Emergency Menu Plan

I've perused the Hillbilly Housewife blog for years and since times are tough for a lot of people I thought I'd repost her Emergency $45 menu.  The cost is now $75 for these because the original was done in 2006.  Pretty sad that food has gone up that much.....

You can sub a olive oil, fresh fruit, sweet potatoes & reg potatoes if you have the $$.

The recipes are located here

$45 Emergency Menu for 4 to 6

I’ve seen various places around the web claim that in an emergency you can feed your family for only $10 or $20 a week.  While I appreciate their intentions, I have noticed that they all assume you have certain supplies already on hand.  In my experience this isn’t always the case. Forty-five dollars will seem outrageously abundant to some, while it will seem minuscule to others.  It is the smallest amount I was able to come up with that will provide enough supplies to an empty kitchen to feed an entire family for a week.  The servings are ample and a few adjustments allow you to increase the quantities from 4 servings to 6.  Newly added nutritional information makes it clear that except for sodium, these recipes are nutritious and healthy.  They are low in fat and cholesterol, high in protein and rich in fiber.  To reduce the sodium you can use half as much salt and bouillon as called for in the recipes, and purchase store-brand reduced sodium canned vegetables instead of the regular variety.
You may also want to take a look at the ebooks and resources provided by Living On A Dime – their ebooks are well worth the small fee they charge for all the money saving tips and ideas that you will get out of them. I usually make up the money I pay on the ebook within less than a week (often in one shopping trip) from purchase. Take a look and see for yourself at LivingOnADime.com.
Menus
PDF File (right click; save as)

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks	Nutrition
Monday	Pancakes; Syrup; Orange Juice; Milk; Hot Tea	Lentil & Vegetable Soup  with Dumplings; Milk	Pinto Beans; Onions; Hoecakes; Collard Greens; Iced Tea	Cinnamon Toast; Milk for Children; Tea for Adults	1656 Calories; 33g Fat (17.5% calories from fat); 71g Protein; 275g Carbohydrate; 42g Dietary Fiber; 54mg Cholesterol; 3312mg Sodium
Tuesday	Oatmeal; Toast, Margarine & Jelly; Orange Juice; Milk; Hot Tea	Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwiches; Macaroni & Cheese; Carrot Sticks; Milk	Bean Burritos with Homemade Refried Beans & Homemade Tortillas; Fried Onions; Iced Tea	Plain Muffins with Jelly; Milk for Children; Tea for Adults	1826 Calories; 50g Fat (24.1% calories from fat); 73g Protein; 279g Carbohydrate; 32g Dietary Fiber; 37mg Cholesterol; 2812mg Sodium
Wednesday	French Toast; Syrup; Orange Juice; Milk; Hot Tea	Batter Bread; Margarine; Spinach; Milk	Creamed Tuna & Peas over Rice; Garlic Toast; Iced Tea	Peanut Butter Tortillas; Milk for Children; Tea for Adults	1771 Calories; 55g Fat (27.7% calories from fat); 76g Protein; 245g Carbohydrate; 12g Dietary Fiber; 187mg Cholesterol; 3213mg Sodium.
Thursday	Hot Rice in Milk; Toast, Margarine & Jelly; Orange Juice; Hot Tea	Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwiches; Macaroni & Cheese; Carrot Sticks; Milk	Black Bean Soup with Carrots, Celery & Onions; Cornmeal Muffins; Iced Tea	Cinnamon Toast; Milk for Children; Tea for Adults	1737 Calories; 52g Fat (26.7% calories from fat); 61g Protein; 262g Carbohydrate; 20g Dietary Fiber; 51mg Cholesterol; 2631mg Sodium
Friday	Oatmeal Pancakes; Syrup; Orange Juice; Milk; Hot Tea	Leftover Black Bean Soup; Biscuits; Milk	Hot Dog & Veggie Stir Fry over Rice; Iced Tea	Peanut Butter Tortillas; Milk for Children; Tea for Adults	1781 Calories; 52g Fat (26.1% calories from fat); 73g Protein; 259g Carbohydrate; 20g Dietary Fiber; 140mg Cholesterol; 3202mg Sodium
Saturday	Hot Rice in Milk; Toast, Margarine & Jelly; Hot Tea	Ramen Noodles with Carrots; Celery & Onions; Oatmeal Muffins; Milk	Butter Beans; Scalloped Tomatoes; Garlic Toast; Iced Tea	Biscuits & Jelly; Milk for Children; Tea for Adults	1727 Calories; 52g Fat (26.6% calories from fat); 59g Protein; 261g Carbohydrate; 24g Dietary Fiber; 43mg Cholesterol; 3281mg Sodium.
Sunday	Pancakes; Syrup; Orange Juice; Milk; Hot Tea	Lentil Chili; Corn Bread; Baked Custard	Corn Fritters; Steamed Carrots; Macaroni & Cheese; Iced Tea	Cinnamon Toast; Milk for Children; Tea for Adults	1796 Calories; 47g Fat (23.1% calories from fat); 70g Protein; 282g Carbohydrate; 28g Dietary Fiber; 247mg Cholesterol; 3527mg Sodium.

Averages for Week

1756 Calories; 29g Fat; 69g Protein; 267g Carbohydrate; 25g Fiber; 108mg Cholesterol; 3140mg Sodium.

Shopping List
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2009 Prices	2006 Prices	Items
3.98 0.93 0.98 2.28 3.50 1.06 2.38 2.68 3.04 14.28 1.88 1.76 1.14 1.24 1.50 0.48 3.33 1.36 0.88 0.87 0.54 0.56 0.56 0.58 0.58 2.00 1.87 1.23 0.82 1.64 1.48 1.88 0.74 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.00 1.84	1.92 0.62 0.77 1.77 0.99 0.88 1.88 1.50 1.76 8.87 1.20 1.30 0.60 0.60 1.00 0.30 1.38 0.96 0.89 0.89 0.50 0.42 0.45 0.40 0.42 2.00 2.00 1.20 0.44 1.50 1.00 1.00 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.25 0.50 1.00 1.00	10 lbs all purpose flour 3 pack of yeast Baking Powder Oatmeal 3 lbs long grain white rice / 5 lbs rice in 2009 2 lb bag of cornmeal 5 lbs sugar Vegetable Oil 2 cans frozen orange juice concentrate 20 quart box of instant nonfat dry milk 2 pounds lentils 2 lbs pinto beans 1 lb black beans 1 lb lima beans 3 boxes Macaroni & Cheese 3 packs of Ramen Noodles 2 dozen eggs (2.5 dozen in 2009) 2 lbs margarine 1 lb hot dogs 1 28-oz can tomatoes 1 15-oz can tomatoes 15-oz can green peas 15-oz can corn 15-oz can greens 15 oz cans spinach 5 lb bag carrots 3 lb bag onions 1 bunch celery 6-oz can tuna 18-oz jar peanut butter Jelly Pancake Syrup Vinegar Cinnamon Garlic Powder Chili Powder Salt Pepper Bouillon Cubes 100 Count Box of Tea Bags
$70.37	$45.16	Note: The prices were gathered in February 2006 and March 2009 from Dollar General and Walmart. Your prices may vary.

NOTES
If you receive WIC, Food Stamps or have food from a local food bank, you’ll be able to do much better than this menu plan. It is based on bare minimums.
There isn’t much meat in these menus. That’s because meat is expensive and beans aren’t.  Beans provide lots of good protein for growing children and hard working adults.  When beans are combined with certain other foods their protein increases.  The amino acids in grains like flour, pasta and cornmeal or milk products cooperate with the amino acids in the beans to make an extremely high quality protein. Don’t worry about the lack of meat, there is more protein in this menu than you can shake an expensive protein bar at.
The milk may seem overpriced to some, but it is vital for growing children and mom’s who are pregnant, nursing or who may become pregnant.  It is also very high in protein especially when combined with grains or beans (see above).
Orange Juice is served every morning but Saturday.  The plan assumes 4 servings of 1/2-cup each for every morning it’s served.  Orange Juice supplies Vitamin C and Folic Acid, once again, necessary for pregnant mothers and growing children.
In the recipes that call for buttermilk use regular reconstituted milk soured with a tiny bit of vinegar.  This works just as good as buttermilk in cooking.
For the recipes that call for dried onion, substitute a small amount of finely chopped fresh onion.
For the recipes calling for fresh garlic, substitute a small amount of garlic powder instead.
To serve a hungry family of 6 you’ll need to make the following changes:

Increase the flour to three 5 pound bags & bake 6 loaves of bread at a time instead of 4.

Buy 3 cans Orange Juice Concentrate instead of 2

Double the Macaroni and Cheese served for lunches making 2 boxes at a time instead of 1.

Double the cans of Tuna, Peas, Corn, Greens & Spinach.

Double the recipe for Creamed Tuna & Peas.

Double the recipe for Corn Fritters

Double the recipe for Lentil Chili, adding 1 more can of tomatoes to the shopping list.

This will increase the total spent to approximately $51.

Daily Work
Sunday Night: Mix up the dough for Overnight Bread.  Set it aside to rise.  Mix up a gallon of milk and a gallon of Tea. Put both into the fridge to chill.  Clean the kitchen.  Go to bed.
Monday: Begin the week with a hearty breakfast.  After the breakfast dishes are done, prepare the vegetables for Lentil Soup, and put the Lentils on to cook. Soak 2lbs of pinto beans in boiling water to cover for 1 or 2 hours.  Half of them are for supper tonight and the other half for supper tomorrow.  Punch down your bread dough which should be nicely risen by now.  Divide it into 4 loaves.  Allow it to rise for 1 or 2 hours and then bake.  After soaking the pinto beans, boil them until tender and refrigerate.  Reheat half of them for dinner and use the other half for tomorrow.  Check the milk & iced tea supply, prepare more as necessary.
Tuesday: After breakfast prepare enough tortillas for dinner tonight and for 2 snacks during the week; 16 to 20 tortillas should be enough.  Store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  Prepare a dozen Muffins for snacks later in the day. Check the milk & iced tea supply, prepare more as necessary.
Wednesday: When preparing the rice, make enough for dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning.  2-cups dry rice, cooked in 4-cups of water should be enough. Prepare the dough for Overnight bread before going to bed. Check the milk & iced tea supply, prepare more as necessary.
Thursday: Soak the beans in boiling water to cover for about an hour or two.  Simmer until tender.  Prepare the soup as directed and chill until supper time.  Divide the bread dough into 4 loaves and set aside to rise until doubled in bulk.  Bake as directed. Check the milk & iced tea supply, prepare more as necessary.
Friday: Make enough rice for supper tonight and leftovers for breakfast in the morning.  2-cups dry rice cooked in 4-cups of water should be enough. Check the milk & iced tea supply, prepare more as necessary.
Saturday: Soak the lima beans in boiling water to cover for about an hour or 2.  Simmer until tender and season as directed.  Chill until supper time.  Check the milk & iced tea supply, prepare more as necessary.
Sunday: Put the lentil chili on to cook and prepare the custard and cornbread to bake at the same time.  Check the milk & iced tea supply, prepare more as necessary.

Couponing Myths Exposed!

Here's an awesome list of why couponing really works IF you do it the right way...

This is from Embracing Beauty:

10 Coupon Myths Debunked

Myth #1: Coupons are only for junk food.
While there are a lot of coupons for processed and junk foods, now a days there are just as many coupons for healthy and organic foods too.  I have seen coupons for fruit, eggs, milk, yogurt, bagged salads, frozen veggies, etc.

Myth #2: You can’t save money if a store doesn’t double/triple coupons.
Drug stores such as CVS, Rite Aid & Walgreen’s are great places to save money even though they don’t double or triple coupons.  Most drug stores have excellent store deals, sales, and rebate programs that most grocery stores don’t have. Don’t skip over a store  just because they don’t double coupons. There are many higher dollar coupons which you can combine with a sale for deep discounts and possibly free items.

Myth #3: Shopping at discount stores and dollar stores will save you more money than using coupons.
Dollar Stores are often as expensive as other stores and have many extra disadvantages.  They don’t have the store deals and rebates like other stores do.  Also the food they have was likely to have been sitting on the shelf for a lot longer than at a grocery store.

Myth #4: Only poor people use coupons.
Maybe it’s just me but I am never ashamed to use coupons.  Saving money is more important to me than giving the appearance of wealth.  According to statistics, people with lower income (under $25,000 a year) are less likely to use coupons.  Those in the middle class with a college background are the most likely to use coupons.  Interesting.

Myth #5: You should only use coupons for products you normally buy.
By using coupons, I’ve gotten things for free or incredibly cheap that I would never have bought otherwise.  Our family has new grocery favorites because of high value coupons. I’ve also learned to be more creative in meal planning to incorporate what’s on sale that week.

Myth #6: Store brand products are always cheaper than name brand products.
Yes, it’s true that store brands are typically a little cheaper than name brands.  However, generic is rarely cheaper than name brand when you combine a coupon with a sale.

Myth #7: People who use coupons spend more than people who don’t use coupons.
If you are going to the store and buying everything you have a coupon for especially if the item is not on sale, you will spend more.  However, if you use coupons the right way by combining coupons and store sales you will get rock bottom deals and will undoubtedly cut your grocery bill.

Myth #8: It’s not worth it to shop at multiple stores.
The 3 main stores I shop at are right near each other and 5 minutes from my house, so it really doesn’t take me much time to go from store to store. Even if your stores are not as close as mine, it can be worth it to shop at multiple stores. For instance, if you are able to get $100 worth of product you need for $15 and you only spent $4 extra in gas and an additional 20 minutes, then I would say that would certainly be worth it!  You have to do what is right for you and your family but I wouldn’t rule out going to multiple stores right away without giving it a try.

Myth #9: You shouldn’t clip coupons for products you won’t use.
I clip coupons for every item I might buy.  Some coupons I throw away after they expire because I never found an item on sale.  Don’t dismiss a deal just because you haven’t used a product in the past–keep the coupon and look for a sale. I also recommend swapping unused coupons with a family member or friend. If you don’t have any use for baby coupons save them and give them to a new mom. I also keep coupons for items I know I won’t use and if a sale comes up and I can get the item for super cheap or free I will do so and later donate the item to a local woman’s shelter.

Myth #10: You will save more money by shopping at big box stores.
Big box stores such as Costco or Sams will save you money because you buy items in bulk but you can have much bigger savings if you buy a smaller quantity and use coupons.