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I don't know about you but, I can't fill up my pantry anymore. I use to be able to shop for a lot of groceries - like 2- 3years ago. But here lately it's been very hollow and empty with few canned goods and a loaf of bread. I mean, I grew up looking into the pantry as a kid with stacked shelves of all sorts of interesting products. To a fat kid this was beautiful to me- lol. So, I'm a Mother now with growing children in the house and it's hard to keep food in the house yet I'm spending more money on food. I would love to grow my own veggies in the back yard but I'm in a neighborhood that sometimes has strict water usage. I would love to re- live the days when you could fill up the pantry with "good" products again. These days the packages are getting smaller and the prices are still going up. Any thoughts of how much money should a family spend to eat 3 meals a day and a snack at least??? What do you buy- honestly? When I'm in the store shopping and try to shop cheap- I get looks from others passing by. . .WTH. . .I'm trying to budget but as soon as I reach for a pack of Ramen noodles or cans of tuna - everyone acts as if I broke a rule. This is crazy!
Do you work? I didn't work (often) for 15 years when my husband was in the military. We moved--a lot. No one wants to hire you when they know you're going to move.
I shopped sales, clipped coupons, (it's no longer worth the trouble) cooked 90% of our food, always had something growing in pots or the garden.
The pantry doesn't have to be full, you just have to know what to do with what's left.
I don't know about you but, I can't fill up my pantry anymore. I use to be able to shop for a lot of groceries - like 2- 3years ago. But here lately it's been very hollow and empty with few canned goods and a loaf of bread. I mean, I grew up looking into the pantry as a kid with stacked shelves of all sorts of interesting products. To a fat kid this was beautiful to me- lol. So, I'm a Mother now with growing children in the house and it's hard to keep food in the house yet I'm spending more money on food. I would love to grow my own veggies in the back yard but I'm in a neighborhood that sometimes has strict water usage. I would love to re- live the days when you could fill up the pantry with "good" products again. These days the packages are getting smaller and the prices are still going up. Any thoughts of how much money should a family spend to eat 3 meals a day and a snack at least??? What do you buy- honestly? When I'm in the store shopping and try to shop cheap- I get looks from others passing by. . .WTH. . .I'm trying to budget but as soon as I reach for a pack of Ramen noodles or cans of tuna - everyone acts as if I broke a rule. This is crazy!
Why would anyone else care what you put in your grocery cart? That is silly, no one I know monitors what others purchase because they do not care what others purchase.
If you are buying "good" products you would not have Ramen in your cart you would have more fresh or frozen ingredients and less processed boxed items.
Why would anyone else care what you put in your grocery cart? That is silly, no one I know moitors what others purchase because they do not care what others purchase.
If you are buying "good" products you would not have Ramen in your cart you would have more fresh or frozen ingredients and less processed boxed items.
As silly as it is - I get it all the time. So much to where I thought it was one store- Wal- Mart @529/hwy 6 in Houston, TX. But, I stop going there for a few weeks only to go to HEB and the same thing. No one should monitor what you put in your basket and honestly it psss.. me off each time. I don't care what they have in their carts! I really would like to say something to the watchers but it's not worth it to blow up in the store like that. Just wondered if any one on the planet is going through the same thing?
Do you work? I didn't work (often) for 15 years when my husband was in the military. We moved--a lot. No one wants to hire you when they know you're going to move.
I shopped sales, clipped coupons, (it's no longer worth the trouble) cooked 90% of our food, always had something growing in pots or the garden.
The pantry doesn't have to be full, you just have to know what to do with what's left.
Yes, and I do understand the Military issues with moving. I was on the east coast for 4 years - Navy but relocated back to Houston and it has changed in many ways here. I spend about $ 1850 on food now for a 10 year old and 14 year old -boys. My daughter and I eat pretty lite. I know it cost a bit for boys as they are active but I can't see my self spending $2,000 to $3,000 on food. They are regular size boys. Me and my daughter are on the slim side. But, it's hard to stretch the money and still eat healthy.
I don't know about you but, I can't fill up my pantry anymore. I use to be able to shop for a lot of groceries - like 2- 3years ago. But here lately it's been very hollow and empty with few canned goods and a loaf of bread. I mean, I grew up looking into the pantry as a kid with stacked shelves of all sorts of interesting products. To a fat kid this was beautiful to me- lol. So, I'm a Mother now with growing children in the house and it's hard to keep food in the house yet I'm spending more money on food. I would love to grow my own veggies in the back yard but I'm in a neighborhood that sometimes has strict water usage. I would love to re- live the days when you could fill up the pantry with "good" products again. These days the packages are getting smaller and the prices are still going up. Any thoughts of how much money should a family spend to eat 3 meals a day and a snack at least??? What do you buy- honestly? When I'm in the store shopping and try to shop cheap- I get looks from others passing by. . .WTH. . .I'm trying to budget but as soon as I reach for a pack of Ramen noodles or cans of tuna - everyone acts as if I broke a rule. This is crazy!
The cheapest easiest vegetable to grow eventually becomes free in abundance.
Get free manure, they give it away in droves here (horse manure) buy some organic potatoes and cut the "eyes" out of them. Mix them in the manure. As they grow, and it is slow but it's free and healthy, before you cook them, cut the eyes out and toss them back in so they will make more potatoes. Eat the rest.
With little money start very slow but it will catch up and you will eventually have more than enough potatoes. A youtube video showed me this years back. Also buying a homemade laundry soap kit from ebay for $10 saved me hundreds per year. And it is the best laundry soap and dish soap. We replaced cascade, this is pennies per load. Those are my two biggest easy money savers. I make the laundry soap on very hot days so I dont need to cook on my stove, get recyclable containers free at the recycling center to use
The military has its own food stamp program. You may want to check to see if you qualify for the secular food stamp program, you never know. Online calculators can tell you. Good luck to you
Why would anyone else care what you put in your grocery cart? That is silly, no one I know monitors what others purchase because they do not care what others purchase.
If you are buying "good" products you would not have Ramen in your cart you would have more fresh or frozen ingredients and less processed boxed items.
So..... Are you saying there's something's wrong with Ramen Noodles? There are other healthy things I do put in my basket? The internet actually had healthy recipes for cooking with Ramen Noodles. So I'm not sure I follow you on that.
In the nearly 20 years I've been buying Ramen, I've never noticed ANYONE watch me. Do you think maybe you are oversensitive to people looking at you in general?
What you spend on food seems kinda high IMHO.
My advice is F the water ban! If it's a matter of 4 people staying healthy and not starving, i can't think of a more legitimate excuse for breaking a rule!
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Ramen, the college student's diet. Cheap but the problem is the sodium in the flavoring. As long as you use it in your own recipe, with some vegetables added and don't add their flavor packet, it's no less healthy than anything else. We rarely get more than a bag or two at the grocery store. Most of our pantry is filled from Costco. They have good prices for quality goods like multiple cans of tuna packed together, boxes full of canned tomato sauce, refried beans, large packages of pastas, to name a few. We also have a big freezer, and fill it with other great Costco items lie meat in large quantities, packaged in Ziplock freezer bags (also from Costco) and a few packaged prepared foods from Trader Joe's like pot stickers and Orange Chicken.
Do you have several grocery stores in your area, OP? I do not have a lot of pantry space, but I do shop the ads of 3-4 local grocery stores every week. I only buy things I know I use regularly. Someone always has the staples on sale, so I buy accordingly.
I watch for things like canned tomatoes and pasta sauces, and paper products to go on sale, but I still will only buy the brands I like. I do not use many canned goods, so most of my "pantry" goes into the freezer. My main aim is to go where beef is the cheapest that week. Each of these stores is within 5 miles of my house, so it is easy to shop at any of them.
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I mean, I grew up looking into the pantry as a kid with stacked shelves of all sorts of interesting products. To a fat kid this was beautiful to me- lol. So, I'm a Mother now with growing children in the house and it's hard to keep food in the house yet I'm spending more money on food. I would love to grow my own veggies in the back yard but I'm in a neighborhood that sometimes has strict water usage. I would love to re- live the days when you could fill up the pantry with "good" products again. These days the packages are getting smaller and the prices are still going up. Any thoughts of how much money should a family spend to eat 3 meals a day and a snack at least??? What do you buy- honestly? When I'm in the store shopping and try to shop cheap- I get looks from others passing by. . .WTH. . .I'm trying to budget but as soon as I reach for a pack of Ramen noodles or cans of tuna - everyone acts as if I broke a rule. This is crazy!
So..... Are you saying there's something's wrong with Ramen Noodles? There are other healthy things I do put in my basket? The internet actually had healthy recipes for cooking with Ramen Noodles. So I'm not sure I follow you on that.
Do you think maybe you are oversensitive to people looking at you in general? 
