Hey everyone. So i posted awhile back being in a crooked transitional center that was basically starving us and taking advantage of people to make a profit but i still managed to use it as a spring board to get my own place and job from nothing. Well now my job had to cut alot of staff a few weeks ago due to demand changes in their products. Well i didnt have time to save much money in the few months working and getting out on my own.
I just secured a new job and start in a week but after paying mays rent i have almost no money left over in my account. Have literally 12 dollars to get by for the next month almost.
My fridge is almost empty and my local food bank is struggling to support the community. I can go every 2 weeks but usually dont walk out with much its depressing being so broke again after just escaping this and to be put back at square 1.
I have 4 eggs in my fridge, a loaf of bread, a little shredded cheese, 2 cans of tuna, and a 1/4 lb of dried rice.
I applied for SNAP but my income denied me idk if its because when i applied it was before my last check came and it screwed me but i am trying to appeal.
I need help on how to go about this next month. And maybe some encouraging words about me not being a total failure because ive been turbo depressed since all this happened.
Maybe recipes with what i have and advice on how to get as much as i can with this money in a small town with limited resources.
I have twelve dollars to buy a month of food. Please need as much advice as possible
byu/Xxitl inFrugal
Posted by Xxitl
26 Comments
Contact your local churches and religious orgs.
Get more rice and some dried beans. Panhandle, dumpster dive. Beg in your local community groups on FB, join buy-nothing groups and see if anyone is throwing out food. Shoplift depending on your personal tolerance. It sucks and you’re not a failure for being in this boat.
Rice, beans, rolled oats for oatmeal. Go to a food bank.
Were you in your prior position long enough to apply for unemployment?
Unethical but in a pinch it might work for a day or two but look for hotels that do free breakfast for guest. Might be able to get you a bagel/eggs out of it.
Find a local bakery and see what their prep schedule is and when they have to throw out stuff and maybe they can help with their discards.
having just gone through a similar situation, I wouldn’t have made it through without telling people in my life that i needed help.
my sister, and a friend of mine dug around in their cabinets and brought me a bunch of stuff.
our friends would love to help us but we’ve gotta let them know we need it first.
Can you get money by donating blood and plasma?
Is there any app about foodsharing in your country/area?
You are not our of options. I wish you all the best.
Do you live near any Sikh temples?
They will be happy to feed you some meals and possibly even help you with more!
It is a part of their religion to help those in need regardless of their religion or background.
Just make sure you follow proper temple protocols!
I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I know how heartbreaking it is to feel like you can’t get ahead.
The most common advice here is ‘go to the food bank’ and I know you’re doing that, but perhaps you can widen your search – churches often have private aid available upon request. My neighbourhood has a very friendly and helpful Buy Nothing group, and a request like yours would find groceries bought for you.
Failing that, how averse are you to dumpster diving? It’s controversial — and illegal in some places, so watch out — but so much food is thrown out every day from restaurants and grocery stores.
Do you have a car? Is DoorDash or Instacart an option?
Can you get an advance from your job? That’d help, if you think they’d be amenable to it.
Oatmeal for breakfast (not those packages of sweetened oatmeal, just plain oats). Rice and dried beans (you can find many great recipes on the internet). Big bag of frozen vegetables. Flour or corn tortillas, eggs, and peanut butter. You should be able to make all kinds of meals with these ingredients.
Maybe go to a local church? We have weekly meals in our church’s community center where the money raised goes to our mission trips but we would serve someone if they needed a meal. What about soup kitchens? Do you have places like this near you? These could also be a support place emotionally. I wish you the very best
Do you have a friends or family? I personally have a pretty well stocked pantry and would happily help a friend or colleague in need if asked.
I’d probably do:
* Dried Pinto Beans (2lb bag) ~ $2.50
* White Rice (2lb bag) ~ $1.80
* Oatmeal (Old Fashioned, 18oz) ~ $2.80
* Bananas (3-4 lbs) ~ $1.60
* Generic Peanut Butter ~ $2.30
* Potatoes (5lb bag) ~ $1.00
A bag of vegetables, onions and garlic too if there’s anything left over.
Breakfasts would be oatmeal/banana with a little peanut butter.
Lunch, anything (tuna you have) or beans over prepared rice.
Dinner: Potatoes cooked any way you want, garlic and onions + beans/veg
Sorry you’re going through this but that’s probably as cheap as I could imagine trying to live off of until you get assistance.
It’s harder if you’re in a food desert, but start with investigating if there are any other food banks or donation centers near you. You might get some decent supplies. Ask some churches in your area if they have any donations or can assist you. After that, I would focus on things that will be filling to help stretch what you have. Rice and beans are the easy ones, and you could easily combine them with what you already have to make some things. You could possibly pick up some cheaper tinned fish or eggs as well, budget permitting.
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Potatoes go a long way for cheap. People with chickens ofren have extra eggs. Trade a half hour of outdoor work for a couple/ few dozen.
That isn’t enough for a month of food, no advice I could give you would really change that. And if it is enough, so is $0. You say you’re in a small town, but can you get to one or more produce markets and is there a Little Caesar’s nearby? I was homeless for over a year after the 2008 crash and got probably 90% of my food dumpster diving at these places specifically. Subway often throws out a lot of bread too. If there’s a self service car wash you might find some change in the trash cans next to the vacuums.
Definitely rice and beans and oats then try to scrounge up some produce somewhere
Hi there, I’m truly sorry for all the trouble you’ve experienced. NO ONE should go to bed hungry and I’m sure there must be some good food banks and organizations to help you. You might want to apply for food service jobs in your area as many will feed you before or after your shift for a discount. I’m thinking and praying for you 💙
Food bank, then look at buying beans or rice
Rice and beans, food banks.
I hope this is helpful but there is an app called toogoodtogo where restaurants/grocery stores give out things for dirt cheap at the end of the day. For instance like they’ll give you a whole box of donuts for $5 or a grocery store will have a mystery box of sorts where there are random items. Most often they’re free and even if you have to pay it’s really less. You should check your app. Also, drop your venmo or something I would love to help out
My city has an emergency fund for its residents. It helps with all sorts of emergencies, so maybe you can contact your city or town hall and inquire about that, if they have an emergency fund also.
Good luck. You’ll start work soon and get back on your feet. Things can only go up from here. 💙
Lots of great ideas regarding staples. Cooking oil can stretch it out even further. 1000 calories of rice and beans greased up can double the calories that for less than doubling the cost.
Ask any of the restaurants of you can work some shifts for a meal. We had one manager that would feed anyone willing to wash out trash cans
Do you have any grocery outlets or dented cans type stores around you? Do you have somewhere with bulk food bins? I find bulk oats, beans, grains to be a little to a lot cheaper than packaged of the same items.
Any food not bombs groups? Buddhist temples that have free meals? Some church groups do too. There might be some proselytizing, but you could always just be noncommittal.
Just borrow a few cans of beans from the store
Or i know this one will sound weird. But check Facebook marketplace sometimes folks will be giving away free food ingredients. I used to see those a while back. Anyways.
But to budget out your meals as others have suggested.
Get oatmeal and get some dried legumes and rice.
Do you know anyone who’s moving or might need some odd jobs done for the weekend?
Or an extreme idea sell plasma?