ACMESkydiver 0 #1 February 2, 2008 Got the call last night...my sister in law, her husband, and their 3 teenage kids are moving in with us this Thursday (or thereabouts -they're driving up from OK). Some of you may recall that they spent 6 weeks with us last year over the Christmas season and then some. Things are a lil' different now...and money is incredibly tight and will be for the next couple of months (two surgeries coming up for the boys, blah blah blah, not bad, just tight). So I need ideas to feed 10 people with minimal money. Here's what I got so far: Taco soup. -Very filling, as it's more of a chili or stew, and inexpensive Spaghetti. -Hell we ate that at least once or twice a week last time they were here. PB&J's -The old stand by. Top Ramen -I know, that's not super healthy, but at this point we don't care so much. Chicken drumsticks -oven roasted & covered in BBQ sauce is pretty inexpensive. Macaroni salad -I make a big tub of this when they come. Salads -iceberg lettuce is cheap, so that's easier. Cheese is pricey, that's a lil' tougher, but I'll make it work! Costco/Sam's club for produce mebbe? We're not in dire straights...I just cannot afford the $450/week in groceries that we spent last time they were here. We had a 2nd mortgage to draw off of, and we don't have that any more. Joe warned them that it isn't gonna be fat living if they come live with us...& they said no problem... They will be looking for work and their own place to live. They're broke though so it will take some time for them to build up enough money for anything at all. I'm expecting 2 months minimum. PROS - WOO-HOO, free babysitting all the time!!! More PROS -Guys I am gonna BLOW THIS FITNESS UP, baby!! I am gonna NEED to get out of the house and the gym is but 2 miles away. And I can't afford any more junk food, so I'm anticipating losing a bunch more weight out of this! It'll also force me to get up at 5am and do my workouts if i do them at home...the only VCR/DVD player we have is in the living room, and I'll be damned if I have to do my step aerobics or Tae-Bo with an audience. CONS - Well, the obvious. Help! Ideas, please! ~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grannyinthesky 0 #2 February 2, 2008 Do you have a canned foods place where you are? We have Grocery Outlet's here and I've heard others talk about some called Dented Cans. You can really save money on things. You just can't always find the same thing twice in a row. I use them for things like frozen pizza, lunch meats, bread, all kinds of stuff, not just canned things. Good luck to you, but at least this should take care of the "I've got to pee" thing from the other thread "safety first... and What the hell..... safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy POPS #10490 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karenmeal 0 #3 February 2, 2008 Stir-fry dishes are cheap. Buy rice in bulk, big costco bags of frozen veggies, chicken, eggs, soy sauce.. A whole lot of soup and crockpot recipes would be good too. Baked potato soup, chicken and corn soup, bean/split pea and ham soups. You can get bulk bags of fish filets (tilapia is inexpensive and low calories), then blacken them using jar of seasoning or just sprinkle with spices that you have on idea, saute in pan, saute a bag of frozen veggies, serve with some potatoes or rice. Lots of casserole dishes.. I'm thinking of a tex-mex casserole I make. Take some pre-fab turkey chili, mix with some black beans, diced tomato, corn, onion, sprinkle with some cheese and pour some pre-fab cornbread mix on top Chicken baked in soup with some rice and veggies on the side. Do an omelet bar - eggs are cheap, and the veggies/fillings can be cheap. Home-made pizzas - making dough is cheap and easy - ingredients can be really cheap. If you want a healthy twist, add chicken, onion, garlic, kidney beans, brocoli and low-fat cheese. Hot dog-macaroni casserole. This is something my dad made up, cook some hot dogs and chop into bite-sized pieces, saute some onion, add some spaghetti sauce to the mix and serve with macaroni. I always loved this stuff as a kid. Quiche - sounds expensive - but if you make your own crust and use frozen veggies, this can be cheap! For desert - jello with canned fruit, tapioca pudding... This is how we ate growing up. I always thought we had good eating. All of these dishes can be prepared light. My mom lowered the cost of these dishes further by making some stuff from scratch (rolls, biscuits..) and always using frozen vegetables. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #4 February 2, 2008 Potatoes. Make a double bunch of mashed potatoes for dinner and then make potato pancakes with leftovers in the morning (just leave the leftovers in the fridge overnight). Bake 'em. Chop 'em up for hash browns. Put them in stews and soups. Cook big hunks of meat, especially ones with bones. Slice the meat as thin as possible. Use the bones to make soup later. One of our current favorite cheap meals is chunks of cooked chicken mixed in with cooked pasta shells in alfredo sauce. Add some canned or frozen cooked veggies to make it go farther, remove the chicken if it's too expensive. Tuna casserole. Meatless lasagne - go light on the cheeses, they'll never notice the difference. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
monkycndo 0 #5 February 2, 2008 Crockpot beans. Use dried beans and soak them. Cheaper than canned beans. Lots of fiber and protein. Did I mention the additional free entertainment in the farting contest. 50 donations so far. Give it a try. You know you want to spank it Jump an Infinity Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #6 February 2, 2008 Hunny, i don't know how you do it. With all you have going on, now you're gonna take on even more. My sister would make me live on the street if i was flat broke. You are an amazing person for helping out your family. As for cheap food, my faves have already been mentioned so throw in more votes for spaghetti, and rice dishes. I'm also a big fan of oatmeal and soup, but i realize most people don't consider them very filling. ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #7 February 2, 2008 Hosting guests is one thing. But as the saying goes, fish and houseguests start to stink after about 3 days. They might stay for weeks? With money being tight, why would you be expected to foot the entire grocery bill for the 5 of them for all that time? Even Okies should be able to understand that. Well, most of them. Oh, P.S.: generic mac & cheese in the box, and those little store-brand pot pies. In my college days I used to live on that for about 25 cents a week. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #8 February 2, 2008 Quote Hunny, i don't know how you do it. With all you have going on, now you're gonna take on even more. My sister would make me live on the street if i was flat broke. You are an amazing person for helping out your family. Quote No Kidding...I say a nomination for Sainthood is in order! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Superman32 0 #9 February 2, 2008 QuoteWe have Grocery Outlet's here and I've heard others talk about some called Dented Cans. I know you meant a store anmed "Dented Cans", but anyway, BEWARE of dented and/OR bloated cans. http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/379326 Inveniam Viam aut Faciam I'm back biatches! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grannyinthesky 0 #10 February 2, 2008 Quote No Kidding...I say a nomination for Sainthood is in order! I'll second that!!!"safety first... and What the hell..... safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy POPS #10490 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shell666 0 #11 February 2, 2008 Some nice looking recipes here http://www.thriftyfun.com/Recipes_Cheap%20Meals_$10%20Dinners_833_844_8044.html And you are a saint for taking them in! Hopefully THEY'LL do the cooking! 'Shell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grannyinthesky 0 #12 February 2, 2008 Quote I know you meant a store anmed "Dented Cans", but anyway, BEWARE of dented and/OR bloated cans. They don't actually sell dented canned goods, but overstocked and/or short-dated products purchased specifically for their stores. I know to forget about cans that are actually dented."safety first... and What the hell..... safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy POPS #10490 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jellob 0 #13 February 2, 2008 Do you use coupons? I could send you all the coupons from the paper here; I tend to cut all of them and then only use a few... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Royd 0 #14 February 3, 2008 Rice and beans. That ought to shorten their stay. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #15 February 3, 2008 Quote Do you have a canned foods place where you are? We have Grocery Outlet's here and I've heard others talk about some called Dented Cans. You can really save money on things. You just can't always find the same thing twice in a row. I use them for things like frozen pizza, lunch meats, bread, all kinds of stuff, not just canned things. Good luck to you, but at least this should take care of the "I've got to pee" thing from the other thread YES! It takes care of having to pee. I just went to Grocery Outlet actually. Yep, will be shopping there a whole bunch more...~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #16 February 3, 2008 Cool, great ideas, Karen! Thanky! I'll be jotting these down next time i'm heading out to the super market. ~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #17 February 3, 2008 Quote Potatoes. Make a double bunch of mashed potatoes for dinner and then make potato pancakes with leftovers in the morning (just leave the leftovers in the fridge overnight). Bake 'em. Chop 'em up for hash browns. Put them in stews and soups. Just bought a 15# bag. Baked potatoes are great, too! That's one thing my mom called and told me to do. I love your other ideas, too...another thing I learned from the very people that are coming to stay with us, as a matter of fact, is to use sharper cheese. That way you use less of it. ~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #18 February 3, 2008 It really isn't so bad! There are a lot of 'pros' to this particular side o' the family staying with us. Last time, they did so much remodeling on the house it saved us so much effort in caring for the boys! This time we can't quite afford all of those raw building materials, so that part will just wait. Oatmeal is great for breakfasts, too! I hadn't thought of that. Oh and I bet the Grocery Outlet has some cheap 'Bisquick' knock off. I can cook anything with Bisquick. ~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #19 February 3, 2008 Quote Hosting guests is one thing. But as the saying goes, fish and houseguests start to stink after about 3 days. They might stay for weeks? With money being tight, why would you be expected to foot the entire grocery bill for the 5 of them for all that time? Even Okies should be able to understand that. Well, most of them. Oh, P.S.: generic mac & cheese in the box, and those little store-brand pot pies. In my college days I used to live on that for about 25 cents a week. They will be penniless by the time they make it up here. I don't even know how they'll afford the gas...they have been living in their truck (not RV, not van, but an actual pick up truck with a canopy) for months now. They had to sell their house...anyway, it's a long story. They've been staying a couple of weeks here and there with various relatives... They are NOT lazy people. They'll be up at the crack of dawn fixing things and cleaning. They own a landscape biz and will just need to build up their clientele and money for a down payment/deposit for a place. That will take time, and they hadn't decided on a part of the country to settle in until just now. They want to be near us, and we're happy about that! And they aren't abrasive personalities, which is critically important. The other sis-in-law? I couldn't handle her and her kids for 3 days. ~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nessvegas 0 #20 February 3, 2008 Crock Pot Pulled Pork. PM if you want the recipe. Easy and inexpensive. _________________________________________ I married the right one......it just took me 2 times! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #21 February 3, 2008 Quote Quote Hunny, i don't know how you do it. With all you have going on, now you're gonna take on even more. My sister would make me live on the street if i was flat broke. You are an amazing person for helping out your family. Quote No Kidding...I say a nomination for Sainthood is in order! Speaking of sainthood, I just remembered that my mom bought me a cookbook and it's gotta be here somewhere called 'Fast, Cheap & Easy'. I brought it home and showed Joe, all excited...and he says, "They wrote a book about you, baby?" I'm all, "It's a cookbook. What are you talking...? HEY!!" ~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #22 February 3, 2008 Quote Do you use coupons? I could send you all the coupons from the paper here; I tend to cut all of them and then only use a few... Thanks for the offer, but I get all of the coupons you could imagine free in the mail. ~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shell666 0 #23 February 3, 2008 Quote Quote Quote Hunny, i don't know how you do it. With all you have going on, now you're gonna take on even more. My sister would make me live on the street if i was flat broke. You are an amazing person for helping out your family. Quote No Kidding...I say a nomination for Sainthood is in order! Speaking of sainthood, I just remembered that my mom bought me a cookbook and it's gotta be here somewhere called 'Fast, Cheap & Easy'. I brought it home and showed Joe, all excited...and he says, "They wrote a book about you, baby?" I'm all, "It's a cookbook. What are you talking...? HEY!!" Guess he married you for a reason! 'Shell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #24 February 3, 2008 Quote Crockpot beans. Use dried beans and soak them. Cheaper than canned beans. Lots of fiber and protein. I do love my crockpot...it avoids the last minute rush to get something in for dinner! And I have a great reciped for crockpot pulled pork as well...thanks for the ideas. ~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #25 February 3, 2008 Quote I brought it home and showed Joe, all excited...and he says, "They wrote a book about you, baby?" Hehe, i think i like your husband. ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
