If you thought that you had to spend a fortune to feed a growing family, you would be in for a surprise, as saving money on groceries is very easy. This article will show you how to feed a large family on a budget without sacrificing variety or quality.
I’m typing this post while in the midst of preparing to feed a large family on a budget. I’ve got 30 people to feed, and guess what? I don’t have $1 million dollars to spend on groceries each month.
If you are a parent, you know what it’s like to try to manage a large family on a tight budget. You may have the best of intentions, but your efforts can easily fall short. You may end up buying too much food at the grocery store, only to be stuck with a bunch of expired or unwanted food later on. You may be tempted to save money on quality food items by buying less expensive items, but as you go along, you may start to worry about your family’s nutritional needs. And you can always go overboard with the food you buy, and end up wasting a lot of money.
If you have a big family, you know how tough it is to feed everyone on a budget. It’s much more difficult if you want to make sure kids consume nutritious meals. So, here are some budget-friendly ideas for feeding a big family!
The more people you feed, the more essential it is to devise a cost-cutting strategy. After all, if you increase any extravagance by 5 or 10, you’re doing a lot more harm to your bank account than a family of one or two. As a result, it’s even more critical to assist us in figuring out how to save money on food.
Use these eight straightforward suggestions to find out how to feed a big family on a budget.
How to Feed a Big Family on a Shoestring
1. Create a meal plan that revolves on sales.
When it comes to grocery shopping on a budget, we’ve all heard the advice to create a grocery shopping list and adhere to it. However, when it comes to grocery shopping, I advise you to do the exact opposite!
The common wisdom is to plan what you’ll have for lunch or supper before going grocery shopping. They claim the greatest method to save money on your food budget is to make a shopping list. If you’re having trouble resisting impulsive purchases, I suppose this will help. When you’re on a limited budget, though, shopping first and planning afterwards is the greatest method to save money on food.
When food shopping on a limited budget, I go to the store, check what’s on sale, and then arrange my meals around what I discover on sale. So I make a meal plan, but it’s based on what I purchased rather than what I planned. This method of shopping is a really easy approach to save money on your food bill.
Pass the Beets! Related: Grocery Shopping on a Budget:
2. Curb Splurges Using Building Blocks
Any meal’s foundation is comprised of building components. Preparing and cooking building blocks at the start of the week may help you save time and energy throughout the week. This may also help you save money since you will be less inclined to eat out or spend on ready-made food if half of your meal has already been prepared.
I don’t have to plan ahead of time what meals I’ll make; all I have to do is gather the materials I’ll need. Then I can pick what I’m in the mood for each day and what works best for me in terms of timing.
My aim as a working mother is to put a good meal on the table every night. Unfortunately, I don’t always have time for a “nice” home-cooked dinner, which prevents me from ordering takeout or eating unhealthy, fast-food options like chicken nuggets and hot dogs. I can also tailor the meal to a child’s current tastes, since my son loves to keep me guessing about which foods he despises.
Are you interested in learning more about the fundamentals of food preparation? Check out this article: No More Meal Planning!
3. Create a Low-Cost, High-Filling Filler
Fill your meals with inexpensive “fillers” so that everyone eats them instead of the more costly main courses. Bread, low-cost veggies such as potatoes, and soup are some examples.
Soup may be added to any meal to inexpensively and healthily fill you up. With one of the cheapest meals available—and one of the easiest to prepare—you can transform a normal dinner into a two-course feast.
Soups are one of my favorite things to make! Soups freeze nicely, so whenever I find a simple soup recipe that we like, I double it and store half of it. A recipe with fewer components is generally less costly, unless one of the ingredients is very expensive.
Soup is on the menu. The 25 Best Soup Recipes
4. Make an attempt at veganism
Reduce your intake of animal-based and processed foods by eating more plant-based foods. Of course, you can shop all the deals, use all the coupons, and follow all the tips and tricks to save money on groceries, but I’m guessing that if you’re feeding a big family, you’re also caring for a large family, which means you don’t have much spare time.
Add in the fact that you’re attempting to feed a family on a limited budget, and you’ll need to make some dramatic adjustments. For us, that significant shift was to see plant-based meals as a main course rather than animal-based foods.
Instead of beef, poultry, fish, or cheese as a main course, we ate a variety of beans and tofu. We have saved a lot of money on food as a result of this significant diet change, and we are becoming healthier overall. When it comes to feeding a large family on a budget, this advice will make all the difference.
Do you want to learn more? Check out this article: Feeding a Big Family on a Budget.
5. Make Use of Leftovers
The finest leftovers are those that are left over after a meal. When I make a full dinner, I try to make enough so we have leftovers for snacking, lunch, or repurposing for another meal. If you’re cooking with something that’s already on sale, this will save you even more money. You’re less likely to rely on more costly time-saving tricks to get you through the day if you spend less time and energy preparing meals.
For example, if I make a rotisserie chicken or baked chicken dish, I reuse and stretch the leftovers into several dinners for everyone to enjoy.
Do you need some inspiration? You’ve got it! 10+ Recipes for Leftover Chicken
6. Fruits and vegetables may be eaten as a snack.
Purchase in-season or on-sale fruits and veggies and have them stocked in the home. Fresh fruits are typically less costly than dried fruits. Make it a habit to eat apples instead of expensive snack bars. Keep fruits and veggies around you at work to provide you with something to eat and help you avoid vending machine temptations. The more you eat chopped vegetables as a snack, the less inclined you are to purchase costly snacks.
Remember, if your children see you eating fruits and veggies, they will eat them as well!
7. Go shopping on the internet.
Healthy food is occasionally on sale at Amazon and Walmart, and you can purchase in bulk or have it delivered. Keep track of how much items typically cost so you can be sure you’re getting a fair bargain. And if a nice bargain comes along, take advantage of it! Purchase two and store one in your pantry.
If you have trouble resisting the need to purchase everything when you are shopping at a store, try doing all of your shopping online to minimize temptation.
8. Avoid pre-packaged snacks and beverages.
This is a simple one, but it’s worth repeating. Purchase no pre-packaged snacks, meals, or beverages. These foods and beverages are often rich in sugar, salt, or chemicals, and they rapidly add up. Low-calorie or “healthy” snacks are often costly and unhealthy! Instead, prepare your own meals, consume fruits and vegetables, and limit non-water beverages. Water isn’t free, but it is inexpensive!
Eating Healthy Food on a Budget is a related article.
Conclusion
Even when the weather is bright and sunny, the shopping list never seems to shrink. Feeding a hungry family on any budget is tough, but it’s much more difficult when you’re attempting to feed a big family on a limited budget. Fortunately, there are many methods to feed your family without breaking the bank.
On a budget, how do you feed your big family?
With more people in the world than ever, more families are deciding to have children. The average family size is a little under two children, but the U.S Census Bureau says that the number of people per household is steadily increasing. Larger families bring up the facts that there are more people to feed, and more mouths to feed means more money.. Read more about inexpensive meals for large groups and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to feed a family?
The cheapest way to feed a family is by buying in bulk. Buying in bulk can be done at places like Costco, Sams Club, or Walmart.
What do you feed a large family?
A large family is a group of people who are related by blood or marriage. They may be considered to be a large family if they have many children, or if they live in close proximity to one another.
How do I budget for a large family?
This is a difficult question to answer. It depends on the size of your family, how much you make, and what expenses you have.
Related Tags
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- feeding a family on a tight budget
