Looking for Advice

[Mich649]

Wow heartwrenching situation. Some thoughts... Do your best to match up weekly sales with your coupon. A definite go to for me is http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/350996-...ay-2nd-canada/ (Thanks annedougherty!) Making your own baby food can be a big savings and you know what they're eating! My little ones were always thirsty so I bought real juice and cut it with water (Frozen concentrate is usually best dollar value). Get some basic recipes- Things like canned tomatoes, pasta, frozen veggies, soups and hamburger can be amazingly versatile. When I was in a similar situation I learned to use the freezer always stretching and freezing for a meal ahead. Bulk Barn is a definite dollar stretcher -check out your local one. If you don't have a blender Value Village is a great source for that sort of thing. All the best to you and yours.

Make sure you cut out the $3.00 off when you spend $10.00 coupon in the flyer........that is why I love Bulk Barn soooo much :0)

[aoffman]

I'm pretty sure SA has an allowance for personal items every few months as well. Have your hubby call his case worker and see if there is any $ available for that. Its to cover shampoo, deorderant etc. And with coupons and smart shopping you can stretch that pretty far and use the left overs for food.

I would also suggest calling Feed Nova Scotia directly and talk to someone about getting more food support. You CAN visit some food bank locations more than once a month, you will just get less on the additional visits. FNS would also know of programs, such as Church groups etc that can help you with further support. They are a great resource, they are there to help ppl in situations just like yours.

My food budget is extremely tight as well. Once a month I go buy all my meat and anything I can freeze at Gateway and Dave's. The prices are SO SO SO much lower than Sobeys/RASS. Like, so much lower it makes me wonder why the big chains charge so much. You're probably limited on travel options, maybe you can work out a drive with a friend or neighbour? For example, lunch meat that is 5.99 at sobeys is often under 2.00 at those locations. The produce is dirt cheap too.

Some neighbourhoods have communal gardens. Not sure how to go about finding them, but it could be a source of free/cheap produce as well.

What about United Way? I have no experience with them, but aren't they another helpyhelperton agency?

I feel for you, in a country like this, in this day and age, no one should suffer like you've mentioned.

[smurf8488]

Thank you all for the fantastic advice...it does help i just wanted to answer a few questions and say a few things...oh and to confirm yes the 3yr old and 3 month old are cats i dont have children i think mentaly i would be going even crazyier trying to care for children through this i wouldnt have the strength.

dreamcatcher1962 - my wish list is old as i havnt been as focased on the coupons as i was so i have switched to the larger bags and boxes of pasta when it goes on sale. I didnt think of the carnation milk part though i have 3 cans of it that have been sitting in my storage since christmas because i have only ever used it for making Pumpkin Pie i will now have to do some more reasearch on other uses for it thank you. The Egg creations part i didnt know either i have had coupos for them and gave them away as i didnt know what it was and always bought the dozen eggs. The pink stickers or clearance foods i have looked for them i dont find myself has much luck in finding things but that could be mostly timing of shopping (once a month) but i will keep that up. Do you know if stores have any set spots they put there clearence items at maybe im just not looking in the right places.

Alicia - I have PM'd you if thats ok thank you

JerryBrian - we have looked into moving both elsewhere in the city, in the province and to a different provinse. The cost of moving though is to high for us to cover and the uncertainty of medication for my fiance is not a risk we are willing to take seeing as now he gets all of his medication for free from pharmacare but thank you it deffintaly was an option on our plate for a bit.

rxslh - Thankfully we do have pharmacare so that as elimanated the cost of the medication on our plate. i didnt know about 211 though or how to find info on the co-op thank you for those links i will look into those

Islandlakes - Normally i would completly agree with you but for us we have both been to counslers (well a Physiatrist and Psychologist), Social workers, Doctors, Unemployment, and alot of different case workers with social assitance that i was hoping maybe someone might have been through similair financial strains and had a few ideas.

aoffman - Social Assitance does have a hygene allowance available i beleive we where told $50 every 4 months, they also have a clothing allowance $100 every year. which in 9 years of my fiance being on SA he has gotten both of those once which was in january along with a school supplies budget. I thought we could only spend it on the alotted items though as they request receits. Calling Feed Nova Scotia direct or united way i didnt think of though thank you. Also i love gateway myself as well i wish they would put a bus near there as i dont drive.

Thank you again for all the sugestions they give us a few other angles to look at. We are lucky this pay thanks to juggling and family we have $60 on tuesday for this month groceries but now im afraid to spend it lol...i have looked through the flyers, the coupon match up on here and on .com and have also recently downloaded the checkout51 app for both of our phones (yes an added expense not needed but the cancellation fee is outrages its cheaper for us to wait out the contract then cancel seeing as its done in dec) but im still very unsure on the best way to stretch and spend it. when doing up a basic list just from the match ups and flyers i get $95 worth of groceries now i need to narrow it down just not sure where to start.

[anawhatsme]

i don't coupon like i used to.
i may have some coupons that you could use.
if you want to let me know what types of coupons you use or want, i may have some to give.

i also have some extra food items here that you could have if you don't live too far from me.
nothing super great, but it will fill your bellies.
let me know.

[dreamcatcher1962]

Hi,
In regards to set spots for clearance items I can't really say.
I'm not in metro. However in our Superstore and No Frills, I generally find that any produce that is marked down is in the produce section.
They may have a cart set up there with fruit, ie bananas, oranges, apples, peppers etc, but things like lettuce, mushrooms are left in their respective sections with the pink stickers on them.

Just as an example of savings, Friday in at NF, they had the 4 pks of peppers on for $2.49, however on the reduced produce rack they had a bag of mixed peppers (red, yellow, orange, green) on for $1.99. The bag I got had 7 peppers in it and they were in relatively good shape. (not soft). I brought them home and diced them up and froze them and will use them on pizzas, fried rice, omlettes, spagetti sauce etc.

Reduced bread is usually in the bread section on a cart with other reduced bakery items.
I think generally they are keeping all their reduced items in the areas where those items are stocked, however I have noticed at our Superstore lately they have had 3 grocery carts full of reduce items right at the main entrance.
Just keep your eyes peeled for pink stickers as you go through the store. Think Pink

[aoffman]

aoffman - Social Assitance does have a hygene allowance available i beleive we where told $50 every 4 months, they also have a clothing allowance $100 every year. which in 9 years of my fiance being on SA he has gotten both of those once which was in january along with a school supplies budget. I thought we could only spend it on the alotted items though as they request receits. Calling Feed Nova Scotia direct or united way i didnt think of though thank you. Also i love gateway myself as well i wish they would put a bus near there as i dont drive.

I just buy a bunch of stuff, personal hygiene, food, etc and use coupons. I circle the hygiene items. They don't know what the coupons were user for... I doubt they even check the receipts. I never add them up, just send them in a bunch from shopping for the allotted period of time. Haven't had any issues so far.

[aoffman]

Oh! Thats another thing. The Ben's outlets have great peices too

[dreamcatcher1962]

Oh! Thats another thing. The Ben's outlets have great peices too

Our Bens told me that they accept coupons as well, just not on the reduced items.

[aoffman]

Wow, which one is that? I usually go to Fairview or the one by Dave's...

Our Bens told me that they accept coupons as well, just not on the reduced items.