Is the debt worth it?

[pupsforseeing]

No one can say if the debt is worth it on this forum. We're all full of love and happiness because we actually got in, and we all secretly think we'll be rich. Ask around at your next conference for a more realistic answer.

Amen. I know plenty of vets who would say the debt *isn't* worth it. Clearly they did not think that when they were in our shoes. It's a lot easier to be optimistic on this side of things, but it will probably look a bit different when we've been out of school for 8 years, the novelty has worn off a bit, and we're still having to work 60+ hours a week to survive and send off a sizable chunk of our paychecks to pay off loans.

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[Pointer1330]

Amen. I know plenty of vets who would say the debt *isn't* worth it. Clearly they did not think that when they were in our shoes. It's a lot easier to be optimistic on this side of things, but it will probably look a bit different when we've been out of school for 8 years, the novelty has worn off a bit, and we're still having to work 60+ hours a week to survive and send off a sizable chunk of our paychecks to pay off loans.

So you take the word of these Vets that say it isn't worth it - but how many of them worked other jobs for a while and realized how bad not doing what you love is? I guarantee you their attitude would change if they had another job making better money they didn't like. Either that, or they probably shouldn't have become a Veterinarian in the first place. I don't feel very bad for them - they have the opportunity to go back and become board certified, or work in industry or for the government making better money if they think private practice isn't good enough for them. I know a guy that became a Vet because eventually he wanted to be a livestock farmer and thought it would be a good way to make a bunch of money to save up for a farm. Guess what - he regrets it because he won't dig out of that hole for a long time. This is a perfect example of someone who should've done some more research on costs/salary and never gone to Vet school. Something else I've learned in the business world is that everyone complains about what they make - this is the day and age where everyone is overworked and underpaid. I had a 6 figure job at 24 - guess what, they don't give salaries like that away. The stress of most high paying jobs and sitting behind a desk is way worse than the stress of not being rich but doing something meaningful with your life. I know the debt load is daunting but you just have to remember you're doing what you love and in the end it's an investment. If you think you can't stand the idea of living tight for a while while pay down school debt then go become a CPA and get into finance, or go to law school. Sorry - I just get sick of the complaining because with a DVM degree you have the ability to make a very decent salary - you just have to go get it.

 

[NoleDevil]

The stress of most high paying jobs and sitting behind a desk is way worse than the stress of not being rich but doing something meaningful with your life.

...Although, "high-paying, sitting behind a desk" jobs could still be meaningful. Bah, technicalities... I still like the quote!

 

[Pointer1330]

...Although, "high-paying, sitting behind a desk" jobs could still be meaningful. Bah, technicalities... I still like the quote!

Good point - I didn't mean that desk jobs aren't meaningful. I just felt like the one's I've done weren't because they didn't give me any satisfaction. They are still definitely important though.

 

[pupsforseeing]

So you take the word of these Vets that say it isn't worth it - but how many of them worked other jobs for a while and realized how bad not doing what you love is? I guarantee you their attitude would change if they had another job making better money they didn't like. Either that, or they probably shouldn't have become a Veterinarian in the first place. I don't feel very bad for them - they have the opportunity to go back and become board certified, or work in industry or for the government making better money if they think private practice isn't good enough for them. I know a guy that became a Vet because eventually he wanted to be a livestock farmer and thought it would be a good way to make a bunch of money to save up for a farm. Guess what - he regrets it because he won't dig out of that hole for a long time. This is a perfect example of someone who should've done some more research on costs/salary and never gone to Vet school. Something else I've learned in the business world is that everyone complains about what they make - this is the day and age where everyone is overworked and underpaid. I had a 6 figure job at 24 - guess what, they don't give salaries like that away. The stress of most high paying jobs and sitting behind a desk is way worse than the stress of not being rich but doing something meaningful with your life. I know the debt load is daunting but you just have to remember you're doing what you love and in the end it's an investment. If you think you can't stand the idea of living tight for a while while pay down school debt then go become a CPA and get into finance, or go to law school. Sorry - I just get sick of the complaining because with a DVM degree you have the ability to make a very decent salary - you just have to go get it.

No, I don't take their words for it. I have applied to, been accepted to, and will be attending vet school. However, I don't think it's really fair for us to sit and criticize vets who have experienced this when we're on the outside looking in.

I am probably one of the most frugal people you'll meet. I've managed to put myself through college without taking out loans. This doesn't happen by accident, but through working really hard and only spending on the bare necessities. I spend money on tuition, room, books, plane tickets home, and $10 on groceries/week. And that's about it. So I don't think your argument about me wanting to live the high life so I should go to law school is exactly accurate.

All I'm saying is that overused cliche about walking a mile in someone else's shoes might apply here. When you've graduated from vet school and have been in the work force for awhile, feel free to come back and criticize, but until then, I don't think any of us are in a position to debate about whether or not the debt is worth it. Unforutnately, only hindsight is 20/20.

 

[VAgirl]

Well said, pups!! And holy schnikes, $10/week for groceries? I think I need you to teach me a thing or two about frugal shopping! That even puts my SO to shame, and I swear he's the most frugal person I've ever met.

 

[Electrophile]

Whew, just finished THE LAST ANATOMY FINAL EVER!!!

And I log on to SDN and I really want to thank everyone who knows where I'm coming from. I was pre-law for a good four years, so I am very well aware I am quite assertive about stuff I believe in, especially in written form. I'm not quite so much in person, but I know how it comes across online. But with stuff like money and financial planning and taking on an enormous debt load, I think we're doing a disservice to folks recommending "Follow your dreams and go wherever your heart desires! The money thing will work its way out on its own!" while giving them a misty-eyed hug and cuing "I Believe I Can Fly." Even though we live in a day and age where everyone wants reaffirmation of their decisions no matter how unwise, eh...I'm much more of a realist than that, sorry!

 

[CanadianGolden]

Electrophile--

I agree that financial planning, etc are good, I think many of us just resented the implication that ever spending money on entertainment somehow made us horribly financially irresponsible.

 

[NoleDevil]

And holy schnikes, $10/week for groceries? I think I need you to teach me a thing or two about frugal shopping!

That's what I was thinking! Is $10/week for groceries even possible?! What do you eat, pups? I can go to the food store and spend at least $20 just to make one dinner! That's using all fresh ingredients, though. I'd find it difficult to believe you'd only spend $10/week on fresh veggies, meat, etc. to cook every night (but definitely correct me if I'm wrong and tell me your secret if you do! ). So, I'm guessing you eat rice, frozen dinners, and/or a lot of Ramen? Or the dollar menu at McD's? Or maybe you just meant $10/day. Even that amazes me, though!

 

[Pointer1330]

No, I don't take their words for it. I have applied to, been accepted to, and will be attending vet school. However, I don't think it's really fair for us to sit and criticize vets who have experienced this when we're on the outside looking in.

I am probably one of the most frugal people you'll meet. I've managed to put myself through college without taking out loans. This doesn't happen by accident, but through working really hard and only spending on the bare necessities. I spend money on tuition, room, books, plane tickets home, and $10 on groceries/week. And that's about it. So I don't think your argument about me wanting to live the high life so I should go to law school is exactly accurate.

All I'm saying is that overused cliche about walking a mile in someone else's shoes might apply here. When you've graduated from vet school and have been in the work force for awhile, feel free to come back and criticize, but until then, I don't think any of us are in a position to debate about whether or not the debt is worth it. Unforutnately, only hindsight is 20/20.

I don't want to make assumptions but your first couple lines seem like you're trying to assert some type of dominance by the fact you've been accepted to school. I may be wrong, anyhow... I would put a lot of money on the fact that I know a substantially larger amount of Veterinarians than you do - and their financial situations, from my previous job. Also - my wife is a practicing Veterinarian who is not too far out of school and living this everyday. There, have I justified my position enough? All I'm saying is that I know students coming from all different professional schools that have a hard time after school because they feel they need to live above their means - it's not just Veterinarians. I'm also saying that there's a lot of different routes to make money with a DVM, IF THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU. No, Vets aren't paid as well as they should be for the schooling they undertake and the job they do, but that's something you know ahead of time. That's why I mention there are options if you are really worried about money. The funny thing is that the Vets I know that complain about money don't really seem to care for what they do overall, and the one's that don't complain love their job. Weird, huh?

Also, I don't know why you think I'm telling you you want to live the high life. You just need to be realistic about your earning potential, and if you want to live a certain lifestyle, you're going to have to make certain choices to get there.

 

[TrocarKarin]

That's what I was thinking! Is $10/week for groceries even possible?! What do you eat, pups? I can go to the food store and spend at least $20 just to make one dinner! That's using all fresh ingredients, though. I'd find it difficult to believe you'd only spend $10/week on fresh veggies, meat, etc. to cook every night (but definitely correct me if I'm wrong and tell me your secret if you do! ). So, I'm guessing you eat rice, frozen dinners, and/or a lot of Ramen? Or the dollar menu at McD's? Or maybe you just meant $10/day. Even that amazes me, though!

I get food for me and my husband for around $100/month (around $10 to $15 a week each.) We probably eat about 3 or 4 pasta dinners a week, a lot of potatoes, and a lot of mexican food. Meat is rarely the center of the meal (some might go in the enchiladas or the pasta sauce), and meals are planned around what's on sale. During the summer I grow my own veggies, but during the winter, we tend to stick to canned green beans, and baby carrots. I make pretty much everything from scratch. It can be done.

 

[NoleDevil]

I get food for me and my husband for around $100/month (around $10 to $15 a week each.) We probably eat about 3 or 4 pasta dinners a week, a lot of potatoes, and a lot of mexican food. Meat is rarely the center of the meal (some might go in the enchiladas or the pasta sauce), and meals are planned around what's on sale. During the summer I grow my own veggies, but during the winter, we tend to stick to canned green beans, and baby carrots. I make pretty much everything from scratch. It can be done.

Ahh, duh! Forgot about pasta (even though I eat it a lot, ha). That's really cool that you grow your own veggies when you can. So, are the foods you described just for dinner, or is that for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, too? It just seems really hard to believe that someone could get all of those meals plus snacks for ~$3/day...

 

[pupsforseeing]

That's what I was thinking! Is $10/week for groceries even possible?! What do you eat, pups? I can go to the food store and spend at least $20 just to make one dinner! That's using all fresh ingredients, though. I'd find it difficult to believe you'd only spend $10/week on fresh veggies, meat, etc. to cook every night (but definitely correct me if I'm wrong and tell me your secret if you do! ). So, I'm guessing you eat rice, frozen dinners, and/or a lot of Ramen? Or the dollar menu at McD's? Or maybe you just meant $10/day. Even that amazes me, though!

Nope, no pasta, rice, or ramen, and no McD's. I shop at Aldi (discount grocery store) for everything but some of my produce and meat. I mainly survive on eggs, sandwiches (PB&J or lunch meat), carrots and hummus, apples and peanut butter, cottage cheese with canned fruit, cereal, and fresh veggies (carrots, green bell peppers, celery, and baby spinach), chicken (only once a week or every other week though), and canned tuna on my salads. I generally don't buy any brand name and stick to as little processed food as possible (it generally works out being cheaper per meal).

Pointer1330, I'm sorry if you misinterpreted what I said. I was only pointing out that I am going to vet school to make the point that I am not blindly accepting everything I have been told and am excited to join the veterinary community. However, I also recognize that things often seem brighter looking from the outside in and I will not judge those who have been there and recognized it's not for them until I've been in their shoes. It sounds, though, like you are in a different position and potentially able to comment more accurately on what it's like to be in the situation on the other side of the tunnel. I personally cannot claim to know what it's like, so I won't. Sorry if I sounded harsh or like I knew everything, that certainly was not my intention.

 

[TrocarKarin]

Ahh, duh! Forgot about pasta (even though I eat it a lot, ha). That's really cool that you grow your own veggies when you can. So, are the foods you described just for dinner, or is that for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, too? It just seems really hard to believe that someone could get all of those meals plus snacks for ~$3/day...

That's everything. I tend to buy groceries, and spend a day cooking, and then package everything individually into gladware. Usually just grab one and nuke it for breakfast/lunch. (Not a real breakfast food person. A bag of cereal will last about 2-3 months here.) Also sandwiches are cheap (especially with homegrown tomatoes and store-brand lunch meat.)

I do have an expensive $15/week pepsi habit, thats not being calculated into those numbers.

 

[Pointer1330]

Nope, no pasta, rice, or ramen, and no McD's. I shop at Aldi (discount grocery store) for everything but some of my produce and meat. I mainly survive on eggs, sandwiches (PB&J or lunch meat), carrots and hummus, apples and peanut butter, cottage cheese with canned fruit, cereal, and fresh veggies (carrots, green bell peppers, celery, and baby spinach), chicken (only once a week or every other week though), and canned tuna on my salads. I generally don't buy any brand name and stick to as little processed food as possible (it generally works out being cheaper per meal).

Pointer1330, I'm sorry if you misinterpreted what I said. I was only pointing out that I am going to vet school to make the point that I am not blindly accepting everything I have been told and am excited to join the veterinary community. However, I also recognize that things often seem brighter looking from the outside in and I will not judge those who have been there and recognized it's not for them until I've been in their shoes. It sounds, though, like you are in a different position and potentially able to comment more accurately on what it's like to be in the situation on the other side of the tunnel. I personally cannot claim to know what it's like, so I won't. Sorry if I sounded harsh or like I knew everything, that certainly was not my intention.

Fair enough - Sorry as I may have overreacted also.

 

[fargeese]

I guess I would suggest that you use a Roth IRA when you are young, because you don't want to pay taxes on money that has been growing for 40 years, and your tax bracket is still pretty low now, and paying taxes on your contributions is not that big a deal when you're in a low bracket. I would then open up a Regular IRA once you had a high income and when you are older, because the tax savings would be more significant, and the increase in value will not be so high that paying taxes on the profits would not be onerous, especially as you will be retired and in a lower bracket most likely when you start taking it out.

Also, you can rollover a regular IRA to a Roth, you just have to pay the taxes on the money in the account. I did this some years ago when the stock market was in the crapper (like it is now, incidently) so that it wouldn't be so painful and now all that $$ is waiting for me tax free.

The pool will be open for business in July!

PS: Oops, I just realized there was a 3rd page and we've moved on to a completely different topic. Oh well. I am also of the make a bunch-eat leftovers all week school, it is more green (I don't mean mold!) because you save energy and good for lazy somebodies like me!

 

[NoleDevil]

That's everything. I tend to buy groceries, and spend a day cooking, and then package everything individually into gladware. Usually just grab one and nuke it for breakfast/lunch. (Not a real breakfast food person. A bag of cereal will last about 2-3 months here.) Also sandwiches are cheap (especially with homegrown tomatoes and store-brand lunch meat.)

I do have an expensive $15/week pepsi habit, thats not being calculated into those numbers.

Wow. You are pups are hardcore! While I definitely need to be more frugal, I don't think I'm willing to sacrifice that much in the food department!

 

[Electrophile]

Electrophile--

I agree that financial planning, etc are good, I think many of us just resented the implication that ever spending money on entertainment somehow made us horribly financially irresponsible.

I never implied that spending money on entertainment makes you financially irresponsible. I love going to movies (when there are decent ones out), Netflix, reading books, doing dog related stuff, all which is entertainment and all which costs money. Money is for fun stuff too and entertainment should be a part of everybody's budget. But before all the money goes out the window on the newest ipods, Starbucks, HD plasma screen TVs, going out to clubs, drinking, or whatever your "Latte Factor" or whatever is, plus bills, rent/mortgage, and so on, paying yourself first so you can enjoy an earlier retirement and saving for a rainy day so you don't spend everything your earn is critical.

If you've already got your ducks in a row financially, sure, you can spend money on what you want. But most people do not have their ducks in a row financially. The ducks probably haven't even hatched yet. That's just a statistical fact of Americans. Anyways, the point is to get everyone thinking about this as lots of very smart people are not very smart about money. Many just don't know where to begin.

 

[twelvetigers]

I guess I would suggest that you use a Roth IRA when you are young, because you don't want to pay taxes on money that has been growing for 40 years, and your tax bracket is still pretty low now, and paying taxes on your contributions is not that big a deal when you're in a low bracket. I would then open up a Regular IRA once you had a high income and when you are older, because the tax savings would be more significant, and the increase in value will not be so high that paying taxes on the profits would not be onerous, especially as you will be retired and in a lower bracket most likely when you start taking it out.

Also, you can rollover a regular IRA to a Roth, you just have to pay the taxes on the money in the account. I did this some years ago when the stock market was in the crapper (like it is now, incidently) so that it wouldn't be so painful and now all that $$ is waiting for me tax free.

Exactly! I'd rather pay taxes on what I'm putting in now than pay them on the total amount earned later... it's kind of like a savings account, only you can't just drive to the bank and write a check. It has to be long term, but the money you put in is the money that will be there when you want to take it out, and then some.

Trad IRAs have lots of good parts too. Just spouting my preference for the Roth IRAs, especially as a youngin'.

$10 a week, wow. I'm so NOT that good. We eat out more than we should - I'm not incredibly patient with cooking meals, and we're so hungry by the time we get home at 6pm... another hour to cook this or that? The salads and fruit sound grat. My husband is one of those guys that think meal = meat. So, it doesn't always work out.

Any cookbook recommendations? LOL. Talk about off the original topic. But seriously, I've exhausted my red and white classic (BH&G) and am looking for other alternatives with some less time consuming options in the mix. The Joy of Cooking is a staple, but so many "from scratch" recipes that take three hours to finish...

Oh, and I luuuurrrrrvvve Aldi's. There's not one here though, just two Walmart Supercenters, a Food Pyramid, and an "IGA Consumers". Bah. And of course wally world is the closest by miles.

 

[rachroo]

I shop at Aldi (discount grocery store)

I love Aldi's!! They may not have a lot of name brands but you can save a lot of $$ by shopping there. ~$100 worth of groceries in a normal store= ~$60 at Aldi's!!


Oh...and twelvetigers you could try foodtv.com (it's the food network's website); they have loads of reicpies on there. If your trying to save time, maybe look under Rachel Ray's stuff since she makes 30 minute meals.

 

[NoleDevil]

Any cookbook recommendations? LOL. Talk about off the original topic. But seriously, I've exhausted my red and white classic (BH&G) and am looking for other alternatives with some less time consuming options in the mix. The Joy of Cooking is a staple, but so many "from scratch" recipes that take three hours to finish...

Oh, and I luuuurrrrrvvve Aldi's. There's not one here though, just two Walmart Supercenters, a Food Pyramid, and an "IGA Consumers". Bah. And of course wally world is the closest by miles.

Apparently I'm all about hijacking threads these days, lol. Anyway, there's some pretty good cookbooks out from FoodTV personality Sandra Lee. One of them is called Sandra Lee Semi-Homeade: 20 Minute Meals. Her meals are easy to make and they're pretty tasty... this coming from someone who really hates to cook!

Hmm, don't know of any Aldi's down here. Sounds like good times, though!

 

[NittanyKitty]

Yup, officially hijacked. My family goes to a place for non-perishable items that we affectionately call the dented-can store. It's basically all the stuff that's dinged up or ripped and taped back together or written in other languages that can't be sold in regular grocery stores. Waaaaaay cheap. Like, cake mixes for $1.00 and cans of soup for about fifteen cents. Can't get much better than that.

 

[TrocarKarin]

Yup, officially hijacked. My family goes to a place for non-perishable items that we affectionately call the dented-can store. It's basically all the stuff that's dinged up or ripped and taped back together or written in other languages that can't be sold in regular grocery stores. Waaaaaay cheap. Like, cake mixes for $1.00 and cans of soup for about fifteen cents. Can't get much better than that.

I refuse to buy unfamiliar foreign food after the urine-flavored mexican koolaid I bought at biglots.

 

[twelvetigers]

I refuse to buy unfamiliar foreign food after the urine-flavored mexican koolaid I bought at biglots.

LOL yuck! I'll make sure I watch out for that one!

Rachel Ray and her oversized mouth just make my skin crawl... ech, she bothers me for some reason. I'm more of an Anthony Bourdain gal myself, though I don't drink as much as he does. I checked out an Alton Brown cookbook, but it looked labor intensive too. I'm all for internet recipes, but there's something to be said for a book.

BTW, tamarind flavored Kool-Aid? I'm pretty sure that tamarinds taste like piss, anyway. That could have been the problem... bleck.

 

[nyanko]

BTW, tamarind flavored Kool-Aid? I'm pretty sure that tamarinds taste like piss, anyway. That could have been the problem... bleck.

The Mexican grocery around here has tamarind flavored everything from soda to drink mix to candy to gelatin. It's gross.

 

[NittanyKitty]

I refuse to buy unfamiliar foreign food after the urine-flavored mexican koolaid I bought at biglots.

Ewwwww! My dad would be the one to buy that kind of thing just because it was "on sale". The rest of us keep him in line and nudge him toward more familiar food.

And ditto on the Rachael Ray comment. Not a big fan either. Alton Brown is my hero. He's like Bill Nye the Science Guy for food.

 

[Moonpaw]

BTW, tamarind flavored Kool-Aid? I'm pretty sure that tamarinds taste like piss, anyway. That could have been the problem... bleck.

Hey...just because tamarind flavored kool-aid is awful doesn't mean you have to piss on tamarinds. My mom LOVES tamarind rice. And plain tamarinds themselves (if you get the right ones) are pretty damn tasty.

 

[projekt]

Exactly! I'd rather pay taxes on what I'm putting in now than pay them on the total amount earned later... it's kind of like a savings account, only you can't just drive to the bank and write a check. It has to be long term, but the money you put in is the money that will be there when you want to take it out, and then some.

If you are putting money into an IRA, don't forget about the Retirement Savings Tax Credit. You can claim up to 50% of your contributions depending on your AGI. I was able to reduce my girlfriend's tax liability to zero by using a combination of contributing to a traditional IRA and claiming this credit.

If you didn't claim it, you can file an amended return for 2005-2007 tax years and get another chunk of useful change that the Government owes you.

 

[cwazy cat lady]

Yup, officially hijacked. My family goes to a place for non-perishable items that we affectionately call the dented-can store. It's basically all the stuff that's dinged up or ripped and taped back together or written in other languages that can't be sold in regular grocery stores. Waaaaaay cheap. Like, cake mixes for $1.00 and cans of soup for about fifteen cents. Can't get much better than that.

Yikes, Clostridium botulinum would be quite at home there...

Don't buy dented cans and encourage stores not to sell/donate them! It's not worth the risk!!!

 

[CanadianGolden]

Yikes, Clostridium botulinum would be quite at home there...

Don't buy dented cans and encourage stores not to sell/donate them! It's not worth the risk!!!

That's so what I thought when I read that! My boyfriend won't let me buy dented cans...

 

[Tiger1]

The pet company reps that are affliated with the schools, what are their roles? I would imagine that they have the backing of business with $$$. Maybe with the right proposal, there might be a project that the company need and only vet student(s) can solve? What is the school's policy regarding the reps, boundary-wise. Just curious.

I guess I am asking what is the nature of business interactions between the company reps and students? Has anyone ever tried to propose ideas to them and vice versa? Network.

 

[projekt]

From the Grocery Manufacturers Association website:

Q: Is it safe to use dented cans?
A: Products in slightly dented cans can be consumed as long as there are no leaks and the product appears wholesome. Do not consume products from severely dented, leaking, or swollen cans or jars.

 

[lazyjayn]

hey twelvetigers- back on the subject of food- have you tried a crockpot/ slow cooker? you dump some water and ... "stuff" in and turn it on as you dash out the door in the morning, and have ready to eat hot yummyness when you get home. If you live at sea level, you could even have a nice yummy pot of beans, and make other stuff from that. Otherwise, have you tried a pressure cooker/ canner? I like to cook stuff that doesn't actually cook at my elevation, but even lower than this h3ll hole it speeds up cooking to an insane degree- they're used a lot on sailboats to cut down on fuel use.

And if like me you make huge vats of stuff (channa masala- yum) that takes a while to make but doesn't have milk in it- you could can the rest, and have that, shelf stable, for weeks. Note- there is a learning curve to the pressure cooking/ canning thing.

On the subject of keeping food budgets low, I find mine doesn't wander outside my acceptable range (10-15$/wk) if I have stuff ready to go. And does not count my 2+L a day diet Pepsi habit. But I like to do stuff like pre-roast and freeze veggies, so I just have to make white sauce to have yummy cream-of soup. And while I'm roasting the veggies, I'll mix up some pizza dough to bag and toss in the freezer. Also, if I have pre-chopped veggies I'm much more likely to make a cheap yummy stir fry for dinner, and toss the extra in my lunch box for the next day.

Electrophile- have you been to the simple living network? I think you'll find a bunch of people there with similar ideas about money.

-j. - who still believes in having as much money for school before going *to* school as possible.

 

[Rebeki]

Obviously you guys don't eat as much as I do

I was in a income-challenged situation and found it difficult to feed myself on $25/wk despite being very conscious of what I was spending.

For example:
1/2 Gallon of Milk - $2.50
Cereal Generic - $3.00
Pasta Sauce - $2.00
Pasta - $1.00
Mac&Cheese - $1.00
Bananas $1.00

I'm already over $10 and I've only gotten enough food for breakfast, and 3 days worth of lunches and dinners.

I'd love to see someone tell me what they feed themselves for $10/wk

 

[lazyjayn]

Hmmm...

Part of this is going to be regional.

I go through about a two pound block of cheese in two months. 7.99/8wks=$1/wk actually, this much would last longer, but it goes moldy.

a big container of oatmeal will last me a couple of months and costs about $3 (tho that might have gone up- I don't buy it often)

For this week, though, I'm eating down my pantry and bought

zucchini, .3 lbs for .39
Broccoli, fresh, .57 lbs for .57
potatoes, 5 lbs for 1.99 (will last more than one week)
Sweet onions, 3lbs for 2.99 (also more than 1 week)
carrots, 3 lbs for 1.99 (prolly last me a month)
tomato, fresh .39 lbs for 1.17 (two weeks on tortillas)
Tofu, 18oz for 1.99
and
tortillas, 18ct 1.50 (2 or 3 weeks worth)

oh, and a half gallon of soy milk that may get started this week- 3.29
I could get a gallon of cow milk at work for $3

So that's 15.88 spent this week.

But when you take the amount of that I'll actually use this week, it drops to about $8.40- Which leaves me with $1.60 worth of stuff I can pull from the pantry. Usually a lb or two of beans (.56/lb when I bought them) a couple of handfuls of TVP ($8 for a huuuuge vat) and a lb of flour (.30) plus oil spices and a can of veggies. Yes, this is low on fruit. I don't like bananas, but usually use a can of something like apples or apple sauce to flavor the oatmeal over a week- bought on sale.

So this week I over spent. I could have gotten less expensive onions, bought fewer carrots, made my own tortillas. Next week I'll spend less, because I already have everything I need except some fresh veggies- probably zucchini and broccoli again, plus cauliflower, because they're cheap this time of year- I still have sweet potatoes and about 4lbs of winter squash from when they were on sale.

Note- I also have about 20 lbs of beans, since I pick up a bag whenever I have space in my budget, and about the same amount of random rice- worked in over the course of a couple weeks. Oh, and 20-ish lbs of flour- unbleached and whole wheat bought on sale back around x-mas, plus 1lb of corn meal.

So- a day worth of food.

breakfast- oatmeal w/ applesauce and cinnamon
lunch- left over from yesterday- tofu, rice, zucchini, broccoli, carrot, onion, black bean sauce and soy sauce, fried and all mixed up
dinner- lentil soup with about 1/3rd of the zucchini, a can of tomatoes, onion, carrot, potato, sweet potato (bought a couple weeks ago on sale), salt, spices and a hunk of home-made bread- both will last several meals
snack- honey on tortilla

Tomorrow?
Prolly skip b-fast, or just have bread
lunch- left over soup
dinner- cajun tofu, potato, onion fajitas with some tomato and cheese.
snack- more soup

Also tomorrow I'll mix up a vat of chili, and eat that at work for lunch for the next week- 2lbs of beans (.56/lb), handful of frozen corn (~.50), Can of tom paste (.20 on sale) spices (~.50 all together), 1/2 onion (~.30), some oil for frying in (<.10)

So about $2.80 for 5 lunches and prolly 3 dinners.

Does that help?

 

[pressmom]

Well, I can't remember if I've weighed in on this thread, but I'm in the financially responsible to a point group. I have a couple of limited luxuries I like to have. (Sushi once a month or once every other month ~$180 a year --$20 x 9--and pedicures in the summer--3 a year ~$75 dollars) But I don't drink, so when I go out with friends I drink water or MAYBE a coke, I don't rent movies or go to them, don't buy music or go to concerts, gave up soft drinks and drink tea instead, which is WAY cheaper, try to cook at home and buy on sale. If I do want a DVD, books or music, I get it with my Amazon gift card I get every year for x-mas and when it's gone, it's gone. Clothes I mainly buy with the gift cards I get for x-mas from my mom's family or the cash I get from my grandmother. Also, I keep my heat and AC off a lot, so I can afford cable, so I guess that's my last and final luxury.

I have limited loans, since I'm using the savings I've made since I started working at the family business at 14. It's invested at a good rate and should last me through school. Even though I'm not getting paid much this summer, I plan on trying to save as much of it as possible.

 

[pupsforseeing]

.

 

[twelvetigers]

Maybe people with meat cravings would have a harder time staying within that sort of budget? Or, I like making desserts. That usually ends up adding ingredients to a shopping list. Even though I would think that butter or margarine would be a staple purchase... what about bread? Making bread is definitely time consuming - I'd much rather buy a loaf. Oh, and that raisin bread that comes in the red package? Yummm. Or what about strawberry cream cheese for bagels?

WHAT ABOUT COFFEE???

Okay, I might be spoiled rotten. I know couldn't do on broccoli, zuchinni, oatmeal, and tortillas for a week.

I do have a nice Rival crock pot, and I'm fairly certain that most of Oklahoma is at sea level. All I've ever made is chili and stew, both of which are more wintery foods.

 

[david594]

Honestly, you can incorporate meat fairly easily into a reasonable budget. Eggs are dirt cheap and the perfect food. Ground beef is fairly cheap, and if you make hamburg patties and freeze them, you end up with nice small proportions that can be quickly thawed. Can do the same thing with chicken breasts.

The big kicker for the budget is if you want deli meats.

 

[TrocarKarin]

I don't think I could stay in my budget if I didn't buy in bulk, and like I mentioned earlier, I'll cook one day every few weeks, then pop individual meals into the freezer. For instance, Its $8 a bag for egg noodles that last a month or two. $1.50 for a freakin' gallon of tomato sauce that is used for enchiladas, goulash, pasta sauce, and chili. About $5 for 2 a giant bag of frozen green chilies. It also helps buying stuff when its really on sale.

Ground beef (5 lbs for $9 - about a lb of it is put into food, the rest is divided up and frozen. Lasts about 2-3 months)
Giant bag of pasta ($8)
Tomato Sauce ($1.50/gallon)
Green chilies ($5 - this will last me about 6 months. Its huge)
Chicken breasts (About 10 in a bag for $15. Usually one breast gets split between 2 people per meal.)
Chicken Drumsticks (buy on sale for about $.25 each.)
Flour tortillas ($3 for 24.)
Corn tortillas ($2 for 100 at costco.)
Potatos/Onions (buy when the bags are $1 each.)
Rice - steal from my mom's house, 'cause she buys it bulk, and will never use all of it.
Canned veggies (corn, green beans, etc. wait until they're on sale.)
1 lb. block of cheddar - $7
Kidney beans $1/can

From that list, I can make and freeze the following (for about $60, with ingredients left over);
2 pans of cheese enchiladas (about 16/pan)
2 pans of ground beef enchiladas
8-10 servings of chili
8 servings of goulash
10 bean/cheese burritos
10 beef and potato burritos
1 pan of meatloaf (about 4 meals)
8 servings of mashed potatos
about 20 servings of egg noodles w/marinara sauce
6 servings of hot wing-drumsticks
10 servings of chicken noodle soup
6 servings of chicken parmesan

Almost 100 meals for $60 (granted, not all 100 get made or eaten in a month - that bag of noodles lasts forever, and a lot of the ingredients are kept in my freezer, so I don't have to buy them every trip to the store.)

Cheapo breakfast cereal, tomato and cheese sandwiches, frozen chimichangas and bagels w/ melted cheese fill in the gaps.

 

[Talkta Samson]

No, biomajir, for you the debt is not worth it. Go into investment banking or pharmaceutical sales.

 

[lazyjayn]

Meat can be done with the magic frozen bag of chicken legs and thighs from wally world @ about 39 cents a pound- tho that might have gone up recently, but I doubt it. Also, the "loaf" of hamburger for about 8 or 9 bucks like TrocarKarin mentioned. But I'm veggie, so don't buy it... spend more on tofu and soy milk, tho- comparable animal products are less expensive. Also, I bought butter when it was on random super sale @ $1/lb back around x-mas. bought about 10 lbs.

This is gonna sound silly, but I actually tend to make bread when I'm stressed- at least once a weak. Because beating on it makes the bread better- well... to a degree- and is cheaper than beer.

And I break my caffeine habit out separately in my budget- 8 2L bottles a week @1.20 a bottle. Working on that. I could cut it out entirely, swap it for tea with honey, or even plain tea... or free coffee at work, and tea at home, and cut out a good $8 a week, that isn't included in my "food" budget tho because it's not food.

Oh, and the strawberry cream cheese? yep. Spoiled. Soooo spoiled.

Desert ideas? Pudding, eggs and a five lb bag of sugar are cheap. Flour *was* cheap... You could make custard, pie, caramel, cake.... and those betty crocker mixes even go on sale sometimes- usually around x-mas.. for 1.50 each. Make and freeze mini muffins. Yum.

Anyway, everyone knows that females in college only eat frozen pizza, ice cream, and microwave popcorn, and males eat frozen burritos, ramen, and frozen pot pies.

Karin- have you tried fruit muffins for b-fast? The big "texas" style ones? With oat bran and apple sauce they are filling and sweet, and the abba sauce keeps them moist, even if you don't get them in the freezer right away or forget them once they're there. They cost out at about 20 to 50 cents each, excluding time spent and electric.

j.

 

[TrocarKarin]

Karin- have you tried fruit muffins for b-fast? The big "texas" style ones? With oat bran and apple sauce they are filling and sweet, and the abba sauce keeps them moist, even if you don't get them in the freezer right away or forget them once they're there. They cost out at about 20 to 50 cents each, excluding time spent and electric.
j.

I bought a couple of the LARGE cans of pumpkin around thanksgiving, so I ended up making so much pumpkin bread and muffins, that I'm actually sick of it (I didn't know that was possible.) I probably should try blueberry or apple ones sometime. I found a weird recipe online for tomato soup spice muffins that I'm curious to try.

 

[twelvetigers]

I'm such a fan of cakes and pies from scratch... fresh fruit, hand rolled crust, and spicesfor the pies. I use my wonderful, beautiful KitchenAid mixer (in red) for the cake batter and, my favorite ever, the cream cheese frosting to go on top. I made a carrot cake a week ago and got "best cake I EVER HAD" from five different people. Haha. I really enjoy that. I would make cake from a box for a child, or some last minute thing, but otherwise... I'm kinda addicted to making things myself.

I also like fresh fruit... apples, tangerines, strawberries, and the occasional pineapple. However good the pineapples are in Oklahoma. Probably not very good. But I like them anyway. I also like applesauce... but only a specific brand, probably the one with the added sweetening. *sigh*

I could use some grocery shopping savings tips, but at the same time... I don't have a deep freezer, and our normal freezer is pretty full. And our garage has two cars, a lawnmower, a gas grill, a (large!) toolbox, an air compressor, and SOMEONE'S motorcycle. Plus shelving. So, no room for a deep freezer.

Maybe I should try coupons? We could subscribe to the Sunday paper. I wishwe had a Costco, Aldi's, Sam's Club here... alas, just Wally worlds and a Food Pyramid. Which is mostly still an Albertson's, except the name and the Starbuck's inside.

 

[lailanni]

I have some food allergies/intolerances, so unfortunately I can't stick to the super cheap diets...sigh

Wheat, corn, beans, soy, tropical fruits and hormone treated milk/meats don't do me any favors, some make me quite ill. I don't drink, my system can't take that either.

I can have some wheat but it can't make up much of my diet or I get sick. I do have empathy for those wheat allergy dogs...heh..

If I want any type of pasta for a serious meal it has to be rice based. Bread needs to be spelt bread, or tapioca but that's usually more expensive. I do love baking a lot and will use wheat there. I just only eat some of what I make and give most away. Baking = recreation/therapy for me, so I find it a reasonable expense.

I wish decent zucchini was not just seasonal around here. I would happily eat it every day! So many yummy things it can do!

Hey twelvetigers -- so jealous that you have a KitchenAid mixer!!! I've been wanting one of those forever! Would you mind passing along your carrot cake recipe? I don't know a *good* one for carrot cake.

 

[Rebeki]

You guys had some great ideas about cheap meals! I'm definitely going to be using some of your ideas this upcoming school year

However, I guess I have a weakness for food and I don't think I could eat like that all the time. To me food is one of life's great pleasures and I just can't skimp too much in that dept. Also, TrocarKarin 1 chicken breast for two people!!! You must be quite slim and trim

Thank again for everyone's great ideas

 

[VAgirl]

Eggs are dirt cheap

Not these days. Just bough 18 eggs for $6 on Saturday!!

I would have skipped them and bought something else (trying to buy more things on sale) but it was for the brunch I was making for my mom on Mother's Day. I was already saving by not taking her out to brunch, so I figured I could splurge a tad.

P.S. -- Kudos to you guys who are so frugal with food, but I'm with Rebeki. Food is one of life's great pleasures (and seriously, makes my guy so happy you would think what I make is laced with some sort of drug). So I don't think I'll be joining the uber frugal food group any time soon. We just do the best we can to cut costs and enjoy the heck out of everything else.

 

[Sapphir3blu3]

TrocarKarin, do you do anything special to freeze all that stuff so it doesn't get yucky in the freezer?

My husband and I had our kitchen remodeled a few years back, and while that was going on, we had no kitchen for two whole months. To prepare, I cooked and froze a ton of stuff, and we set up a microwave and a hot plate on the basement workbench. I noticed that a LOT of what I froze lost something in translation when it was reheated. Like it would seem a little tough, flavorless, dried out, or something.

Right now I'm freaking killing myself working both the money job (leftover from my first career) and the experience job (entry-level vet tech) and it's messing up my cooking/eating habits; I might just starve to death in the fall when I start full-time school on top of everything else. I keep thinking I need to get in the cook-and-freeze habit, but I keep remembering how sad I always was to pull one of my favorite meals out of the freezer... say a nice ginger-garlic pork stir fry... and find it a pale imitation of what it was when it first came out of the frying pan.

Oh, topic...? Maybe I'm just a newbie but I felt a little bad for Electrophile. "Tone" is so subjective on the internet; I find that if you read something with the expectation of negativity you'll always find it.

Here's my money tip: online high-yield savings accounts earn you decent interest but they're fairly liquid at the same time. So there's nothing stopping you from dumping every spare penny in, so it can collect interest for however long you're able to leave it there. Bankrate.com will compare rates & basic rules for different types of accounts from different banks. Here is a direct link to their list of "high-yield MMA savings under 10K balance" accounts: http://bankrate.com/brm/rate/mmmf_highratehome.asp?params=US,416&product=34

My particular account is at 3.20% APY right now, not great but more or less competitive with the rest of this market---a year ago it was over 6% APY, but then the economy went south and every single high-yield savings rate in the country began dropping in tandem. With luck it'll go back up again But no matter how bad things get, it won't go negative, unlike many other investments; my husband's 401K has fairly shat its pants over the last year and there's nothing to do but wait it out.

There's a whole bunch of websites & blogs devoted to writing reviews of different bank offerings, including these high-yield savings accounts; often the reviews are updated as rates, rules, or features change. So you can Google "First Bank of Timbuktu" "high yield" and get other people's opinions on a particular savings product before jumping in.

 

[TrocarKarin]

TrocarKarin, do you do anything special to freeze all that stuff so it doesn't get yucky in the freezer?

Not really. For the most part everything freezes really well, and as long as the gladware its in is sealed, its fine. I have noticed that potatoes don't freeze too gracefully, but since they're usually in a burrito with other stuff, its not too noticeable.

I have a kitchenaid mixer too (wedding present), and it has seen way more use making super awesome mashed potatoes than it will ever see with baked foods.

 

[hoodle]

Personally, food is one of those things that makes me the absolute happiest in the world. I don't buy clothes, get pedicures, care about interior decorating or fashion. I care about eating, and eating well... I also allow plenty of splurges for books and movies. I love literature, and I adore film - both going out and renting. I think the amount I spend on what most people consider necessities (drinks, clothes, makeup, shoes, whatever) makes up for the fact that I can't live without fancy juices, fresh veggies, a good book and a movie to look forwards to.

People moving to Davis (*cough cough* VAgirl *cough cough*) prepare yourself for the Nugget! It's like an affordable whole foods. Food is presented absolutely beautifully, there's a juice and sandwich bar, you can get things like ibuprofen and toilet paper (ie it's not ALL crazy organic-all-the-time - you can get household necessities)... it's just awesome. Is it odd that when wandering through Davis we went "grocery store" sightseeing? the nugget, though... fulfilled my wildest dreams.