A rehabilitation house for men in Jefferson County participated in the University of Kentucky’s Nutrition Education Program through the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service.  The program, Healthy Choices for Everybody, was offered, and one of the lessons taught was Budgeting for Everybody.

The Nutrition Education Program Assistant stated that where and whenever someone can save money is always a plus, because the money saved on food shopping can go into savings or for another expense. The SNAP-Ed. Assistant and the group discussed ways of saving money when it comes to food shopping, like looking at sale papers or sales on-line, using coupons, looking in the discount sections of the store, buying fruits and vegetables in season, and applying for discount cards. The Snap-Ed. Assistant then showed the class his discount cards and why he uses them.  The group sampled One Pot Cheesy Spaghetti, a low-cost, nutritious meal that could be prepared for their families.

Seven men completed the program and the exit data showed a 70% increase of using coupons and a 60% increase of buying food on sale. The Nutrition Education Program Assistant was at the local supermarket where one of the men in the group was shopping and informed the assistant that he acquired a store discount card and saved over fifteen dollars on his first purchase!