My grocery bill for February was $163.52, and included items like Cottonelle bath tissue, cheap Purex laundry detergent, Dawn dish detergent, Colgate Total toothpaste, store brand furniture polish and other nonfood items. I use coupons for name brands that I prefer.

Fresh produce included: seven sweet potatoes; turnip greens; two green peppers; celery; carrots; sack of regular potatoes; scallions; broccoli slaw; two cucumbers; sack of yellow onions; sack of Gala apples; sack of tangerines.

When I was working and feeding five children, I learned to cook inexpensive, healthy meals. Junk food and more expensive convenience food was not on the menu, and my children and I were not finicky about what we ate, either.

Today my main meal is pinto beans (cooked from dried beans and without pork), baked sweet potato with Smart Balance spread), fresh turnip greens with store brand extra virgin olive oil, milk, and corn bread. I have fresh or canned fruit for snacks or dessert.

I do not and will not skip meals.

There is no reason to not buy fresh fruits and vegetables, but they should be selected carefully for cost and storage. For instance, you can buy root veggies like potatoes, onions, and carrots to use all during the month; just keep them in a cool, dry place. Remember that apples and oranges last longer than bananas, Bartlett pears, and peaches. Frozen strawberries and blueberries will last indefinitely. Ditto with canned peaches, pears, applesauce and pineapple.

Here are some other tips:

1.Use store brands. Use store brands. Use HEALTHY store brands!!!
2.Find out which days are best for store specials, especially meats. Freeze or use right away.
3.Use coupons for brand names that you prefer.
4.Use powdered milk and canned milk in your cooking, or make up powdered milk for drinking, instant store brand puddings, a cocoa mix and cereal.
5.Wrap fresh celery (not more expensive celery hearts) in a paper towel, then aluminum foil to remain fresh longer
6.Or buy pkgs of frozen celery and onions or green peppers and onions to flavor soups, casseroles, or meat loaf
7.Purchase dried beans, pasta, and rice, store brand
8.Eat more vegetarian meals. Dried beans, eggs, cheese, and peanut butter are other good sources of protein.
9.Use a minimum amount of hamburger in chili beans and spaghetti sauce (canned, store brand). Chuckeye steaks are just as tender and cheaper than rib eyes. Round steak is good for your Swiss Steak recipe.
10.Purchase chicken thighs and drumsticks instead of whole chickens or breasts for chicken ‘n dumplings, chicken casserole, or chicken soup. Purchase in bulk and divide for several meals. Fried or baked chicken livers are delicious with rice and canned green beans.
11.Freeze and save leftover chicken or beef stock for soups and casseroles.
12.Cook soups and casseroles to make food go further—chili beans, cream of potato soup, corned beef hash, chicken casserole, Hamburger Helper type meals, 15-bean soup, vegetarian vegetable soup, salmon patties, chicken or tuna salad, chipped cream beef w/toast
13.Purchase canned meats whenever possible—corned beef, dried beef, canned chicken, canned tuna, canned salmon
14.Bake your own bread. Buy self-rising flour and corn meal to make biscuits and corn bread. Use leftover breads to make that chicken casserole.
15.Or purchase bread products at bakery outlets.
16.Grow your own fresh spinach or lettuce, chives or scallions, and herbs, in window boxes and tomatoes and peppers in planter pots.

One does not have to be on Food Stamps to learn to keep a food budget. There is no reason to not eat healthy meals and snacks on a limited income. A single adult can easily live on $176.00 worth of food per month.

Back in the day when I was living on next to nothing, I fed two adults on $80 per month– which is $180 per month in today’s dollars. THAT’S **TWO** people for $180 per month!!! Granted, we ate a lot of beans and rice, and the vegs were mostly canned, but basic nutritional needs were met and we were never hungry.

There needs to be a program to teach people how to shop wisely and cook from scratch. The money is not the real problem. Lack of wise use of it is.

As I was reading the comments a variety of thoughts crossed my mind. I am sure many people, including myself, can relate to having even less than $175/month to use for food. One year Lipton pasta in a bag became a staple in my house and that was splurging. I wasn’t in college anymore and actually had a pretty good salary, but that was what I could afford with all of my other household expenses. Well, times have certainly changed and in so many ways have gotten far worse than 10 years ago. Mortgages have skyrocketed with inflated interest rates causing foreclosures. Gas prices were through the roof not too long ago. People are forced to make even tougher budget decisions now than they may have had to do before. Of course we do what we have to do to survive. But what happens when that isn’t enough anymore? So yes, many individuals can eat on $175/month, even a family. But should they have to? What about increasing the funding for SNAP to increase the amounts allotted? Other questions I have been pondering today.

I also began thinking how this issue can be seen as an opportunity for Americans to watch their spending, especially when it comes to eating out for convenience. The truth is eating at home is more nutritional, saves money and families can spend more time together. In this current economy, it would benefit each of us to take a look at our budgets, see where we can cut spending and add more to our needs and savings. I believe we each have a role to play to in this economy and there are many things we can do individually to help improve it. It’s up to us to decide what that will be.