Ok I saw in the new issue that next issue will answer the question "How cheaply can you feed your family?". Well, I can't wait until next month. How do you feed a family of 7 on $50 a week?

I never got a garden this year. This new house has all clay. I'm working to improve it but don't expect to plant until spring. Maybe fall if I'm lucky since we have a pretty long growing season here in NW Arkansas. And since we still haven't found some good land we can't raise animals. I might raise some rabbits if I can find someone who can butcher them for me. (I know, I'm a wimp).

Seems we are just getting by and the food situation is getting ridiculous. So how about a pre-view. How do you feed your family cheaply?

-- Kathleen (krob777@msn.com), August 15, 2001

Answers

Response to Cheap eats

beans and rice for a start,perhaps a deer in the freezer as well

-- paul (wormwomanone@yahoo.com), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

I have a 12 yo boy who eats like 5 teens. I feed him pretty cheaply with rice and beans, pasta and egg and cheese dishes. I gather wild veggies like mustard, milkweed , fiddleheads and cattails. I spend about 100.00 a month on groceries.(That's for milk,coffee,sugar flour,and of course a wee bit of chocolate)I also keep a stockpot on the back of the stove in winter with all kinds of bones and bits to make soups and stews in a hurry for cold winter days.

We eat good. Once every few weeks I make gillettes (fried bread dough with a piece of cheese and ham inside or pizza sauce and cheese.) I also let him powder them up with sugar for a treat. (He's 5'10 160lbs and into a man's 13 shoe!)

-- Peg (Ashlinep@localnet.com), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

Lynn uses garden produce,bulk sale purchases, mark down meats and coupons,coupons and more coupons to feed the three of us while allotting herself $200 for food and me $120 for gas to work per month.What we save out of both allotments is used 1/3 to savings and 2/3 toward entertainement (eating out, video or movie at the $1 theater or something of that sort). Since the gas gouge I save at least $20 of my gas allotment because as my personal protest, I lowered the amount of gallons of fuel I used by combining trips, carpooling and working four 10 hr days instead of five eight hour days to get my 40.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

I was raised in a Mennonite family of 9 kids, plus the many welfare children Mom took in. At one time, we had 17 around the table. Papa was disabled from multiple hip replacements, so putting food on the table was a challenge. We raised almost all we ate: Milk from cow, bull calves became steers, slaughtered for beef when big, pig raised on extra milk, plus all the table scraps. Eggs from free-range chickens are a good deal and a good deal better for you. Fruit and veggies you raise organically and put up yourself are far better, and cost very little.

We ate eggs, toast and had milk every morning for breakfast. sandwiches (often egg again) for lunch. Supper was usually a cheap soup, all from scratch. Tomato soup, potato soup, navy bean soup, vegetable soup, rivel soup, split pea soup, chicken-corn-n-rice soup, beef dumpling noodle soup... the list is endless, and it really stretches the budget.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

I can everything I can get..don't raise anything. Land not suitable. I have a family of 4 (two sons 11 & 16). I spend less than $300 mo and this includes all soaps, detergents, deoderants etc. We also eat Taco Bell once weekly. I too have lots of rice, beans, soups in winter, potatoes and cheese dishes. We are never hungry or feel as if we do without.

-- (msjazt@aol.com), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

We keep a laying flock of hens so we have our eggs year round. Everybody enjoys eggs for breakfast and there is always extra for baked goods. We also "grow" meat it vary's year to year. This year is chicken/turkey/chevon. I keep nubian goats (almost a year now) and I am hoping that the 3 does I now have will keep in dairy. The garden and my canners keep the vegetables going for the most part. I do make purchases but I try to go big. For example I call a local fruit wholesaler every year and buy 40 pound boxes of peaches and pears for half the price of stores then can them into fruit jars, jams, and cocktail. I buy 50 pound bags of flour(I special order from the health food store) and make my own breads and baking. Bulk buying I guess is the answer to saving when I do make purchases. My money also seems to be spent seasonally. I make bigger purchases this time of year than I do through the winter.

-- Terri in NS (Terri@tallships.ca), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

Farmers markets, road side stands, friends with excess - get all you can get now that's fresh and can or freeze it. Freezing in plastic zipper type bags is econimcal if you don't have enough jars. Co-op ordering is another way to buy in bulk. Chickens (mentioned), I'll put a second (or a third) to that - meat birds can be raised to butchering size in about 12 weeks. Watch for coupons and there's always Sam's and BJ's (BJ takes coupons but Sam's won't).

-- TAB (burnash@gisco.net), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

I agree with you all,We are a family of four( a 13 yrs. old son too!) and on average only spend $65.- 70. a month. We eat simple foods like beans, rice, pasta and homegrown and canned vegtables. My husband and son are both hunter so we never buy beef, instead we eat venison, elk and hopefully this year moose, (our son got a special permit) They also fish so we eat lots of fish too. We have laying hens which turn into soup/ casserole hens when done laying. I agree with Terri 100%, we purchase in bulk I always have on hand 50# flour, 25# beans and rice( brown and white)20# sweetner(a combination of honey, brown sugar, molasses and a little white sugar) I buy " Morning Moos" powdered milk( 50 lbs and only cost $1.20 a gallon) and buy real milk when it's only on sale for less then $ 2.00 a gallon. I try to buy soap, deoderant, toothpaste, toliet paper etc.. when it's on sale and stock up. The last time I bought toothpaste they were on sale 2 for $1.00 so I bought twenty. I try to catch fresh fruit when it's on sale but we do have canned peaches, pears and apple sauce. I also bake and cook from scratch and make due with what I have on hand( menus are planned around what we have in the pantry, I never run out to buy a missing ingredient if I don't have it I substitute something or leave it out) we also eat ALL leftovers, nothing wasted that is unless it got pushe into a corner and missed for a month or so, by then it medicine. LOL!!! I make most all of my cleaners for around the house and I also make my own laundry soap.In the summer I admit I don't bake as often( I take advantage of cooler days and bake and freeze.) If we run out I buy from the discount bread store and buy only store brand breads @ $.49 a loaf. We don't feel deprived and we are certainly healthier than people who eat all that fast food and frozen meals stuff. Not to be misleading, we too eat out once in a while but usually not more than once a month and it's almost never fast food. If we are feeling deprived( usually the kids) I fix a couple homemade pizzas and let them put on their own toppings and if we're really feeling like spendthrifts we rent a movie( provided we can find a descent one). Buying in bulk costs you a litle at first, but once it gets up and going all you need is to keep account of everything and plan ahead for your future purchases. I too am interested in reading what everyone has to say in the next issue.

-- Kelle in MT. (kvent1729@aol.com), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

Tinned fish. Prices will vary there versus here, of course. Here you can always seem to find house-brand tuna cheaply, and it tastes pretty good. There are other fishes (mackerel, snoek and "Australian salmon" (which isn't salmon at all)) which are half that price, but are quite strongly-flavoured - taste "fishy" (duh!) - not acceptable to some. Tinned fish with boiled rice and chopped onions makes a good cheap base for a meal. Leftovers can be sandwich-filling the next day.

Add any animal protein to beans and you'll get more value from both - eggs or fish or mince with beans. Add a sauce - maybe even a flour- based thick sauce (white sauce), or a cheese sauce. Milk powder can help fill out a sauce and make it nutritious a well.

El cheapo no-name tomato soup, not diluted, straight from the can, makes a good basis for a tomato pasta or rice sauce.

A slab of polenta or even semolina (mixed with water, boiled, poured out and left to set, cut in wedges) then with whatever from above poured over it, makes a filling meal.

Prowl the vegetable section of your supermarket, or your greengrocer. Be ready to buy whatever special will fill your needs. For instance, a bunch of celery isn't just salad - it can also be chopped and cooked as a green vegetable. Think cabbage, brussels sprouts, beans, broccoli, whatever is available and inexpensive. Even lettuce - particularly the dark tough outer leaves - can be cooked as a leaf vegetable. If you can't get a good buy on carrots, pumpkin can do. Be ready to buy a large bag of potatoes or onions when they're a good price, but then make sure you use them - try not to have to throw anything away. If your bulk buy is a bit aged, pick over them when you get them home, save the best till last, and use the worst first. Do this every day.

I haven't done it, but I understand that you can make nutritious vegetables very cheaply by making sprouts. Worth a look. Sprouted wheat or bean-sprouts with lemon juice could be a lot cheaper than what you can buy (particularly if you're still trying to work your way through Y2K stores). They certainly taste good enough, and could even make an entire course on their own.

Cruise the supermarkets, particularly just before closing time, and particularly on the eve of holiday weekends. They are likely to mark down things which wouldn't last through the weekend.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

We caretake, so very restricted (no critters or garden) and there's 4 of us, so we go to Sam's every 3 months, stock up on cheese (freeze slices and have found can even freeze cream cheese for desserts), get the big jugs of salsa and ketchup (save my bottles and refill them), and the big bags of frozen veggies and buld bags of rice, noodles and flour. It's not the same as growing our own, but for now it'll do, so we can save for our land. Also go to a big produce stand in the next town and buy 25 lbs. of ear corn we they have it, then put it in the freezer. Have also tried canning green beans this year and was a success! *happy dance* so will do more. We try to put up different things, and eat a lot of soup and stews (with hamburger or sirloin bought on sale). I'm getting better at budgeting and menu's but always room for improvement. And am always reading...thanks for the ideas.

-- yancee in texas (rnanning@comwerx.net), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

We have a family of five, three young children 1, 7, and 10. We raise about 60 layers, and sell excess eggs. Eat alot of eggs. Raised 100 broilers this spring and sold thirty to pay for all the feed for the 100. 70 keeps us in meat for the year, we eat very little beef. Also raise about 30 pheasants a year for eating. Thinking about raising a pig next year. We have a garden that is 50 x 100, all organic. Canned about 350 quarts and pints of veggies and apple products last year, that last for the year. also freeze some fresh produce from the garden and the fruit trees. We have ten acres and are looking at trying to make a bit of a living at the poultry, organic veggies, and smoked pheasant next year(just lost my business to a bad contract with a big business) have to make a living. Thanks all

-- craig swasnon (craig@rswcorp.com), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

Recently a warning came out from the state (WV) not to eat more than 2 fish a month caught in local rivers, ponds and streams. Mercury poison was mentioned. After the severe recent flooding, I wouldn't even wade in a 'natural' body of water. So local fish is out for us.

Friends share venison and we try to buy a 1/4 or 1/2 of beef or pork as available from friends.

When we shop we go to very cheap discount 'no-name' stores and Big Lots. We buy all our staples and convenience foods there. When I say convenience, I am referring to the 29 cent cans of already cooked garbanzo beans or hot dogs, the kind of things that allow for a few quick cooking meals. We have a small garden, but I have pulled back this year on canning since I need to reassess our needs and haven't had the energy/schedule to do that. Occassionally we splurge on excellent cheeses, olives, bread add-ins from King Arthur, oils or other mainstay ingredients, often ethnic (tahini for example) that we can use to make regular meals extra exciting. Big bang for little $ per meal.

Have lots of basics on hand and a few (bulk) gourmet treats--- whatever your family considers gourmet. For instance, I buy a 10 pound bag of Guittard dark chocolate chips that last us almost a year, sometimes more. But when we use them, the enhancement is worth dozens of pounds of cheap stuff. We especially use them for gift baking and holidays. I actually buy cheap mixes/other ingredients if they are on sale and fit our tastes. Some things like Ramen Noodles and already cooked beans or canned vegetables often make life easier and are affordable. Gives kids something to cook themselves in a hurry when they are hungry at odd hours.

When we are on the austerity plan here, we do our best not to buy groceries until we use up what is on the shelf. Wow. We get creative. We are then forced to make pizza from scratch if we want it and we have the ingredients, but not a frozen pizza. We usually consider frozen pizza a luxury, but an affordable one for days that can get long. We buy the 2 for $5 kind and doctor them up on occassion.

Eating ethnic foods gives us variety and low cost meals. Chinese and Indian foods are low in cost (little meat) and high on variety and rice. Filling and delicious.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

Wow - would this be a good issue for me. I easily spend $200.00 per WEEK at the grocery store. That's why I don't like going. I stay away from the grocery store as much as possible. When I absolutely MUST go, it's worse....by then my bill is over $300.00. I can't seem to win this battle. I've tried for YEARS! Just can't seem to get it right. I don't have any luck growing food for my family. I seem to have a "brown" thumb and not too much space in which to garden. i will be watching this post very closely.

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), August 15, 2001.

Response to Cheap eats

beans, rice, potatoes, lots of fresh or frozen(stock up on sales) veggies- doesn't take much to make a wide variety of meals. I like lots of beef so I stock up when they have sales, mostly cheap cuts, make soups/stews a few times a week and cut up my own beef cubes from whatever is on sale. I put cut up hotdogs and chicken in alot of meals I make for my kids. eggs/toast or cheap generic cereal for breakfast. We have alot of repetition in meals because it makes things more efficient for me and my kids don't seem to mind.

Never buy preprocessed foods, never buy brand name anything. Those 2 things save me the most. For the price of a tv dinner, I can feed myself and my kids a big meal.

I never buy junkfood snacks. A snack to my kids is an apple, bananna, grapes, crackers and cheese, etc. They've never known any different and never ask for anything else. Once in a while I make muffins, cookies or a cake. I spend about $45 a week for the 3 of us, I shop at a no-frills bag you own store. Most of the grocery stores in southern California are alot more expensive than anywhere else I've lived.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), August 16, 2001.

We buy a membership to a Sam's club were we can buy bulk items such as 10 gal. jug of vegetable oil, 50# bags of beans, rice, flour. Large bags of macaroni, spegatti, noodles, etc. Large quantities of ketchup, and other condiments. Also we buy from a outlet that sells off bran can goods for very reasonable prices.(exam. canned corn .29cents ea.) we buy in bulk quantities. We try to raise a big garden every year. "We eat what we can and what we can't we can". Hope that makes sense to you. I hunt and fish and do my own processing, this really saves a lot of money if you can be successful at it. We range raise brown leghorn chickens which provide us with a whole lot of eggs. This summer we were hardly out any money on feed for the laying chickens and sold eggs every week. The money was used to purchase more laying chicks and feed for them. Also, we just aquired some free broiler chicks and now that my spring chicks can start ranging with the big chickens we will be using that money to purchase feed for the new broiler chicks. At the first of the year we pay $60. for a years subscription of the sunday world newspaper in which we get a lot of food coupons, we don't use all of these coupons but there are a lot of stuff in there that we do use and are able to use a coupon for it. And last but certainaly not least, we plan our meals so that we throw very little away. Example; We buy the biggest roast we can find. We have a roast dinner one night, the next night we have beef tip and noodles made with the leftover roast. Or we make stew with the leftover beef. One night we have brown bean dinner, the next night we make chili with the leftover beans added into it, and then a couple of days later we may have chili dogs using the left over chili. We save all our leftover vegetables, drain and put in the freezer until we have enough leftover to make a pot of stew using the left over roast. We have a roast dinner everyother sunday so usually we have enough leftover vegetables in the freezer by then to use for stew making. I hope some of these tips will be of some use for you also.

-- Russell Hays (rhays@sstelco.com), August 16, 2001.

Hey, something I have done is to make my own frozen pizzas. I can make a batch of bread dough, and get out all my cookie sheets and pizza pans, and make a pile of crusts. Then top each slightly underbaked crust with sauce, cheese and toppings. Wrap with plastic or pop into huge plastic bags, seal and freeze. Sure beats that cardboard stuff from the grocery frozen food section! In both price and flavor.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), August 16, 2001.

Watch those snacks!! Chips, cookies and crackers. So expensive and so not good for you. However, (always has to be a however) I do buy corn chips. They keep me from eating the homemade salsa out of the jar with a spoon. One of the things we do is buy the chicken hind quarters when they are on sale. I have bought them anywhere from $.19 to $.39 a pound in 10# bags. I seperate and rebag them when I get them home. I use them for chicken and noodles, fried chicken, chicken salad, chicken pot pie, lots of stuff. Can get 5 or 6 meals from a #10 bag. There is just the 2 of us but I can fix chicken and noodles or chicken pot pie if grandkids are here. Another thing, I buy jumbo hot dogs when they are on sale. Sometimes $.50 for package of 8. I can fix 4 meals for the 2 of us. Our special way with hotdogs is to split and stuff them with pineapple and wrap w/1/2 slice bacon. Cook on grill. You have to plan so you can use the left over pineapple and not let it go to waste. I know this because???????? I always bake an extra potato or two when baking potatoes. The extras make great quick hashbrowns. I cook everything from scratch and if we don't have any cookies or whatever and want something sweet, we fix a piece of toast and put on some homemade butter and applebutter. Pretty good stuff.

Good question, good responses.

-- Belle (gardenbelle@terraworld.net), August 16, 2001.

Wow! You all have some really good ideas. I think I figured out our problem. My family is way too picky! One daughter wouldn't eat a bean if her life depended on it. 3 others think anything with tomatoes is contaminated. I seem to be the only one who likes soup. Oh, and Hubby could happily live on Hamburger Helper (yuck). Looks like we need to do a complete overhaul. And everyone will have to adjust, or go hungry. But how do i convince hubby to quit buying chips, ice cream and other junk? He's worse than the kids! :)

-- Kathleen (krob777@msn.com), August 16, 2001.

I actually feed my family of 4 (two teenagers) on about $75 a week and buy all sorts of "extras", so I know I could easily do it on $50.00 a week. There's no big secret. Just do all the things everyone else has mentioned: 1. Cook from scratch ( I make homemade pizzas every Friday night in the winter-- too hot to turn on oven in the summer-- got the recipe from the Tightwad Gazette and whip up the crust in my food processor - takes 60 seconds -- also make my own cakes, pies, & cookies. I make angel yeast biscuits in the winter. Keep the dough in the refrigerator and take out what you need each day and bake. Couldn't be easier)2. Buy in bulk, but know your prices to know when you're getting a good deal. I keep sugar, flour, cornmeal,& dry milk and in 5 # buckets with gamma seals.I also keep powdered buttermilk and oil. When they are on sale, I stock up for a year or so!! 3. When you find something on sale, buy alot. Canned goods go on sale couple of times a year here at 4 / $1.00 -- store brand, I buy cases of them. I write the date on the package with a marker and store. Same thing with catsup, toilet tissue,. soap, etc.. 4. All left-overs go into the freezer for soups, stews, etc.. Easy. Also try to eat a couple of meatless meals each week -- beans, pasta with stir fried vegetales, baked potatoes with cheese, chile rellenos, cheese enchiladas.

Don't buy convenience foods and pre-made foods. They are full of preservatives and too expensive. In the summer we eat from our small garden and I freeze some tomatoes. We may eat okra and squash every day, but that's OK.

Eat or freeze all your left-overs. This is really quite easy. I have time to shop the specials and without much effort keep our food bill reasonable and I know that if I had to, I could REALLY cut our food bill down by cutting out the extras, like chips, juice, etc. that I buy now.

-- connie in nm (karrellewis@aol.com), August 16, 2001.

When we were home there was 12 of us, a big help is menu's. Take you cheaper types of food and make recipes. don't like potato soup, slice and boil, when near done, a little flour and water to thicken, add margine, garlic,salt @pepper. Cheese if you have it. chili can be made using other meats besides hamburg, tuna or chicken comes to mind. just use small amounts of meat and add more staples like beans, rice and noodles. home made noodles are cheap and easy. Let the young ones help put together some menu's this way they are getting some type of meal they have a liken for. Hope this will be of some help, Lexi

-- Lexi Green (whitestone11@hotmail.com), August 16, 2001.

on the subject of kids that are picky eaters- don't offer them an alternative other than going hungry if they don't like what you make. Not to sound mean or anything but I've had to do that a few times and once hunger kicks in, they find out it's not so bad afterall. Quite a few times they'd then request the same things they were whining and disgusted over a week ago. Another thing I instill in my kids is they have to eat everything on their plate. After a few initial struggles it's now second nature and no food is wasted.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), August 16, 2001.

I shop the sales, esp the items on the front page of the grocery fliers. These are their "loss leaders" and sometimes are sold for less than what they pay for them. Rarely do I buy an item because I want to make a special dish. I usually look at what's in the pantry or freezer and decide what we are going to have. I usually spend about $25 a week for the 2 (sometimes 3) of us. That's for dairy and meat and whatever is on sale to help restock the pantry and soda and coffee for DH. I keep a list of items I am getting low on and then watch for them to go on sale. One of the chains up here, marks their meat down early in the morning if it is near the sell by date. I buy bulk packages of hamburger then and divide it up and freeze it. I always buy a package that is something less than an even pound. For example 4.75 lbs instead of buying 5.25. I divide the 4.75 lbs into 5 freezer bags. Can't tell the difference when you cook with a lb versus slightly less than a lb. The same store sells meat and cheese ends for $1.99 /lb. I shop at BJ's for bulk cheese, hotdogs, cat litter, mustard. I make most everything from scratch and am always looking for recipes for home made mixes. Also, we watch for going out of business sales to stock up on canned goods and shop Big Lots when we visit relatives. We also don't cater to kids tastes. Everyone eats the same thing or goes hungry.

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), August 16, 2001.

When the local supermarket was a Piggly Wiggly, they had a place in the meat display case for overaged meat products. However, when they were bought out by E.W. James they stopped the practice. I recently asked the manager what they now do with this meat. He said they put it on a tray just inside the cutting room and mark it down by about half. Those who know about it just push the door open to see what is available; however, they don't advertise they do this. What isn't sold after one day goes into the bone barrel. Ask the meat manager in your supermarket what they do with overaged meat.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 16, 2001.

P.S. This was told to me as a true story. Someone in the area was invited to dinner at the home of elderly neighbor on a small pension. The meal was beef stew over rice with a simple salad. A couple of weeks later they saw her buying Old Roy Beef Stew canned dog food - and she doesn't have a dog. When a friend stopped by here he fed Old Roy to his dog. I admit it did look and smell appitizing and the ingredients read quite well.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 16, 2001.

The people I work with think I'm completely daffed. When I went to work for this co. in Feb. I noticed lots of 'nut hulls' around, but couldn't find the source. Well, now it's August and I feel like a pig in **** , those are, really, I mean it...walnuts! The apples are pretty good, too. Seems this 'business park' was built on a former farm/orchard. I plan on bringing an apple pie to work, and after its consumed tell them it was from the 'parking lot'!

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), August 16, 2001.

I have a family of 6, kids are ages 8, 10, 12, and 14. They can really eat! I spend about $50 per week on average. This varies month to month as I have only spent $20 so far this month on groceries. We do the basics, like can and freeze anything we can get our hands on. Husband shoots a deer, turkey and fishes. Friends often give us beef or pork they have butchered in exchange for produce or home canned goods. I can at least 500 jars a year including ketchup, relishes, pickles, jams, apple sauce, really almost anything you can think of. One of our favorite things is to figure the cost of a meal. I try to make supper for less than $1 for the whole meal including drink and dessert, TRY it you'll be amazed at how many meals you can make. Don't waste anything!! I only use whole wheat, no sweetened cereals, lots of fruits and vegetables, little amounts of meat, buy only on sale. My kids are all healthy, slim, hard-workers and in excellent physical shape. One of my daughters has never been to the doctor for illness, one has been only once for an ear-infection, it all starts with wholesome food. You'll probably find that the less you spend the healthier you can eat.

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), August 16, 2001.

Kathleen, you said "how do i convince hubby to quit buying chips, ice cream and other junk?".

Well, can you get a moral commitment from him to contribute the same for everyone else - in cash? In other words, fine him the cost of the treats (or really get him to fine himself) - preferably once each for every other member of the family. If you can, don't spend it - or at least most of it - but save it instead. Spend a little on special treats (maybe just cinnamon and nutmeg to go on a home-baked pie; or brown sugar and spices to go in baked apples, or sugar and cinnamon for cinnamon toast, or maple syrup or honey to go on pikelets for when the kids get home from school (do you know pikelets?)), and give them to the others but not him (maybe while he's away, or before he comes home, so there's no argument). This is symbolic for the kids, of course - what counts is that they're getting special treats, rather than how much they cost. You might even serve the same things to everyone for dessert some days, but they've had a special extra serving. Those savings, if you can get him to spring the money, could make a big difference later on - just decide that you'll never use them lightly - only for emergencies, or for family members' higher education.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 17, 2001.

Kathleen, hubbies generally dont like when wives mother them, telling them what they should or shouldnt eat. So dont try to reform him. He will truely change only if HE decides to, as an individual adult. It's only simple respect to allow another adult to eat as they choose, without subjecting them to scrutiny. After all, you wouldnt like it if he would try to boss what goes into your mouth, would you?

I suggest that you simply tell him your concerns for the health of the kids, and ask for his help. Ask if he would mind supporting you in your honest effort to give your kids a chance for optimum health, by keeping his choice of alternative foods other than what you purchase, in a separate place, where the kids couldnt get to them. it could be a box with a padlock in his truck, or someplace like that where the kids wouldnt be able to filch his goodies.

After doing this for a few months, and watching your vitality improve, he just may decide to join you in your healthy way of eating.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), August 17, 2001.

I own a wholesale foodservice business and would like to comment on saving money on food. When you are buying in bulk you still need to compare the price per pound or ounce. Sometimes the prices are not cheaper in bulk. The stores sometimes mislead you into thinking they are cheaper. Look for a small, hometown foodservice business to buy from.They are usually happy to sell to the public. We have many customers who buy in bulk for their families.Almost any food product can be purchased in bulk.You just have to look for it.

-- Mary Jo (rank@gte.net), August 17, 2001.

Mary Jo is right. When a Sam's opened up in my town we all ran down there thinking we could save money. Well, I did the cost comparisons and NOTHING that I normally buy was cheaper than it would have been if I had purchased it at the grocery store either on sale or with a coupon, or both (which is the only way I buy). It was definitely not worth it to me because Sam's is was across town in an area I don't normally frequent, so it would require a special trip through traffic, etc. I'd rather watch the sale flyers and shop at the grocery. Also, I found that buying in bulk doesn't really work for me because I don't use things up fast enough and they tend to get stale. For larger families the benefits are much more useful. I'm sure there are deals to be had, but not on everything, as many people seem to think.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), August 17, 2001.

Kathy: here is another way to approach the problem of hubby and kids (have that same problem). Chips become a luxury item that is bought when on sale. We eat generic chips unless the favorite kind is just as cheap. I have been successful at limiting chip eating to when we are having sandwiches (that's when my family wants them the most). You'll have a mutiny if you lay down the law. Catch more bees with honey...

As to kids and taste--Everybody gets a meal or two each week that is their favorite (and that is made cheaply)When I make things that the kids won't like they have to eat it the first day. Hubby and I eat for several days. I'll fix them something cheap and easy that they like the next day while the adults have leftovers (mac and cheese and chicken nuggets--bought on sale only).

They always have to have a tablespoon of everything that is served to let them experience new tastes.

Beans are generally not the favorite of most kids. Will they eat refried beans that are buried in a taco? I snuck it in there and then graduated my kids to homemade nachos.

Hamburger helper is cheap and easy from scratch and kids and your husband will like it.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), August 21, 2001.

I got my kids started on beans at 2 and 4 yrs old by mixing theirs with brown sugar and ketchup and telling them they were 'candy beans'. It was a struggle to get them to eat them before that so I made a big deal out of it and proclaimed I'd give in and only give them CANDY beans from then on. They realize now beans have nothing to do with candy but they'll eat all kinds now. I try similar approaches with other new foods before I resort to telling them they'll just sit there til it's eaten.

I agree with the comments about Sams and Costco. The few times I've been in them I've never seen what I'd call a good deal. Better to just take advantage of sales at grocery stores.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), August 22, 2001.

The best "tool" for managing our food budget is menu planning. I plan menus for a month usually basing each week's menu on what is prepared for our big Sunday dinner. Roasts become stir-frys, baked chicken becomes chicken pot pie, etc., I also double casseroles and freeze for later in the month or the following month. DATE everything that goes in the freezer with the date to be used. We have beans & hotdogs every Saturday except the one night per month we eat out. We have at least one vegeterian meal per week, one "leftovers" meal every other Friday, soup and sandwiches the other. It's just the two of us and our tastes are fairly simple. I also can, freeze and dry anything I can and cook from scratch. Ever tried homemade potato chips? Delicious but somewhat time consuming.

It's also very important to me to know what prices really are so I keep a price book. I also keep an inventory list of what's in the freezer or on the shelves. Check out organizedhome.com for some really good information and forms (I love forms and lists!) for making your own price book, inventory lists, etc.

My food budget is $30/week. I buy cases of things when the price is right and date each can or whatever. Ask your butcher what is his best price if you buy alot of hamburger or whatever. Use coupons ONLY when it's on a product you'd purchase anyway or when the product w/coupon would make it cheaper than another brand. Forget brand loyality. The grocery stores are not there for your convenience; their main purpose is to make money - YOUR MONEY! I love to try to beat them at their own game. Don't forget rain-checks. When asking for a rain-check ask for as many of an item as you want, not just one.

Find a good book on making things from scratch. I make my own sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand), laundry detergent, pudding, vanilla extract, dog biscuits, etc. Sometimes we think these kinds of products can't be made at home but they really can.

Besides eating better and cheapers, there are no more mysterious "science projects" in the back of the refrigerator.

Wishing you enough.

-- Trevilians (aka Dianne in Mass) (Trevilians@mediaone.net), August 22, 2001.

Cook from scratch, be creative. Buy what's on sale. A freezer makes this easy. Someone mentioned hamburger helper...you can create your own. I only spend about $50/wk for 3 and that includes packed lunches. I used to have a Sams card but now shop at Save A Lot which is closer to home, no fee and just as cheap. It is alot like Aldis which we don't have in Colo.

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), August 25, 2001.