An Angel Amoung Us

You don’t have to be poor to feel the financial pinch these days. With rising gas and food prices it is barely possible to make the same salary as two years ago and maintain the same way of life. Michael and I have been doing everything we can to lower our standard of living, not only because we’ve had to but also because we have been implementing Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace principle’s into our family. one of the first things we did when starting this new way of life was to get on a budget and start paying cash for everything. Michael and I have never been on a budget, at least not a workable one, but after tracking our expenses for three months we got a better idea of how our money is spent and finally got on a much needed workable budget.

One thing that shocked me when I tracked our expenses was the amount of money that we spend on food every month. 95% of our food budget is groceries. We rarely eat out, maybe once a week if that. We eat left-overs, I use coupons, and bargain shop, and yet the $$ amount surprised me. So, I started talking to people and realized that we were in “normal” range for a family our size and that with the rising food costs it would only get worse. So, I got even more serious. No eating out at all, comparison shopping, coupons, sales, you name I did it and even with all that work I still could only get the grocery budget down about $100 a month.

Then I decided to check out something that I heard about about three years ago when we were living in Texas. I heard about a nationwide ministry called Angel Food Ministries. It is non-profit ministry that provides high-quality food products for about half the cost. Churches around the country team up with the ministry as host sites where you can place your orders and pick them up. When I first heard about them I didn’t get involved, mainly because I didn’t feel that I qualified, even though on their website they say, “If you eat, you qualify.” So, when we moved here I found a church near us that is a host site and I decided to try it. I ordered enough food for dinners for a month for $110. I want to share with you what I got, because I believe that we are not alone and many of you reading this are trying to find ways to make your budget work without having to get a raise or another job. Here is what I got with this months menu:

1.5 lb. Ribeye Steaks (4 x 6 oz.)

10 ct. Frozen Waffles

5 lb. Chicken Leg Quarters

16 oz. Bean Soup Mix

28 oz. Chicken Breast Nuggets

1 lb. Rice

28 oz. Salisbury Steak Dinner Entrée

9 oz. Instant Potatoes (14 servings)

32 oz. Breaded Chicken Breast Filets

15 oz. Sliced Peaches

1 lb. Smoked Sausage

32 oz. Borden Shelf Stable Milk

16 oz. California Blend Frozen Vegetables

1 Dozen Eggs

16 oz. Frozen Carrots


16 oz. Frozen Chopped Spinach

1 Dessert Item

ALL THIS FOR THE LOW COST OF JUST…….. $30.00

I ordered three of these menu’s and then ordered a grill special for $20 that had:

1.5 lb. Baseball Cut Sirloin Filet (4 x 6 oz. – Thick Cut),
2 lbs. Juicy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast,
2 lbs. St. Louis-Style Ribs,
1.5 lb. Hamburger Patties (4 x 6 oz.)

We have been eating the food and it is no different than food would buy at the store. And I expect that doing this will cut our grocery bill in half. I still have to buy milk, eggs, lunch meat, condiments, etc but this is saving bundles on the bulk of our grocery bill which is dinner. I encourage you to check them out. See if there is a church near you that is a host site. Go to the website (www.angelfoodministries.com) and read about them and how they are able to do what they do. God bless!!!