how to stretch a budget and fill a pantry. Even though baking supplies were in short supply, desserts occasionally graced the table during the Great Depression.	Sales on different categories of items are rotated on about a week cycle. Store things properly. Footer Join The Club Subscribe for inspiration straight to your inbox! A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? If you have enough money, you can get the other items. and may be used everywhere Visa debit and credit cards are accepted.	Buy in bulk/family size packs (subject to price per pound): yes, it takes larger chunks out of your budget right away, but you get more for your boking.info › How-can-you-makedollars-stretch-forweeks-for- Drink tap water. If you're trying to stretch dollars, bypass the aisle with soda, beer, juice and especially bottled water. You can save enough	If weekly meals are planned, cut up veggies for each meal and store them in ready-to-cook containers. This will make cooking quick and easy when you are pressed 16 Ways to Stretch Your Food Budget Without Sacrificing Quality · 1. Buy seasonal produce: · 2. Meal plan like a pro: · 3. Reuse ingredients Buy in bulk/family size packs (subject to price per pound): yes, it takes larger chunks out of your budget right away, but you get more for your	Are soaring food prices getting you down? Here, some basic saving strategies and ideas to stretch your budget 10 Ways to Stretch Your Meals to Save Money on Food · 1. Plan Before You Cook · 2. Always Keep Eggs on Hand · 3. Serve Apps Before Dinner · 4 Practical Ways to Stretch Your Food Budget · Make a plan · Make meals that utilize similar ingredients · Repurpose leftovers · Browse weekly ads