Feeding a large family can cost an arm and a leg--but it doesn't have to, if you're willing to fine-tune both your eating and buying patterns. Although staples such as beans and rice do help you stretch your food budget to feed a lot of mouths, they won't be the only things you can afford to feed your family once you learn to shop and eat smarter.
Preparation
When you purchase premade foods and snacks, you're paying for the ingredients, the time spent preparing or processing them and the packaging. By buying staple ingredients and learning how to prepare them yourself, you're cutting out the middle man. This, in turn, slashes your food budget and leaves you in full control of what you and your family eat. Staples such as beans, rice and flour keep for a very long time when stored properly, can be part of a main dish or added on the side, and have the added benefit of leaving your family feeling full and satisfied. If you're feeling lost about how to turn ingredients into recipes, a good cookbook or a few minutes browsing online recipes will help turn cooking from a puzzle into an adventure. If you simply can't do without snack foods such as fruit leather or beef jerky, you can save money by making those yourself, too. Invest in a food dehydrator and a good instruction book, then enjoy premade snacks at a fraction of the usual cost.
Discipline
It's critical that both you and your spouse be on the same page about your family food budget. Either one of you can spoil a tight food budget with just a few impulse buys. Sit down with your kids and invite them to join the team, too. You can help them figure out which of their favorite foods are budget-friendly, then feature those foods frequently. Or you can give your children two or three options to choose from when making out the week's meal plan. If any of your children are picky eaters, you and your spouse must also present a united front to encourage eating what's presented and trying new foods.
Shopping Smarts
Buy store brands whenever you can; they're often the same high quality as private brands but at a lower price. Even better, stock up on anything you know you'll use when it's on sale. Learn to keep an eye on coupon circulars, too. Don't bother with coupons for things you wouldn't normally buy, but do clip coupons for anything you buy regularly, then take these potential savings into account when you make your grocery list. Buy in bulk, either from bulk bins or by shopping at warehouse clubs. Spices, for example, are much less expensive when purchased in bulk than if purchased in individual packages. If a given purchase is too much for you to use or store--for instance, if you can get a side of beef at a great price but can't use it all--find another family that's willing to split the purchase with you. Draw all of these shopping tactics together by creating a weekly meal plan, based on what's on sale and what your family prefers to eat. Make a shopping list before you go to the store, then stick to it to eliminate impulse buys.
Avoid Waste
Food wasted is the same as money wasted. Cutting out the waste leaves more money for food that will actually get eaten, so take care of the food you buy so that it lasts longer. Keep track of your perishables, checking the refrigerator at least twice weekly, and make it a priority to use up anything that's nearing the end of its shelf life. Soups, stews and salads are quick, easy ways of combining leftover fruit, vegetable, fish or meat odds-and-ends so they get used up before spoiling. If you end up with far too much of a certain perishable to use, freeze, can or dry it for later use.
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