Resources for food
18 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Budgeting
Just because you’re struggling, doesn’t mean you can get food stamps. My mom tells about a time when they needed some help but because they had two old vehicles, they were denied. Here’s some options for you. Mama always said, “Beggars can’t be choosy.” So we can’t be proud or picky when we are in need.
WIC – It stands for Woman, Infants and Children. It is a program that provides nutritious food to women who are pregnant, infants and children up to age 5. Exceptions are made for older children if they are underweight, I believe. It doesn’t provide all that you need but it definitely helps. They have so many options now with added fruits and vegetables, corn tortillas, brown rice or wheat bread and even lactose free milk which is fabulous for dairy-sensitive kids like mine.
Food pantries – If you are going through a health issue that is adding expenses and cutting income, these ministries are very helpful. Don’t forget these ministries when you are doing well. Every donation helps!
Gardens – I am going with no-till and container gardens this year. A package of lettuce seeds will provide a lot more salads than the same money spent on salad greens. I’m gonna grow potatoes in containers so that I can slowly add compost as they grow so there’s not a big up-front cost. I’ll spread that compost out after harvest and be ready for tomatoes, peppers and squash. Small spaces can be used with clever ideas like pallet gardens, shoe organizers and gutters. Search Pinterest for some ideas.
And if a garden is not something you can tackle, try trading work with a gardening friend or neighbor for a share of the produce. Larger productions will allow you to glean from their fields. We have lots of sweet potato farmers nearby. You can get imperfect or cut sweet potatoes for little of nothing. Find out about the local agriculture where you live.
Our kitchen – One of the most under-utilized resources is our own kitchen. Very few of us have truly bare cupboards. Take inventory of your food in your freezer, refrigerator and cabinets. Search for recipes to use up those ingredients. This will free up more of your grocery budget to buy in bulk to make your food supply last longer and longer.
Don’t forget your leftovers. Send them with your husband for his lunch at work. Freeze them if you can’t use them up before they ruin. Plan out the use of big cuts of meat. I have a ham that I’ll be cooking this week. We’ll have one leftover meal, a few lunches, Quiche Lorraine and a few omelets. From a 10 lb ham bought for about 8 dollars, we’ll get about 25 servings. You can’t beat that!
When checking recipes, look at several different version. Sometimes, you can make a perfectly suitable alternative with what you have on hand rather than having to add ingredients to your shopping list. I had an example this past weekend. I was making a cupcake mix that was hidden in the pantry. I wanted to frost it but I didn’t have what I needed for my usual frosting. I found a fudge frosting recipe that used cocoa, sugar, milk, margarine, corn syrup, conf. sugar and vanilla. It was delicious. Twelve cupcakes didn’t even make it 24 hours in the house between the five of us.
