I need help buying food is a frequently asked question on the Millionaires Giving Money Blog. If you're facing financial difficulty buying food for your family then this guide will help you to reduce your food bills, eat better food. This guide will also look at all the programs available for low-income families and individuals as well as hunger programs in the USA that will help you feed your family for free.
This will be a very comprehensive guide which I will constantly add to help as many people as I can, I've experienced hunger myself and I know how unpleasant it can feel (I seriously sympathize); please bookmark this article and forward it to as many people experiencing hunger, leave a comment if you know of any tips or programs that can help people experience food poverty.
#1: Budget Your Money Better
Effective budgeting can make your grocery bill much more manageable, sometimes people are surprised to find out how much they spend on a particular area in their life. If you need help with food then smart budgeting is essential to curb your spending on groceries. When I was facing difficulties feeding my family I started budgeting, to my absolute horror I found that I was spending more money on entertainment and hobbies that I was on food.
Budgeting will help you to get things into perspective and will help you prioritize what is most important which is to feed your family healthy and nutritious food. You should create your income and expenses statement so that you can see where all your money is going, you might be surprised. The most important exercise is to try to cut needless spending and then use that money for the things that matter like feeding your family.
#2: Get Groceries for Cheap Using Coupons and Vouchers
Another great way to stretch the amount you can buy is with coupons and special offers. You can get groceries for cheap using these strategies. When I need help with food the first thing I did was to downscale on the food supermarket I use and go to a budget supermarket, this helped me to drastically reduce my food bills.
I also looked for coupons on the internet on the foods I needed and every time I found something it was like finding free money, I also looked at supermarket comparison sites to find half price offers or buy one get one free. The bottom line was I always looked for a cheaper alternative or ways I could cut the cost of buying foods. A search on the internet will reveal excellent sites which offer advice to people who want to stretch their money using special offers and coupons.
#3: Learn to Love Leftovers
One of the best ways of Feeding Hunger is to learn to love leftovers. If everyone embraced and shared their leftovers no one would need help with food. When I need help with food the first thing I do is embrace leftovers and make meals stretch as far as possible. This is a great strategy to help with food and bills! Make your food last as long as possible, learn to make your energy last as long as possible. Small changes to make the best of resources will help to save you money so you can allocate more money towards food.
For me personally, there were times when we chucked everything that we didn't want to eat when I look back I think to myself what a waste of money, throwing food away was like throwing money away. What really helped with lowering our food bill was cooking less food and leaving leftovers for another day. If you're struggling with your food bill I would urge you to take this challenge and cook less food and lower your portion size, if you find that you're chucking away 1/3 of your food then cook a third less, instead of cooking 7 days worth of meals cook only 5 days and then use the leftovers for days 6 and 7.
#4: Find Inexpensive Food Items
Whenever I need help with money I find inexpensive food items to slash my grocery bills. This is like taking groceries for cheap to the next level. This tip was mentioned quickly on #1 but deserves more attention, if you're struggling with your food bills you need to downshift a brand, rather than buying Coca Cola you need to buy budget cola, rather than buying Branded chocolate you need to switch to generic brands. If you can do this with every item you buy you can slash your bill by half! Take the challenge for a month, make the switch and then see how much you save, also see if you notice a big difference.
#5: Apply for Food Stamps Help
You can get help from the government by applying for food stamps. Food Stamps help low-income families and individuals who are experiencing hunger. Whenever I need help with food I look for government programs that help low-income families and individuals. If I need financial help I also turn to the government who offer welfare benefits to get you back on your feet. You can apply for food stamps if you're experiencing hunger and have no income or savings. If you're on a very low income or have lost your job, are facing financial despair, disaster or crisis then you might be eligible for food stamps from the Government. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program helps people to feed their families, the public assistance comes in the form of vouchers which can be redeemed for food at stores that accept the vouchers. This program is invaluable for those who are having difficulties and you should apply right now if you're in this position, swallow your pride and get help. You can apply for help from the USDA Food & Nutrition Service.
#6: Emergency Food Help From Food Banks
Another option that you could explore is food banks, these programs are for families and individuals who have nowhere to turn to and need immediate assistance. These food banks are sometimes also referred to as Emergency Food Help programs dedicated to helping people overcome hunger. Food banks are spread all across America and are one of the greatest programs available in the world today. Being hungry feels terrible seeing your family experience hunger is even worse, these nonprofit organizations helps people all across America with food. I have bookmarked as many Food Bank Programs that I could find, I will add more as and when I find them.
If you know anyone who is experiencing hunger then forward this guide to them, if you know more hunger food banks then leave a comment below for people to share. You should also do some research on the internet to find churches that help with food. Go to Google Maps and then find all the churches in your area and contact them individually to inquire about churches that help with food. Nearly all churches have a program to help hungry people. Search for the following if you need emergency food help.
Search 1: Feeding America Food Banks
Search 2: North Carolina Feeding America Food Banks
Search 3: Food Pantries America Food Banks
#7: Grow Your Own Food
If you've got a garden you have to grow your own food or at least try, if you can become a better gardener every year then the less you'll have to spend on your grocery. When I was experiencing hardship my garden became a respite from the depression of not having money, I grew tomatoes, potatoes, apples, pears, plums and used every inch of my garden to get some food, leaving a patch empty was like saying no to money. If you've got a garden start growing things and see how much you can save, start small and then build your produce. If you're thinking about where to get help with food always consider your garden or allotment because it could contribute towards 50% of your food requirements which is just amazing.
#8: Eat Less
If you're overweight then try to eat less, if you've been putting off that diet or are thinking about losing some pounds from around the waist then do it now. Buy less food and start your diet, if you eat less you'll lose weight and have enough money to feed your family, stop spending on takeouts, on expensive beverages and foods with high fat and sugars, replace them with cheaper healthier alternatives, if you can lose weight, save money and become healthy in one go then your life will improve in three dimensions.
#9: Buy Low GI Foods
The reason I ate too frequently was because I was eating foods high in fat and sugars, this habit was also picked up by my children, the high from the taste of fat, sugar wore off quickly so we visited the fridge more often which increased our food bills. By switching to foods with low GI I was able to feel fuller for longer, foods like Weetabix mixed Low Fat Yogurt and fruits. The less we ate the less we spent on food so our food bill became more manageable.
I Need Financial Help
If you're desperate and have nowhere to turn to and need urgent financial assistance you should visit the USA.Gov website to find financial help from the Government. You could get help with mortgage assistance programs, military financial assistance, financial help for self-employed, and financial assistance for pensioners. All these programs are designed for people who need financial help.
I Need Help Buying Food Summary
If you need help buying food for your family then try some of the tips mentioned above, the more attention you put into the advice the more money you could save which will help you to put healthy nourishing food on the table for your family. Please feel free to comment and add more tips to this guide, the more tips there are the more people we can help. Also please forward this guide to anyone who is experiencing hunger, by using social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and G+ we can reach a much wider audience. I really hope this guide helps. Be sure to read my other Millionaires Giving Money guides if you need financial help, these guides will help you save and make money in every area of your life.
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