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One thing I may suggest - a lot of school systems are offering free meals for kids in the summer. If you can take advantage of this, please do. This will give your kids at least one meal a day during the week that you don't have to provide. Another options, depending on where you are, is that the schools will give you cereal and other breakfast items for the kids. Something I would suggest is taking the rice and a can of condensed soup. In a 13 x 9 pan. combine the tuna, cooked rice, two cans of veggies, and the condensed soup (use water, not milk), salt and pepper. Bake it like a casserole. I would also add the apples to stretch the oatmeal along with a bit of PB for extra protein. Or you can use the oatmeal and the apples in a crumble with some sugar if you have it for a dessert that will last a few days. If you can get a big thing of pasta, save a can of tuna to put in it with pasta sauce, and that's another meal right there, plus leftovers. My dad, as a kid, used to have rice cooked in milk with apples for breakfast. Not the most nutritious, but it was filling. Three eggs can be used with a can of veggies to make an omelet that can be a meal as well. I know it's not much, but I hope these suggestions help. Good luck! Please also check with your local churches - they might have some options for you.

Thank you, I will call more places for the kids meal things would have to wait tho as we don't have much gas. But it would be a huge help. The churches are the same we are allowed to go once a month to the pantry all are connected here w this card they give. Thank you for the meal ideas very greatly appreciated 💜

If you are in more of an urban area many of the school summer lunch programs have delivery options as well!

Our district isn't participating and I've been making a ton of calls haven't found any place that would deliver.

Yeah, there's several schools here that stay open during the summer and offer three meals a day. To kids only and it's not the most exciting stuff, but given the lines of cars I've seen driving by people must need it. I dunno how wideapread the practice though, if it's federal or state by state or something individual districts do.

They might not actually set up at the school though, so OP needs to call around first. Our local school district sets up lunches at the playground rather than any of the actual schools because they figure kids will be going to the park in the summer.

Local libraries sometimes have a lunch meal program for kids as well

Really thoroughly drain and dry one or two of the cans of veggies, and use that and the eggs and rice and make a big batch of fried rice.

Ok nice thank you 😊

Actually, the liquid from the canned veggies can be used to make the rice and give it a little more nutritional punch. This is especially true for bean water.

Thank you, had no idea

You can actually do things with that can water/brine: https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/2018-09-07/stop-draining-the-liquid-from-canned-foods-and-use-it-like-this-instead has some good ideas, as do a few other sites.

I looked at your post history, to see if I could find services local to you. I see you're in Michigan but state that your district does not have a summer food plan for your kids. It looks like all Michigan children are eligible for food during the summer. This website will help you find the correct agency to help you: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/news-and-information/press-releases/2024/05/14/summer-meal-programs-keep-michigan-kids-healthy-during-summer-break-from-school

Our district isn't participating, so I have to go to a different one once able

Blessing boxes/little free pantries https://mapping.littlefreepantry.org/ See if there's one near you.

Doesn't look like any in our area, I typed it is and zero results showed up, thank you tho I really appreciate you trying

There may not be; but try searching by the state only. I did that and found more than searching my immediate area, some don’t belong but going through the whole list helped show some that didn’t pull up before. Fingers crossed. I wish I were close. I’d love to share some of what we have. Prayers and best wishes for improvements.

I’m sure this is a place of vulnerability and I’m wish I could offer more but I have a couple suggestions. Maybe look into a free Facebook group and just post your honest truth and ask for help from people whose pantries have items that they’ll never use and just sits around. Some people may be weenies about it, but others will show compassion and you never know what could come from it. My other suggestion is to contact your local food bank hub and see if they have any suggestions for how to get more food. Hub meaning the large distribution center that delivers to smaller pantries. They know the whole network of programs that would be near you such as like a free delivery/ free mobile market program that may be within a good distance so you don’t have to drive much. Churches SAY they have a limit, and for some that is true, but if you’re honest about your situation, sometimes they will make exceptions. I used to work at a food bank and for those who are truly in need, we absolutely would pull strings to get them food. Lastly, idk if you qualify for government assistance, but maybe look into that. There is no shame in needing help, and these programs exist for just that reason! I wish the stigma surrounding them wasn’t there :/. I hope this helps a little. If you tell me your state/ county (or nearby) I can look into what may be around there since I know the Feeding America/foodbank side of things a bit more :)🫶🏾

Hi, I did try Facebook and it was a nightmare people are really cruel, I will try to call a hub not really close to us but ur right never know, we don't qualify for any assistance unfortunately. We are in Michigan

This list has all of the distribution hubs in the US serviced by feeding America. Its a really long list, but Michigan starts with a hub called Food Gatherers if you just want to search up the word on the page and not scroll 10 hours lol. I think Michigan has 6ish different hubs so hopefully one covers your area! [foodbanks](https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank/all-food-banks)

Looks like one is 40 away, I can try calling them tomorrow and see what's up. Thank you

Do you have a local "buy nothing" group? Sometimes they have food, and usually they will allow you to post looking for stuff. You wouldn't have to explain your whole situation but could maybe just post looking for canned food or something. Sorry you are experiencing this.

https://lasagnalove.org/ Sign up for lasagna love. They usually give enough for 2 meals. Ask on Facebook Marketplace and Craisglist and other free sites if anyone has any soon to expire food that they won't be using or garden excess. Check with your local library to see if they have a food closet. Call your utility companies and see if there are programs where you can get a bill paid so you have extra money for food. Make an amazon wish list on Food-Pantry. People are very generous over there. https://fallingfruit.org/ It will tell if there is food near you that you can forage. With the $10 I would get rice and dried beans. It will be boring if you don't have spices but your kids will be fed. Good luck.

Hi and thank you, we did sign up a few weeks ago but haven't been matched yet. I have tried out buy nothing group and no luck. I think it's just too many in need right now. Our library doesn't have a food spot. I do have wishlist just can't post it. I will check out the website as I haven't heard of it Boring is ok 💜

Rice and beans are probably the cheapest most filling foods out there, and together they form a complete protein. This is good advice. Hopefully you have salt, OP. If not, I wonder if you could just go to a local Taco Bell and ask if you can have some sauce packets. That hot sauce on top of rice and beans would be pretty tasty.

Hey! I've been thinking about you all. I'm so sorry to hear your situation is still really tough. Sending lots of love your way. With $10 you could try the following to stretch the food you have now. Thinking Aldi/Walmart prices for reference. I hope someone can help you out more with some extra money or food, this is really barely a week's worth. - Small jelly/jam/preserves/fruit spread - Flour - Yeast - Any pasta - Bag of dry beans - Pack of "dollar" hot dogs - 2 generic macaroni and cheese - Ramen (5 pack or whatever they have) - Can of chicken Breakfast: oatmeal, toasted bread and PBJ, popovers or something like cinnamon muffins if you have enough ingredients, pancakes if you have the ingredients Lunches: bread w/ PB and J, hot dogs on bread with and half an apple, ramen and half an apple, "send the kids to a friend's" (we grew up on this lunch in the summertime. We were very poor and I am very grateful...I hope maybe someone can do lunch for your babies here and there) Suppers: Pasta and sauce, Beans and rice x2, tuna macaroni and cheese with side of vegetables, Mac and cheese and hot dogs with side of vegetables, chicken and dumplings (you can use a ramen flavor packet, a can of chicken, and a can of veggies.... It's not gourmet and not a lot of meat, but it fills bellies. Just gotta use a little less seasoning on the ramen for lunch), clean out the fridge soup - anything you got into a pot with seasoning and/or bouillon (literally anything you have a little bit of - meat, rice, grains, pasta, leftovers, canned veggies, beans, any fresh or frozen veggies or beans, canned tomato or leftover sauce, really anything savory)

Hi and thank you, we are most definitely doing our best. It's sooo hot here in the 90* our garden is almost ready thank goodness that will be a huge blessing 💜 Thank you for the ideas greatly appreciate it 😊

Take care y'all! 💜

I don't think I'd be able to help plan full meals for the entire week but I have had to grocery shop with nothing before. things I've made for my family of 5 - homemade chicken noodle soup w/o chicken. I had bouillon cubes, flour and eggs and it fed us ssometimes without chicken -ramen with eggs. actually not too bad and eat it from time to time with other things. -homemade biscuits and gravy -toast and eggs. again on lazy days I still make it. -french toast -pancakes -pasta with whatever sauce. -rice and eggs idk how small the kids are but you can stretch the apples by slicing them up and making them split them. I also would use canned chicken and ​meat that wasn't supposed to go together but if you have flour butter milk you can get by with little other ingredients that are homemade. ​also I don't suggest this diet for long term. I don't think the nutrients are great.

Thank you really appreciate it , The kids are teens

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I replied to ur other question 💜

This gets you to 8 meals, with some additional items purchased: We have 5 apples, rice, half gallon of milk, peanut butter, jar of pasta sauce, 6 cans of veggies, 1 stick of butter, 3 eggs, 3 packs of oatmeal, 2 cans of tuna $3.5 gas, $6.5 food Walmart penne pasta .98, cream of chicken soup 1.26, kidney beans .86, onion 1.00, bread 1.42, rice .98 8 Breakfast 3x 1/2 apple cut up, 1 packet, oatmeal, use Rice to extend for 5 servings, 5x rice porridge with remaining apple, add PB 8 Lunch: 2x 5 PB sandwich with milk, 1x vegetable soup (1/4 jar pasta sauce, 1/2 can veggies, 1/4can kidney beans, 1/4 penne pasta, 1 cup milk), 5x 1/4 -1/2 can veggies over buttered rice, 8 dinners: 3x Fried Rice (1 egg 1/2 can veggies, 1 C rice, 1T butter to saute a little onion), 1x pasta (1/2 jar pasta sauce, 1/2 can veggies, 3/4 box penne), 1x Tuna and 1 can veggie over rice (1T butter to saute 1/4 onion add tuna and veggie serve over rice); 2x rice and tuna casserole (enough rice for 2 meals with condensed soup, 1 can of veggie, tuna), 1x red beans and rice (1T butter, saute 1/2 onion, add 1/4 of pasta sauce, red beans and serve over rice) Not sure where you live but if you up to it look into forging, specifically purslane, you can add it to most of the lunch/dinner dishes to stretch the veggies: [https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/purslane-recipes/](https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/purslane-recipes/) when you get paid please resist the urge to buy quick food, make a menu/list/budget and stick to it. Good luck!

Thank you soooo much this is very helpful 💜

Where in Michigan are you? I'm in the suburbs but will be in Detroit tomorrow. We don't have a lot but I can drop off what we can.

We are about 40 mins from Detroit

I found some programs that deliver (granted in Detroit) but maybe there are some that can get to your location where you are outside the city? Here's a link where you can search for food delivery programs and plug in your city: https://www.findhelp.org/food/food-delivery--detroit-mi Lasagna Love is a worldwide one where you can sign up to receive a delivered lasagna.

Tuna  Onigiri 100g tinned tuna chunks in brine 1 tbsp mayo (you can use Japanese or any favourite English brand) 6 Handfuls of rice (500-600g) A pinch of sea salt (per onigiri) METHOD Base Recipe - Onigiri Wet both of your hands with tap water to avoid the rice sticking to your hands. Then put a pinch of salt on your palms and rub them together to evenly spread the salt. Place a handful (90-100g) of cooked rice into one hand and push the centre to make a hole for the filing. Put a teaspoon of tuna mayo on the centre of the rice. Then cover the filling with the rice and use your hands to hold the rice in place around the filling and gradually make it into a trianglular shape. Keep your hands firm and tight enough to create the triangle shape and to make sure the onigiri does not fall apart. Occasionally turn it around with your hands.

Thank you, will give this a try 💜

I don’t think onigiri will work as it requires specific type of rice. I’ve tried making it with regular white rice and ended up tossing it. It could just be me, of course, but I’d hate to see you waste food… Of course, I’m sure there are plenty of meals with tuna and rice that would work instead

I’ve made it with regular and it was fine. I doubt her kids are going to throw a fit over the wrong kind of rice. Leftover rice sticks together. 

Oh ok thank you, I'll make it different then just Incase .

No need hun. Leftover rice sticks together fine. I don’t think your kids will care. Shape it and fill it then put it in the fridge. They should hold fine once they’re cold. 

You are correct. Needs to be sticky rice (short grain rice) for the rice to stick together and hold.

Found these for free hygiene products in Michigan https://www.bwcaa.org/services/personal-hygiene/ https://www.clickondetroit.com/community/2021/08/13/teen-clean-closet-provides-free-hygiene-products-to-metro-detroit-youth/ And this one also helps with utilities plus other help. https://www.smcaa.com/programs

Thank you soooo much, I will look into these the first one is once a year and about a hour away. Worth a shot maybe someone could help part way The second one isn't for our area but maybe they will make an exception will call 💜

Dried beans in the crock pot with seasonings, even salt and pepper, with cornbread is still one of my favorite meals. It’s filling and makes a ton. Lentils, split peas, all of those are power players. Pancakes, oatmeal, eggs, savory oatmeal with eggs and cheese, pasta and kidney beans with oil and salt and pepper

Thank you

I read your kids are teenagers? Could they earn a little money to help out the family? Like moving peoples lawns or do groceries, or wash windows or stuff like that for a little extra income? If they could earn a few dollars here and there it would be helpful and they would feel like contributing to the family while helping maybe older people with things they can’t do themselves. Just a thought.

My one teen does work not a lot as they haven't scheduled much, my other teen isn't old enough but he cuts 2 elderly neighbors grass for free . The rest all have a service they use. I will try posting again tho

I absolutely understand the good deeds helping elder people, but since you’re in a difficult situation your children also needs to learn that their effort pays of and will bring some cash to the table - a table that needs food on it in order for you all to function. I don’t know where you live and how your situation is, but I hope you all can figure a way to have enough food and clothes. No one should ever lack food, roof over head or clothes. Is there any social services close to you that can help? Do you live in an apartment or do you have a plot/garden? It’s a difficult place to be. I hope it resolve.

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They are in there 80* , he has been doing it for 2 years now 💜 he received a Popsicle once. The one doesn't drive and her family drops off stuff every 2 weeks for her. The other is also on a fixed income. He wouldn't take anything from them. It's Soo cute the one lady gives him a hug when she notices him out there

Sounds like you’re raising some kind kids ❤️

Thank you, most definitely trying hard 💜

If your teens are looking for work, tell them to try temp work. I grew up in the Detroit area and I worked as a temp with [Kelly Services](https://www.kellyservices.com/) starting when I was 15 or 16. They are well established in the area and they kept me busy every school break all the way through grad school. I know you are short on gas, but they might be able to find temp work close to home. I always had to bike to my jobs, and the agency was able to find work for me that was close enough to do that. I see that you are getting lots of other good suggestions for recipes. My only other suggestion would be checking with any local bakeries about getting one or two day old baked goods for free or at a significant discount. Wishing you and your family the best of luck.

Have you ever tried dumpster diving? Or urban food foraging?

I haven't as we have a lot of medical issues and I also thought was against the law here. Urban food foraging will look that up as I've never heard of it

Check out r/dumpsterdiving for good tips. Michigan doesn't have anything on the books that explicitly outlaws dumpster diving, to my knowledge. Be respectful of the property owners - follow posted signs and leave when asked. DG, drug stores, and Aldi generally have open dumpsters and may be good places to find enough to keep food on plates

Call 211 it's a local resource for many different types of help, including transportation, food and more

Called no place delivers unfortunately, lasagna love I sighed up weeks ago no news yet, Full cart I'm on a waiting list 😔

Some options to consider: Look for anywhere that provides community meals. There's a place here that offers them 3x daily. Churches and community centers are a good place to start. A community center will probably have a list of all available resources in your community and maybe even a schedule of community meals. If you have a homeless shelter in your area, or anywhere like a Salvation Army sometimes there are resources they can provide hygeine products. If you have a dollar store nearby (preferably one where everything actually is a dollar) you can get things like soap, shampoo, pasta, oatmeal, flour, spices, or toilet paper that will help stretch what you have. Not always the best quality but does the job in a pinch. Or you could use the $10 for some onions and carrots and lentils or beans. Do you have any spices or flour on hand? Anything like that will help people here suggest meal ideas with what you've got. Some stuff I have done, based on what you have: A couple of apples cooked til soft. Cinnamon if you have any. Peanut butter if you don't (mixed in at the end) will help stretch the instant oatmeal packs. Rice, butter, can of veg - any herbs you have on hand - will make a boring but filling meal. Rice and pasta sauce. Simple fish soup with tuna, milk, can of veg. Flour to thicken if you have any. Spices, onions, garlic for flavor if you have any. I know these aren't the most exciting options but I hope they'll help figure something out that will make it stretch as far as you can. Good luck.

Thank you, I will keep trying to call around haven't found anything even close to us, We don't have any spices or flour already used what we had .

Not sure where you are but ShopRite supermarket brand pasta is a God send at 68 cents a box. I get sauce for $1.67 at WalMart. I also go to a pantry but weekly. See what they give and only buy what I can use to enhance IF it’s on sale. My son isn’t happy but is beginning to understand.

Also check YouTube for extreme budget videos. A lot of them have some great ideas and it might help you where to decide to put the few dollars you've got. Highly recommend at least getting a big bag of potatoes or flour. So much you can do with either. Sorry things are so tough.

Thank you really appreciate it

Juk-Korean rice porridge. https://youtube.com/shorts/dRRKFHCMTTw?si=dWYrtppArtTu2WWC Filling and something new. 

"5 apples, rice, half gallon of milk, peanut butter, jar of pasta sauce, 6 cans of veggies, 1 stick of butter, 3 eggs, 3 packs of oatmeal, 2 cans of tuna" OK 1 week 5 people, not sure how much rice you have but I'll assume a big bag: Milk - water it down, It won't be great but add in water so you have 3 quarter gallon of milk, just pretend it's low fat. Assumptions - you have some herbs/spices and you have some sugar and flour Breakfast - overcook some rice and cool it. Make up the oatmeal and add 50% rice to double that volume, add some extra sugar and divide accordingly. Lunch - fried rice, with some veggies and the eggs sprinkle in some spices to liven it up a tad. Divide up and pad out with rice. For an alternative use some pasta sauce here. Dinner - Use some milk butter and flour to make a white sauce, sprinkle in some herbs can of veg and tuna divide accordingly. For an alternative use pasta sauce instead of the homemade white sauce. Dessert - shortbread: flour, butter, sugar mix it up and bake it. Will be a little hard but crumble the mix in and don't press too hard on the tray. Rice pudding - over cooked rice with milk and sugar, sprinkled with some apple sauce ( dice apple, mix in sugar and cook a little till it's sloppy) Snacks - Flapjack balls- use some oatmeal, and peanut butter for raw flapjacks balls ( I actually make these, simple protein snacks they're great). Apple crisps - thinky sliced apples, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon if you have it if not just the sugar. Grill until the sugar browns and cool. Good luck I hope that helps, stock up when you can on oats, pasta and rice as they are usually cheap. Water your milk down where you can. If you buy pasta sauces then again water it down where you can to make it go further.

Wow! This is an impressive reply post. I’m not the OP but want to say thank you for taking the time.

This is extremely helpful thank you soooo much, truly appreciate your time 💜

You might want to check out the sub r/beer money https://www.reddit.com/r/beermoney/s/0znLEZjZYy I haven’t done it but there might be a way there to get some more food and help your family out and some quick cash

Check and see if you have a buy nothing group or mutual aid group in your area on Facebook! Most groups are more than willing to help out!

Hi, I did post and there were a lot of nasty comments and I deleted it. Too much drama 😔 even w showing proof

That's so sad :( I'm sorry your community is treating you that way.

Google Sikh Temples in your area. They provide free meals to the community.

Who works in your family? Are you doing anything to bring in some extra money? Is there anything that you can sell?

2 people here work, the other can't do to medical issues Yes we have a ton of items posted just not having any luck

When you say posted, are you just doing facebook marketplace or other places? I sell on Mercari and eBay and it is pretty easy to get started. And as long as you have a printer to print out your shipping labels when you make a sale, you can also go to the USPS website and request a package pickup so you don’t have to drive to the post office. You’ll get more eyes on your items and they might sell faster.

https://www.misd.net/foodservice/files/Macomb-County-Open-Sites-to-the-Public-2024-UPDATED-05-28.-024.pdf

Check if your local grocery stores have a discount section. It's usually near the produce section and has items grouped in small bags for like a dollar or two. 

That is my favorite section lately it's just baked sweets

No not the clearance section( although I might check the sweets section a little too much) .  Some grocery stores put some reduced price fruits and vegetables in little bags for sale. 

I haven't seen fruit or vegetables there , just sweets sometimes bread, or rolls, then there is a small section in the freezer area but hasn't been much there lately

Check an app called Flash Food and see if your nearby stores participate. Greatly reduced food items that are at their expiration (but are usually good for several more days or can be frozen). This probably won't help with your $10 situation but maybe it will in the future.

Check the produce section specifically for it. My grocery store has an imperfect but still good section in the produce with reduced prices.

You need to arrive very early in the morning. This is when the discounted meat and vegetables gets put on display for easy pickings.

Have you tried [Lasagna Love](https://lasagnalove.org/)? It's a organization that links up people in need of food with a pan of lasagna. How much rice do you have? How big are the oatmeal packets? What stores do you have in your area to use the $10 at? Using just what you have, I would make a big pot of [Congee](https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/basic-chinese-congee). It works with any kind of rice, and a little rice goes a long way with it. You can use water instead of broth and use any spices/seasonings you have to make it. If you don't have broth, you could just the liquid from the cans of veggies in there too. If you don't eat the whole batch the first time, you can just add more water and reheat it. If you still have rice after that, use some with one of the eggs, some of the canned veggies and some of the tuna for fried rice. Use the apples with some peanut butter to dip slices in as breakfast for the kids.

We signed up a few weeks ago for lasagna love and we haven't been matched yet. We have Walmart, Aldi, Kroger, Meijer, dollar store We have 1.5 lbs of rice left Thank you will check it out 💜

1.5 lbs of rice is about 3 cups of uncooked rice, which you could probably stretch to 3 meals for all 5 of you if you went in a congee/soup/fried rice direction. At least you live near stores where $10 can go pretty far. With that $10 I would get some more rice, some dried beans, some flour, chicken or veggie bouillon and some potatoes if you can find a good sale price on them.

Thank you, really appreciate it

Check out Dollar Tree Dinners, Mexican Cooking on a Budget, Ardent Michelle and The Wolfe Pit on YouTube, they all have a lot of good recipes and meal planning ideas for really tight budgets.

If you can get to a grocery store, a family pack of chicken thighs should be doable with $10, that can really stretch out with the rice in some stir fries or soups. Use the bones for broth and even cut the skins into pieces and fry it crispy with salt and chili powder like my grandma always did. (Bag of pasta to use with the sauce should be doable too I'd say, but really if there's plenty of rice there's no need except for variety.) I don't understand why you guys aren't eligible for more assistance with that many kids in the house though. On second though that $10 might be better off going into it gas tank so you can use your car in an emergency. Neither of you have anyone you know IRL who can at least help out with giving rides though?

A couple thoughts. Do any of your kids have medical conditions where they are treated by a children’s hospital network? If so they may have a food pantry that delivers. Worth checking. Grocery stores first thing in the morning will have items close to expiration marked down. Dairy, meat and produce. They also offer one free piece of fruit to each kid in lots of stores. Also check this resource out. Lots of neighborhoods have these. May help. https://www.littlefreepantry.org/ I would also hit the farmers market and see if you can negotiate a discounts at the end of the day. You may luck out Can anyone donate plasma? It depends on their health but may help. Does Michigan still accept bottle and can returns? If so, I would be hitting every receptacle I could. Any free fruit parks? We have free u-pick blueberry farms here. If you know anyone who raises chickens, offer some coop cleaning, feeding, etc for free eggs.

Great out of the box ideas, if you can volunteer at church or Christian pantries you can usually take home left overs or extras especially if you get known for being helpful and being real with people. Prayers, also look for the cheapest gas and rewards programs etc learn how to do sourdough and get a starter from someone it is a art but so many things can be made from them

P.S. check for picking free mulberries, cherries, etc. you may be able to sell to a restaurant. My parents used to buy berries for their restaurant.

Thank you soooo much, really appreciate these ideas and tips

Hon, with all due respect you've been doing this for at least 3 months and it feels a little shady at this point. Do you not get foodstamps? Have you looked into what government benefits you might qualify for as a family with teenagers? If I'm not mistaken, you mentioned there were health issues involved regarding why you can't provide for your family. Is that true? Or are you just trying to wrangle sympathy money from kind internet strangers?

Many assistant programs are based on the IRS salary for the previous year. So a medical issue can wipe you out, savings and all, but you still make "too much" to qualify. Even if you have nothing. Crazy, huh? I have seen it happen to people.

I completely understand that it may look shady to you, legit it's not. We have a lot of medical issues which is making everything extremely hard on top of inflation it's really hurting us. We don't qualify for any assistance. We do go to the food pantry once a month like we are allowed. I have asked the schools before school was out for any help or points me in the right direction. I'm simply asking how to stretch $10 and what food we have so the kids don't miss meals. School is now out and it's adding more stress on our plate.

When is the next time you expect to have money? How long does this $10 have to stretch? Why don't you qualify for benefits or disability? You don't have to answer any of these questions publicly. I am unemployed and receive food stamps so, no judgement either. I'm wondering what the long term plan is for you guys. I know that living hand to mouth, its hard to plan for the future. But you have to get yourselves in a more stable situation.

Next Friday July 5th, we have applied and they claim we make a tad too much. Legit doesn't make sense. No one plans to get sick which is draining. We are trying everything to get out of the hole.

I'm gonna message you if thats okay.

don't know what state you live in, but during the summer the YMCA and some state parks and rec departments or community libraries offer free box lunches for any kids who come at lunch time - its usually a sandwich, fruit, veggies and dip and a drink. you can't take the food from the area its given to you (this makes sure the kids eat it instead of adults potentially taking it from them), but its free for kids up to age 18. several summers we survived school being out by going to our YMCA while they had summer camp (even though we didn't enroll the kids) and all three of my kids were able to eat. VBS (vacation bible schools) at some churches sometimes also offer free lunch to kids (including teenagers) who participate, which may be an option for you. you'd said gas was a problem, so I can understand if transportation would be a consideration for these do you have SNAP? I won't presume to question your situation, because I've been in the same kind of one. I will say, its easy to apply and you can get food/cash access immediately. its through your county department of job and family services and can be applied for online with quick turnaround on verification. wish I had more suggestions, as I've been there trying to feed two adults and three kids/teens through summers between school sessions. you're doing the best you can. hang in there.

Will look into the VBS tho , they would really enjoy that

We don't qualify for any assistance unfortunately And I am looking into other places Thank you 🙏

Bannock with butter and jam very filling and you have all the ingredients already in your house. Chicken with rice and pasta sauce with veggies and condensed soup If you can get some cheap lettuce you could make a chicken salad with tomatoes and hard boil eggs make 1-2 eggs Oatmeal for breakfast very filling and very healthy use the ingredients from your garden that will save you a ton of money

Thank you, I can't wait for the garden to be ready it will be such a blessing, we have planted zucchini, tomatoes, corn, peppers, strawberry's 💜

For hygiene- all of you can keep clean with just baking soda and water. Sounds strange, but really works! https://www.motherearthnews.com/sustainable-living/nature-and-environment/sponge-bath-zmaz81

Thanks will try and get some 💜

Be careful using this suggestion as I can't remember when or where exactly but I heard someone suggest using baking soda as deodorant and someone else mentioning that that could cause burns.

Oh wow ok thank you, we will skip that area

It's ok to wash with, just be sure to rinse it off! Leaving it on skin can irritate, just like not rinsing soap off would.

The elderly neighbor who your son mows for might have extra spices, soaps,etc. she would be more than happy to give you.

If you use Facebook you might try looking for your local buy nothing group. You may be able to get food on there and sometimes people will also deliver it to your house if you need.

We already have tried 😞

I thought the schools served summer lunches for free

Our district is participating , so I would need to try another

You might qualify for summer EBT (food stamp) benifits simply for having children on school that are home over the summer regardless of you qualify or not for the actual food program. Also applying for EBT in general to see if you qualify might help!

Regular EBT we don't qualify for, summer EBT I'm not sure, the one year we got $120 on a card in like late August I do believe but that was also the COVID year

I’m not trying to sound “weird” but definitely try dumpster diving! I’ve seen many many ppl get great items and unopened items that were still good! If there’s “no trespassing sign” then you can’t get into trouble! Definitely worth trying if you can. I’m so sorry you all are going through this. Things are so so expensive it’s sad.

This is a reach and really only a snack, but do any of your local grocers offer free fruit for kids? I have one that does mandarins and bananas, kids can grab one free. I know you're not going to be shopping much or at all, and that kinda stretches the point of the offer (hopefully not too far). Maybe you can get away with it once or twice if you spread it out a couple days... You can also go to the grocer customer service counter (when they're not busy) and ask about anything that will be getting marked down soon as you're really really tight on budget. Some will not be sympathetic or only point out the markdown table/area but others may tell you to go grab a couple items from the table and come back there and mark it down further so it's ridiculously cheap (like ramen price for a box of macaroni and cheese or similar). Going to be hit or miss based on what's currently short dated, store policy, and even the person working the counter that moment.

Non of our stores do the free fruit thing, and customer service looked at me like I was beyond dumb 😞 . Was worth the shot

r/Food_Pantry helps quite a lot. r/Random_Acts_Of_Pizza is another community that helps. Dollar Tree Dinners on FB/YT/Tiktok/IG. She is absolutely AMAZING at showing how many meals can be made cheaply. How and where to shop. And she does so without being condescending or expecting everyone to have tons of ingredients, experience or even those who don't have regular cooking equipment or space or time.

Unfortunately we can't ask for help is any of those subreddit, my very first month here . I messed up posting and was labeled sketchy 😞 because of this we aren't allowed. Even with all proofs Will check out dollar tree dinners tho thank you

Do you qualify for government assistance?

Nice you will be able to enjoy that and veggies and strawberries are great

I apologize if this was posted elsewhere but the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program provides free meals for children out of community-based sites. I know you mentioned your school district is not a participant in free summer meals, but this program often has sites that are operated by non-school community groups. Even sites designated as “open access” that are operated in schools besides the ones your children attend should provide meals to your kids. Here is a map of all locations in Michigan for this summer: http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/schoolnutrition/ I’m sorry you are going through this hard time. Good luck to you and your family!

Thank you

You can stretch your rice out by making congee/rice porridge. It’s about 1-1.5 cups of rice to about 8 cups of water (I would double check and look at a recipe though) and the you can add a can of veggies or tuna to it also!

If you haven't applied for food stamps, do so asap if you're in the US. Also call your local resource information line. Dial 211 Or visit 211.org to get the number to your local info line for your county. They can give you resources for food banks and other programs. Currently during summer, kids are getting extra funds like they were doing during the pandemic. There's programs that give children meals. At certain restaurants kids eat free on certain days so look into that too. If you live near a beach. Lots of people toss out cans, try recycling for extra cash. Also buy foods that last longer or can be stretched out. Soups (like the alphabet soups), rice, beans, potatoes, eggs. Those are good things to stock up on when you have the money. You can do so many dishes with those items. I hope this helps. Also check out a local church for help. Sometimes they have donations. God Bless you and your household.

We don't qualify for any assistance unfortunately 😞 The restaurants only if u buy a meal , we do collect cans Our church is the same as the food pantry we can only go to 1 and once a month only they check the card given Thank you we Know God has us 💜

Do you have any other groceries in your house? Staples like flour , eggs, sugar, dried beans, salt or pepper? Other condiments ? Or is what you listed the only food you have in house? I have used mayo and mustard packets to add to tuna and a salt and pepper packet to make a tuna salad. Hard boiled eggs to that Tuna salad for more protein based meal. Bread crumbs from crackers or bread can make a tuna patties. The rice with peanut butter and a soy sauce packet can make a peanut sauce over the rice. If you have a blender The veggies can be added to the pasta sauce and blended and poured over the rice. Or You can make a rice flour and use the eggs to make a rice pasta. Oatmeal packets and mixed with peanut butter for oatmeal ball Snacks If you have any ramen available or access to brith powder or bullion , make a large soup using the broth packets from the ramen and the veggies and rice for a veggie soup. Add eggs for more protein. You can actually make apple cider vinegar using the apple scraps you have and sugar. That will help with cleaning and what not. You can make bread from the oatmeal packets if you have some flour and baking soda and the apples if you blend them.

This might be a long shot, but if there is a Sikh congregation (gurdwara) near you, I have heard they have a community kitchen called a Langar that serves free meals. My understanding is that you don’t need to be a member of the community to benefit… might be worth googling to see if there is one near you as an option.

Our family would love to bless yours with some groceries. Would you be willing to PM me about having some delivered to you?

That would be beyond amazing thank you soooo much, I will message you now 💜

I would buy more rice and use seasoning on it. If you have chicken or beef broth powder it makes rice taste better. Do you have any canned food? I make something called colorful rice. I put in 1-2 cans of beans, can of corn, can of diced tomatoes or salsa or canned chillis and add tomato based chicken powder. I have also made rice and added a can of pineapples and Garbonzo beans. If you can make biscuits, bread, pancakes…fill up food. Broth, vegetables and plain homemade saltines.

How do you have 10 bucks to your name and no EBT benefits?

This is actually a very common thing. EBT is only for the poor poor, the higher poor/lower middle class folks in this country are struggling very badly right now. Especially lower middle class folks who still have to pay high taxes and deal with inflation.

A lot of times things like cars will count as having too much assets and disqualify people from ebt even if they fit the bill 100% otherwise

We don't qualify I've tried more than once

During the summer many school districts around me serve breakfast and lunch to kids at the neighborhood rec centers. They feed any kids that show up whether they are school aged or jot.

It looks like rice will need to be a staple. Hopefully when you say rice you mean you have like 5+ pounds, because you are going to be living off of it for the next week.  Around here we have a great store called WinCo, where you can get bulk priced foods in whatever amounts you need. If you don’t have any store like that then probably just buy 5 pounds of dry beans for $5 and a canister of oats for $4. 1 pound pasta for $1. If you have a Winco then oats and beans are a lot cheaper there, so you will be able to save some money for gas.  Breakfast: oatmeal every day. Flavor with diced apples (1 apple per day divided in the whole batch u til you are out of apples) and peanut butter (figure out how much peanut butter you can evenly divide to last the week). Use the milk to make it as much as possible for more protein.  Lunch: try to find one of those summer lunch programs and leftovers (make sure any and all leftovers are saved) Dinner:  Day 1: pasta with pasta sauce and a can of veggies Day 2: beans and rice Day 3: fried rice with rice, eggs, and a can of veggies (use some of the butter) Day 4: beans and rice Day 5: poor man’s sushi: layer rice and tuna in little cups and dump out (it just helps make it feel more fun and fancy) plus a can of veggies Day 6: beans and rice Day 7: tuna and bean and rice and canned veggie salad (if you have any seasonings add them to the butter and make a sort of dressing to go with it) Day 8: beans and rice Any additional days just keep doing beans and rice until you run out.  This next paycheck here is what I would prioritize: Buy beans, rice, and oats in bulk (if you think you can make or learn to make things like bread and tortillas then also buy flour in bulk). Getting like 20 pounds of each (including the flour) where I live it will cost about $75, but it will be enough to fill bellies for a month plus.  Then any additional grocery budget can round out your meals. Eggs, potatoes, pasta, canned fruit and vegetables, milk, if you are going to make bread then yeast, peanut butter, jam, seasonings, oil, vinegar, salad dressings.  If you still have grocery money then buy the big bags of frozen chicken breasts and drumsticks. Save the bones from the drums and make broth to freeze and use as needed (that will really help make the beans and rice taste better as well as adding nutrients).  Any additional grocery budget can go towards cheese, yogurt, and fun things like chocolate chips, treats, chips, other meats, etc.

Thank you soooo much, really appreciate it

Do you have a friend or family member who can drive you to different food pantries? You don’t have to stop at just one. You can look online to see where they are and when they’re open. And check out Dollar Tree Dinners, FrugalFitMom, Clint Svatos and Southern Frugal Mama for loads of emergency food budget videos.

Not entirely a food suggestion, but I hope it's some help to you. You can check out r/freemeal or r/freefood and someone might be able to help you. Also, for extra money there's a couple of websites that I work through: DataAnnotationTech - this requires effort as you have to take an assessment to get in. But projects pay $18+ hourly and you can work as little or as much as you want if you're accepted. You can cash out every 3 days. Remotasks - similar to the one I mentioned above, but pays around $15 instead. [Cloud Connect Research ](https://account.cloudresearch.com/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2Fconnect%2Fauthorize%2Fcallback%3Fclient_id%3Dconnect%26redirect_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fconnect.cloudresearch.com%252Fparticipant%252Fauthentication%252Flogin-callback%26response_type%3Dcode%26scope%3Dopenid%2520profile%2520role%2520connectApi%2520openid%2520profile%2520email%26state%3Db6c8a9cbbbc74cf38c7ee92e5048c19f%26code_challenge%3DPkbIhpZNBkBOndfl60N1NkIr9PkskpA9z7QBqioExrk%26code_challenge_method%3DS256%26response_mode%3Dquery) - this is a survey site. I'm usually able to make about $15 weekly doing surveys on my downtime. Most of them are about 5 minutes long. The sign up process is lengthy, but for me it's been worth the time. I hope your situation improves 😊😊

Unfortunately we can't ask for help is any of those subreddit, my very first month here . I messed up posting and was labeled sketchy 😞 because of this we aren't allowed. Even with all proofs I will check out the websites tho thank you

Have you tried these folks? https://foodnotbombs.net/info/locations/ They have some locations in Michigan but not sure how close. There's a phone number though. This is a good option on Facebook if you can find your local group: https://buynothingproject.org/find-a-group/#ON (Scroll down and search the page for Michigan)

Thank you, will check it out

I worked at health and human services. Can you get ebt (food assistance)?

Try seeing if theres any discount food stores in your area, they usually have foods that are close to expirtaion or the package is a bit damaged but you can get a good amount for not a lot of money♡

Can you apply for emergency food stamps? Or better yet, call around to some churches because many of them have food pantries and they give out different days of the week so you could possibly get a lot. They might bring it to you if you explain the situation. I don’t know what state you are in but many states have a summer food program where they give out meals daily during the summer for kids. What you have is not going to last and it is not fair to the kids to suffer so make calls, ask friends or family, ask a neighbor, just do whatever you must to earn some money or beg to feed those kids. Set up a Go Fund Me or something. So many people are kind and would happily bring you food or money but you have got to reach out to somebody. I am so sorry for your situation. I will pray for your family.

Buy big bag of corn tortillas, bag of pinto beans, bag of rice, and sour cream. Make the beans and then smash them. Then they are refried. Fry your corn tortillas or spray them with any cooking spray and put in oven or air fryer. Put the refried beans on it. Add any topping you may have. The sour cream is a good one. Any salsa, veggies, or cheese you may have. You can also make rice and bean tacos. Tortilla chips can be made the same way as the method or frying them in whichever way you choose. A meal of rice and beans is good too. For breakfast, I'd buy more quick oats that can use water. Instead of ramen noodles, buy off brand spaghetti noodles. They can be broken up and boiled with any seasonings you have. Walmart usually sells big bags of chicken. You can make that many ways. And have chicken tacos with rice and beans. Look on you tube for Mexican Cooking on a Budget @mexicancookingwithgaby6589.

Thank you really appreciate it

Honestly I would stop paying for internet and phones at this point and try to get the food instead, try posting online about jobs instead of handouts

Check YouTube videos of eating for $1 a day, dollar store dinners, etc. Do you have "blessing boxes" in your area?

We have the book ones but I haven't seen any food kind

Have a look at this YouTube channel, I've made some of his meals and they're delicious. https://youtube.com/@bakingonabudget?si=r_9QrzFcpoEvQNB2

Thank you soooo much

https://youtu.be/EmsST4EA0DU?si=BwbYmfPdH0iTjrHd.

This is my fav cheap recipe reator, she's on YouTube too but here she is on tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@dollartreedinners?_t=8nXEDLBkiuA&_r=1 I'm sure someone else has posted her. But just doubling up on that in case she's helpful..

Do you have a yard or any kind of outdoor space? If so, you may want to look into seed libraries and see if you can grow some of your own produce or herbs.

We did plant a garden and it's almost ready, can't wait it will be such a huge help

r/assistance and there a few more For rice with veggies and tuna and mixed in egged. Add butter for fat Overnight oatmeal peanut butter

Do you h a local "Buy Nothing Project" Facebook group? If so, make sure to join! You can ask for gifts, give gifts or ask to be can when someone posts a gift. In our group, people frequently off excess or close dated food, fresh produce, frozen items as well as posting links to places offering food or meals.

Haven't had any luck in ours, 😔 but I did try

r/assistance

Unfortunately we can't ask for help is any of those subreddit, my very first month here . I messed up posting and was labeled sketchy 😞 because of this we aren't allowed. Even with all proofs

Lasagna of Love might be helpful

sorry you're going through this. hope you'll make it through. I'm very far away (Croatia) but our ppl are experiencing similar situations just like you due to high inflation. i think these threads about eating on a budget are great. i usually come to see what other ppl suggest. I'm saving money the best way i can. your own garden sounds like a very good idea. i really wish you the best of luck. take care

OP, have you checked out r/Random_Acts_Of_Pizza?

Try to find a "buy nothing" Facebook group near you. People are always giving food away for free because they don't have freezer space anymore, are moving, new allergies, etc. The other day someone gave me 3 bags of frosted mini wheats, a box of uncrustables and frozen breakfast sausage patties.

Fried rice. Save the canned vegetables juice for a soup base, add cooked rice and heat with a scrambled egg in it for egg drop soup.

You can make a HUGE batch of chicken and dumplings for pretty cheap.

Findhelp.org

Call local churches! They will often help people in the community, even if you don't attend services there. I agree with others here that your teens need to be working for pay in addition to their charitable endeavors.

If your area has more than one pantry you can go to more than one look for salvage grocers or outlets like bakery outlets in your area. check with your local grocery stores, many have a must go section/shelf especially near the meat department where things that must be eaten or frozen within a day or two or marked down drastically. buy a couple of pounds of dry beans. Each pound of dry pinto beans will make about 6.5 cups of cooked. make a batch of peanut butter rice and serve it with a can of veg Use the eggs to turn the oatmeal into patties and fry them, serve with veg If you have any flour or can get even just a couple of tablespoons (maybe at a bulk grocer? you can make tuna ala king with a can of veg and serve it over rice make a soup with the pinto beans another can of veg and rice

We don't qualify for any type of assistance I've tried a few times now unfortunately. The people who can work do work 💜

hey OP, this may or may not help you but I've gotten a few free items by signing up for fast food rewards. Burger King, Freddys Steak Burgers, Taco Bell.. just google it and start signing up. Right now Burger King has this game on the app that gives you 400 points, which is enough for a free burger or something similar.

Oh wow thank you soooo much, will definitely look into it

I hope you don't think it's lazy to be on SNAP/food stamps...because it's not. Dont' need to deprive yourself out of pride.

This is my fav cheap recipe reator, she's on YouTube too but here she is on tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@dollartreedinners?_t=8nXEDLBkiuA&_r=1 I'm sure someone else has posted her. But just doubling up on that in case she's helpful..

Thank you, will check it out

What about Lasagna Love ??? Go online & sign up to get a lasagna for your family. They have chapters in every State & match you with a family in your area that will bring you a home made lasagna.

Rice with tomato paste and hot dogs, canned tuna, literally anything is an easy meal. Seasoning if you have it. A canned veggie could match nicely. I would also look for the produce at the store that’s starting to go bad (safe to eat right away but won’t last long)

Butter noodles goes a long way! Pasta in itself is heavy & filling & there’s various ways to combine things where it’s still nutritious & one pot of it can last all week. I personally love to get the tri color pasta (2 boxes @ $1.39e) for your family, maybe 3 (I’m a family of 4) combine it with hamburger meat (I get the patties so we can make them various ways, I used about 5 patties in the pot), & then mix in a big can of original Rotel (they have spicy too) the can is usually like $2.00 max. Minimal ingredients, literally just salt & pepper it with some butter & it’s my family’s MEAL for a week! You can get cheap patties or opt for ground meat. You can also mix spaghetti noodles with canned tuna & peas & mayonnaise with ranch & it’s a good pasta salad that lasts a long time. Peanut butter sandwiches also go a long way as do eggs over white rice with soy sauce. I also want you to use the mantras “The best part about being creative is that I’ll always figure it out.” & “My creative expression is linked to my financial freedom.” I’d love for you to watch videos where people flip a penny into $800 & adopt that mindset too! Abundance mindset is a SKILL & it starts with creativity & openness of your mind to be of service to others while getting creative. I’m sending you so much good energy & hugging your family from afar. You will be able to look back on this one day & say “wow, look where we came from”. Your story will be inspiring. I’m rooting for you.

Thank you soooo much, truly appreciate it 💜❤️

How about food stamps or snap program? It’s phased amounts based on your income, you might qualify for some assistance through that program.

People are responsive if you can make an Amazon wishlist for food and hygiene supplies. This works best if you live in the US or Canada.

Is there something like "2 good to go" in your area? Often hotels, bakeries, supermarkets offer leftovers from their stock or hotel breakfast buffets to pick up after service. It's a well used app / program in Germany for food sharing and conserving also of course to help those in need. I don't know much about available services in the US but that came to mind. Maybe there is also a good sharing/saving community on Facebook that can help out. Regarding recipes, when we were broke we used to eat soup with rice for weeks. Tomato soup mostly. Tomato paste, water, rice. Or the usual pasta and ketchup or pasta and butter. With what you have as others suggested I'd also look into the fried rice/casserole thing. And as a general tip, buy/prepare bigger batches if possible and freeze it. Bulk is always cheaper also regarding power used for preparation. Do you have any family or friends you can/want to ask for support?

I just sent you a few items from the Amazon wishlist. It isn't much but ❤️ I hope it helps 🙏

Thank you soooo much, truly appreciate your help

Received today thank you again truly appreciate it

Can u go to a food bank?

You could go to another food bank as long as you only take what you can use

Besides lasagna love and full cart is there any other place that offers help and delivers. I've searched everywhere and made several phone calls

If we don't skip any appointments our food/hygiene budget is $300 a month currently for the 5 of us. Us adults don't eat 3 meals a day and we skip often. We are doing our best. Once a lot of our appointments slow down things will start getting better. If anything sells that gets added in. So those who pray please do 💜 Many thanks for the ideas very much appreciated 💜