We are very lucky to be living rent free right now especially with very little money coming in. We are trying to save enough of our money to make sure we can secure an apartment. In the mean time though we still have to feed a family of 6.
I have always been a bargain shopper on most things, but not on food. Food has been an indulgence. Our grocery bills last year were about $1000 to $1200 a month. We are now comitted to spending less than $15 a day for the entire family. This is being done by looking for specials, making enough for two meals, shopping every two days (so we don't feel the need to stock up), and eating the cheapest possible foods. I am not a fan of unhealthy box meals but Mac and Cheese, and Ramen are really cheap. Today we had Krispy Kremes for breakfast (a really nice gift from my sister in law!) otherwise it would have been cereal and milk, lunch will be Ramen (5 packs at 18cents a pack), and dinner will be rice, beans, and ground turkey (which will have leftovers and be a meal tomorrow. The kids get half of an apple or orange with each meal, and we try to add carrots to most meals. Veggies and meat seem to be the expensive items. But buying things whole and doing the labor intensive work, like peeling or chopping, saves money. By following these steps I think I can drop our food budget down to the $300 to $450 range.
I am so grateful that we have a warm place to stay, and shower, and relax. I am also so happy to be surrounded by Mountains again. The stress I feel is minimized by the beautiful surroundings, and caring family members. I wish we could have gone home to Montana, but this is a nice second choice. My husband is already working and I should start work tomorrow. This has been a really positive experience.
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