The Budget Living Thread

redz_rule

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A big pan of casserole that can be batched and frozen is ideal if you are living on a budget because you can use the cheaper cuts of meat and a little goes a long way because the juices and nutrients from the meat infuse the entire pan. Home-made stock (for soup/casserole) using meat bones which can be saved from your meals or bought very cheaply or occasionally even for free (over here anyway) from the butcher, is incredibly nutritious and ensures that even if you cannot afford much meat you aren't missing out on vital nutrients. Don't cut the fat off the meat, it contains nutrients and will keep you feeling satiated.
 

LaFemme

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He won't be online (I think) til Sunday or Monday next week, so he won't see this thread. He recently moved, so he doesn't have friends or family around to help him (again, this is what I've gathered).

I don't know what appliances he has. If he just has an apartment fridge, he probably has limited storage for food & freezing. He does not have a job right now and I don't think he's ever been in this position before.

The nutrition info is really good, Petite. I hope he's able to use it. I wish I knew more about where he's living so we I could give him better advice.

Once when I was broke, I didn't have a fridge and only a two burner thingy. Swear I thought I was going to get scurvy! I did invest in dollar store vitamins.
 

Mem

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simply to eat.


So how do you survive on limited funds?

First of all you may need to downsize and if you rent look for a studio instead of a 1 bedroom.

there is eating to get food in your belly and eating what you want, there is a difference.

Top Ramen and those types of noodle soups are cheap, the ones that come in a package instead of a Styrofoam cup are cheaper.

Rice is cheap, add a cooked down chicken bouillon in water to give it some flavor. add some frozen veggies to it.

Pasta is cheap, Hunts makes 28 oz. (or so) cans of pastas sauce in a can for around $1 at Walmart.

Walmart sells their cheapest roll of ground beef for around $2.50 a pound. You can buy some beans and chili seasoning and make a large batch of chili and freeze the leftovers.

Canned vegetables are cheap. Walmart sells fresh carrots in a bag for $1.

Vegetable fried rice is delicious and cheap to make. With my recipe the Sesame Oil is the most expensive item and a small bottle will make many servings.

If you want a snack buy some Little Debbies. Or buy a cake mix $1 and frosting $1.25 with 3 eggs and some oil it will give you 12 servings. Walmart has packs of cookies starting around $1, so does Dollar Tree.

If you ever eat out use the dollar menu and bring your own soda to eat in the car or eat at home. McDouble (cheeseburger) and a small fries is only $2 plus tax.

Walmart white bread I think just went up a little over $1 I think, but it's a whole loaf. Eggs are cheap, sometimes Walgreens has them for $1 a dozen. Make yourself an egg sandwich for dinner.

Buy some PB&J, a whole sandwich probably runs at less than 50 cents.

Some Supermarkets sell fruits that seem over ripened or veggies with blemishes very cheaply, look for those too. Also places sell breads on the last sale date at a discount too.

Go apply for Food Stamps, some working poor qualify for it.

No one should go hungry in this nation with so much, reach out, people will help you and feed you.

Sometimes I think, ugh I have nothing to eat. I actually mean nothing I feel like eating or feel like making. In reality I could probably live for a month with the food I have at home.

It breaks my heart when people, especially kids or the elderly have to go hungry.

Ask your family for help, they would be saddened and horrified to hear that you may be going to sleep hungry.
 
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798686

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If I had your address I'd send you $5 for a library card :)
Awww!

A big pan of casserole that can be batched and frozen is ideal if you are living on a budget because you can use the cheaper cuts of meat and a little goes a long way because the juices and nutrients from the meat infuse the entire pan. Home-made stock (for soup/casserole) using meat bones which can be saved from your meals or bought very cheaply or occasionally even for free (over here anyway) from the butcher, is incredibly nutritious and ensures that even if you cannot afford much meat you aren't missing out on vital nutrients. Don't cut the fat off the meat, it contains nutrients and will keep you feeling satiated.
Nice pan o' scouse works wonders! :)

Great advice/help from Petite n Nudey too. :)
 

redneckgymrat

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Here's a good hint for you. My local supermarket (not Walmart, but grocery store...in my area, Brookshires) puts excellent quality meat on the clearance shelf, as its expiration date begins to approach. I've gotten steaks for $1, total, off that rack, when the opportunity arises. Ground turkey shows up a lot, too, as does liver. And fish. All my favorites. Ask the butcher what time of day the meat goes on clearance, and get on his good side.

Second, though I've never examined the cost of the electricity to run it, a crock pot is a wonderful way to cook food, unattended, all day, with no issues. You set it, and forget it. Even cheap cuts of meat come out fork tender, wonderfully juicy and flavorful. It's also great for rice, beans, vegetables, stews, etc. Fantastic invention.

And, third, off the top of my head, check with some local hunters or processing centers...they often have more meat than they know what to do with. One of my clients is a hunter, and when in the course of a conversation I mentioned that I hadn't had venison since I was a child, I walked away with 25 pounds of venison, in the form of sausage, roasts, and steaks. Feral hog is also particularly delicious.

Everyone knows the tricks with rice and beans. But, I admit it, I *like* meat.
 

aninnymouse

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I appreciate all the kind words, and advice. I'm doing OK, though free cash is hard to come by, and certain bills have just had to go by the wayside.

The situation is this:

My job stopped paying me back in November 2010. I toughed it out as best as I could, dealing with being consistently 2 + paychecks behind, and not getting mileage reimbursements for so long. However, I quit the job at the end of September of last year. I wasn't really doing well to start with, being frustrated with the job, and other personal matters going on.

After I quit my job, I had to fight to get Unemployment, which I did win the appeal for. However, I was having issues with depression and other stuff with family. Basically, my life fell apart.

At the end of April, I got put out of where I was living. Without a job, and with limited funds, I was a bit interesting. I had a couple comps for hotel rooms from my local casino, which I gladly used the first couple days. I spend a few days living in my car, until my unemployment came through for the next week.

Since then, most of my money has gone for rent expenses. I moved into a budget "Residential" motel. It's actually not a bad deal. For $175 per week, you get what basically amounts to a studio apartment. There's free cable, a dvd player and a phone; a little kitchenette with a two burner electric stove, microwave and refrigerator. I put most of my stuff in storage before I had to move, so I have all of my appliances. I have my crock pot, rice cooker, toaster and my Foreman grill. I have some money on an Amazon gift certificate, so I ordered a whole bunch of food, some pasta, beans, olive oil, and rice. I've spent my grocery money judiciously, and got some frozen vegetables, some meat, and other staples. I'm not afraid to cook in bulk and freeze stuff, so I got some options there. Beans and rice are tasty, especially with some meat like salt pork, plus an onion thrown in to season them.

Right now, my biggest issue is my lack of reliable internet access. I'm looking into a wifi access point that I can plug in. Then, I think I'll manage better. McDonalds and Burger King have dollar menus and free wifi, so that is a workable temporary option. I usually check my stuff 2-3 times per week. I'm not exactly comfortable looking at this site in a crowded McDonalds, as it would raise some questions, but whenever I can, I will poke my head in.
 

Dave NoCal

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Where I live people are always advertising for roommates in the weekly alternative paper and also at the local university. Usually you can share an apartment for $300-$500 per month. That's less than you are paying now and you would have a room and a real kitchen. Sharing meals can also save money as does sharing rides. It varies, obviously, but I have had some great roommates in my younger years and they broadened my access to potential resources.
When I was in my early twenties, I moved to Atlanta. I landed at some friends' home who kindly put me up and I resolved to ask every single person I encountered if he/she knew where I could get a job and a roommate situation. Those were better times economically but it took less than a week to get a job and about two weeks to find a roomate to go in on an inexpensive apartment.
 

rbkwp

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Cheers Annin
Glad to hear your getting towards making ends meet, persevere & maintain it hopefully.
Lady friend and i for several years in Australia, virtually got ALL of out fruit and vegetables from a Fruit Shop skip, only took the Italian owners several months to realize we were 2/3 xs a week regulars, they started directing us to items they had purposefully hid amongst there throw-outs.. just for us
Wonderful people, some rock melons etc, had No blemishes at all on them
We/She raised her 4 kids that way
Best
 
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798686

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Good luck inny, and sounds like you're making the best of a difficult situation, bud. :)
Thanks for the update, also.

This probably isn't of much help, but if you're ever in Wales, I'll shout ya a free lunch.
 

breeze

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I appreciate all the kind words, and advice. I'm doing OK, though free cash is hard to come by, and certain bills have just had to go by the wayside.

The situation is this:

My job stopped paying me back in November 2010. I toughed it out as best as I could, dealing with being consistently 2 + paychecks behind, and not getting mileage reimbursements for so long. However, I quit the job at the end of September of last year. I wasn't really doing well to start with, being frustrated with the job, and other personal matters going on.

After I quit my job, I had to fight to get Unemployment, which I did win the appeal for. However, I was having issues with depression and other stuff with family. Basically, my life fell apart.

At the end of April, I got put out of where I was living. Without a job, and with limited funds, I was a bit interesting. I had a couple comps for hotel rooms from my local casino, which I gladly used the first couple days. I spend a few days living in my car, until my unemployment came through for the next week.

Since then, most of my money has gone for rent expenses. I moved into a budget "Residential" motel. It's actually not a bad deal. For $175 per week, you get what basically amounts to a studio apartment. There's free cable, a dvd player and a phone; a little kitchenette with a two burner electric stove, microwave and refrigerator. I put most of my stuff in storage before I had to move, so I have all of my appliances. I have my crock pot, rice cooker, toaster and my Foreman grill. I have some money on an Amazon gift certificate, so I ordered a whole bunch of food, some pasta, beans, olive oil, and rice. I've spent my grocery money judiciously, and got some frozen vegetables, some meat, and other staples. I'm not afraid to cook in bulk and freeze stuff, so I got some options there. Beans and rice are tasty, especially with some meat like salt pork, plus an onion thrown in to season them.

Right now, my biggest issue is my lack of reliable internet access. I'm looking into a wifi access point that I can plug in. Then, I think I'll manage better. McDonalds and Burger King have dollar menus and free wifi, so that is a workable temporary option. I usually check my stuff 2-3 times per week. I'm not exactly comfortable looking at this site in a crowded McDonalds, as it would raise some questions, but whenever I can, I will poke my head in.

I don't know where you live but i think { never go to either place } that the libraries in both berkeley and san francisco have free internet access.
Maybe your local library has that too. I would hope most libraries do.