Our biggest expenditure is definitely on food. We have 6 people in our household and I cook meals for 12 (giving us each 2 servings). I do not buy organic, but meats and veggies are definitely a staple in our home. I try to clip coupons, but they don't seem to be taking a big enough chunk out of the grocery bill. I refuse to be a crazy woman snatching up products simply because they are free or close to it. I am practical and only want items my family uses on a daily basis. Last month, our grocery bill was close to $700, and that did not include eating out. Ouch. I try to do the small things to save a few dollars here and there ... like making my coffee at home and using travel cups when running out the door, instead of stopping at Starbucks. Good ol' Splenda and milk, or flavored creamers taste just as fine to me in my coffee than fancy syrups a barista pumped into a cup. I will also pack lunches for me and my kids when we go out with friends, trying to save a little on the McDonald's costs.So, how do you save money for your family? What resources do you use to keep your budget on track?
4 comments:
I get together with a friend and make up meals in advance using a website hotby6.com. It's all freezable and since you are making so much food - you can buy most of the stuff you need in advance. We just did it a couple weeks ago and it cost about $170 a person, but we each got 14 to 16 dinners out of the deal. All the meals I have seen would easily feed six, but they are intended to feed four. And yes, it can be time consuming for that one day (it took us 9 hours), but it's great to be able to pull healthy meals out of the freezer (and to save money on food). I can give you more info about this if you want.
Shop the flyers, I plan our menus around what's on sale & I limit myself to one trip a week to the grocery store. If we run out...we run out. That has made a huge difference for us, even though it does take some extra work. Good luck!
I was going to suggest limiting your time at the grocery store to once a week but Tracy beat me to it.
I took a class awhile back with my old job and they said that you should expect to spend about $200 a month per person on food alone. That seems like a lot but I guess it all depends on what you're buying.
On suggestion might be to buy in bulk when you can. It's usually cheaper and lasts longer.
I feel exactly how you do about couponing. I save money by buying bulk. And this is weird, but look into buying meat from a nearby farm. My dad, sister, brother and I split the cost of half of a pig and it gave me tons and tons of pork! We're going to go in on a cow next. It's a lot of money up front, but it's local and hormone free, so it makes me feel better.
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