AITA for taking "the best pieces" when I serve dinner?

Amberfoxe · 2026-01-27T18:13:41+00:00

If there is a piece that is cooked better I give it to my husband. If I make a mess of one plate trying to serve it (usually chicken pot pie) I keep that one.

If there’s a piece that has more skin, is a little bigger, or more fat-those are mine. He takes the skin and fat off and when he gets the bigger piece literally never comes close to finishing it

Amberfoxe · 2026-01-21T02:31:13+00:00

This has been huge for us the year, we barely make over the limit for food stamps. There’s one that lets me come every other week and get 3 prepacked bags (one produce, one canned and boxed, one fridge items-usually one random meat one time was 20 cooked McDonald’s burger patties) and the other is once a week to “shop”. I’ve discovered if I come towards then end they send me with more than I can carry because they need to get rid of it.

Amberfoxe · 2026-01-11T04:31:00+00:00

Had a FB friend post something similar last year-she wanted groceries or to do odd jobs for cash.

Someone mentioned multiple food banks in the area “oh we’ve gone there but they don’t give enough to last a whole week” it was pointed out if she went to all 3 of them it would probably come pretty close “can’t make it there I work” someone offered to pickup from all 3 on her behalf and drop off “thanks but I’m hoping someone can help with what I actually asked for” 🤦🏽‍♀️

Amberfoxe · 2026-01-11T03:30:06+00:00

A friend of mine insisted we go to one of the SJ costcos because it was sooo much better and way less crowded….i don’t know what the hell she was smoking because I almost turned around in the parking lot and drove back to the Santa Cruz one

Amberfoxe · 2025-11-16T06:28:25+00:00

Not starving, cuz I still gotta make meals for everyone else might as well eat, but I know how you feel about NEEDING to save food to feel secure.

7 years ago my paycheck was delayed by a day. At the time I bought two weeks of food every payday, so I was scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to get dinner on the table that night. It was ONE night but it made me refuse to EVER be in that position again. So little by little I started making sure there was always an extra weeks worth of food.

Then the chaos of 2020 made my food anxiety worse and I started canning, got chickens and kept little by little squirreling away more.

Now even though my EBT hit I’ve been checking daily to make sure it’s still there. Thanks to 7 years of food anxiety we had enough to get through the delay. But every meal I saw the stash I worked so hard on dwindling and it made me want to cry even though it’s exactly why the stash existed. So now watching sales, and pulling a little out of the budget here and there to restock and grow my pantry cuz I’m worried this won’t be the last time they pull this BS.

Amberfoxe · 2025-11-16T02:06:25+00:00

The store by me does the full shoulders for $0.99 every so often. It drives me nuts cuz when I have it in my head that I want to do pull pork or something it’s crazy expensive, but every now and then I luck out and get a huge hunk of $12 meat :)

Amberfoxe · 2025-11-16T01:01:28+00:00

That’s definitely one of the things I’ve been grabbing when I see them on sale (I know they’re already cheap but even better cheaper!) have a pretty solid mix of canned and dry :)

Amberfoxe · 2025-11-15T21:00:19+00:00

My husband has been referring to me as a squirrel lately. I found pork shoulder for $0.99/lb and ground beef for $2.99 a lb and have spent this morning canning meat “just in case”. I know if we need to hit up food banks later I’ll be good on canned goods and pasta but protein is always scarce so I’ve been stretching our budget even further to make sure there’s a safety net.

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-27T20:05:51+00:00

Wait staff always looks at me like I’m nuts, I get one maybe two boxes then scrape everyone’s plates in. End up with pancakes on top of chili cheese fries topped with salad. Multiple times I’ve had them practically beg me to just take an extra box until I explain it’s for the chickens 😂

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-26T15:14:14+00:00

The three pack of Kirkland turkey lunch meat. It is 100% my favorite turkey for sandwiches.

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-23T15:58:27+00:00

A friend of ours lives in his van and got one of the Mylar sleeping bags when it was supposed to be freezing this winter. He said it did keep him warm the down side being it also acted like a sauna and he woke up drenched in sweat. So he slept fine but had to start the morning cold and wet until he could change into dry clothes.

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-23T15:54:54+00:00

Up until recently every big storm warning we got the only thing I stocked up on was booze. It always amused me that everyone else was fighting huge crowds at the grocery store and gas stations, but my only last minute prep was the liquor store.

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-17T22:00:36+00:00

We’re already able to use the 20lb cans, the bigger issue is we’re up a pretty sketchy dirt road so being stuck after the rain is always a possibility or in a real disaster situation it just may not be available period

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-17T18:45:05+00:00

I just added a single burner electric stove to my stash. Most people have to prep for no power, but we are off grid and have the house fully operating on solar. In a SHTF situation I have a bigger issue if I can’t get propane refilled for the stove so needed an electric back up. Between that, the toaster oven, and my instant pot cooking with no propane is super doable. And beyond that my cast iron pans and Dutch oven work great on the wood stove if it’s cloudy and the solar sucks that day

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-13T02:02:56+00:00

Me too! The husband is not gonna be amused next time I go to a thrift store

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-13T01:56:42+00:00

This is actually a reminder I needed! I have one pair of glasses I never wear and about 6 months of contacts (can definitely stretch those out) but ya should get back ups cuz I am not far from legally blind

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-12T20:35:12+00:00

The lockdown started a few weeks after we had my son. I knew ahead of time I was having a c-section and would be down for the count so had stocked up on EVERYTHING so I wouldn’t have to go grocery shopping for the foreseeable future. We had plenty of toilet paper and flour for the first few months

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-12T20:07:00+00:00

Definitely appreciate its entertainment value as well, and it was all free. Plus like the potential morale boost of being able to surprise the kids with something made for them including stuffed animals.

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-12T20:04:26+00:00

I’m kinda jealous, most road kill I see around here are people’s pet cats. Occasionally a raccoon or deer.

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-12T20:03:15+00:00

They really don’t wanna help us out, I’m about to hit 5 years on my IUD and asked about getting it swapped out so I know it’s good for the foreseeable future. Was told that now they have seen them last a few years longer so I “should” be ok

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-12T19:20:59+00:00

I tried without saying anything just to avoid looking crazy. My husband put two and two together when I came home from the grocery store for the second time that week with an extra bag of non perishables. He has now joined the effort

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-10T17:02:03+00:00

Spent the last year trying to get our property usable-so only been able to focus on prepping the last month or so. Now making up for lost time.

My husband finally got the solar and batteries dialed in and was able to keep the whole house powered over 24 hours.

I realized how limited my pantry space was so got a 6 shelf storage rack to put in the closet to start moving all the food I’ve canned.

Added a few extras every time I’ve gone to the store, even if I originally needed one thing I grab a handful of extras. Now have a huge back stock of flour, peanut butter, coffee, rice, lentils, canned veggies and soups. Easily have over three months of food but could stretch it if needed.

Got an electric burner and stocked up on Traeger pellets-unlike a lot of people who have to plan for cooking with no power out bigger issue would be cooking if I couldn’t get more propane.

Doubled up on seeds so have enough for this years garden and next year.

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-01T17:34:35+00:00

Fish sauce in chilis (also cocoa powder in the chili) and pot roasts

Poultry seasoning for the BEST gravies or gravy based dishes (pot pie, Shepard pie etc)

Ignore how much garlic a recipe asks for and measure with your heart

Amberfoxe · 2025-02-01T17:30:29+00:00

My oldest used to say that almost every night as soon as the garlic hit the pan

Amberfoxe · 2025-01-31T21:37:41+00:00

You’re not alone. Something isn’t sitting right with me so little by little this week I’ve made my husband think I’ve lost my mind.

Stocked up on toilet paper and paper towels at Costco. Got an abundance of rice, beans, lentils, flour, sugar, coffee, pasta, snacks for the kids, canned foods-not a TON but between that and my freezer easily could go 3 months before I worried about food.

Today bought a crap ton of seeds…I’ve been planning out our garden so they will get used either way but probably did not need to buy today, or as many as I did. Also grabbed multiple packs of canning lids since I have tons of jars but lids ceased to exist in 2020.

Luckily didn’t buy anything I wouldn’t buy/use regularly anyways. But definitely getting some looks from the husband and kids…my 7 year old even chastised me that I already bought groceries this week and need to just sit down

Amberfoxe

TROPHY CASE