Angel Food Ministries and coupons

We have been trying to cut down on our grocery bill the last 6 months or so and I have found several websites and programs that have been very helpful.

One program that I used today for the first time, is Angel Food Ministries. It is a ministry that is dedicated to providing food relief and financial support to communities throughout the US. It is not an income qualified program, it is open to everyone. For $30/month, you can purchase a box of food and here is a sample menu:

• 4 lb. IQF Leg Quarters
• 4 oz. Beef Back Ribs
• 1 lb. 80/20 Lean Ground Beef
• 2 lb. Breaded Chicken Tenders
• 1.5 lb. Bone in Pork Chops (4 x 6oz.)
• 1 lb. Ground Turkey
• 18 oz. Stuffed Manicotti (Cheese)
• 12 oz. Smoked Sausage
• Betty Crocker Seasoned Potatoes
• 7 oz. Cheeseburger Dinner
• 16 oz. Green Beans
• 16 oz. Baby Carrots
• 2 lb. Onions
• 1 lb. Pinto Beans
• 1 lb. Rice
• 7 oz. Blueberry Muffin Mix
• 10 ct. Homestyle Waffles
• Dessert Item

You can purchase as many boxes as you would like, and they have other options, such as meat boxes, fresh fruit and veggies, etc. I picked up our box today from a church in Minneapolis and it was very slick. I ordered it probably 3 weeks ago. What a great program!! They have many locations around the country, and several in Minnesota.

Also, I have been using the website, PocketYourDollars. It is a site where a metro woman takes all the main ads from each Sunday, Cub, Rainbow, Walmart, Target, CVS, etc. She scours the ads for what are good prices (and she knows her stuff), and she then links coupons to each sale price.

I have been getting a lot of stuff for free, things we use and need. She says that she never pays for toothpaste or deodorant anymore. She never pays more than $1 for a box of cereal, and I am talking about name brand cereal. I have gotten lots of cereal for .50 or less. For our family of 6 grocery bill has been under $75 most weeks since I started using these resources, some weeks under $50.

If any of you do start to use the pocket your dollars website, let me know and I can give you a few tips that would have been helpful to me when I started. It can seem a little overwhelming at the beginning, but it really is pretty easy and worth the savings.