On groceries--if you're spending about $250/week, then you'll need about $550 from the "leftovers" after the bills you listed (the foodstamps cover the other half of your grocery spending).
That leaves $734 from the leftovers. If you keep your husbands $25/week thing, that leaves $634. Start putting $100 in savings every month. You're goign to need that someday. That leaves $534. Start working your way down the list of *needs* with the money that's left. And where you can get needs met free or cheap, do that. Scout thrift stores and check freecycle for kids clothes and other items you need.
Write down *everything* you spend. Every penny. Sometimes it helps to be able to see where your money is going, and often when you see what's draining it, you can see what you need to cut back on.
Definitely consider crockpot cooking. If you can take 10 minutes in the morning to throw the stuff in, you still have a from-scratch meal without a lot of prep time. But honestly, a lot of homemade meals don't require a lot of time, and if you have older kids they can help with the prep--cutting veggies, washing rice or potatoes, etc.
That leaves $734 from the leftovers. If you keep your husbands $25/week thing, that leaves $634. Start putting $100 in savings every month. You're goign to need that someday. That leaves $534. Start working your way down the list of *needs* with the money that's left. And where you can get needs met free or cheap, do that. Scout thrift stores and check freecycle for kids clothes and other items you need.
Write down *everything* you spend. Every penny. Sometimes it helps to be able to see where your money is going, and often when you see what's draining it, you can see what you need to cut back on.
Definitely consider crockpot cooking. If you can take 10 minutes in the morning to throw the stuff in, you still have a from-scratch meal without a lot of prep time. But honestly, a lot of homemade meals don't require a lot of time, and if you have older kids they can help with the prep--cutting veggies, washing rice or potatoes, etc.
