How To Stretch Your Food Budget

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It is October 25, 2025 at the time of this writing, and the government is shut down. My governor, Mike Kehoe, has announced that Missouri does not have any funds available to cover the cost of November’s SNAP budget, which will leave many Missourians without grocery money in just a few days.

What is SNAP?

SNAP is short for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. People who qualify include children, seniors, people with disabilities, and people who are employed full time. Financial criteria is based on the federal poverty line, with each state’s cost of living and family size also considered. A study referenced in the Washington Post in 2020 showed that Walmart and McDonald’s are among the list of employers with the highest amount of employees receiving SNAP and Medicaid benefits – this means that these employers are not paying their employees a living wage, causing them to rely on government benefits to survive.

How to Use this Guide

I’ve seen so many recommendations for people online that include things like “buy a deep freezer and stock up,” or other ideas that don’t acknowledge that people on SNAP likely don’t have enough funds to purchase a major appliance, or use October’s budget to stock up (because October’s budget has already been spent).

So, while some of these tips might be really basic and you are already doing them, there are other tips to be able to make your budgets stretch that you might not have thought of yet.

Take what is useful information for you, and please leave a comment if I have forgotten anything!

Note: This post is not focusing on produce, because those prices vary wildly. This post is focusing on the bulk of food budgets, so savings can go towards produce (fresh and frozen).

How To Stretch Your Food Dollars

Buy Dried

Anyone who has been to the grocery store recognizes that buying dried beans, peas, rice, etc is much more economical.

We have been slowly stocking up on some dried basics over the course of the year as I practice cyclical bulk purchasing as my budget allows. I store them in Costco buckets I get for free from the bakery (just ask if they have any!).

At most grocery stores and some dollar stores, a small bag of rice, dried peas, or lentils costs between $1-2. Depending on your family size and preparation method, one bag of each can last for multiple meals.

Buy Bulk and Split

Food budgets are so tight, giving an answer like “well just go buy bulk beans and rice” is both out of touch and inconsiderate. If I had a very limited budget, someone suggesting I spend 13 of my dollars just on flour would be insulting. However, if you can buy in bulk with others and split the order, it could save you a lot of money.

A few weeks ago I picked up a 25lb bag of dried pinto beans at Costco for $9.99. It will take me years go through, but we will use them. I will also be able to share with others who might need some extra beans. I find our rice through our local asian market. One can of beans at Aldi is about $0.89 in my area. The savings of dried beans vs canned beans is significant. It is also, however, more time intensive, and more expensive up front.

Weekly Prep

I’ve detailed my weekly reset routine here. As part of it, I prep a bunch of items for meals throughout the week. I use my crockpot (that I bought from Facebook Marketplace) and my Instant Pot (that I’ve had for years) to cook batches of things like beans, rice, soups, and chili in a mostly hands-off way.

I use our bulk flour purchase (20lbs of whole wheat flour for $12.99) to make bread, muffins, biscuits, rolls, bagels, soft pretzels, and more.

Shop Local

If you have any international markets in your area, or small business bodegas, shop there first. These are often less expensive places to shop, and this helps protect the small (and often immigrant-owned) businesses in the area. If Walmart is your only option, fret not. We are all doing the best we can with the resources we have.

Think Creatively

Oats aren’t just for oatmeal, they can also be used for homemade granola bars, ground into oat flour for baked goods, and even blended with water and a dash of sweetener to make homemade oat milk.

Lentils can be protein and fiber-rich taco meat or burgers, added to soups or stews, or even blended and made into a soy-free tofu substitute.

Check out your local library for cookbooks with fresh ideas.

Utilize Your Resources

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, check your local library! Many libraries now offer a “library of things,” including Instant Pots and character cake pans. Alternatively, ask your neighbors if you can borrow their pressure cookers to quickly cook up a week’s supply of rice and beans, or check Facebook Marketplace if you can afford to purchase one used.

How To Help When You Don’t Rely On SNAP

We like to say “it takes a village” when it comes to raising children, but we forget that the village is necessary for our survival, too. Now is the time to come together and support each other. Here are some ways to support each other:

• Be the one to offer to buy in bulk.

• Donate food or money to your local food pantry.

• Leave bags of rice, beans, peas, peanut butter, pasta, etc in Free Little Pantries in your area.

• Donate to your local school district’s food pantry. No child should be hungry.