Feeding a hungry family on a small budget can be tough, but with a little creativity, you can stretch your dollars, increase your options and come up with a wide variety of interesting menu items that will keep everyone in your household happy and well-fed. Timing your trips to the grocery store to coincide with sales, cutting coupons, getting creative with sides and making use of basic pantry staples can cut your food budget significantly.
Step 1
Look for sales. Instead of planning your weekly meals around an ideal menu, grab the grocery ads from your local paper each week, or look for them online. Most major grocery chains put out their ads on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and discount stores such as Target and Walmart tend to put out ads on Sundays. Plan the next week's meals around these budget buys. Find sales on meat; 2-for-1 deals on staples such as rice, potatoes and produce; and discounts on other items that will feed your family for the week.
Step 2
Clip coupons. Most major Sunday newspapers offer hundreds of coupons. Go through with a pair of scissors and keep an eye out for great deals on necessities. You can also visit sites online such as GroceryCoupons.com and Coupons.com to search for offers that will save you big bucks at checkout.
Step 3
Pick a meat for the week. Many grocery stores offer deals on large quantities of meat. If you're feeding a family, consider buying a family pack of an inexpensive meat to last you for the week. Chicken drumsticks and thighs, pork and beef roasts, ground beef and turkey and packaged meats such as hot dogs and sausages are often sold in value packs, and all of them can be made into a variety of meals. Several pounds of ground beef, for example, could be the basis for tacos one night, meatloaf another and spaghetti with meat sauce a third.
Step 4
Substitute other proteins. Many people think that every dinner needs to have a meat course, but substituting other protein-rich sources, such as beans, eggs and tofu, can be a great way to cut costs without sacrificing your family's nutrition. Use beans in place of meat in everything from stews to burritos, and eggs can be at the center of a "breakfast for dinner" feast featuring scrambled eggs, pancakes and fruit. Incorporate tofu into many of the same sauces you use to prepare meats.
Step 5
Create dishes with pasta, rice and potatoes. These filling staples can often be bought in bulk and are some of the cheapest items in the grocery store. Buy them on sale to get more bang for your buck, and always serve meals with one of these items as a base. They'll keep your family full without adding much -- if any -- fat.
Step 6
Serve economical sides and starters. According to Stretcher.com, offering whole-grain bread as a side can be a quick and easy way to fill your family up; it's even cheaper if you bake the bread yourself. Soup is also a filling starter, and making it homemade can reduce the cost too.
Step 7
Let the slow-cooker be your friend. The cheapest cuts of meat in the store are often the toughest. But with a slow-cooker and a little creativity, you can turn that discount hunk of beef into a delectable entree you can cut with a fork. Not only can a slow-cooker help you save money on meat, but it also saves you time. Simply plug it in on low with meat and marinade, wine, beer or broth; throw in a few potatoes and veggies; and open it up 8 to 10 hours later to find a ready-made meal.
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