As in most families, our grocery budget hasn't gone up as fast as our family size has. We have a family of 7, and feeding our family on a limited budget can be challenging at times. Stretching our grocery budget has at times become a necessity, and creativity is key to make it happen sometimes.
Sometimes I need to make food go farther. Ground beef is something we use a lot of, and making it go farther helps out our budget. I will also sometimes add rice to our ground beef to stretch it. We usually use this trick when we are making taco's.
We use a lot of side dishes. A salad is good with things like spaghetti or other pasta dishes. Applesauce is a good side dish. Veggies and fruits are also good things to use as side dishes~we've used them both raw and cooked.
We use bread a lot. This may not be a good thing for every family, but our family loves bread and butter. It's even better if it is homemade bread!
We eat a meatless meal once a week (or more). Our favorites are Cheese and Bacon Quiche or French Toast.
I make a dessert. Dessert doesn't have to be anything fancy~cookies, puddings, or a cake. Our kids LOVE it when we have dessert (although, really, don't we all!).
Feeding a family of any size can sometimes be difficult on a budget. What are some things you do to stay within your budget?
Have a great day!
Blessings,
My family (at home) has shrunk now, as I'm an "empty-nester", but when the kids were home, making a monthly run to Costco helped stretch the budget. I was always careful to only buy what we would use and stay away from impulse buys. But, it was amazing how much money we saved by buying in bulk!
ReplyDeleteI coupon and thanks to coupon blogs it doesn't take a ton of time. It takes me about an hour before going to the grocery store.
ReplyDeleteI have a small family of 4 and I spend around $50 a week on groceries and that includes meat, produce and 4 gallons of milk.
Stephanie
www.year-roundgiving.com
I understand!! We have a family of 10 and it is worse as they get to the teen years and have bottomless stomachs!! It is always a challenge to have enough healthy food to fill them without breaking the bank.
ReplyDeleteComing over from What Joy is Mine link-up.
I often add beans to the meat to make it stretch. We love black beans, or chili beans; refried beans in tacos. (I have also use rice at times.) My husband is getting pretty creative with throwing leftovers in the pot with something new. We have watered down the milk to make it go farther, as well. Thanks for your ideas!
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