Went to the store today, used the last of Oct foodstamps plus $47, but part of that was for two thermoses for hot lunch food at $5 each, hair clips for $5.50 and leaf bags for $5.  It is so nice to have a little money for things we can use.  

Bought cheese for nachos for dinner, a brownie mix (made tonight) and a cake mix for 88 cents each, sugar on sale, two cartons of ice cream on sale, bread, butter with canola oil, cashews and almonds for dh to bring with him, a few vitamin watres for my college student for a treat, cereal, juice, milk eggs, brown sugar, banans, grapes on sale, lots of the basics stocked for the week.  Will need milk, might go to Aldi/'s when I get reupped to get baking supplies and some pantry items.  

Card reupped on the 13th.   

Dear Tracy, It hurts my heart when you have to pay out-of-pocket for groceries ....  Love in Him, Deb

 Deb, no worries!  We got a regular paycheck!  One more regular, then one small, and then it should be uphill from there.  I will be happy to be self-supporting again, and am very appreciate of what the government does with food support, it was amazing to be able to grocery shop while very broke. I think two more months of food stamps.  Thank you so much for being supportive of us getting them, we are much healthier and happier having had them.  Food shelf cans are not a complete or healthy diet. 

Hope you have a nice shopping trip today, I like the look of glass containers of food. Red lentils, green dal, what else are you buying?  

Dear Tracy & All,

First, I went to Cala, & found a 14.5 oz can of Hunt's stewed tomatoes for 45cents.  My EBT balance was $99.07.  After this purchase, my Food Stamps balance was $98.62. 

At New India Bazaar, I bought 5 kinds of "dals," "pulses" that are legumes that have been split.  I bought a kilo or 2.2 lbs of each.

I bought masoor dal, which is rather like my favorite red lentils, but even tastier.

I bought mung/moong dal -- the kind of bean sprouts that Chinese recipes use are mung bean sprouts.

I bought chana dal, which is split chickpeas/garbanzos.

I bought toor dal, which is split pigeon peas (a legume that is also used in foods from the Carribean region).

And I bought urad dal, which is split "black grams," -- NOT black beans.  Urad dal is often used as a spice instead of as a main ingredient.

I spent $21.47, & I have remaining in my Food Stamps EBT account $77.15 to December 1st.

Dear Tracy, Why, I didn't realize that you could really afford to buy that food!  May the Good L-rd be praised!  Love in HIm, Deb

Dear All, I shopped @ Walgreens for loss-leaders this morning.  Going in, I had $77.15 on my Food Stamps EBT card. 

I bought 3 packages of baking soda & a carton of salt for a total of $2.  I bought 3 cans of Libby pure pumpkin puree @ 99cents.  And I bought a very rare treat, 8 oz of pecan halves for $2.50.  (I'll mix them with walnuts, to stretch).  I spent $7.47.  I have remainng until Dec 1st $69.68.

Yours in Him, Deb

On the 13th, I was reupped for $393, a nice surprise, since I thought it would be $342.  I bought 2 frozen pizzas, three kinds of cheese, and a gallon of milk that day, for about $20.  Today I went and got veg oil, powdered sugar, ginger ale, eggs, bananas, powdered donut holes, cocoa, marshmellow fluff.  Not a very healthy cart.  I spent about $23, so have about $350 left.  

I received in the mail a card for 10% off all groceries through January 2009 at one of my favorite stores. I used it today, it works with food stamps.  You can bet I'm going to be combining that with my coupons to get some good deals. 

Back to the store today- pizzas, milk, spaghetti sauce.

Wow!  Tracy, Number One -- being upped for Food Stamps by $51 -- that's serious money!  Number Two -- getting a 10%-off gift card good for more than 2 months!  G-d is whispering His love.  Love in Him, Deb

 They are very great blessings. 

Have ben to the store several times, bought bagels, cream cheese, milk yesterday.  We had bananas, I got coffeee creamer.   We are enjoying some of our favorite foods, but I need to start being more frugal with the stamps now.  I will get some bread today, and more bananas. 

LL said to greet people on the forum, I will post that here to start with.  She is not online much these days.