I was recently turned onto Angel Food Ministries by someone who needed to stretch their food bill and found it a good deal. Angel Food Ministries distributes boxes of foods with a full week’s menu valued at about $65.00 for $30.00. The service meets their requirements to feed their family on a small budget. As a frugal person, but not necessarily needy, I have been pondering whether using Angel Food Ministries is a good idea. Here are some of the conclusions I have come to.
If I am not necessarily needy, is it right to use Angel Food Ministries? Angel Food Ministries does not discriminate. While it is targeted at needy families any family may purchase a box.
Will my family eat the foods from Angel Food Ministries? Looking at this month’s menu, I could say my family would eat everything except for the pre-cooked drumsticks (picky about chicken) and the 2% shelf stable milk. I guess I could give these items to someone who could need them, but if you take out two items, you lower the perceived value of the food in the box. I have also read about complaints that there are usually more items in the box that aren’t necessarily nutritious.
Can a frugal person do better in the grocery store? I dare say that a trip to Aldi’s or a good coupon-fueled shopping spree could get you the equivalent or better than you could at Angel Food Ministries. What you would save by using Angel Food Ministries is time. You place your order online, and pick up your box Saturday Morning. You don’t have to cut coupons or deal with grumpy cashiers like we have at the local Aldi’s.
Is there anything that makes Angel Food Ministries more attractive than grocery store shopping? Yes. In addition to the basic meal box, they also have specials offers. I was not impressed by the meat, or frozen food offers, but the fruit and veggie box offer is awesome. You can get approximately 19 pounds of fruit, vegetables, and beans for $22.00. The only place you can get close to such a deal is at Aldi’s, but their fruit is usually too close to ripe to buy that much.
Other things to know about Angel Food Ministries:
*Refer 10 people and get a free box of food.
*If you want to help a needy person or family and not give them cash, you can get an Angel Food Ministries gift card.
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