I really appreciate that you showed yourself calling the supermarket and getting a refund. Many people can feel anxious because they don’t know what to say, or are just afraid and will not do it.
Yes! I've never been able to do it myself, but my mother used to regularly go back to the local grocers to complain about either the quality of products or sales ticket problems. She was AMAZING.
I loved this! It's so easy to say "oh, well" when things we buy are bad or we're overcharged, but getting up the courage to ask to have it made right - this is a great example. My dad has NO problem asking to have things made right. He embarrassed my brothers and me in a Long John Silver's once by complaining to the manager that the chicken had no flavor. The manager said "it's not supposed to taste like anything- it's chicken." 🤨 I'm going to have my daughter watch this part of the video, at least!
How do I noticed that he made a mistake after the fact I would have made a beeline just straight to customer service LoL I used to be very anxious about that not anymore
As someone who worked in grocery for nearly eleven years, I really appreciate you showing a great example of how you should talk to someone in customer service. Thank you very much. Acting like an adult and speaking respectfully goes a long way in dealing with people. Things happen and produce and things travel a long ways usually. It's just not necessary to yell at someone at the store for that. So thank you for not only making people aware that you can resolve your grocery issues but also you can and should do it respectfully. 😁
The customer service associate also isn't the one who is handling produce and grocery items and stocking and rotating products. Yelling at them just seems silly since they haven't done anything wrong. You are right. She handled it well, and some respect goes a long way in handling these situations.
Respecting that the people in customer service are *human beings* too generates amazing returns. Just for being nice to a customer service rep, I've received gift certificates, refunds and more that the "official policy" would deny. In one case, I even was able to board a plane that had closed their boarding door, because I was so nice to the gate worker, right after the previous customer was screaming in their faces. I literally missed my flight, and then boarded it before it pushed back from the gate, just because I treated people like the human beings they are. It's wonderful to see humane humanity demonstrating how to be nice. I guess we need it these days.
Rebecca, it can definitely be done. I'm retired, in my 60s, live with my cat and our monthly grocery budget is usually $85-$125. However, I must say that it took a few months to get into a rhythm and to create a "bank" for creating future meals. So don't be too hard on yourself if you fall short. Like you, I've learned to create delicious stocks from bones and scraps and it's incredible what soups and sides you can make with it. Sharing your knowledge and creativity with others is a wonderful gift. (Sorry for the long comment)❤
I understand completely! I spend WAY more on my cats than me😂! But I can because I at this moment able to work like crazy but I 3 more days of loading and unloading luggage and my back already hurts! My collages have me spoiled I do touch a thing!
We have a disgusting amount of food waste in the us! I LOVE that she shows and commits in real life! This yr I finally learned to freeze scraps for broth! I'm in no way perfect but it's all about learning and growing! Keep being awesome! Love to you and your kitty!
I was yelling at the tv, telling you to return that bad food 😂! I'm so happy you did decide to do that. In 2024, with this inflation, every penny counts. Today I had a rotten potato in my bag, but it's for dinner. Otherwise, it would be going back. I cleaned the rest, and tossed out a few weird looking ones (smaller potatoes so a few aren't a big deal). But, we let things go far too much when we're required to pay out of pocket upfront! This is another cool series 😎, thank you.
A few months ago I bought a bag of potatoes, most of them had a light layer tinge of green on them and the rest were just bad.I was never so disgusted over buying a bag of potatoes.
I loved this video. I am 80 on a very tight budget. I live alone so I froze several portions of each recipe. Thank you so much. I need all the help I can get.
@maryshirley4048 @donnanorman340 I hope the both of you can work this out, my prayers are always with you 🙏🙏 I hope God makes every struggle you face much easier to handle
@maryshirley4048 @donnanorman340 I hope the both of you can work this out, my prayers are always with you 🙏🙏 I hope God makes every struggle you face much easier to handle
@maryshirley4048....if you can afford to buy family packs of meat you can portion them out to make several meals. Please consider going to food pantries. Whatever you can get will help stretch your food budget.
Not only is your channel helpful but the comment section is something else. They are full of such kindness and loving people truly wanting to help each other. I love all of you for all your advice. I am taking note! Thank you, for sharing this content with us all.
I love the idea of this series. One of the things I learned from you is I now actually planning my monthly menu plans. Then I 'shop' my pantry and put everything for the month in a specific spot. When I order my groceries (I don't drive or have anyone to shop for me), I am able to just plug in what I actually need and is on sale. You have helped this Senior Citizen learn to cook and budget for only one person without wasting food.
I know it's tough when you get into your head about content, but rest assured you've got a receptive and supportive audience who admire the work you do and are thankful for the value your content adds to their lives. Thank you for everything Rebecca!
I would have split the bunches at the store and gotten some ripe and a few greener ones for later in the week. Nobody has ever offered to haul me off to jail for splitting the bunches LOL
I hope your senior friend is healing and back to health asap! I actually thought of your channel this morning, as my cousin (who lives down the street from me, and is in her late 70s) just asked me to take care of her cat while she's in the hospital, recovering from a medical issue. I thought I'd stock her fridge and freezer with ready-made meals when she returns in a couple of days, and some of your recipes from that series are on my mind for that.
That was very kind of you to help your cousin by taking care of her cat while she was in the hospital, also stocking up her fridge and freezer with ready made meals. I hope that your cousin is doing better now.
@@Yesica1993I agree. I just did a bunch of cooking yesterday to re-stock my fridge and freezer with easy meals. I am not always able to do that and sometimes survive on frozen store bought entrees. Better than nothing, but not as healthy and more expensive too.
Please don't put so much pressure on the possiblity of failure. These videos are so helpful. The failures are the best sometimes because it would possibly save someone else from making that mistake first. The failures are the most useful and valuable sometimes
Agree 100! I failed at making a on smoothie/ice cream the first time but then I knew what to do better the next time and I realized there’s no one “right” or “correct” way to do things, we all have our own ways to get our goals accomplished. ❤
when i was homeless all my meals were potatoes with margarine, banana and peanut butter, and oatmeal with vienna sausages (I was lucky enough to have access to a microwave)
For a sweeter baked oatmeal, you could dollop and swirl some of your jam in. I also sometimes add peanut butter and chocolate chips into baked banana oatmeal.
I love how you show saving the scraps to make soup. It's such a cost effective way to stretch a food budget. A video on showing how to make the soup would be great. Also, thank you for setting a good example by being so polite when you called the store with a problem. ❤
it is possible, especially as a single person who doesn't "overeat". I live with my boyfriend but he eats completely differently than I do. He is so picky. 98% of what I eat and cook he wouldn't even touch with a pair of tongs
I can say from a short time in retail, and a LONG time in food service, just being nice goes a LONG WAY. It honestly doesn’t matter what the problem is...if you are genuinely nice and respectful, the server/manager, grocery store clerk/manager, etc will be MORE than happy to help and fix the problem. Trust me, I know from my end as a long time server/bartender, and if I have something happen, like the onions ringing up for the wromg price, at the store. Just be nice and see what can be done.
I've used so many of your hacks/ideas that my family loves. The creamy boxed mac n cheese hack, the little piece of sausage in the mini muffins (my boyfriend loved that one so much he told his work friends about it 🤣), etc. I'm 41 and was telling my 24 yr old sister where I keep getting these good ideas and I told her it's this RUclipsr and she's pretty and has such a calming voice and demeanor, and she pulled up your tiktok and said "is it her?" 😂 You have followers of all ages that love any content you decide to make! I'm about to pass you on to my teen-adult kids so they don't eat from the trash when they move out LOL ❤️
Yes, at 70 I feel overwhelmed all the time when planning dinner. I have to eat low sodium, and there are certain foods I have to eat sparingly because they will flare my gout😣 (I.e., broccoli).
Excellent vlog, Rebecca! I've never considered anything you've cooked a failure, because you always give your best and you're not afraid to try again. Sometimes a meal doesn't work out, I've had those moments. Also, since I live in town, I can easily return grocery items if I need to. If something is wrong with an item, I will not eat the cost. Having said that, if gas and time are tight, it may not be worth it to make another trip. I'm glad Food Lion stepped up on your return. You are such a blessing to this community and are very much loved!!💗
For a sweet treat that’s very portion able and easy and cheap also healthy 321 mug cake. Get 1 box of angel food cake mix 1 box of cake mix flavor of your choice. Go for cheapest brand of each. Sift the two mixes together and place into airtight container or ziplock bag. To prepare take 3T mix and put in microwave safe mug with 2T water and microwave 1 minute. Voila you’ll have a yummy mug cake. It makes a lot of servings this way, and should last almost all month as a sweet treat and you get each serving warm and doesn’t need frosting!
So glad that you shared this info. I have making Mug Cakes for ages. What ppl need to understand is it MUST be Angel Food Cake for part of the mix, as it has the eggs in it otherwise you mug cake won’t rise.
Rebecca, you have helped me tremendously with your budget friendly videos. I'm on an extremely tight budget and I have to be diligent and disciplined about money, sales, options along with needs and wants. I greatly appreciate all of your hard work and helpfulness. Thank you so very much for sharing and giving me an abundance of knowledge on how to's. You're brilliant and most definitely a blessing to me and so many others. NEVER let failure come to nor cross your mind. Your thoroughness, determination and planning has success written all over it.
I peel, chunk, and freeze my ripe bananas. I can eat them like ice cream, use them in baking, use them in smoothies. They stay about 2 months safely in the freezer. I also wash, dry, and freeze grapes when they are a loss leader. Then I eat them slightly thawed.
If you're looking for more flavor variety for cheap, I love Japanese curry stock cubes! They're in the asian section of the grocery, and i just saute onion, potato and carrot and then add water and cook, then add the cube for the curry gravy. I eat it with rice, but it's my go-to safety meal since the potato, onion and carrot last awhile in the pantry
Hey! Japanese person here. Those cubes are great but I’d play around with adding worshire sauce, ketchup, soy sauce(TINY AMOUNT) and other things. It makes it better.
PLEASE don’t stop making these videos! I love how real you are about things that happen. Your recipes are wonderful…I’m not a foodie (lol 😆) and I still feel like I can make these recipes, and in fact I’ve made a few of them! In this day and age with food cost SO high, and people’s paychecks not raising at the same rate as food prices, your videos are very important to many, many people. THANK YOU!! ❤
Rebecca, I’ve been watching you since the beginning and the budget videos are easily my favorite! I appreciate you leaving the real-life moments or “mistakes” in. I also enjoy that you’re not sure if you’ll succeed in staying under budget, because that’s reality for those on tight budgets! Thanks for all of your effort, it’s truly appreciated.
I think this will be a fantastic series, especially since grocery prices are getting ridiculous. This will be such a help to anyone struggling with food insecurity. I love that you keep this real and, yes, there will be incidents such as a rotten pineapple, but that’s just real life. You are honest about such mishaps and your viewers can actually commiserate since we’ve all had mishaps, mistakes and klutz incidents in the kitchen. Thanks for keeping it real.
These videos help so many people. I work in a bill collection office and I have customers that have to choose between paying the bill or buying groceries 😢. You sharing these videos helps me to help those customers; I share these ideas and I also purchase the shelf stable items to put in local pantry boxes at churches/community centers. Fantastic job 👏🏻
Rebecca, because you're making this one month attempt, it's already a win. I'm so glad Food Lion made things right with the onions & pineapple. And I truly hope the lady you were making meals for recovers quickly & as painlessly as possible.
I was at Food Lion today and was over charged for lettuce. They were nice in refunding the difference but this has been an ongoing issue with this store chain. I ALWAYS find errors on my receipt!!!
@@suziedebuizer2846 Honestly, errors on prices for items is the main reason i prefer self-checkout if available.. i have seen too many errors in every store chain i went to.. unfortunately, after i got home :( so now i try to at least scan through the receipt quickly for sale items while i am still at the store
A pound of cheese for the month.... Oh the humanity of it. No person should have to do with so little cheese - its in the Geneva Convention as cruel and unusual
I had no idea you could make spreadable butter like that! Stick butter is sometimes cheaper than spreadable butter in a container, but it's so hard to work with, especially on bread. This is perfect!
it's a little firmer than I would have liked, I should have added 2 tablespoons of oil. but I also currently only have olive oil and it's slightly overpowering the butter flavor.
Yeah just use canola oil not olive. I too thought at one time oil is oil but that’s not true. One time I put a little olive oil in some cooked noodles to keep them from sticking. Big mistake. I had to throw away all the noodles. Unfortunately I didn’t notice until I had already made the pasta salad! Learned a lesson the hard way 😮
They gave her 100% back on the onions 🧅, so in the end paid $0 for her onions. They gave her 200% back on the pineapple so got her money back + they gave $1.99 for a total of $3.98 back. She then took money and went to Dollar Tree or $1.25 Tree nowadays.
I made a veg and rice soup, and chili for lunches and dinners(it ended up being a LOT of each). I bought a watermelon, 1 single banana(not feeling them right now), granny smith apples and peanut butter. I bought a couple of avocados, crackers, a couple of french loaves, tomatoes and kale which I had for breakfasts, snacks and lunches. The expectation is for it to last 1 week, and I’m on day 5. I still have stuff for a veggie stir fry that I haven’t made yet. My total was $25.78. BTW and FYI your content is awesome!!!👏🏽❤️ Keep giving what you’re giving. It is SO APPRECIATED! Where I LOVE to budget for groceries(I budget for EVERYTHING), my daughter needs to and SHOULD. I try to do challenges with her and others to show that budgeting on food and other things, makes room to spend on things that you WANT to do, need to have more money for, or SAVE!
i opt for the stick margarine for 1.40..I buy 2 per month and ration it to 2 sticks per week (it works) i opt also for frozen veggies at 1.00 a bag at walmart, i buy 1 loaf of bread per week...i usually buy 4 of most items like 4 soup, 4 carton shelf stable milk, 4 dozen eggs, 4 blocks cheese (i slice half and shred half) 2 cans of veggies per week, 1 can fruit per week, 1 box mac per week....i can get all my foods for around 120.00 a month...i use alot of canned meats. as I've gotten older it's easier for me chew and digest..i do also allow for 15.00 for fresh fruits and produce
I love this video, Rebecca! I didn’t even know about your channel until I saw people on one of those big morning shows talking about YOU!! You got recognition on a national level, girl, so you should be extremely proud of yourself!! Next show came on and BOOM-there they were talking about you AGAIN!! They were showing your video on making a big casserole with EVERYTHING from a Thanksgiving dinner! I’m telling ya, I guarantee you that EVERYBODY was as impressed as I am! Now I can’t wait to start bingeing on your videos and keep up with these on a budget!! I am a retired, feisty 72 year old, who hates to cook but likes to eat. Watching you is giving me incentive and THAT is nothing short of a miracle! I spend WAYYYY too much in the grocery store on pre-made everything and I intend to STOP IT! There’s always too much month left at the end of the money and then I found YOU! (Can you tell how excited I am?!?!?) Keep doing what you’re doing. You’re FAMOUS!! I already LOVE you!!
I love that you showed the process of returning an item. I just today had to talk to my local grocery store about a refund, as I got home the other day after a shopping trip and realized the box of pop tarts I grabbed was expired by almost 2 months. They are happy to refund my money and thanked me for letting them know that they had expired products on the shelf.
For the tomato soup I find per unit a large can of crushed tomatoes is a great/cheaper sub. I fry some onions and add those with Italian seasoning, a bit of water and milk, then wiz it all. You can get a few bowls out of it!
loveee how real and honest you are with your vids. its honestly refreshing. so many vids on this site seem so perfect, that it feels staged. i feel we've all had pineapple/onion situations, probably many of them! love your content too, its informational, yet relatable and cozy :D
Thank you for talking about returning food when you have a problem like the rotten pineapple or being overcharged on the onions! Too many people are afraid to make a fuss, or worry about being a "nuisance" to the staff, even when counting every penny. To anyone feeling that way, please just remember that if you're kind to the staff about it, there's NOTHING wrong with asking for a refund, or asking them to re-check the price on something that gets rung up wrong if you catch it at the register! The people working at the stores are, for the most part, very happy to help you, it does NOT come out of their paycheck or hurt them in any way, and they may have had the same situation themselves before. So don't be afraid to say, 'excuse me, x is on sale for $y, I think it rang up wrong," or anything like that.
Thank you for all the videos! I picked up the instant potatoes & we made them with the shelf stable milk. My hubby raved about them, and he never likes instant potatoes. I didn’t even add butter, just gravy on the side Also bought the Jimmy Dean sausage patties, and English muffins. With cheese & eggs I had on hand, made breakfast sandwiches. They are awesome. Bought the biscuit mix to make cheddar bay biscuits. Also bought the Hungry Jack dehydrated hash browns, Cajun seasoning and the John Morrel hot smoked sausage. Saved me about $20 over Walmart prices. I never bought groceries at Dollar Tree before I started watching your channel.
I appreciate you doing this! Food availability has never been an issue for us but in the last month we have faced some serious health issues and diagnosis. We are blessed to have prepared for a situation like this but it has depleted our savings. Insurance is now covering everything at 100% for the rest of the year but we did have to meet 10k out of pocket. As we build up our savings again for next year’s expenses, we will be stretching ourselves to save everywhere we can while still providing hubby with the best food options.
Those little quarts at the dollar tree are shelf stable. I think they're are good for like a year on the shelf. You do need to refrigerate them after you open them though. I would say they're a bit on the pricey side since 4 quarts to make a gallon is $5, and they taste a bit different than regular milk.
I really love that you called the store and got a refund, I think a lot of us are too worried to be labeled as a Karen if we make any waves, but when food and money are scarce, every ingredient counts!
The term Karen is sometimes misused to bully women into not speaking up. As long as you are truly kind, you should speak up about being overcharged and having rotten food sold to you. No one is being a Karen if you politely point out an issue. I rarely have issues, but when I do, I am as sweet as pie, and end up getting more than I asked for. They always thank me for not being ugly. It's sad that people have to thank others for being nice. But, it is the world we live in.
kindness and understanding truly does go a long way! As long as you are kind, respectful and flexible most of the time places have no issues at all when it comes to making things right! We're all human afterall, and sometimes mistakes happen.
I'm so glad the Food Lion issues turned into an unexpected plus. It sounds like they have caring management. I so wish that everyone could have access to an Aldi. I see so many items that are significantly less there than Dollar Tree, Dollar General, or Food Lion. They are opening more stores, so hopefully more folks will be able to shop there. You're doing a fantastic job, whether it ends up being under $100 or not. ❤
@ronnieorourke2599....I honestly do not see where Aldi is such a big deal. I can still find better deals on several items at Walmart. Sometimes they do have good deals on produce and fruits but other than that I feel they are more expensive on the items I usually get.
I also love that you kept in the part when speaking to the associate about the situation! It’s so easy to be rude or short when we’re upset but we always get farther when we’re kind and understanding.
Just a tip for folks with kroger-affiliated stores near them- if you order online for pick-up the prices are the same as in-store. Additionally, you can request refunds for produce and items that don't meet your expectations directly from their website, so you don't have to waste time/money going back to the store. I also prefer shopping online for pick-up so that I know in advance how much I'm spending, and that my coupons are valid for the items I'm picking, instead of being surprised at the store!
Yup. Do your best. If it doesn't work, that's okay. If you need to spend $10 or $20 more bucks, just do it and admit that food inflation is so out of hand, that it's not possible. I do have a feeling she will make it work. I love her empathy of putting herself in other people's shoes though. That's rare and special.
I measure my sons jelly and peanut butter to get as many sammies as I can but still have a good sammy. So proud that you dealt with Food Lion to get refunds. I've been finding bad cantalope(probably frozen at some point) lately so not buying for awhile. A delicious drink can go a long way for a treat. You are so good at this...maybe do a cookbook for those on food stamps. Sometimes dollar tree is the only store they have nearby. Frozen fruit and cold whipping cream in a blender makes great soft serve.
I always love your videos and this one is no exception. You keep things so real. Letting your viewers know about your preferences, ie bananas not green, not loving tomato soup or rice, etc. - it matters what a person's preferences are. And taking back food that is rotten and noticing when you're charged wrong on food is something everyone needs to do. I loved that you even saved the chicken leg bone from your meal for using in a soup. You are the only one eating these meals. I would do the same thing! I'm looking forward to the rest of this series of meals for $3 a day. Thanks a bunch. Diane
As a cheap (and vegan) option you can just mix oats and ripe bananas, portion out as little muffins, and bake. Kinda basic but I like them a lot especially for just being 2 ingredients!
I love when you do these kind of videos. Living on a fixed income as I do you have really helped me. No matter how this month turns out you will not have failed you will have shown us how to stretch $100. Please keep doing what you're doing, you are helping so many people. Thank you
Your content is very helpful! It's not just about the recipes; it's about thinking about food from a big picture perspective, rather than just grabbing stuff from the store shelves at random. Even if you don't "succeed" at your original challenge premise, you're still teaching us how to spend less than we might have spent otherwise. Don't listen to the negativity - even if it comes from your own head! You're doing well, and we appreciate what you do.
I am concerned about what is going to happen when all the Dollar Tree stores go up to $1.50. it is going to make it so much harder to stretch already tight grocery budgets.
No way, they are increasing the price again? Oh, that's just greedy! So many years with the same price but suddenly they need to increase the price every year?
Apple cider vinegar brings back bad memories! I'd always heard it was good for you. Imagine me drinking this stuff. I thought I was gonna die! I kept diluting it with water and it still BURNED like nothing I've ever had before or since. Ugh, never again!
@@YourNewPrincessUmm, respectfully, considering inflation, I think that Dollar tree has done an amazing job of holding prices down for as long as they have. Personally, I think that tiered pricing (like $1, $2 and $3) is a better idea than trying to keep all prices at $1.25 or even $1.50.
These videos are the "bread and butter" of your channel. Gotta have them, and we love them. You can't fail at trying, and you do a great job showing what is possible. I will say, I think it is reasonable that everyone has some sort of spices left over from month to month, and it would not be detrimental to your videos to show what spices you have left over that are available for you to use, much like the salt and pepper that are kitchen staples, but when you feel like you need to replace them you add them into the budget.
He is staying with his parents in the interim, he’s a adult with a physical disability so he stays with his grandma, i believe because of the home aids. I haven’t pried too much into it but from what I understand it’s just more comfortable for him to live at her house than at his parents.
@@DollarTreeDinnersThat's kind of sad that he's more comfortable at his grandma's home. Hope grandma has a speedy recovery for her and for her grandsons sake.
@@DollarTreeDinners Thanks for the update. I was so sad to hear that. I hope people are visiting her if she's in a nursing home. My experience is they dump you in a bed and that's about it. You have to really push to get the care you need. If she's not able to advocate for herself, it's unlikely she will get the care she needs. It's horrible. I saw it firsthand with my mother.
Rebecca could you do a video on your kitchen hacks so that would be in one place? I e been looking for the max and cheese hack 4 ever and cannot find it. Love your videos, helpful stretching the ever rising grocery bill. There is no failure, it’s a teaching moment for all of us! Thanks for doing these videos!
I love this style of video. I have $222 a month for two adults and your videos help. And if you try your not a failure just remember that during this challenge
I am sure you can do this. I generally spend $145 a month to feed 3 people ~ breakfast and dinner ...with lunches for my mom in love (husband and I eat breakfast and dinner). The only thing I don't buy is eggs because we have chickens. I only purchase chicken, hamburger, kielbasa, and bacon as far as meat. I also only buy frozen or canned vegetables because the local store available has lousy produce. In the summer and fall I purchase what fresh vegetables I don't grow from a local farmer and freeze/can/dehydrate them. I honestly think we've reached a point where home gardens are a must have again. If all you have is a patio or just a window (put a set of shelves in front of it) you can at least grow salad greens, a cherry tomato, some carrots, radishes, and a bush type cucumber. Use dollar store dishpans for a cheap planter option. A $20 light will allow you to grow salad just about year round! I have cats, so I wrap my indoor shelf with tulle (cheap ~ $20 for 40 yards ~ if you order it online), and I also hoop it over my outdoor rows and containers. Keeps the critters out! We're all struggling at this point, and I love these meal plans and videos you are doing! Great work!
You are so real and such a delight to watch. My boyfriend does all the cooking because I get kitchen anxiety, but you inspire and empower me to believe I can do it. I made your Instant Oatmeal Granola parfait a few days ago and it came out so good. It's definitely a new fave for me.
i love how realistic you are and how chill your recipes are- so many cost saving techniques are from scratch so much that they take hours 🙈 i am so appreciative for a realistic budget and someone who cares that the meals are healthy balanced and tasty ❤
Suggestion- do not buy fresh fruit. Except bananas. Buy canned applesauce, canned peaches, raisins and/or frozen berries. Save having to go back to the store. Do not buy fresh onions. Buy cheap onion powder. And check your receipt BEFORE you leave the store so any correction can be made right then and there. I am a survivor of 65 plus years of low budget food strategies. Thanks for this video. God bless!
I like to utilize budget cooking whenever possible. But I am going into the summer on a much stricter budget than usual. I am having brain surgery and will need to have a tighter food budget in order to pay all of the bills I will need to pay while I am unable to work. Thank you so much, for your content. I look forward to following this series with you.
Any video “worth” making is any idea you are excited about. Whether it’s for entertainment or for “useful” ideas. Don’t worry about that. Make content that you enjoy making. Also, people need to see that failure is an option. We can’t all be social media perfect all the time. There are times in life when you will do absolutely everything you can and still not be able to meet the goal/need. If you don’t make it a whole month - come up with ideas on what you could have done differently, and what you could do to make it the rest of the month with help from others such as food banks or pantries form municipalities, colleges, and churches.
I never really thought about saving the bones you ate off of, but I made your bone broth and really, you cook it for so long, it’s a waste not to! I like your videos because they are not only helpful when you are on a budget, but also help to keep you from being wasteful which is something I am very interested in!
This is one of the best videos you’ve created so far. There’s a lot of useful advice, and examples of good shopping to stock up for a stretch of time. Very educational.
Any of you on a very tight budget or otherwise facing food insecurity, please avail yourself of local foodbanks. People there are kind and supportive. You will not be judged or looked down on. There are several channels on RUclips that deal with making the most of food bank groceries, some of which you might not be accustomed to cooking with. Food Bank Beautiful is one of them. I find that channel and Southern Frugal Momma, combined with our very special Rebecca, to be a bountiful trifecta of useful information and basic human goodness. Food banks exist for good reason. You don't need to be starving to use them. They are there for those who need some help, so please make use of them! Thanks, Rebecca, for all they great, valuable, content you provide!
I was a cashier for most of my highschool years... We dont care if you notice we made a mistake with the codes.. Its how you handle it or point it out. Sometimes it happens.. Theres sooo many different codes for fruit and veggies.. Some bags have their own codes while some scan and are meant to be scanned. Its not up to the store. Many places follow a universal "code." It's very confusing and it's not an easy job. No job is. So just remember that teen or worker has a lot going on for them. A lot of codes to remember. So just be curteous like Dollar Tree Dinners and remember that worker wasnt trying to steal you out of money or cause an inconvience for you. It was just a mistake. :) Also feel free to return food that goes bad quickly when you get home.. Fruit veggies meat dairy.. Groceries stores dont care cause sometimes bad food slips through on transport.
In the '80s, when I was in college and living in a converted one-car garage, all I had for a kitchen was an old vintage refrigerator, a two-burner hot plate and a small toaster oven. My weekly grocery budget was $15, but I ate very well and very nutritional meals. Even though it's now 40 years later, I love that I can still eat as well on only an increase to about $25 a week. Soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, breakfast cereals -- all were my staples back then and they still are!
First, best wishes for your neighbor's speedy recovery. Next, "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." Winston Churchill. What keeps me coming back to your videos is not only your creativity, your willingness to try new things, and some really great tips on how to change and/or adapt recipes according to individual taste and circumstances; they're important reasons. But what I truly appreciate and admire is your enthusiasm. It's infectious and has inspired me to try new things. Even if something doesn't always turn out the way you planned, you make it work and learn from it for next time. I'm sure this new adventure will not only be full of twists, turns and some good recipes and tips on how to eat on a budget, but also your enthusiastic optimism. So, full steam ahead!!
This is great! Very real with authentic situations (pineapple, chomping on two chicken pieces, substitutions, etc.) This is the first time I've seen one of your videos (I think you were mentioned on the Collett's channel). Anyway, I am budgeting right now for this month and your ideas could not be more timely. LOVE the whipped butter recipe and I will try using applesauce instead of butter next time I bake. I came, I watched, I subscribed.
I have a special tip for quickly ripening bananas. 1. Buy them. 2. Put them on the counter. 3. Turn around for a minute. 4. Voila! Almost overripe bananas!
new favorite comfort channel! im just a college student who just started cooking and i do not have fridge, that makes budgeting and finding options pretty challenging. this channel has everything! recipes, saving money, substitutes, ingredients that last long. so comforting
I love all your videos! But especially these kind. I get really great basic, tried and true, simple recipes. I honestly love them. They are very helpful. So thank you for always trying new things. ❤
First of all, I'm so glad I found your channel! I'm a huge fan of your cooking for community series and I totally look forward to them. Thank you for the update and I hope she and her grandson are doing well. But I really love all of your videos too. And I think you're too hard on yourself. Even if you "fail" you are realistic and show the weak points and where things went wrong. That's absolutely instructional and inspirational to all of us. Love your videos! Love from Wisconsin ❤
I live on 100 to 124 a month. I go over $100 when I'm stocking up and stalking my freezer otherwise I could very easily live on $100 a month. Just wanted to mention it can be tricky when you're on a special diet. I can't have oatmeal and eggs and I can also not have dairy products. I can have lactaid or lactaid sour cream. Because eggs are one of the things that make me sick I have learned to cook with applesauce. I'm telling you I just had cornbread made with applesauce not eggs and I put in lactaid sour cream not milk and it was absolutely the best cornbread I ever had. So don't be afraid to make some videos showing applesauce as a substitute for eggs it works perfectly for holding the cakes and goodies together
Wonderful ideas, Rebecca. A point on you saying "failure is not an option" - I think that saying that "failure is not an option" puts too much pressure on oneself not to, whereas it's perfectly acceptable to fail; it's how we deal with and learn from it that's important. Pick yourself up, dust yourself up and keep at it! I hope the person for whom you're cooking gets well soon.
All of your videos are worthy. You produce amazing content. The hiccups are more helpful than the successes for a lot of folks. When everything goes right we learn very little. When we have to solve problems and max out our resources we learn lessons that will last a lifetime. Keep up the great work!
I enjoyed this video. Lots of really good ideas for making food stretch. Thank you for posting it. also yes, I am glad that you include everything. Its real life for things to sometimes go wrong and its nice to see you provide potential solutions. Thank you for your hard work. Also praying the lady you cook for gets well soon and that her grandson is well cared for in the meantime. I have enjoyed following you cooking for them. I also like to make food to share with others.Thanks for all you do.
With the bananas, you can freeze one and use some milk and/or some peach to make 'ice cream'. Cut up the banana & freeze it then put into a blender with some milk & blend together. I usually use almond or oat milk so I can make non-dairy frozen treats for friends.
What a great idea to mix plain oatmeal with the flavored kind! I never thought of that. It will certainly take the sugary, overwhelming taste away from the flavored one.
While I’m not sure anything could save that pineapple, there is a misconception about pineapples that can sometimes cause it to be wasted. Pineapples are a type of fruit that does not ripen at all after they are cut off the plant, so leaving a pineapple to “ripen” on your counter just means it rots a little bit. You can’t buy an underripe pineapple like you can with green bananas. This has helped me avoid wasting a few pineapples. Some other fruits that don’t ripen after being picked are berries, grapes, and citrus, though people seem to know this a lot more about those.
Wow, I’m never this early! I’ve become addicted to your money-saving videos, so thanks for making them. Makes the months with no pay a little less scary. (I’m a school teacher and won’t get another paycheck until August 27th.)
Wow, a lot of assumptions there Gatorgirl. Maybe practice what your grandmother should have taught you, if you don't have anything nice to say... close your mouth.
I really appreciate that you showed yourself calling the supermarket and getting a refund. Many people can feel anxious because they don’t know what to say, or are just afraid and will not do it.
Yes! I've never been able to do it myself, but my mother used to regularly go back to the local grocers to complain about either the quality of products or sales ticket problems. She was AMAZING.
I used to be afraid to do that. Now that I am working barely part time and am so broke, every penny - sometimes, quite literally - matters!
I loved this! It's so easy to say "oh, well" when things we buy are bad or we're overcharged, but getting up the courage to ask to have it made right - this is a great example. My dad has NO problem asking to have things made right. He embarrassed my brothers and me in a Long John Silver's once by complaining to the manager that the chicken had no flavor. The manager said "it's not supposed to taste like anything- it's chicken." 🤨 I'm going to have my daughter watch this part of the video, at least!
How do I noticed that he made a mistake after the fact I would have made a beeline just straight to customer service LoL
I used to be very anxious about that not anymore
I worked as a cashier at Kroger last summer. I was shocked how many times items didn't ring up on sale 😮 I ALWAYS double check my receipt 🧾
As someone who worked in grocery for nearly eleven years, I really appreciate you showing a great example of how you should talk to someone in customer service. Thank you very much. Acting like an adult and speaking respectfully goes a long way in dealing with people. Things happen and produce and things travel a long ways usually. It's just not necessary to yell at someone at the store for that. So thank you for not only making people aware that you can resolve your grocery issues but also you can and should do it respectfully. 😁
The customer service associate also isn't the one who is handling produce and grocery items and stocking and rotating products. Yelling at them just seems silly since they haven't done anything wrong. You are right. She handled it well, and some respect goes a long way in handling these situations.
Respecting that the people in customer service are *human beings* too generates amazing returns. Just for being nice to a customer service rep, I've received gift certificates, refunds and more that the "official policy" would deny. In one case, I even was able to board a plane that had closed their boarding door, because I was so nice to the gate worker, right after the previous customer was screaming in their faces. I literally missed my flight, and then boarded it before it pushed back from the gate, just because I treated people like the human beings they are. It's wonderful to see humane humanity demonstrating how to be nice. I guess we need it these days.
Rebecca, it can definitely be done. I'm retired, in my 60s, live with my cat and our monthly grocery budget is usually $85-$125. However, I must say that it took a few months to get into a rhythm and to create a "bank" for creating future meals. So don't be too hard on yourself if you fall short. Like you, I've learned to create delicious stocks from bones and scraps and it's incredible what soups and sides you can make with it. Sharing your knowledge and creativity with others is a wonderful gift. (Sorry for the long comment)❤
I understand completely! I spend WAY more on my cats than me😂! But I can because I at this moment able to work like crazy but I 3 more days of loading and unloading luggage and my back already hurts! My collages have me spoiled I do touch a thing!
We have a disgusting amount of food waste in the us! I LOVE that she shows and commits in real life!
This yr I finally learned to freeze scraps for broth! I'm in no way perfect but it's all about learning and growing!
Keep being awesome! Love to you and your kitty!
I was yelling at the tv, telling you to return that bad food 😂! I'm so happy you did decide to do that. In 2024, with this inflation, every penny counts. Today I had a rotten potato in my bag, but it's for dinner. Otherwise, it would be going back. I cleaned the rest, and tossed out a few weird looking ones (smaller potatoes so a few aren't a big deal). But, we let things go far too much when we're required to pay out of pocket upfront! This is another cool series 😎, thank you.
A few months ago I bought a bag of potatoes, most of them had a light layer tinge of green on them and the rest were just bad.I was never so disgusted over buying a bag of potatoes.
Yes. Get your refund. Take the receipt and take the bad product to them.
Did you cut off the green skinned parts, about 1/16" or so?@lauraspicks7114
@@Kaythegardener-w5x No I took them back to the store
It is 40 miles to return something so not worth it for us but those who aren't wasting gas should definitely return it or get a refund.
I loved this video. I am 80 on a very tight budget. I live alone so I froze several portions of each recipe. Thank you so much. I need all the help I can get.
Same here, I'll be 75 June 20th. I now have to go lowcarb 😒
@maryshirley4048 @donnanorman340 I hope the both of you can work this out, my prayers are always with you 🙏🙏 I hope God makes every struggle you face much easier to handle
@maryshirley4048 @donnanorman340 I hope the both of you can work this out, my prayers are always with you 🙏🙏 I hope God makes every struggle you face much easier to handle
Please go get food stamps
@maryshirley4048....if you can afford to buy family packs of meat you can portion them out to make several meals. Please consider going to food pantries. Whatever you can get will help stretch your food budget.
Not only is your channel helpful but the comment section is something else. They are full of such kindness and loving people truly wanting to help each other. I love all of you for all your advice. I am taking note! Thank you, for sharing this content with us all.
Don’t say “failure is not an option”; say instead, “giving up is not an option.” The greatest inventors had many, many failures before they succeeded!
i like that :)
I like that!
I think it took Edison 999 tries before he successfully created the light bulb 💡 on try 1,000.
THANK YOU.
Correct giving up is not an option!
I love the idea of this series. One of the things I learned from you is I now actually planning my monthly menu plans. Then I 'shop' my pantry and put everything for the month in a specific spot. When I order my groceries (I don't drive or have anyone to shop for me), I am able to just plug in what I actually need and is on sale. You have helped this Senior Citizen learn to cook and budget for only one person without wasting food.
I know it's tough when you get into your head about content, but rest assured you've got a receptive and supportive audience who admire the work you do and are thankful for the value your content adds to their lives. Thank you for everything Rebecca!
Budget tip* pick up over ripe 🍌when you can. Sliced, frozen, stored in freezer bag great snacks, baking and smoothies
I do the same.
Interesting....I freeze aged bananas. Eat frozen. Today I bought bananas. Going to slice and freeze in bite size pieces maybe do chocolate covered also. I'm loving frozen bananas.
Especially if you can get the bags for 1/2 price.
I would have split the bunches at the store and gotten some ripe and a few greener ones for later in the week. Nobody has ever offered to haul me off to jail for splitting the bunches LOL
@@sherrylewis9327 😂🤣🤣😂🙃
I hope your senior friend is healing and back to health asap! I actually thought of your channel this morning, as my cousin (who lives down the street from me, and is in her late 70s) just asked me to take care of her cat while she's in the hospital, recovering from a medical issue. I thought I'd stock her fridge and freezer with ready-made meals when she returns in a couple of days, and some of your recipes from that series are on my mind for that.
Wonderful idea! You don't realize how much of an issue food is, until you are in a situation where it's hard to cook for yourself for whatever reason.
That is a sweet idea ❤
😢
That was very kind of you to help your cousin by taking care of her cat while she was in the hospital, also stocking up her fridge and freezer with ready made meals. I hope that your cousin is doing better now.
@@Yesica1993I agree. I just did a bunch of cooking yesterday to re-stock my fridge and freezer with easy meals. I am not always able to do that and sometimes survive on frozen store bought entrees. Better than nothing, but not as healthy and more expensive too.
Please don't put so much pressure on the possiblity of failure. These videos are so helpful. The failures are the best sometimes because it would possibly save someone else from making that mistake first. The failures are the most useful and valuable sometimes
Agree 100! I failed at making a on smoothie/ice cream the first time but then I knew what to do better the next time and I realized there’s no one “right” or “correct” way to do things, we all have our own ways to get our goals accomplished. ❤
when i was homeless all my meals were potatoes with margarine, banana and peanut butter, and oatmeal with vienna sausages (I was lucky enough to have access to a microwave)
That must have been so stressful. I am happy you used past tense and I hope your life will be easier from now on.
For a sweeter baked oatmeal, you could dollop and swirl some of your jam in. I also sometimes add peanut butter and chocolate chips into baked banana oatmeal.
I love how you show saving the scraps to make soup. It's such a cost effective way to stretch a food budget. A video on showing how to make the soup would be great. Also, thank you for setting a good example by being so polite when you called the store with a problem. ❤
You are so welcome!
Yes it is. I made 3 bean chili this week and chicken breast that was on sale. It is possible! Thank you for normalizing how hard buying food can be
Amen to that !
it is possible, especially as a single person who doesn't "overeat". I live with my boyfriend but he eats completely differently than I do. He is so picky. 98% of what I eat and cook he wouldn't even touch with a pair of tongs
@@Hasenkind1 I sincerely hope that he never finds himself in a position where he has no food choice.
I can say from a short time in retail, and a LONG time in food service, just being nice goes a LONG WAY. It honestly doesn’t matter what the problem is...if you are genuinely nice and respectful, the server/manager, grocery store clerk/manager, etc will be MORE than happy to help and fix the problem. Trust me, I know from my end as a long time server/bartender, and if I have something happen, like the onions ringing up for the wromg price, at the store. Just be nice and see what can be done.
I've used so many of your hacks/ideas that my family loves. The creamy boxed mac n cheese hack, the little piece of sausage in the mini muffins (my boyfriend loved that one so much he told his work friends about it 🤣), etc. I'm 41 and was telling my 24 yr old sister where I keep getting these good ideas and I told her it's this RUclipsr and she's pretty and has such a calming voice and demeanor, and she pulled up your tiktok and said "is it her?" 😂 You have followers of all ages that love any content you decide to make! I'm about to pass you on to my teen-adult kids so they don't eat from the trash when they move out LOL ❤️
I appreciate your transparency about the feelings of being overwhelmed. Thank you for being real with the produce.
Yes, at 70 I feel overwhelmed all the time when planning dinner. I have to eat low sodium, and there are certain foods I have to eat sparingly because they will flare my gout😣 (I.e., broccoli).
@@susanmccoy1992dollar tree has a good salt free seasoning
For real. I'm overwhelmed every time I order groceries these days.
Excellent vlog, Rebecca! I've never considered anything you've cooked a failure, because you always give your best and you're not afraid to try again. Sometimes a meal doesn't work out, I've had those moments. Also, since I live in town, I can easily return grocery items if I need to. If something is wrong with an item, I will not eat the cost. Having said that, if gas and time are tight, it may not be worth it to make another trip. I'm glad Food Lion stepped up on your return. You are such a blessing to this community and are very much loved!!💗
I love this idea because I really do have about $140 a month for my food budget. I use your videos as a reference often for ideas. Thank you.
Julia Pacheko has some great Videos about Budget dinners as well :)
Oh yeah her ideas are really good!
For a sweet treat that’s very portion able and easy and cheap also healthy 321 mug cake. Get 1 box of angel food cake mix 1 box of cake mix flavor of your choice. Go for cheapest brand of each. Sift the two mixes together and place into airtight container or ziplock bag. To prepare take 3T mix and put in microwave safe mug with 2T water and microwave 1 minute. Voila you’ll have a yummy mug cake. It makes a lot of servings this way, and should last almost all month as a sweet treat and you get each serving warm and doesn’t need frosting!
So glad that you shared this info. I have making Mug Cakes for ages. What ppl need to understand is it MUST be Angel Food Cake for part of the mix, as it has the eggs in it otherwise you mug cake won’t rise.
Anyone looking for authentic, inventive, budget recipes look no further! Rebecca's got them all! 😊
Agree
Rebecca, you have helped me tremendously with your budget friendly videos. I'm on an extremely tight budget and I have to be diligent and disciplined about money, sales, options along with needs and wants. I greatly appreciate all of your hard work and helpfulness. Thank you so very much for sharing and giving me an abundance of knowledge on how to's. You're brilliant and most definitely a blessing to me and so many others. NEVER let failure come to nor cross your mind. Your thoroughness, determination and planning has success written all over it.
Keep ripe bananas in the fridge! The skin will brown but the fruit will still be good for a good week to two weeks depending on how ripe they were.
Never heard that before, thank you.
@heidiyf ditto! I do that with avocados as well
I used to do this, but lately it’s been making them rot quicker which is so odd.
@@JennyLee-qr1jg the skin will brown but the flesh is still good. If your fridge has a lot of moisture though, that might be an issue.
I peel, chunk, and freeze my ripe bananas. I can eat them like ice cream, use them in baking, use them in smoothies. They stay about 2 months safely in the freezer. I also wash, dry, and freeze grapes when they are a loss leader. Then I eat them slightly thawed.
If you're looking for more flavor variety for cheap, I love Japanese curry stock cubes! They're in the asian section of the grocery, and i just saute onion, potato and carrot and then add water and cook, then add the cube for the curry gravy. I eat it with rice, but it's my go-to safety meal since the potato, onion and carrot last awhile in the pantry
Hey! Japanese person here. Those cubes are great but I’d play around with adding worshire sauce, ketchup, soy sauce(TINY AMOUNT) and other things. It makes it better.
PLEASE don’t stop making these videos! I love how real you are about things that happen. Your recipes are wonderful…I’m not a foodie (lol 😆) and I still feel like I can make these recipes, and in fact I’ve made a few of them! In this day and age with food cost SO high, and people’s paychecks not raising at the same rate as food prices, your videos are very important to many, many people. THANK YOU!! ❤
Rebecca, I’ve been watching you since the beginning and the budget videos are easily my favorite! I appreciate you leaving the real-life moments or “mistakes” in. I also enjoy that you’re not sure if you’ll succeed in staying under budget, because that’s reality for those on tight budgets! Thanks for all of your effort, it’s truly appreciated.
I think this will be a fantastic series, especially since grocery prices are getting ridiculous. This will be such a help to anyone struggling with food insecurity. I love that you keep this real and, yes, there will be incidents such as a rotten pineapple, but that’s just real life. You are honest about such mishaps and your viewers can actually commiserate since we’ve all had mishaps, mistakes and klutz incidents in the kitchen. Thanks for keeping it real.
These videos help so many people. I work in a bill collection office and I have customers that have to choose between paying the bill or buying groceries 😢. You sharing these videos helps me to help those customers; I share these ideas and I also purchase the shelf stable items to put in local pantry boxes at churches/community centers. Fantastic job 👏🏻
Rebecca, because you're making this one month attempt, it's already a win. I'm so glad Food Lion made things right with the onions & pineapple. And I truly hope the lady you were making meals for recovers quickly & as painlessly as possible.
I was at Food Lion today and was over charged for lettuce. They were nice in refunding the difference but this has been an ongoing issue with this store chain. I ALWAYS find errors on my receipt!!!
@@suziedebuizer2846 Honestly, errors on prices for items is the main reason i prefer self-checkout if available.. i have seen too many errors in every store chain i went to.. unfortunately, after i got home :( so now i try to at least scan through the receipt quickly for sale items while i am still at the store
A pound of cheese for the month.... Oh the humanity of it. No person should have to do with so little cheese - its in the Geneva Convention as cruel and unusual
I can't tell if this is genuine or sarcastic haha
@@DollarTreeDinners sarcastic of course - but thats not enough vitamin C(heese)
@@tomr3422Here is wear I think taking a multi vitamin is a good idea. Buy generic and one a day is usually 20 cents or so, a worthwhile investment.
@@DollarTreeDinnersyou are such a a beautiful person 💖
@@tomr3422 Ha! May put that on a shirt for my spouse, thank you.
I love your budget videos. Thanks ❣️
I had no idea you could make spreadable butter like that! Stick butter is sometimes cheaper than spreadable butter in a container, but it's so hard to work with, especially on bread. This is perfect!
it's a little firmer than I would have liked, I should have added 2 tablespoons of oil. but I also currently only have olive oil and it's slightly overpowering the butter flavor.
@@DollarTreeDinners Thanks. Definitely worth experimenting a bit.
@@DollarTreeDinnersolive oil likes to harden in the fridge so that might be why it’s not nice and soft like you wanted! 😊
Yeah just use canola oil not olive. I too thought at one time oil is oil but that’s not true. One time I put a little olive oil in some cooked noodles to keep them from sticking. Big mistake. I had to throw away all the noodles. Unfortunately I didn’t notice until I had already made the pasta salad! Learned a lesson the hard way 😮
❤
I hope you went back to customer service desk and get the correct price on the onions. I would have.
if you watch on, she had to return the pineapple and they refunded her for the onions at that time as well!
They gave her 100% back on the onions 🧅, so in the end paid $0 for her onions. They gave her 200% back on the pineapple so got her money back + they gave $1.99 for a total of $3.98 back. She then took money and went to Dollar Tree or $1.25 Tree nowadays.
I wrote a similar reply, because at first she acted like she wasn’t going to do anything about it. And then she suddenly did get the money Mack.
I made a veg and rice soup, and chili for lunches and dinners(it ended up being a LOT of each). I bought a watermelon, 1 single banana(not feeling them right now), granny smith apples and peanut butter. I bought a couple of avocados, crackers, a couple of french loaves, tomatoes and kale which I had for breakfasts, snacks and lunches. The expectation is for it to last 1 week, and I’m on day 5. I still have stuff for a veggie stir fry that I haven’t made yet. My total was $25.78. BTW and FYI your content is awesome!!!👏🏽❤️ Keep giving what you’re giving. It is SO APPRECIATED! Where I LOVE to budget for groceries(I budget for EVERYTHING), my daughter needs to and SHOULD. I try to do challenges with her and others to show that budgeting on food and other things, makes room to spend on things that you WANT to do, need to have more money for, or SAVE!
i opt for the stick margarine for 1.40..I buy 2 per month and ration it to 2 sticks per week (it works) i opt also for frozen veggies at 1.00 a bag at walmart, i buy 1 loaf of bread per week...i usually buy 4 of most items like 4 soup, 4 carton shelf stable milk, 4 dozen eggs, 4 blocks cheese (i slice half and shred half) 2 cans of veggies per week, 1 can fruit per week, 1 box mac per week....i can get all my foods for around 120.00 a month...i use alot of canned meats. as I've gotten older it's easier for me chew and digest..i do also allow for 15.00 for fresh fruits and produce
That sounds great. You're doing a great job.
I love this video, Rebecca! I didn’t even know about your channel until I saw people on one of those big morning shows talking about YOU!! You got recognition on a national level, girl, so you should be extremely proud of yourself!! Next show came on and BOOM-there they were talking about you AGAIN!! They were showing your video on making a big casserole with EVERYTHING from a Thanksgiving dinner! I’m telling ya, I guarantee you that EVERYBODY was as impressed as I am! Now I can’t wait to start bingeing on your videos and keep up with these on a budget!! I am a retired, feisty 72 year old, who hates to cook but likes to eat. Watching you is giving me incentive and THAT is nothing short of a miracle! I spend WAYYYY too much in the grocery store on pre-made everything and I intend to STOP IT! There’s always too much month left at the end of the money and then I found YOU! (Can you tell how excited I am?!?!?)
Keep doing what you’re doing. You’re FAMOUS!! I already LOVE you!!
I love that you showed the process of returning an item. I just today had to talk to my local grocery store about a refund, as I got home the other day after a shopping trip and realized the box of pop tarts I grabbed was expired by almost 2 months. They are happy to refund my money and thanked me for letting them know that they had expired products on the shelf.
For the tomato soup I find per unit a large can of crushed tomatoes is a great/cheaper sub. I fry some onions and add those with Italian seasoning, a bit of water and milk, then wiz it all. You can get a few bowls out of it!
loveee how real and honest you are with your vids. its honestly refreshing. so many vids on this site seem so perfect, that it feels staged. i feel we've all had pineapple/onion situations, probably many of them!
love your content too, its informational, yet relatable and cozy :D
Thank you for talking about returning food when you have a problem like the rotten pineapple or being overcharged on the onions! Too many people are afraid to make a fuss, or worry about being a "nuisance" to the staff, even when counting every penny. To anyone feeling that way, please just remember that if you're kind to the staff about it, there's NOTHING wrong with asking for a refund, or asking them to re-check the price on something that gets rung up wrong if you catch it at the register! The people working at the stores are, for the most part, very happy to help you, it does NOT come out of their paycheck or hurt them in any way, and they may have had the same situation themselves before. So don't be afraid to say, 'excuse me, x is on sale for $y, I think it rang up wrong," or anything like that.
Thank you for all the videos!
I picked up the instant potatoes & we made them with the shelf stable milk.
My hubby raved about them, and he never likes instant potatoes. I didn’t even add butter, just gravy on the side
Also bought the Jimmy Dean sausage patties, and English muffins. With cheese & eggs I had on hand, made breakfast sandwiches.
They are awesome.
Bought the biscuit mix to make cheddar bay biscuits. Also bought the Hungry Jack dehydrated hash browns, Cajun seasoning and the John Morrel hot smoked sausage.
Saved me about $20 over Walmart prices.
I never bought groceries at Dollar Tree before I started watching your channel.
I appreciate you doing this!
Food availability has never been an issue for us but in the last month we have faced some serious health issues and diagnosis. We are blessed to have prepared for a situation like this but it has depleted our savings. Insurance is now covering everything at 100% for the rest of the year but we did have to meet 10k out of pocket.
As we build up our savings again for next year’s expenses, we will be stretching ourselves to save everywhere we can while still providing hubby with the best food options.
God bless and guide your family through these hard times ! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙋🏻🌈🌈🌈🌈
Rebecca, You vlogs are excellent- I wouldn't change a thing- I am always informed but never bored!
Thank you! I appreciate hearing that! 🥰
If you have mayo you can use that in place of butter or margarine for the grilled cheese sandwich. It's works really well and it's tasty
I buy dry milk for cooking; lasts way longer and is cheaper in the long run than buying cartons of milk.
Those little quarts at the dollar tree are shelf stable. I think they're are good for like a year on the shelf. You do need to refrigerate them after you open them though. I would say they're a bit on the pricey side since 4 quarts to make a gallon is $5, and they taste a bit different than regular milk.
Same
I really love that you called the store and got a refund, I think a lot of us are too worried to be labeled as a Karen if we make any waves, but when food and money are scarce, every ingredient counts!
The term Karen is sometimes misused to bully women into not speaking up. As long as you are truly kind, you should speak up about being overcharged and having rotten food sold to you. No one is being a Karen if you politely point out an issue. I rarely have issues, but when I do, I am as sweet as pie, and end up getting more than I asked for. They always thank me for not being ugly. It's sad that people have to thank others for being nice. But, it is the world we live in.
As long as you’re kind and understand that people make mistakes, you’re definitely not a “Karen”.
kindness and understanding truly does go a long way! As long as you are kind, respectful and flexible most of the time places have no issues at all when it comes to making things right! We're all human afterall, and sometimes mistakes happen.
I'm so glad the Food Lion issues turned into an unexpected plus. It sounds like they have caring management. I so wish that everyone could have access to an Aldi. I see so many items that are significantly less there than Dollar Tree, Dollar General, or Food Lion. They are opening more stores, so hopefully more folks will be able to shop there. You're doing a fantastic job, whether it ends up being under $100 or not. ❤
@ronnieorourke2599....I honestly do not see where Aldi is such a big deal. I can still find better deals on several items at Walmart. Sometimes they do have good deals on produce and fruits but other than that I feel they are more expensive on the items I usually get.
I also love that you kept in the part when speaking to the associate about the situation! It’s so easy to be rude or short when we’re upset but we always get farther when we’re kind and understanding.
Just a tip for folks with kroger-affiliated stores near them- if you order online for pick-up the prices are the same as in-store. Additionally, you can request refunds for produce and items that don't meet your expectations directly from their website, so you don't have to waste time/money going back to the store. I also prefer shopping online for pick-up so that I know in advance how much I'm spending, and that my coupons are valid for the items I'm picking, instead of being surprised at the store!
Don't get discouraged, Rebecca. We all have confidence in you. If you don't get through the whole 30 days, you will get really close, I'm sure. ❤
Yup. Do your best. If it doesn't work, that's okay. If you need to spend $10 or $20 more bucks, just do it and admit that food inflation is so out of hand, that it's not possible. I do have a feeling she will make it work. I love her empathy of putting herself in other people's shoes though. That's rare and special.
I measure my sons jelly and peanut butter to get as many sammies as I can but still have a good sammy. So proud that you dealt with Food Lion to get refunds. I've been finding bad cantalope(probably frozen at some point) lately so not buying for awhile. A delicious drink can go a long way for a treat. You are so good at this...maybe do a cookbook for those on food stamps. Sometimes dollar tree is the only store they have nearby. Frozen fruit and cold whipping cream in a blender makes great soft serve.
I always love your videos and this one is no exception. You keep things so real. Letting your viewers know about your preferences, ie bananas not green, not loving tomato soup or rice, etc. - it matters what a person's preferences are. And taking back food that is rotten and noticing when you're charged wrong on food is something everyone needs to do. I loved that you even saved the chicken leg bone from your meal for using in a soup. You are the only one eating these meals. I would do the same thing! I'm looking forward to the rest of this series of meals for $3 a day. Thanks a bunch. Diane
So excited for this series! Sorry to hear about the neighbor!
They said she should be home in about a month 💙
Omg!!! I LOVE the tip for the spreadable butter!
As a cheap (and vegan) option you can just mix oats and ripe bananas, portion out as little muffins, and bake. Kinda basic but I like them a lot especially for just being 2 ingredients!
Hello fellow vegan. 😊 Would you blend some of tge oats to make oat flour or leave oats whole? 💚
@@smilingjacks83 I leave them whole
Put a paper towel in with the cheese; it won't prevent mold but it will slow it. Or wrap the cheese in baking parchment if you have it on hand.
I love when you do these kind of videos. Living on a fixed income as I do you have really helped me. No matter how this month turns out you will not have failed you will have shown us how to stretch $100. Please keep doing what you're doing, you are helping so many people. Thank you
Your content is very helpful! It's not just about the recipes; it's about thinking about food from a big picture perspective, rather than just grabbing stuff from the store shelves at random. Even if you don't "succeed" at your original challenge premise, you're still teaching us how to spend less than we might have spent otherwise. Don't listen to the negativity - even if it comes from your own head! You're doing well, and we appreciate what you do.
I am concerned about what is going to happen when all the Dollar Tree stores go up to $1.50. it is going to make it so much harder to stretch already tight grocery budgets.
20$ doesn't buy more than a loaf of bread, milk and butter here in Canada.
No way, they are increasing the price again? Oh, that's just greedy! So many years with the same price but suddenly they need to increase the price every year?
Apple cider vinegar brings back bad memories! I'd always heard it was good for you. Imagine me drinking this stuff. I thought I was gonna die! I kept diluting it with water and it still BURNED like nothing I've ever had before or since. Ugh, never again!
@@YourNewPrincessUmm, respectfully, considering inflation, I think that Dollar tree has done an amazing job of holding prices down for as long as they have. Personally, I think that tiered pricing (like $1, $2 and $3) is a better idea than trying to keep all prices at $1.25 or even $1.50.
Dollar stores in Canada go up to $5 per item.
These videos are the "bread and butter" of your channel. Gotta have them, and we love them. You can't fail at trying, and you do a great job showing what is possible. I will say, I think it is reasonable that everyone has some sort of spices left over from month to month, and it would not be detrimental to your videos to show what spices you have left over that are available for you to use, much like the salt and pepper that are kitchen staples, but when you feel like you need to replace them you add them into the budget.
The spreadable butter trick worth a million dollar! Thank you! ❤I hope the elder lady gets better soon.
thank you! Me too!! I'll miss cooking for her in the meantime.
"Mornings with Granny" mentioned you. She knows value when she sees it!
I hope she gets well soon! What about her grandson?
He is staying with his parents in the interim, he’s a adult with a physical disability so he stays with his grandma, i believe because of the home aids. I haven’t pried too much into it but from what I understand it’s just more comfortable for him to live at her house than at his parents.
@@DollarTreeDinners- Thanks, I was also concerned about him as well. I pray she recovers quickly & feels better soon. 🙂
Thank you 😊 @@DollarTreeDinners
@@DollarTreeDinnersThat's kind of sad that he's more comfortable at his grandma's home.
Hope grandma has a speedy recovery for her and for her grandsons sake.
@@DollarTreeDinners Thanks for the update. I was so sad to hear that. I hope people are visiting her if she's in a nursing home. My experience is they dump you in a bed and that's about it. You have to really push to get the care you need. If she's not able to advocate for herself, it's unlikely she will get the care she needs. It's horrible. I saw it firsthand with my mother.
Rebecca could you do a video on your kitchen hacks so that would be in one place? I e been looking for the max and cheese hack 4 ever and cannot find it.
Love your videos, helpful stretching the ever rising grocery bill.
There is no failure, it’s a teaching moment for all of us!
Thanks for doing these videos!
I love this style of video. I have $222 a month for two adults and your videos help. And if you try your not a failure just remember that during this challenge
I am sure you can do this. I generally spend $145 a month to feed 3 people ~ breakfast and dinner ...with lunches for my mom in love (husband and I eat breakfast and dinner). The only thing I don't buy is eggs because we have chickens. I only purchase chicken, hamburger, kielbasa, and bacon as far as meat. I also only buy frozen or canned vegetables because the local store available has lousy produce. In the summer and fall I purchase what fresh vegetables I don't grow from a local farmer and freeze/can/dehydrate them. I honestly think we've reached a point where home gardens are a must have again. If all you have is a patio or just a window (put a set of shelves in front of it) you can at least grow salad greens, a cherry tomato, some carrots, radishes, and a bush type cucumber. Use dollar store dishpans for a cheap planter option. A $20 light will allow you to grow salad just about year round! I have cats, so I wrap my indoor shelf with tulle (cheap ~ $20 for 40 yards ~ if you order it online), and I also hoop it over my outdoor rows and containers. Keeps the critters out!
We're all struggling at this point, and I love these meal plans and videos you are doing! Great work!
Breakfast: Oatmeal Banana Bake
Lunch: Grilled Cheese
Dinner: Chicken Roast
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
You are so real and such a delight to watch. My boyfriend does all the cooking because I get kitchen anxiety, but you inspire and empower me to believe I can do it. I made your Instant Oatmeal Granola parfait a few days ago and it came out so good. It's definitely a new fave for me.
i love how realistic you are and how chill your recipes are- so many cost saving techniques are from scratch so much that they take hours 🙈 i am so appreciative for a realistic budget and someone who cares that the meals are healthy balanced and tasty ❤
Suggestion- do not buy fresh fruit. Except bananas. Buy canned applesauce, canned peaches, raisins and/or frozen berries. Save having to go back to the store. Do not buy fresh onions. Buy cheap onion powder. And check your receipt BEFORE you leave the store so any correction can be made right then and there. I am a survivor of 65 plus years of low budget food strategies. Thanks for this video. God bless!
I like to utilize budget cooking whenever possible. But I am going into the summer on a much stricter budget than usual. I am having brain surgery and will need to have a tighter food budget in order to pay all of the bills I will need to pay while I am unable to work. Thank you so much, for your content. I look forward to following this series with you.
Wishing you a successful recovery. Sending healing blessings from Jamaica
Any video “worth” making is any idea you are excited about. Whether it’s for entertainment or for “useful” ideas. Don’t worry about that. Make content that you enjoy making.
Also, people need to see that failure is an option. We can’t all be social media perfect all the time. There are times in life when you will do absolutely everything you can and still not be able to meet the goal/need. If you don’t make it a whole month - come up with ideas on what you could have done differently, and what you could do to make it the rest of the month with help from others such as food banks or pantries form municipalities, colleges, and churches.
I never really thought about saving the bones you ate off of, but I made your bone broth and really, you cook it for so long, it’s a waste not to! I like your videos because they are not only helpful when you are on a budget, but also help to keep you from being wasteful which is something I am very interested in!
This is one of the best videos you’ve created so far. There’s a lot of useful advice, and examples of good shopping to stock up for a stretch of time. Very educational.
Any of you on a very tight budget or otherwise facing food insecurity, please avail yourself of local foodbanks. People there are kind and supportive. You will not be judged or looked down on. There are several channels on RUclips that deal with making the most of food bank groceries, some of which you might not be accustomed to cooking with. Food Bank Beautiful is one of them. I find that channel and Southern Frugal Momma, combined with our very special Rebecca, to be a bountiful trifecta of useful information and basic human goodness. Food banks exist for good reason. You don't need to be starving to use them. They are there for those who need some help, so please make use of them!
Thanks, Rebecca, for all they great, valuable, content you provide!
I was a cashier for most of my highschool years... We dont care if you notice we made a mistake with the codes.. Its how you handle it or point it out. Sometimes it happens.. Theres sooo many different codes for fruit and veggies.. Some bags have their own codes while some scan and are meant to be scanned. Its not up to the store. Many places follow a universal "code." It's very confusing and it's not an easy job. No job is. So just remember that teen or worker has a lot going on for them. A lot of codes to remember. So just be curteous like Dollar Tree Dinners and remember that worker wasnt trying to steal you out of money or cause an inconvience for you. It was just a mistake. :)
Also feel free to return food that goes bad quickly when you get home.. Fruit veggies meat dairy.. Groceries stores dont care cause sometimes bad food slips through on transport.
I love visiting the comments section here because its so honest and supportive about the realities of life. ❤
In the '80s, when I was in college and living in a converted one-car garage, all I had for a kitchen was an old vintage refrigerator, a two-burner hot plate and a small toaster oven. My weekly grocery budget was $15, but I ate very well and very nutritional meals. Even though it's now 40 years later, I love that I can still eat as well on only an increase to about $25 a week. Soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, breakfast cereals -- all were my staples back then and they still are!
First, best wishes for your neighbor's speedy recovery. Next, "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." Winston Churchill. What keeps me coming back to your videos is not only your creativity, your willingness to try new things, and some really great tips on how to change and/or adapt recipes according to individual taste and circumstances; they're important reasons. But what I truly appreciate and admire is your enthusiasm. It's infectious and has inspired me to try new things. Even if something doesn't always turn out the way you planned, you make it work and learn from it for next time. I'm sure this new adventure will not only be full of twists, turns and some good recipes and tips on how to eat on a budget, but also your enthusiastic optimism. So, full steam ahead!!
Amen! I couldn't agree more.❤
This is great! Very real with authentic situations (pineapple, chomping on two chicken pieces, substitutions, etc.) This is the first time I've seen one of your videos (I think you were mentioned on the Collett's channel). Anyway, I am budgeting right now for this month and your ideas could not be more timely. LOVE the whipped butter recipe and I will try using applesauce instead of butter next time I bake.
I came, I watched, I subscribed.
I have a special tip for quickly ripening bananas. 1. Buy them. 2. Put them on the counter. 3. Turn around for a minute. 4. Voila! Almost overripe bananas!
new favorite comfort channel! im just a college student who just started cooking and i do not have fridge, that makes budgeting and finding options pretty challenging. this channel has everything! recipes, saving money, substitutes, ingredients that last long. so comforting
I love all your videos! But especially these kind. I get really great basic, tried and true, simple recipes. I honestly love them. They are very helpful.
So thank you for always trying new things. ❤
First of all, I'm so glad I found your channel! I'm a huge fan of your cooking for community series and I totally look forward to them. Thank you for the update and I hope she and her grandson are doing well. But I really love all of your videos too. And I think you're too hard on yourself. Even if you "fail" you are realistic and show the weak points and where things went wrong. That's absolutely instructional and inspirational to all of us. Love your videos! Love from Wisconsin ❤
I live on 100 to 124 a month. I go over $100 when I'm stocking up and stalking my freezer otherwise I could very easily live on $100 a month. Just wanted to mention it can be tricky when you're on a special diet. I can't have oatmeal and eggs and I can also not have dairy products. I can have lactaid or lactaid sour cream. Because eggs are one of the things that make me sick I have learned to cook with applesauce. I'm telling you I just had cornbread made with applesauce not eggs and I put in lactaid sour cream not milk and it was absolutely the best cornbread I ever had. So don't be afraid to make some videos showing applesauce as a substitute for eggs it works perfectly for holding the cakes and goodies together
Wonderful ideas, Rebecca. A point on you saying "failure is not an option" - I think that saying that "failure is not an option" puts too much pressure on oneself not to, whereas it's perfectly acceptable to fail; it's how we deal with and learn from it that's important. Pick yourself up, dust yourself up and keep at it!
I hope the person for whom you're cooking gets well soon.
All of your videos are worthy. You produce amazing content. The hiccups are more helpful than the successes for a lot of folks. When everything goes right we learn very little. When we have to solve problems and max out our resources we learn lessons that will last a lifetime. Keep up the great work!
I enjoyed this video. Lots of really good ideas for making food stretch. Thank you for posting it. also yes, I am glad that you include everything. Its real life for things to sometimes go wrong and its nice to see you provide potential solutions. Thank you for your hard work. Also praying the lady you cook for gets well soon and that her grandson is well cared for in the meantime. I have enjoyed following you cooking for them. I also like to make food to share with others.Thanks for all you do.
0:24 poor honey!! Praying for a swift recovery
With the bananas, you can freeze one and use some milk and/or some peach to make 'ice cream'. Cut up the banana & freeze it then put into a blender with some milk & blend together. I usually use almond or oat milk so I can make non-dairy frozen treats for friends.
What a great idea to mix plain oatmeal with the flavored kind! I never thought of that. It will certainly take the sugary, overwhelming taste away from the flavored one.
While I’m not sure anything could save that pineapple, there is a misconception about pineapples that can sometimes cause it to be wasted.
Pineapples are a type of fruit that does not ripen at all after they are cut off the plant, so leaving a pineapple to “ripen” on your counter just means it rots a little bit. You can’t buy an underripe pineapple like you can with green bananas. This has helped me avoid wasting a few pineapples.
Some other fruits that don’t ripen after being picked are berries, grapes, and citrus, though people seem to know this a lot more about those.
Thank you for the baked oatmeal recipe ! I needed to use up some milk
Hope you like it!
@@DollarTreeDinners it was good! Thank you! Didn’t have flavored oatmeal so I put brown sugar
@@CyndimrktorresYes great idea. And some cinnamon too.
I love these budget series so much! Thank you for sharing your creativity, budgeting tips, and recipes with us!!
Wow, I’m never this early! I’ve become addicted to your money-saving videos, so thanks for making them. Makes the months with no pay a little less scary. (I’m a school teacher and won’t get another paycheck until August 27th.)
Glad you like them! I enjoy making them
You could work over the summer or save some of the $70k you make per year
Wow, a lot of assumptions there Gatorgirl. Maybe practice what your grandmother should have taught you, if you don't have anything nice to say... close your mouth.
@@GatorGirl123How would you know how much she makes. Very odd comment.
I hope you know what an amazing person you are and how much we all need your videos. Wishing the woman you make meals for a speedy recovery.
Thank you, this is just what I need. I have a budget that’s close to this a month and I’m sick of just eating the same thing every meal.