Now is an important time to contribute to food banks as many more people need help with food. When help with food is provided, scarce money is freed up to cover other expenses. Please remember to contribute good stuff, not outdated cans or junk food. Many a food bank in the 80’s, was stocked with grocery stores’ outdated gourmet jars—interesting, but how do you prepare that stuff? In the general public an attitude often emerges, which says, “If you’re hungry enough, you’ll eat anything!” Maybe. Would you? What would you want your children to eat in order to be healthy?
Dried beans are a popular staple for food banks and they are an inexpensive, nutritious non-perishable. However, they need to be soaked in water overnight (or the equivalent in hours) then cooked for about two hours. This takes preplanning, extra fuel and close attention to continually add water. When one is in crisis, such a commitment is hard to make. Canned beans are more efficient yet they contain a tremendous amount of sodium. I don’t yet know the solution to the bean dilemma (low sodium canned beans are scarce)—hopefully someone will find a way to provide fresh vegetables.
Long-cooking rice, though taking less preparation time than beans, still ties up resources. While it costs more, quick brown rice (I prefer Uncle Ben’s) takes only ten minutes to prepare (five minutes cooking and five minutes “sitting”); it’s nutritious and delicious making it a great non-perishable food to contribute to your local food bank.
Insights on stretching your money & your outlook—surviving difficult economic times & helping others *from one who’s been there*
My husband and I have faced many lay-offs in the past twenty years; each time we hoped to learn something new so that we could help others in the future. Now is that time. As my we worked to “stay afloat” (the opposite of “going under”!) during lean times, I read every money-saving book and magazine on our library’s shelf--some things I’ve worked out for myself. Now that my husband has a steady job, we’ve continued many of these practices as a part of responsible living. In my posts, I’ll include ideas for different levels of need—stretching dollars when you still have some income and stretching even further (when you think you can’t) when the income is gone in hope of helping you hang on until you get some income. I’ll also address things we learned about attitudes—ours and those around us.
I invite you to comment with your money-saving ideas and accounts of what has worked for you, since community is one of our greatest resources. While I’m writing as an American in the framework of the American economy, I also invite those of you from other nations/peoples to share what you’ve learned about stretching resources since many things can be applied anywhere. (Do know that I will delete any comment that’s derogatory or has foul language.) Please share this blog with others who are stretching and help them keep from “breaking”.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
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