You KNOW you're broke...

when you're fighting a bag lady for a marked down, dented can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup in the discount rack at the store.

I went to the store today with $35 (that's AFTER putting $15 worth of gas in my car) to get SOME food (stuff I could stretch out into different meals), plus cat litter. Of course the cat litter was the most expensive $11 (Feline Pine). I was scrutinizing EVERYTHING (I don't really need to eat healthy, just sustain this svelte, overweight body of mine) I managed to buy a family pack of chicken boobies for $7.45 (so instead of eating egg salad for the next week, I'll be eating chicken salad instead :rolleyes: ). I came to the "discount" rack (dented cans, opened packages, etc.) I thought I had hit the MOTHERLOAD!!!! I wanted to 6itch slap this lady because she wouldn't let me near rack to get what I wanted. I had my eye on a mighty fine looking dented can of corn and string beans (to add to my soup I'll make) and was just about to grab them. GONE!! After struggling to get around this rather LARGE woman (I knew if I put up a stink she could kick my @ss) I gave up. I have a confession *hangs head in shame* though. I bought 4 Granny Smith Apples. $1.49/lb!! :eek: How DARE I waste my money on such frivilous necessities! I'll just have to eat my cereal dry, that's all.

I hate shopping!! $35 just doesn't go far anymore. :(

I can relate...i took my last $13 to the store the other day, and I made it out with a loaf of bread, a hunk of cheese, a package of tortillas, and some *ahem* feminine necessities. Lots of cheese sandwiches and quesadillas for me this week.

I know that feeling Donna (but luckily at the time I didn't have any furkids). I lived on spaghetti with butter. I'm surprised I can still eat it today I at so much of it when I was living on my own:o
Do you have an Aldis where you live? You could get a weeks worth of good grocerys there for $35.

Hopefully things will get better for you soon.

Its amazing to me what everything costs compared to an average income, I think my income is pretty good but poof its gone. I have 2 teenagers eating me out of house and home, I think I honestly spend around $1,000 a month on groceries at least. That doesn't include the occasional meal out or lunch money.

I remember back when I was in college, to this day I can't stand top ramen.

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Originally Posted by CathyBogart

and some *ahem* feminine necessities.

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That was probably half of your $13 right? Those things are so expensive now-a-days it isn't even funny, can't live with out em though. :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=CathyBogart] and some *ahem* feminine necessities. [QUOTE]


Chocolate???? :confused: ;)

Oh yeah, I know the feeling? As anna_66 said, if you have an Aldis (or Save a Lot) near you, you can really save some money. Take your own bags though, because you have to pay for theirs (unless you use their little boxes)

[QUOTE=RICHARD][QUOTE=CathyBogart] and some *ahem* feminine necessities.

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Chocolate???? :confused: ;)

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Well, that IS certainly a necessity!! :D

LOL! Not the necessity I was talking about, but definitely something I can't live without. Fortunately, my boyfriend bought me a box of cadberry eggs so I'm safe for a little while.

I try to do some grocery shopping at my local Dollar Club since they have a surprising amound of foodstuffs there, but sometimes I really just want something that resembles FOOD, you know? :)

I am in such a habit of shopping from when we had 2 kids and little money . I still go to the dollor store for canned and pastas (unless I make it)

Donna, how about making a huge pot of spagetti Bolognaise sauce, it's really cheap - and you can freeze it in little containers, enough for one meal at a time. It's also easy, you just have to boil the spagetti.

Don't buy already grated Parmesan, get a good chunk of it and grate yourself - that will also go in the freezer. ;) You can save a lot of money this way, and get better quality. ;)

This is also quite cheap. Make a lot of meatballs, you can also freeze those. Have them with cold potato salad. The meatballs are a bit time consuming, but once they're done ....

Corinna,

I also use the Dollar Store for alot of stuff. Why pay full price when you can pay a buck, right??

Randi,

I buy those Bear Creek soups and add stuff to them and freeze it. I've learned to cut corners since being unemployed. And I'm sure my furkids would be more than willing to share if they had to! ;)

When I lived on my own my system was this-

Take my budget and plan a meal, something that I could eat for a few days and then some other foodstuffs that I could use.....


I"d write the amount I had to spend at the top of my list and then guesstimate what I wanted and what it would cost to purchase that item(s).

As I went down the list I would subtract the cost until there was no money left...

The secret was to overestimate the prices.....

example,


A loaf of bread........$1.00

Then you look for the .89 cent loaf..

Two cans of veggies...... 1.50

Then look for .59 cent veggies....


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When I left the store I had enough money for a cheap hamburger fries and a coke.....


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CB,
You mean women need MORE than chocolate?

NOW I'm really :confused:


;)

Chocolate!!!! Damn! I knew I forgot something!! Doesn't matter anyway. I can't afford it. I can always open up my last envelope of hot cocoa and eat it, should I get THAT desperate for chocolate.

I hear ya babe. I've been eating ramen noodles and wheat thins for a few weeks now. But Kia's happy with her $20 dog food. :rolleyes:

Ramanth, Just be careful not to make yourself sick, they say beans and rice have a lot of complex carbs and proteins and if you buy a big bag of beans and rice its a pretty healthy way of eating cheap.

Aren't we a patheic bunch we'll eat crap while pets get gourmet. ;Hey Dugan can I have a bite of that kibble ;)

Kimmy,

Our pets eat better than we do!! I still crack up everytime I look at that avatar of Kia. You shoulda named her Cujo.

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Originally Posted by caseysmom

Ramanth, Just be careful not to make yourself sick, they say beans and rice have a lot of complex carbs and proteins and if you buy a big bag of beans and rice its a pretty healthy way of eating cheap.

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I was exaggerating a little. ;) I'm actually back on slim fast and that stuff really eats into my budget. But thankfully my future MIL shops at Costco and gets me the cheap stuff so it helps a lot. I snack on fruit, cheese, crackers, and yogurt (I buy when they are on sale) for snacks....

But I have tons of pasta and a few bags of the frozen boneless chicken. It's just inventing new ways to make those two items interesting. I do a lot of seasoning. *laughs*

But it's true. I pay top dollar for the pets and then what's left is what I get. I really make boxed and canned goods stretch...

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Originally Posted by moosmom

Kimmy,

Our pets eat better than we do!! I still crack up everytime I look at that avatar of Kia. You shoulda named her Cujo.

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She's my buck toothed beauty. ;) :D

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Originally Posted by ramanth

But it's true. I pay top dollar for the pets and then what's left is what I get. I really make boxed and canned goods stretch...

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You sound like me. The pets all get decent food ($30+ for food) which I buy first, my bills come second & I come last. lol

I think slim fast is pretty healthy, I lost a lot of weight on it once long ago...I remember walmart would have good sales on it. There is a forum on slim fast for support.

http://www.petoftheday.com/talk/show...ight=top+ramen


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I told this story once before....


3 tacos for 99 cents.....

Five dollars in my pocket.

12 tacos, mixed up some kool aid when I got home. and my stomach stoppd growling!! ;)

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Actually if you buy an Orange soda that makes the complete meal.

Taco = Meat (?) Veggies, Cheese and Grain (tortilla), orange soda?

The five major food groups!!!

I remember when I lived with my dad. boy those were some sad years. The dog got his $50.00 bag of Nutro dog food (3 months worth). Paid the min on the bills & then ate cans of tuna :( We didn't have enough for bread, cause we choose Milk instead. Lickly my group of friends at school, got sick of me eating a can of tuna & brought extra sandwiches & bought me stuff at the cafe :)

My sister was living on ick food, then she landed a decent boyfriend who was jobless. BUT they went grocery shopping at his mothers house :D My dad pays for her apt & mom pays for her bills, but they cannot give her much as in food $ so she had to be careful. Now her b/f has a job & hes making a decent $. So hes paying for 50% of everything & buying 100% of the food.. my parents are happy. & hopefully she put on some weight, being 90pounds or less is just SICK!

We both have tha same body structure, so she sould be about 125p & I should be 130p (I wish, I'm a bit chunky hehe)

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Originally Posted by JenBKR

Oh yeah, I know the feeling? As anna_66 said, if you have an Aldis (or Save a Lot) near you, you can really save some money. Take your own bags though, because you have to pay for theirs (unless you use their little boxes)

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Jen, there's an Aldi's right in Penn hills shopping center. I know all of the cashiers there! (My second home!)

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Originally Posted by david p

Jen, there's an Aldi's right in Penn hills shopping center. I know all of the cashiers there! (My second home!)

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LOL I know, there's an aldis in Greensburg and a Save a Lot in Gbg and Mt. Pleasant. They know me well, yes they do...