How Much is Everyone Spending Per Week Per Kid For Food?

[DBug]

Well, I guess after seeing everyone's numbers I'm not quite as concerned about the waste in my house. I spend $100/month for daycare kids -- that's 4 or 5 kids, 5 days a week, with 2 meals and 3 snacks (fruit with every meal/snack + veggies & meat at lunch). That's in Canadian dollars, too, so it's not bad. I think the majority of my costs are in utilities -- water/sewer and electricity, and of course, curriculum. Food wastage is so much more obvious though ...

[misol]

I'm sorry to have offended so many. I guess b/c I don't believe in waste, and America is full of waste in astronomical proportions, I'm the odd man out.

I have tried to register but am having problems. Hopefully I can get my computer to stop cutting me off. I salvaged it from a dumpster. Anyway, my parents are aware of my thrify ways and a few have even purchased my ebook.


Tammy

Tammy, I don't think that anyone would argue that we all need to do more to reduce waste. However - receycling partially eaten food is NOT the most sanitary way to go about it. Serving partially eaten foods undoubtedbly puts the health of your kids and yourself at risk. I am guessing that since you serve it to the kids that you eat the moldy donuts and recycled food too. I don't even eat behind my OWN children. Honestly, sometimes I can barely stand to look at a plate after a kid finishes messing around in it! I cannot tell you how many times I've watched kids (and adults) put something in their mouth, chew it, then spit it back on their plate. I've seen people cough and sneeze at the table without covering their mouths. I've seen people put food that has fallen on the chair or floor back on their plate. The list goes on. I would not trust that feezing would kill any of the germs, viruses, and bacterias lurking in that contaminated food. Maybe when you reheat it would but since you are serving to kids, you are unlikely to heat it to the temperature required to kill bacteria. It's just gross all around and not a good practice.

I teach the kids here that there are some things that we do NOT share - this includes food and drink, eating utensils, hats, toothbrushes, etc. Daycares are already a breeding ground for germs.

As far as your parents being aware of your thrifty ways - I doubt that they are aware of just how "thrifty" you are. I have never met any parent that would knowingly allow this. Try telling them EXACTLY what you are doing and then see what their reaction is. I think a better suggestion for reducing food waste would be to serve much smaller portions and have more available if needed. If the extra doesn't get used then freeze THAT and serve it again at a later date. Any food that has already been on one person's plate should NOT be served to anyone else. Period.

This pracitice of recycling food is VERY extreme to me. I may regret asking this question but I am curious to know what else you do to save money and reduce waste?

[jen]

I'm still hoping Tammy is a troll...but if not...

Seriously, it is just WRONG to sacrifice the health and welfare of children so that you can clear $900/week.

Can you imagine a restaurant that scraped left overs in to a bag, froze and reserved it? Would you eat there? Would you let your children eat there?

Kids (and adults) need REAL food. Fresh fruits, veggies, meat and whole grains.

Please, if you are for real, rethink this. No amount of money is worth the health of children or yourself.

[mac60]

Tammy is a troll.....Tammy the troll, has a cute ring to it anyways.

[melskids]

i wonder how "tammy" would feel if someone at the factory was spitting in her can of $ store beenie weenies before shipping them out....

[Janet]

I'm all for recycling...

but I have to draw the line at recycling food the way that the OP is doing it! It's one thing for me to finish off the food from my daycare kids plates that they didn't eat (still gross, but I'm aware of the yuckiness factor and I'm alright with that...) but it's completely different to have other kids finish off another child's food. The germs that get passed around would be too much of a risk for me to take.

OP, if you are looking to be thrifty, then do it in a way that won't be a hazard to the children that you care for. It's not cool to have kids share food that way! If you're looking to be more environmentally conscious, then again, do it in a way that doesn't hold the potential for illness that kids eating each others food does. Here's a thought. To save money on food, use coupons, check out your grocery store ads for sales, and consider growing your own vegetables. That's just a few ideas. If you want to be more environmentally conscious, then do things like use your vehicle less and walk more, plant some trees, turn off the lights in rooms when no one is in them, and use your AC less in the summer time. Again, that's just a few ideas.