$20 grocery budget

[MrsManiac]

Okay ladies, put your thinking caps on! Our local food pantry is trying to come up with a plan to give a $20 voucher to the people that get their food from there. They want a few of us(myself included) to come up with a "menu" for a family of four using the $20, a box of rice, two bags of beans, canned veggies, and flour. (These are the types of things typically given out, depending on the items donated). I know, this isn't much info to go on, that's why I'm stuck! But part of their program is to help people budget their food and show them ways to stretch the amount they have to work with. So I'm looking for ideas (and recipes) that I can include. I haven't started yet--I posted here first lol--but will post my suggestions if anyone wants to see them. Thanks for any and all ideas!! I'm now off to search the Internet for ideas!

[Renee]

How long is it to last? I saw a menu list once on a web page for seniors on fixed incomes. I'll see what I can find.

[lawnangel]

Those big chubs of hamburg are around $5.00 and last through alot of meals, especially if you use less thenn you normally would so there is no waste and it stretches.

The only thing I could think of at the moment.............good luck.

[Hatvany]

I have coppied the list off and will work on the problem. I have some economical recipes that I will type out and send. Keep me posted on what you come up with. My husband and I are living on a very limited income.

Jackie S

[Laura Conrad]

Being on a limited food budget myself I have tried a few things for variety.

Mac and cheese with a can of tuna. spaghetti with sauce, I have also taken a can of tomato juice add a couple cans of mixed veggies a couple bouillon cubes, some noodles or rice salt and pepper to make a soup.

Have a great day

[allenlee714]

when i was totally broke i used to put one half bag of frozen veggies in with my boiling noodles from mac and cheese and then the drain and mix up as usual ..i got the cheap mac and cheese 4 for 1.00 im sure many other things can be added while boiling the noodles and mix as usuasl....like cut up hot dogs. cheap cooked sausage.....even spam cubed if things are tough, varieties of this can be got att almost any dollar store....another was just plain buttered noodles..even well off people like that....and some veggies on the side as for rice just make some up and add a bit like half can diced tomatoes and some leftover meat and mix up ...been there before too..believe it or not i ltill like these,,, put beans in the crock pot and almost double the water a bit of seasoning and low over nignt.no pre soaking or nothing and they taste like you slaved........god bless those who help others eat heres my prayer for food ... thank god for dirty dishes they have a tale to tell while others may go hungry were eating very well with home and health and happniess i shouldnt want to fuss for by this stack of evidence gods been good to us.....

[Houston-Mom]

Here are two of our cheap meal ideas

1 package (16 oz) of noodles (any kind of noodles work)
2 cans of tuna ( we use leftover chicken too. debone & go)
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of peas

cook noodles and mix all the stuff together and heat.

0.99 for noodles
2/ 1.00 for tuna
2/ 1.20 for soup
0.50 peas

$$$ 3.69 total!
This will feed a family of five with leftovers


Another idea for a filling side dish is...

2 cups (16oz) of elbow noodles
1 can of diced tomatoes
a little bit of sugar to sweeten

cook noodles and mix

Kids love these dishes. Even the picky eaters ;-)

Good luck
Houston-Mom


P.S. I had a friend that worked at W.I.C. and they have some good cheap meal ideas. You might check there.

[farmnurse]

You can do alot of things with burger meat or chicken and it usually is about the cheapest.
Recipes
1. groung meat
2. cook rice
3. mix together with a package of brown gravy mix or cream of mushroom soup


cook chicken in tomatoe sauce then mix rice into sauce.

[OmommyO]

My husband used to live on this before I introduced him to real food. I call it the poor mans tuna casserole.

1- 9 ounce can shoestring potatoes ($.99)
1 can tuna ($.39)
1 can cr. of anything soup (I like cr. mush) ($.39)

Put the whole can of potatoes on the bottom of a 2 quart micro casserole dish. Spread tuna on top of potatoes and soup on top of tuna. Cover and microwave about 5 minutes turning after about 2 minutes. Let set in microwave about 5 more minutes. I serve with peas. A meal for 4 under two dollars (in Iowa).

[catlady101]

I have a recipe for turkey, leftover you make it into croquettes and you use rice as a filler and fry. If you think would help, let me know and I will post it. I got it from someone who got it from WIC program I think. If you can get turkey on sale have it for one meal then make these it makes the turkey very economical. I also then use the carcass to make turkey carcass soup which is also very healthy and tasty. so nothing goes to waste.
Ruth