Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen - Care Package

Items for your Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen

Most of these items are cheaper per unit in larger/bulk amounts, so those save you money in the long run. But if you have a limited amount of dollars to spend then you have to weigh your number of dollars against the per unit savings.

Please keep in mind that prices change with your area, the time of year, and as time passes from when the article was written. These are guidelines and may vary widely. Also you may get lucky with sale prices, and I chose the next price up whenever I wasn’t sure I could get a price reliably.

If you are in a real crisis then really you can’t afford meat. It is very hard to get the meat near the article’s prices. You could try to substitute whatever meat is cheapest, or cut the amount of meat by a quarter where possible. You can substitute in all or part with hearty veggies like mushrooms, eggplant, or squashes, or bulk it up with potatoes or cabbage. You can fill bellies with beans or whole grains like quinoa or rice. Peanut butter and eggs are already sources of protein in this article, so you won’t be getting zero protein.

If it was myself shopping I would buy much more produce with my meat budget and make more lentil/bean soups, potato chowders, and pasta casseroles. If it was myself receiving a relief package I would much rather receive meat (which is less attainable, and I would then stretch it thin in soups and casseroles). This menu is definitely not following the Food Guide Pyramid, which says VEGETABLES VEGETABLES VEGETABLES.

This list is from the article, aiming to spend $30 to try to get through the items to third priority. Realistically you will spend about $45. The article can assume the person has some of these items, but you will have to use your best judgment on what to include. The total for the whole list is $65.

If you wish to ship something to someone who is not local to you, you can use an online service like Netgrocer (www.netgrocer.com). If you buy all of the priority items except the first priority, the meats, it will cost you about $35 including shipping. All of the items on our list except the meats is $60.