Dear Luvd_Lioness & Tracy, REmember that I told you about that CA ddrought months back?  It is affectiing dairy &  produce prices now.

Dear Tracy, I'm gla d  that you received a t  least soooe of the FOod Stamps to which you were entitledd!

Love inHim, Deb

 Deb and LL,

I am finding the produce on sale is getting more and more discounted, as the stores try to keep "sale prices' for the fruit ad veggies that, as Deb said, are in lower supply due to the weather. The grapes this week are 99 cents, marked down from $2.49.  You can save quite a bit by only buying the produce on sale.

I am buying almost all sale items, it is helping stretch those dollars.

Yesterday- BOGO bread, apples,  Also butter, milk, some lunch items. Need to go back for cheeses and some cash household items.  

Am I correct in assuming this thread is for support in stretching our monthly SNAP allotment? My family is currently alloted $891 though I received a Notice of Action that it will go up to $908 next month.

The EBT card is added to on the 8th of each month. We actually started this month with $1500 and change. When we applied back in June, we qualified for expedited food stamps, but they did not give them to us until the 8th, so we seem to always have a lot left over at the end of the month.

It isn't likely to change, as I'm still spending it rather frugally. I make most of our bread from scratch. We followed the Hillbilly Housewife's $70 menu for the longest time before we applied for aid.

I look forward to getting to know all of you.

Dear MelissaSue Irish Mom, Welcome!  And you have indeed come to the right place to discuss how to stretch SNAP/Food Stamps.  That is, you've come to teh Food Stamps forum..  I'm starting a new thread for you specifically on how to stretch those dollars.  The thread you're on is a montnly thread in which we discuss how we spend the EBT, not so much how we stretch it.  Yours in Him, Deb

Dear Tracy, You are doing well indeed to only buy things on sale.  I try to do the same, plus I try to double-play a sale with a coupon.  When I list my purchases, I don't indicate either, but I should do so & will from now on.  Thanks for hte lesson!  Love in Hiiim, Deb

Welcome IrishMom! You must have a large family?!

I started out at $205.06... and due to the fibro flaring, I just went to 2 stores.

Store #1:

• 2 boxes of wheat thins 2/$4
• kashi granola bars 2/$5 (-$1 coupon)
• chex mix bars $2.59 (-.60 coupon)
• store brand pickles $2.50
•  24pk of "eco friendly" water $2.89
• fiber 1 bars $2.79 (-.40 coupon)
• 3 boxes of rice krispy treats 8ct 2/$3
• 8oz pepperoni $1.89
• 5# russet potatoes $1.99
• 3# of local apples $2
• "green machine" juice $2.39
• 1.17# of tomato @ $1.19/lb ... $1.39
• 3 bananas @ 1.18# @ 49c/lb ... $.58
• pkg of dole celery 89c
• 5 ears of corn 5/$1
• 8oz kraft parmesan cheese $2.99
• block of cheddar cheese$3.44
• block of mozz cheese $5.09
• 32oz of dannon light yogurt $2.25
• 2 old orchard lemonade @ 79c each
• 2 12pk of generic soda @ 2/$5
• 5 bottles of sobe life water @ 99c ea
• 6 bottles of vitamin water @ 99c ea
• 3 pkg of lemon lime koolaid mix (for dishwasher) 13c each
• 2# popcorn $1.69
• milky way fun size $2.50 (keeping in freezer)
• breyers lactose free ice cream $3.49

I found that 3 of the normal items I buy were a little more expensive here than when I shop at Walmart. But didn't want to add another stop.

 

Store #2:

had great coupon deals as long as you spent extra $5 ... I did and forgot to get the normal weekly add involved, could have gotten more but was too tired by the time I was checking out... I have enough though

• 2 cans of hunts spaghetti sauce 68c (w/ coupon)
• 2# box of generic spaghetti noodles 98c (w/ coupon)
• stone ground honey wheat bread (natures pride) $2.69 ($1.10 in store saving)
• family size pkg of chicken drumsticks $3.98 (w/ coupon)
• 1 onion 80c
• iceberg lettuce bag 68c (w/ coupon)
• 2 grapefruit juice $1.75ea (-14c in store saving)
• ore ida fries $2.49 (-70c in store saving ... pay normally $1.87 at walmart though)
• 3pkgs of 8oz shredded cheese @ 98c each (w/ coupon)
• tropicana 64oz oj $3.29 (-.40 in store saving)
• 15 cent credit for bags

Balance is now $109.34.  I told my friend who went and got me 3 more cheeses and spaghetti noodles that I will pay him back (the coupons were mailed so really one per address), we're going to do a papa murphy's pizza and watch a movie sometime OR I'll buy some fruit for him when he is home.

I finallt get to use this thread!! My family gets $432 in food stamps, and we got our Aug. pro-rated benefits in our starting balance as well, giving us a starting balance of $792. I went to Wal-mart on a small trip because we were out of milk, plus I wanted to be sure the card would work correctly before I had a whole cart full of groceries, just to be on the safe side.

So anyway, Starting balance $792, ending balance $778.54

 

I bought:

2 gallons of milk @ $2.19 ea.

2 boxes of scalloped potatoes @ $1.66 ea

4 cans of Cream of chicken and mushroom soup @ $1.88 ea

Total: $13. 46

 

I don't normally buy that soup very often, mainly only when we are sick because it is our favorite then. Normally I wait until someone is sick to go get it, but with it only being me now, I can't leave a sicky home to go to the store, and I don't like taking them to the store unless absolutely necessary if they are sick. So, it is better to have it on hand. We were completely out of milk, so that was a must buy, and I just had a craving for scalloped potatoes as part of supper last night, I had everything else in the pantry.

Luvd_Lioness,

Yes, we are a family of 7 (my husband, me, and my 5 children). I'll post more later on today after I go to the store for a small bit of groceries.

Deer Lissalue, Doesn't it feel good when you 1st discover that the EBT card really DOES work!  Yorus in Him, Deb

Dear Irish Mom, Looking forward to posting with you & many other participants oo your saving Food Stamnps EBT thread!  Yours in Him, Deb

Dear Luvd_Lioness, A thrifty shopping trip as always!  Love in Hiiim, Deb

It really does Deb! I tend to have a healthy distrust of all things electronic, debit/credit cards included, so when it said "approved" it was such a huge relief.

I had to make a quick trip today because my two older kids had helped themselves to my youngest daughters juice boxes for preschool. So, since I didn't have any to pack in her lunch today, we made a quick run.  

My starting balance was $778.54. I bought:

2 packs of Fruitables juice boxes @ $2.98 ea.

1 Generic Cherry drink mix @ $2.28 

1 generic "Tang" drink mix @ $2.41

Total: $10.65

Remaining balance on card: $767.89

We are not big juice or kool-aid drinkers normally, usually just milk and water and I drink tea. But, I am trying to cut out caffeine, eventually ending at just drinking milk and water myself, and with cold/flu season coming up it is good to have other drinks on hand as well. Also, it is much cheaper for the kids to have a pitcher of drink mixed up for them than to have them drinking the more expensive juice boxes that I only buy to send to preschool.

I really like having this accountability. I don't think I will always explain my purchases like this, but for now, as I am getting used to this, it is helping me not to just buy because I can, if that makes sense. I want to be a good steward of what has been given to me, no matter where it comes from, so i want to spend wisely. his is really helping me to make sure I am doing it for the right reasons, or at least mostly.

I am pretty stocked up on food at the moment, and we aren't going ot be here much this weekend, so I am saving my big shopping trip for next Tuesday. We aren't eating supper at home againn until Sunday night, and I have lunch and breakfast stuff for the weekend, so I am comfortable right now.