The Government Giveth, and The Government Taketh Away

For those who don't know, I'm 65 and receive SS survivor's benefits because my husband died. I am unable to work outside my home due to disabilities from Lupus. I get government assistance from SNAP and Medicaid, and I work part time as a freelance writer online.

In May, my SS payments will go up by $100 when I turn 66 and it switches over to my personal account. The good part is that I will be able to pay all my rent & utilities out of that check now, and have a bit left over, as long as my rent or utilities don't go up too much.

The bad part is my food stamp allotment will go down by approximately $70, so actually, I'm only getting $30 more per month, which will have to go toward making up that $70 for food. Therefore, I am $40 in the hole on food. 

If I am particularly frugal with my electricity and water, I can keep my bill down to below $100, if it doesn't get too hot or too cold. That would give me $50 left over from my check, which could go for groceries, so that would put me only $30 in the hole for those months.

Solutions to the Deficit 

If I grow some of my own food, I can make some of that up, but I have very little space for growing things. Still, I can grow a little bit and every little bit counts. I'm not particularly fond of salads, but if all I can grow in my shady courtyard is greens, I'll do it and I'll eat salads.

I don't eat a lot of meat, mostly because I can't afford much, and I usually eat chicken or pork bought on sale. I only eat beef as a treat, or if I can find it marked down drastically. I used to be really good about stretching out my meat with grains, soups and stews, but I started slacking off. From now on, meat will be a luxury, and I'll have to have measured portions and use a lot more meat substitutes, like beans. No more scarfing down a complete chicken breast. When I was dieting, I read that a chicken breast usually had 3 servings in it, so from now on, I'll figure it out like that and make them last. 

I discovered once that succotash (corn & lima beans) with brown rice is a complete protein, and I absolutely love it, so that will be one day's protein. I'm particularly fond of black eyed peas and rice with a little pork thrown in. If I buy a whole ham on sale, I can usually get many meals out of that. 

I Need to Start Baking Again

I used to love to bake, but I haven't really ever made bread. I guess there is no time to learn like the present. I don't eat that much bread, so it may be just as cheap to buy a loaf from the store, but I'll look into it anyway. But as for snacks and such, I am really good at cakes, pies, cookies and fruit & nut breads. I'll have to dig out my old cookbooks and find some good recipes. Of course, that entails using the oven, which will run the utility bill up more, but I'll keep my eye out for a nice, larger toaster oven on sale or at a thrift store. That will save a bundle of money.

I Can Make Healthier Snacks

I've been looking into dehydrating, so buying an inexpensive dehydrator would probably be a good investment that would pay for itself. I can make all sorts of nice snacks dehydrating fruits and veggies, and they are so much healthier than the ones you buy at the store. The only exception I've found is tortilla chips. I tried making my own, but they turned out horrid, and a bag is only $1 at the dollar store, so it's really better to buy those.

I can also make my own dips and salsas. I used to do that when my kids were young, but again, I've slacked off lately because I didn't have to stretch my food dollars as far.

The one thing I'm going to miss is my nuts. I love almonds, walnuts and pecans, but I'm going to either find a way to stretch them or stop buying them. I'll figure it out, but a bag of each every other week is about $32 a month, so I'll definitely have to look for ways to justify that amount.

Of Course, There Is Earning the Money Too 

I do still work, and I am capable of making enough money to make up the $70 plus extra for incidentals and necessities. I can't put much away, because I'm restricted on earnings to keep my Medicaid, but I'd really like to be truly retired and not have to work much. I'm looking into affiliate marketing, but that's another story for another time.

So this is my next challenge, to eat healthy on much less money.  I know I can do it, and I'll be posting the ways and means here so you can learn to do it too.