it takes a lot of forethought to eat decently while broke

I disagree. It takes creativity and a devil-may-care attitude, and it also takes the ability to TAKE and to harvest the bizarre opportunities that come along.

I'll relate someone else's experience to illustrate. When we were struggling to feed the three growth-spurting teens, one winter, a parish family's privation came to our attention very suddenly one evening. One minute I was reaching for Stovetop Stuffing, and the next I was hearing Hardi's tale of a parish family on the skids and in one move, that box of Stuffing went instead into a carton-- along with everythig else I had in that pantry.

That week, from I-have-no-idea-where, various grocery bags had turned up on our back porch in the country, respecting-privacy way. When I learned of this family's plight, I had, for the first time I could recall in several years, a full panrty. So I emptied it into a couple of boxes and drove Hardi to the frozen, windswept rendezvous point where he had asked the teenager in that family to meet him on the sly. I was in tears, so grateful to be in a position to help, and so grateful that I threw a frozen turkey in there as well-- one of the 3 we'd raised, skinned, and quartered to fit in the freezer.

The receiving teen had no idea why Father had asked him to come-- or he'd not have come-- but cried in gratitude to lift those heavy boxes with boxed items tumbling out in the headlights, once he realized it was FOOD. Hardi simply said, "Hey, buddy, thanks for coming-- can you help me get rid of this?" "Sure!" the boy blubbered. "Don't tell them where you got it," Hardi cautioned. "OK!" was the reply blown away in the winter wind as the kid disappeared up the slippery path to their trailer, where our car could not have traveled. We left the other boxes on the ground and left before he got back for the next load, because we figured that by then he'd be feeling embarrassed and might appreciate some privacy. But that boy, that night-- HE was the provider for his family.


My point is that to do bulk cooking, which is how to eat cheap, you have to have a starter-pantryfull or freezerfull to fit the new on-sale items into as they come up. I KNOW that when you're really poor, you cannot fund that starter-load yourself. But-- you can harvest it when it comes.

And it comes faster if you first give away what you have. I have SEEN this happen over and over, in our home and others'. If you are in serious need, give something away. Quick. More will soon come to replenish it.

People don't give to us because we're the clergy family. We get our turn, but so do other families in the parish. Big parish supper, lots of leftovers? They go to the seminarian, or to the new parents, or to a recently-widowed widower, or to someone else who can "get rid of it." Or I take it to the local homeless men's shelter where the men know I'm just one of them and always make sure I'm OK, too, when I drop things off.

Be one of the ones who gives, and very quickly you will be cared for as one of the ones who needs. It's just a matter of taking one's turn in both ends of that dynamic. REALLY.

~Susan