Comments on: Food Storage on No Budget

By: www.peakoilblues.com blog » Raleigh, NC Mom Wonders How She’ll Pull Through. Is it all in her head?

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:24:10 +0000

[…] don’t need a lot of money to begin putting away food. See Sharon Astyk, “Food Storage on No Budget,” who has done a lot of great work on this […]

By: peacemaker

peacemaker — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:47:07 +0000

Don’t forget salt and other flavorings. You can still cop condiment packs at food courts and workplace cafeterias. I’ve been scarfing free condiments for as long as I can remember. A survival tactic, like picking up aluminum cans, that I learned as an impoverished grad student. If you have any money, things like paprika, chili, garlic and onion powder to name a few are still dirt cheap unless you buy name brand. I habitually pick up a half dozen or so bottles every time I go to the pharmacy. Salt is still a bargain, and useful for many things.

By: Ani

Ani — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:18:49 +0000

Good thoughts-
re; food shelf/pantries- I know ours gives away beans, oatmeal, stuff like that in unlimited quantites most days as we get large amounts of it and most of the clients will not take them…….

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:49:05 +0000

Sharon - I so appreciate the focus of this post! I have seldom seen the understanding and careful thought surrounding food issues and poverty that is expressed here.

I’m a case manager/advocate whose clients are all people with disabilities and extreme income challenges. Thirty percent of my clients have income in the zero to $250 a month range, so there is absolutely nothing beyond a small amount of food stamps.

I invite you to check out our website - http://www.phpnw.org

Since so many of my clients have easily treatable illnesses (and very little, if any, medical/prescription coverage) as well as challenges eating 30/31 days each month, I’ve begun putting together a small booklet for them. It consists of recipes for inexpensive, healthy, easily prepared foods plus tips and ideas for maximizing their food stamp dollar and their nutrition - and hopefully building a reserve.
I’m even considering offering a cooking class or two. For those interested, I try to hook them up with a local program that offers help with anything to do with growing your own food (Growing Gardens in Portland, OR).

I’m low-income myself, by the way. And I love Bob’s Red Mill, which is local. I’ve purchased several grains, flour and rice in bulk from them. I shop the local grocery outlet for OTC’s, coffee, canned goods - and they now carry some organics. Hooray! And WinCo is great for bulk items.

During growing season, I supplement my small garden by buying produce on sale and dehydrating it. I’ve even been known to purchase organic frozen peas and corn on sale, and dehydrating those. When I cook fresh vegetables in water, I freeze the water in cubes and use them throughout the year in soups, stews, etc. (don’t do this with canned veggies - the salt content is too high).

I enjoy canning produce, and also put together my own “convenience” foods using “meals in a jar” recipes. I’d love to be able to teach my clients how to make and use meals in a jar. My thought is to organize a small co-op where everyone contributes and works together once a month in order to take home a supply of jars. Hmmm, guess I’ll have to start checking freecycle for jars, lol!

I guess I rambled a bit…but I want to finish by saying “Thank you!” for a wonderful post!!

By: knutty knitter

knutty knitter — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:58:44 +0000

One thing to mention. If you are cooking potatoes, leave the skins on and eat them. This will provide a reasonable amount of nutrition without the need to add more than the odd green veg.

I did a study on the Irish and the potato famine at one time and took the opportunity to speak to an expert or so and they told me that all the goodness in the common spud resides just under the skin and is usually removed with the peel.

So eat those skins!

PS I like mine sliced, boiled, drained and tossed in a little butter and chopped parsley or baked until crispy on the outside and split with butter, garlic and parsley.

By: Tovah

Tovah — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:14:24 +0000

This makes me miss the Bay Area, where I would frequent Grocery Outlet (and odd lots store) because they always had gluten-free goodies at rock bottom prices. Arrowhead Mills amaranth flour for 99 cents a box, for instance! I am a big fan of these stores but have yet to find which ones exist in NJ.

Dollar stores are great for some things, too.

Freecycle can work - and Craigslist. Though people don’t often offer food for free, if you place a “wanted” add you might be surprised what you get.

Letting people around you know that you need help is hard and embarrassing sometimes, but you’d be surprised at what people have in their pantries that they don’t need/want and would be glad to give you.

I am working on a massive article (will be posted at my blog) about gluten-free eating on a budget that I’ll forward you when I’m done w/it.

Also, ethnic stores (Latin American and Asian in particular) are your friend. So is relying on dried beans instead of canned ones, if you can make the time to cook them and have a refrigerator in which to store them. Bulk spices, too. The other thing with spices is you need so little of most of them that you might be able to just borrow some from a friend, or take a few salt and pepper or ketchup packets whenever you’re somewhere that has them.

By: Wyrdsyster

Wyrdsyster — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:04:59 +0000

Thank you Sharon for mentioning dumpster diving!I’ve done it many times.It is not as much of an economic necessity as it used to be,but I kind of miss it.
Much of what is available may include undesirable ingredients,but when you must this a good temporary measure.There is alot of good food being thrown away,don’t let it go to waste.If you can use it or know someone who can,go for it.

By: Jill

Jill — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:02:15 +0000

Great post! I picked up a 1 lb bag of lentils at Walmart for 72 cents and they sell for nearly 30 cents more at our local grocery. Don’t forget dollar stores - they can be a great place to pick up sunflower seeds and dried fruit for trail mix or to add to an emergency to-go bag. (they have cold meds, acetominophen, bandaids, ace bandage wraps, soap, hand sanitizer too)

By: Basia

Basia — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:58:59 +0000

if keeping to basic foods, like rice, lentils, beans, maybe we don’t need fridge? and save a few dollars this way?
And thank you Sharon for great blog:)
Basia

By: Leila Abu-Saba

Leila Abu-Saba — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:38:42 +0000

This isn’t dirt dirt cheap, but it’s frugal - I check the food aisles at my local drugstores whenever I am in. Around Easter they were selling flour super-cheap. They always have canned goods and pasta, and I look for specials. Of course I have to ignore all the packaged, processed crap, but they do sell canned fruit and vegetables, beans, proteins, pasta. Lately I’ve been acquiring $1 cans of lentil soup - I make my own lentil soup easily but I figure these are good for the earthquake supply kit and we’ll eat ‘em as “fast food” when there’s no time to cook. Tinned sardines are cheaper at the drugstore than at the supermarket. Pasta has been on sale, Barilla, at $1 a pound. Again, you can probably find cheaper deals if you are buying in bulk somewhere, but keep your eyes peeled and be aware of what things cost. If there’s a good sale, you can pounce.

Oh and re: multivitamins, I am sorry, I just don’t buy brand name multivitamins. I buy the drugstore brand (checking prices and nutritional amounts carefully) IF it’s cheaper. It doesn’t hurt to check the vitamin shelves even when you don’t need vitamins that minute, in case they’re running buy-1-get-1-free specials.

When it comes to the fish oil supplement I give my kid for his motor and linguistic issues, I only buy reputable brands who promise to have tested for heavy metals.