Save your money!
When it comes to feeding a growing family what can I do to save money? The economy is affecting all of us. My family is growing but my grocery budget isn’t. How can I feed a growing family when I have to spend money on diapers and wipes and baby food?
Prices at the grocery store are going up. I remember when I could get a gallon of milk for $1.99! That was cheap; now it’s $2.75 or more depending on where you shop. I guess you can always be sure that prices of groceries will continue to increase (not really comforting to know but we do).
Feeding a family of 4 or more on just $80 a week is difficult but not impossible. That’s what I’ve got to work with and to make it work I have to be conscious of every penny. So, how do I handle it?
- Coupons
- Shop the ads
- Make a weekly menu
- And make a shopping list
Coupons
Cut out coupons! I know what you’re thinking, “Coupons aren’t worth my time.” I’m here to tell you that when I seriously use coupons I can save $20 or more on my grocery bill a week. That’s increasing my budget to $100 a week. Wow!
I get the Sunday paper for $1.50 but I also get some coupons from friends and on the internet for free. Many people go dumpster diving to get free coupons too. If you look for coupons in dumpsters I recommend you look in the dumpster before you reach in or get in and that you stick to the dumpsters designated for recycled papers.
Some of you may think that the time you spend on the coupons plus the money spent on the newspaper may not be worth it in savings. Let’s do some math. (Bear with me!) The paper ends up costing about $78 per year. If I save $20 a week using coupons that’s $1,040 a year. I think that more than makes up for the time and effort. But you have to decide that for yourself.
After cutting out coupons, I organize them in a binder: snacks with snacks, dairy with dairy, proteins, shampoo etc. If you want to go a step further, to save even more, look through the weekly grocery ads. If they have something on sale and you have a coupon for it, SCORE! I look at my coupons and the sales and make my menu and my shopping list. I like to make my shopping list on the backs of recycled envelopes, I tuck the coupons inside and they are ready for the check out.
In order to get the best deals you may have to go to more than one grocery store. For instance, I find that Homeland is great for coupons, they double up to $2, but kind of high for regular prices. And I really like Aldi because their everyday prices are so low but they don’t have everything I need. My other store is Walmart. Unfortunately, I always spend too much there because I always find something else I have to have.
Advertisements
I already mentioned this briefly, but shop the ads. There is a reason why you can get hotdogs for $1 during the summer. Buy lots and freeze them. Especially if you have a coupon, you may get them for nearly nothing.
For example, if I have a coupon for Hormel pork tenderloin for $1 off and Homeland is running a sale for $5.99, I can get the tenderloin for $3.99. That’s a good deal. I will put it on my menu for the week and add it to the shopping list. If I have more than one coupon and a little extra money in the budget, I can buy more than one and put it away in the freezer for when I need it.
Menus and Shopping lists
Getting a weekly menu together used to take hours. I hated doing it. I felt pressure to make every meal gourmet. I searched through recipe books looking for something new and interesting to make but also something my picky family would eat. I finally decided to make a list of all the different foods my family members enjoy. Within the list I made several categories: main dish, side dishes, breads, breakfast dishes, deserts, snacks, party foods, and more. And when I do find something new I can add it to the list.
So I have my coupons and my ads and my meal idea lists. Like the example I listed above, I am able to make a menu and a list at the same time. Keep that list handy in the kitchen so you don’t forget what you planned on making that week. You could even put it on the fridge so the family will know, too.
If you are dedicated to using these tips you can save much more than $20 a week. Places like CVS and Walgreens give their customers cash back if they buy certain products. There are also many websites where you can find more information on how to use coupons. Here are are a few you may find helpful.
All of this preparation does take time and energy. But after you’ve done it a few times it becomes second nature and you can do it without too much effort. If you have any pieces of couponing wisdom please leave a comment.
Happy Saving!
