Dear Tracy LateNightLeader, I'm glad for that great sale on all cereals, & glad as always that you can get the CSA produce, BUT with all that you need to buy this weekend, hope & praythat youcan make the $184 stretch through Oct 13th.  Love in Him, Deb

Now I am on milk and bread money for the next few weeks, we are down to $73 until the 13th. Our re-up was $551, and the produce for January and tomatoes for canning were $105, leaving $446 for the grocery store.  This is about $1.65  day per person for the food stamps. Luckily my pantry is full with items that are complementary and useful, I have tried since this summer, when the food stamp amount went up, to buy items I use a lot, canned fruit, olive oil, spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, instead of just canned vegetables, noodles, the cheap and not as fun food. This has helped a great deal the last two months as our amount dropped a lot. 

So far, it is working out great. I have used this week from the pantry- my organic canned tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, spaghetti, canned madarian oranges, canned pears, brownie mix, marshmellow fluff, chocolate chips- the last three for very good bars, tea bags, cream of mushroom soup for a potato dish, cereal, a few Vitamin waters. I have used veggies from the CSA that runs through December and is paid for the year, and herbs from my container garden on the patio.  The herbs came from the CSA.  From my freezer I used pizza, bread, and ice cream. 

This week I plan to use canned pumpkin, macaroni and cheese, canned beans, canned tomatoes, a few Vitamin waters, granola bars, snack bags of Cheez-its for my 5th grader who brings a snack to school, lots of good cereal. I bought 8 boxes of cereal, which seems like a lot, but we go through about 4 boxes a week. I bought 3 kinds of granola, fruity pebbles, cinnamon toast crunch, Annie's bunny cereal, Cracklin Oat Bran, and Blueberry Morning. I think we'll use half of those, I bought two big tubs of yogurt, two bunches of bananas, flour, sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, ginger, allspice, pizza, parmesean, two butter, sliced cheese, cheese curds, bagels, two bags of snack chips BOGO, and I have to finish using the apples from our tree. I am hoping to just get milk, bread, maybe butter, eggs, and cheese this week. We'll get the CSA box this week. I have yet to use a root vegetable from the CSA that you boil that apparently tastes like celery. It doesn't seem appetizing to me.  I also have potatoes, onions, garlic and some tomatoes left from the CSA. 

latenightleader:

I have yet to use a root vegetable from the CSA that you boil that apparently tastes like celery. It doesn't seem appetizing to me.

Tracy, is it celeriac?  If it is, check out this recipe -- Garlicky Root Vegetable Mash.

Deasr Tracy, $446 for 2 weeks ....  Hmmmm....  I hope you can make it w/o havign to shell out cash for groceries ....  Love in Him, Deb

Thanks Sunshine, that is the veggie that it is.  That recipe looks good, and I have some canned sweet potatoes, I will try boiling the one, and adding the onion, garlic, and canned sweet potato.

Deb, I have spent $373 in the last two weeks, stocking up on items like the cereal and baking goods, and just buying groceries.  We have $73 left.  I am still adjusting to our decrease in food stamps, but am very relieved and thankful to have them. I had to have my employer fill out a form and send in as I have the new job, and oldest dd had to have a financial aid officer at school fill out a form and send in, it is always a little iffy if and how much we will get re-upped.  In the meantime, I have lots of food on hand. Pantry stocking is my peace of mind. 

Yes, my dear Tracy, a full pantry is proof against the Winter ahead ....  Love in Him, Deb

Dear All, My fellow congregant brought me to Whole Foods this AM to shop for groceries.  My SNAP/Food Stamps EBT balance going in was $175.97.  My ending balance was $100.94 (I spent $75.03.).  I saved a total of 12.1%, 3.1% on sales, & 9% with coupons.  ALso, hte bulk figs & granola I bought is cheaper than teh pre-packaged kind, but I forgot to make the comparison.  THANK YOU, KATE, FOR HAVING TAUGHT ME HOW TO FIGURE PERCENTAGES !

I bought:

a qt of orange-mango juice for $3.19

a 8-packet box of organic cinnamon-apple instant oatmeal for $3.39

0.81 lbs of cranberry craze granola for $2.83.

2 qts of organic kefir (yoghurt drink), blueberry & peach, @ $3.99

salad (mache mix), 4 servings/oz, for $3

Celestial Seasonings green tea (20-count) for $3.49 -- decaf, but I don't care

Rudi's loaves of (i) multi-grain oat & (ii) light Jewish rye organic breads, 22 oz @ $4.49

organic Conadria white figs, 0.64 lb for $3.51

Tazo green ginger tea (20-count) $3

Amy Chun Pad Thai bowl for $2.99

2 Amy's Indian meals @ $4.99 (Mattar Tofu & Palek Paneer)

Amy's pot pies -- veggie & broccoli/cheese @ $3.49

1/2 gallon skim milk $1.49

5 small tangelos (1.67 lb) for $4.16

total of 12 Organic Valley string part-skim mozzaaarella cheese sticks -- 2 packages @ $5.99

2 small Bartlett pears for $1.49

qt Imagine sweet potato soup for $3.39

Yours in Him, Deb

Dear All, Walgreens has a great sale on Bigelow green teabags (the individually-wrapped ones, much better than Celestial Seasonings -- which I keep in a metal tin, but still "go" quicker than individually-wrapped ones) this week -- $1.98 each.  I bought 2, & saved $3.02 on my $3.98 transaction.  This was a savings of 76%!  My EBT balance going in was $100.94, & is now $96.96.  Yours in Him, Deb

 Deb, I so agree with you about the BIglow tea bags. They last much longer than the Celestial Seasoning. It is worth it to pay a bit more when we have to do that . Walgreens has good sales on them Babs

Thanks, Babs!  The powers that be on this Forum are having us make an effort to tag posts, so here comes a pllug for Bigelow teabags!  Love in Him, Deb