For years I have been feeding strays that have ended up in my house. I’m sure you’re familiar with this. Kids bring home a tiny kitten they’ve found while playing outside, or a stray dog wonders into your yard and won’t leave. For me though, it’s always stray kids.Sarah brought home her boyfriend. I fed him. For nearly a year. James brought home a friend who wasn’t getting along with his step-dad. I fed him too for a while. And now he’s back. He’s taken up residence in Sarah’s room, which she recently vacated. James is always bringing home his friends and I’m always feeding them. Therefore my grocery budget is always in the red. Have you seen how much a teenage boy can eat? You wouldn’t believe it, I tell ya.
Since the arrival of Will & Clayton in July or budget has had to be adjusted. Neely is still paying child support under his old court order (we have a hearing on that in January - yes, January, but don’t get me started!), so our budget has been stretched thin. Not to mention that his work has slowed down significantly and he’s been lucky to get 3 days worth of work a week for the past few weeks. Because that and because there always seems to be an extra mouth to feed around here, I’ve been trying to plan meals that use things we already have in the house instead of planning meals with ingredients that I need to shop for. And I’m trying to feed the family for under $10 each meal. Sites like Hillbilly Housewife and 5 Dollar Dinners have really been my friend lately.
Tonight we’re having Sloppy Joe & Tater Tot Casserole, with green beans on the side. I hope it goes over well. It cost around $8.00 to make and took about 15 minutes to prepare, plus baking time. You can find the recipe here.
