When your husband goes out, is it to eat and drink? That would be money he is taking from the food bill. It sounds to me like you are already good at stretching a food dollar. Do you qualify for food assistance or is there a free food pantry nearby? Can the children get free or reduced price lunches? Eggs are still a reasonably priced protein source, and they can be combined with milk and a little sugar to make flan or custard, a nice treat that is a nutritious dessert. They can be scrambled and added to "fried rice"; made into omelets and fried egg sandwiches, french toast, so many things! If you can grow a garden or even a pot of tomatoes, (during the growing season of course) that helps. You could find out what stores and bakeries do with their day old products. My situation was this: my (eventually) ex didn't like our living situation but refused to do anything to help it because he was too busy enjoying himself without his family. I eventually developed a life without him. Not because I wanted to, but because he simply wasn't home. You can try talking to your husband; you can try laying out the facts with receipts, store ads and price tags. Or you can keep doing the best you can while you and the children find ways to generate more income and to maximize what money your husband is giving you. If that means when he comes home,he finds you eating beans and uses that as an excuse to go out, let him go and make a little tick mark on the calendar. Tally those tick marks up and assign a dollar value to them; even 5 dollars should buy a carton of eggs and a loaf of bread, or a bag of apples or sack of potatoes.