{"id":22540,"date":"2015-08-18T09:34:57","date_gmt":"2015-08-18T13:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/canadianbudgetbinder.com\/?p=22540"},"modified":"2025-01-24T10:22:40","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T10:22:40","slug":"11-ways-to-feed-your-family-when-you-have-little-to-no-money-the-grocery-game-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalskyweb.co\/canadianbudgetbinder.com\/2015\/08\/18\/11-ways-to-feed-your-family-when-you-have-little-to-no-money-the-grocery-game-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Feed Your Family With Little To No Money"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/span>Estimated reading time: <\/span>11<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never Let Your Family Go Hungry In Canada<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We hear it more on the news about parents who have no money<\/strong> and feel that shoplifting<\/strong><\/a> is their last resort to put food in their children’s stomachs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It shouldn’t be this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is so much food on this planet that no one should ever have to starve, but it happens daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I Have No Money For Food<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recently a CBB reader emailed me looking for tips about how she can feed her family of 4 during the months she has no money, and her cupboards are bare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is a single mom who relies on social assistance for money every month, but that money is spent on bills and earlier credit card debt, she is still trying to pay off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her comment about not letting her kids starve because she is poor motivated me to speak on this topic because it’s a big problem across Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s heartbreaking to see children go without food for days or parents who give up eating for their children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They get shunned for not having a decent paying job, poor finance skills, little to no education, or having habits that cost big dollars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s not forget parents with disabilities, some of which are invisible that don’t allow them to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one is perfect, yet these poor children have to grow up faster to deal with adult issues that most kids their age don’t face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then some parents do have good jobs but large amounts of debt, limiting the amount of food they can put on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Money Left After Bills<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"How<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Being poor with no money or limited funds every month can hit a family hard.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might already be collecting welfare but have so many bills that there isn’t much money to feed the family at the end of the month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all make money mistakes, not just people on Ontario Works who are faced with accepting financial assistance, often in shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It shouldn’t be this way; no one wants to be on welfare. We all want to be good at something and successful at doing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ontario Works and welfare programs across Canada is a temporary system that has helped many Canadians survive, especially the kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might be working full-time, but minimum wages aren’t paying the bills, and your family is hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What options do you have?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop Spending Money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most obvious way to free up cash in your bank account is to stop spending<\/em> it on stuff you don’t need<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know people who are out shopping every day of the week, whether it be at the mall or online shopping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That can wreak havoc on anyone’s financial health, especially if financial expenses are not monitored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A shopaholic<\/strong><\/a> doesn’t have to be poor. They could earn a great income but don’t know how to manage their money properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Money, So Now What?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Think about ways to reduce expenses, so you aren’t left with no money before the end of the month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you pay down your debts, you will have more money to spend on food and other basic needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have to start somewhere, and if a debt is holding you back, then work on ways to fix that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps using a budget or swapping from a debit card to a cash system will help reduce expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are smoking, drinking or doing drugs, consider letting that go or accepting help in community programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We quit smoking in 2013, saving thousands of dollars over the years and improving our health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may take time and doctor supervision but wasting money for nothing is pointless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That extra cash can go a long way when you have mouths to feed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stealing As A Last Resort<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some people think that the people who steal food from grocery stores<\/a><\/strong> are poor people when in reality, many people who steal earn a decent living<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those with cash do it because they can get away with it and it’s a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It sounds odd but mental illness is real and it can affect people in many different ways that a normal person views as uncommon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related:<\/strong> The Consequences of Shoplifting In Canada<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s not until someone gets caught when the truth comes out or they make up a lie to try to escape it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pleading ignorance seems to be sound reasoning for their shoplifting actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stealing food is never a last resort and shouldn’t be how someone has to feed themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the news<\/strong><\/a> the past year I have read many stories of parents who are at their wit’s end and flat broke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They may feel their last resort is to steal groceries like single mom Jessica Robles from Miami and her 3 children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her assistance money had some issues, which meant there was no money, and her boyfriend lost his job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without any money to feed her 3 kids, she tried to walk out of a Publix grocery store<\/strong> with $300 worth of groceries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With no earlier arrests, the police officer ended up buying her family $100 worth of groceries from her own pocket<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shoplifting happens all over the world, not just in the USA.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How To Feed Your Family With Little To No Money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I don’t have all the answers, but I do have tips that might give those struggling to make ends meet some hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve put together 11 ways that I could think of helping people who have little to no money, empty cupboards and hungry mouths to feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Job Search or Earn Earn More Money<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I know, I know, not everyone can work, which is fair, BUT<\/strong> for those that can work it may be a wise idea to keep handing out your resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t rely on the internet, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get up, get ready and start visiting organizations and asking if they are hiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I watched a young man at Shoppers Drug Mart ask the manager if they were hiring part-time and was asked to hand in his resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days managers would rather you drop in with a resume instead of hiding behind the computer as popular as that is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Show your face, smile and ask if a business is hiring and always carry and up to date resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you need to find someone to watch your children while you job hunt perhaps a friend or family member can help you out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Share Your Skills For Cash<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are handy or have other skills such as using a sewing machine, gardening<\/a>,<\/strong> computer skills or even writing skills you can earn extra money<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many freelance writing jobs, editing jobs, Virtual assistant jobs<\/strong> online for those who want to work from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start building your portfolio and present it to online bloggers with a large presence because we all need help eventually with our blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earning cash is another way to increase your bank account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps babysitting in your spare time or offering services such as cleaning, senior companion, or dog walking might be ideal cash grabs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another option to is to slim down what you own and start selling it online for fast cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Food Bank<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The local food banks around Canada will always help someone in need especially if they are starving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t be shy to find your way to a local pantry service or food bank and ask for grocery assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up food, diapers and formula for your baby if you have no money to afford any.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Volunteer For Food<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes people don’t have time to volunteer for food because they are hungry so visiting the Food Bank<\/a> <\/strong>is a great first step to get what you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you have some food to stock your cupboards, you can consider volunteering at local community co-op farms where they offer free food for your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, you would need to be able-bodied to do so but if you are able to volunteer you would be helping others and helping yourself out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Local Community Centres and Churches<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don’t be shy to ask around if there are any local churches or community centers in your area that accept food donations to distribute to those in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you find a place, don’t be shy to ask them if you need help because waiting for it to come for you might not happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have a local farmers market that happens every week during the summer that runs on a pay scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens is they have a low price point and a high price point, and you pay what you can afford based on that pay scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if an orange is $0.20-$0.50 on the pay scale and you can afford $0.20, that’s what you tell them you’d like to pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Friends and Family<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not everyone has friends and family they can rely on b<\/em>ut if you do make sure to use those routes if you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m sure they would be more than willing to help you but don’t rely on them to always pick you up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They will want you to take some action for your problems, so they aren’t constantly worrying about you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask your family if they have any food they could donate to you or if there is any work that you could help them out with for cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Stretch and Plan Your Meals<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you can make a big batch of pasta sauce because it’s cheaper, you can stretch that sauce to make more than one meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you balance and plan your meals<\/strong><\/a> from a bulk perspective which will cost less, you may have leftovers which you can switch up the next day for another recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buying in bulk is also a great way to save money, plus fewer trips to the grocery store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why spend $1.29 on 200g of dry black beans when a 2kg bag costs $2.99?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stretch your meals, and you stretch your dollars, that’s a fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Eat Less Meat<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There’s no reason you need to eat meat every day of the week unless you are on a keto diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cut back to 3 meals that include meat or fish and 4 days of meatless meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can easily add proteins to a meal of vegetables by adding chickpeas, other legumes or even seafood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also enjoy nuts, milk, yogurt, eggs, tofu, and cheese as other high protein sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Cut Out Junk Food<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Again, if you have no money for food, you need to spend any money you do get wisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means you stop buying junk food like chips, pop, cookies, and chocolate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are healthy snacks for children you can buy or make homemade if you are eager to do so in the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The savings are enormous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Eat To Live<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you have food in the house, use portion control methods to ensure you aren’t eating more<\/a><\/strong> than your body needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do yourself a favour and try to make food last longer in your household, or practice intermittent fasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Dumpster Diving<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dumpster diving<\/a><\/strong> happens all over Toronto and other cities but you don’t have to do this if you don’t have food for your family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the most part dumpster diving is not allowed but people still do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not meant to be an option for this post, but I wanted to bring to your attention how people do take to the dumpsters when they are hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are so many places that accept donations for food which one could approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I read about a Toronto based group called Food Not Bombs <\/strong>an organization that recovers edible vegan food from dumpsters and serves meals to the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was NOT<\/strong> in any way shocked by the amounts of food they could find in the dumpsters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is undoubtedly a sign of how much food waste<\/strong><\/a> we have in our communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know there is also a community centre in our town that gets over-supply of fruits and vegetables from the local markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They offer them for free to anyone who wants them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a FREE<\/strong> sign on the table, and people come and go as they please and get what they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are adamant about dumpster diving abide by any Canadian Laws because you don’t want to get charged with trespassing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just know that there are resources available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patrol Your Finances<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Humans need to eat and when no money is available,<\/strong> we set off into a survival mode to get what we need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do have an income creating a food budget<\/strong><\/a> is a great way to make sure you have enough money to buy food with your current income so you’re not spending it where you shouldn’t be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we take steps to police the money we do get it may help us to keep a stocked refrigerator and pantry with food for the month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life is not easy, but there are generous people who are willing to help in any way they can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if you have no money or are struggling with the little, you do have to reach out for assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discussion: <\/strong>What other tips can you offer for those that have no money to buy food for their family?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leave your comments about this post below, as I enjoy reading your feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr.CBB<\/p>\n\n\n\n