This booklet is a short guide to feeding a for a week with $20

1. T H E U N T I L
T O M O R R O W
G U I D E T O
L I V I N G O N
$ 2 0 T I L L
P A Y D A Y
MINISTER MAISHA
COLLINS

2. Introduction
If you are reading this book, then there is a chance that you are
currently dealing with or know someone who is dealing with food
insecurity. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Currently, it is the year 2020
and we are in the middle of a global pandemic. Unemployment rates in
the United States and around the world have skyrocketed, and many
families that were never on government assistance before now suddenly
find themselves having to apply for SNAP (formerly known as food
stamps), unemployment and other benefits.
Despite all that is available, however, there are still those who do
not know about the benefits available or who receive the benefits and it
still is not enough to carry their families through the month. Prior to the
shutdowns due to Covid-19, I worked in an area of Franklin, LA known
as “the back of town”. Although the office itself is a mental health
practice, the doctor and I are also ministers and our church, Glory
Ministries International, is next door to the office. Therefore, many of the
people who came to us were in need of small amounts of cash until
payday. Often, they were simply looking for a few dollars to carry them
until payday at the end of the week or until their food stamps and other
benefits were deposited to their cards. Most of the time this money came
from our own purses--$5 for bread and lunch meat, $10 for gas, $20 for
infant formula.
After a certain point, we soon realized that we would not be able to
continue giving everyone who asked $5 to $20 out of our own pockets.
So I came up with the Until Tomorrow Fund which is a benevolent fund
at our church that provides small amounts of cash for food and other
expenses until the person gets money from their source of income. The
money is funded by members who either allocate a certain amount of
their offerings directly to the fund or who know that any change--quarters,
nickels, and dimes--put in the offering basket will go towards that fund.
Having a small amount of cash is good, however, knowing what to
do with it is important. So I also created mini-meal plans with ideas on
how to live for several days with $5, $10, or $20. Being a single parent of
several children, I learned early on how to make a few dollars stretch.
This booklet will contain those meal plans and other tips.
Also, if you need additional assistance, Second Harvest Food
Banks can help. They operate food banks around the country, and do not
expect those in need to pay for food or to give donations. This

3. link--https://www.feedingamerica.org/need-help-find-food-- will take you
to their site where you can find a location near you. There is also
information on the site about applying for SNAP.

4. Planning
The following grocery lists are based on the cost of feeding a
family of 4. However, if you are single or there are fewer in your family,
feel free to make adjustments as needed.
Grocery List 1: Plant Based
1 bag of beans--$1.99
2 pounds of rice--$2.00
1 pound of pasta--$1.00
1 Jar of Pasta Sauce--$1.50
Cereal-- $2.50
Almond Milk (half gallon box)--$4.00
Bread--$1.00
Peanut Butter--$2.00
Jelly--$2
4 cans of veggies (corn, green beans, spinach)--$3
Grocery List 2: Omnivores
1 bag of beans--$1.99
1 pound of rice--$1.00
1 pound of pasta--$1.00
1 jar of sauce--$1.50
1 pound of sausage--$2.50
1 pound of ground meat--$3.00
Cereal--$2.50
Milk (half gallon)--$2.50
Bread--$1.00
Peanut Butter--$2.00
Jelly--$2.00
(total comes to $21, but these are averages, you may be able to find items
for less)
Grocery List 3 (one or two days)
2 pounds of rice: $2.00
1 pound of tilapia: $4.00
5 pounds of frozen brocolli: $6
1 Box of Oatmeal: $2
1 pound of pasta: $1
1 jar of sauce: $2.00
Bread--$1
1 pack of bologna--$2.00
Grocery List 4 (Vegan, one or two days)

5. 1 pound of quinoa: $4.00
1 pound of lentils: $4.00
1 pound of baby spinach: $3.00
1 box of oatmeal: $2.00
1 bag of apples: $4
Bread: $1
Peanut butter: $2
Making these items stretch may be easier said than done if you
have more than one person in the household. However, keep in mind that
one pound of rice is actually 11 servings, and one pound of beans is 10
servings. Therefore, these items will provide at least two meals for a
family of 4. Pasta also stretches pretty well. Both can be frozen in small
quantities for future meals. Get the generic/store brand versions of the
foods that are named unless the brand named versions are on sale and less
expensive.
If your grocery store has the listed items for less and you have a
little money left over, you can add any seasonings that you don’t already
have at home to the list. You can also add fruit like bananas that usually
cost around 70 cents a pound and will make a nice little treat for children
who may be disappointed by the lack of snacks on the list.
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I would also encourage you to use coupons that can be easily found
online as well as apps like Ibotta that give you cash back for purchases
made. Shop the sales ads at the local grocery stores. Walmart tends to
have good grocery selections and lower prices than many grocery stores.
Dollar Tree has begun stocking more food items as well.
The food that you get from the local food bank should supplement
your $20 meal plan. Often, you can find fresh fruits and vegetables, meats
if you like them, and even some frozen meals. I have even seen people
who were able to get birthday cakes and other items from the local food
banks in their areas. As I said before, there is no shame in utilizing this
resource. Right now, survival is more important than pride.
For families with infants who are not breastfed, the food bank may
also be able to provide formula. If not, check with your local clinic to see
if they have samples available. You can usually sign up for WIC at the
clinic as well. You can download coupons from companies like Enfamil

6. and Similac to save money on their products or even get product from
these companies for free.

7. What if I Don’t Have $20
For those who did not download this book from my link on
YouTube, I am about to introduce you to the easiest way I have found to
make several dollars and get them into the bank account quickly. I
recognized the potential in this app when I was sitting at my second
office and realized that I’d both forgotten to pack lunch and used the last
of the money in my account a few days prior. Basically, I could have used
a couple of dollars “until tomorrow” myself. Then I remembered that I’d
downloaded this app on my phone just to see how it worked. The app is
called Qmee.
Qmee is an app that works on Android and iOS. There is also a
browser version that can be accessed at https://www.qmee.com. Once you
set up your account, you have access to surveys that you complete for
actual money--no points to accumulate--that you can cash out at any time.
You have to have PayPal to get your cash, so I would encourage you to
sign up for that as well. If you add your debit card to PayPal, you can
cash out instantly.
Most of the surveys on Qmee take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes
and pay between 25 cents and $1.00. Usually, if I was trying to scrap up
enough change for a few items from the dollar menu, I would start at
around 10:00 and just fooling around in between clients, I’d have $5 by
11:30. No, you will not get rich doing this. However, it will provide
enough for small expenses like gas, food, or field trips you’ve found out
about last minute. Do it daily, whether you need the cash or not, and you
will have a little emergency fund that you accumulated by doing very
little work. Best of all, you didn’t have to call and ask a family member
for anything.
If you have a car, once you’ve made enough on Qmee for gas, you
can sign up to perform tasks on apps and sites like GigWalk that pay you
to do various things like price items at grocery stores, upload pics, and
other easy things. Most of the sites do have daily payouts available.
If you live in an area where it is available, you can sign up to
become a Lyft driver and make a little extra money as well. However,
this puts a lot of wear and tear on your vehicle and may not pay as much
as promised unless you are willing to work specific areas at specific times.
Still, it has been a godsend for several drivers that I know personally.

8. When Times Get Better
Situations change. That is the most important thing to remember
whenever times get hard. Eventually, you will get another job that pays
more. Or the business idea that you have been working on will start to
come together. You will not always be in the position you are currently
in.
When times get better--when you can afford to help someone
else--I would encourage you to give monetary donations to your local
food bank and other organizations like United Way, Catholic Charities,
and local churches that you see doing the work of helping those who live
in poverty daily.
If you have found this book useful, and would like to donate to
our Until Tomorrow fund, you may send a check or money order made
out to Glory Ministries International, P.O. Box 23, Garden City, LA
70540.