Feed a Family on a Tight Budget

No matter your income, we can all stand to tighten our belts when it comes to feeding our families. Globally, one third of all the food produced worldwide gets lost or wasted in food production and consumption systems.[1]Harnessing this loss can easily translate into money saved for your family by stretching your dollars and creating new standards for nutrition, health, and family time.

Steps

Preparing for Success

  1. Make a list and do not buy anything that’s not on the list. If you can, leave behind anyone who can’t follow this rule.
  2. Set a budget. Take only cash and leave your cards behind. If you only have a set amount, you only spend a set amount. Grocery stores expect you to add a few extra things to your cart; temptation is a way to easily increase their profit. Having only cash will force you to stay within the confines of your budget.
  3. Plan ahead with your family. Think about how much you can spend and what you have available at home. Take into consideration what sounds appealing to your family and try to strike a balance between the two. Compromise is key when beginning to change your shopping habits.
  4. Check the ads for sales. It may seem counterintuitive to shop before cooking, but you’ll save money if you plan your meals around what’s on sale. If something is on sale for a great price but you don’t know what to cook, look up new and exciting new recipes to serve your family.
  5. Cut/Print coupons. Look in newspapers and explore online free grocery coupon sites for printable coupons.
    • Stores will often offer in-store coupons, available in the aisles and on the back of your receipt.
    • You will have better access to the deals offered if you sign up for store mailings or frequent shopper cards.
    • Printable coupons are everywhere, from social media outlets to manufacturing outlets. Take advantage of them!
    • Mobile coupons come through your smart phone, which makes them handier and easier to obtain than clipping coupons. Different apps offer different coupons at different stores, so your success will depend on the markets in your area and your shopping list. [2]
  6. Shop less and save more. Plan for one productive shopping day a week. This will give you time to make lists, check your inventory, and collect your coupons. Becoming more mindful of the future when you shop will ensure you save money (and time, gas and energy) because you won’t be able (or want to) to get that “one extra thing.”
  7. Hit multiple stores. Some stores have better prices on eggs, milk, and cheeses, while others can’t be beat on their bulk section. Others might have better prices on toilet paper, while your basic fruit and vegetable stand could have the best prices of them all. Research and ask friends what their money saving experiences in the community have been.
    • Take advantage of each store, but be mindful of how far apart they are. It’s not worth it to save a little money on toilet paper when you’re spending more on gas.

Shopping for the Best Bargains

  1. Look for what’s in season. Asparagus can run $4.99 a bunch during winter months, but can be found for $1.99 a bunch during spring months. Take advantage of harvest seasons!
  2. Buy in bulk. Buying in bulk leads to healthier food choices (since many are whole foods), as well as offering you the freedom to choose exactly how much you need rather than conforming to prepackaged goods that can easily be forgotten and wasted. Items to buy in bulk can be rice, flours, cereal, honey, sugars, pasta, lentils, oats (instant, rolled, steel-cut), nuts, oils, dried fruits, spices, coffee, tea, and so much more! Similarly, you can also buy vegetables and fruits in bulk during their peak season and preserve them for later consumption.
    • If you bring your own containers to the store, remember to weigh them before filling them. You’ll find scales by the bulk section, or you can take the container up to the counter to have an attendant “tare out” the weight of the container for you.
  3. Buying the generic brands will save you up to half the cost of their name brand counterparts. Flours, sugars, salts, nuts, grains, canned beans, and vegetables are often indistinguishable from name brands and cost far less. [3] However, avoid generic yogurt because it often has extra sugar and additives that counteract the healthy benefits normally found in yogurt.
  4. Look for deals on meat and freeze it properly. When meat is on sale, by all means stock up! But make sure to freeze it correctly to avoid it being a wallet-drainer.
    • Grocery store packaging isn’t meant for long term freezing. You’ll want to re-wrap it one or two times. If it’s only going to be frozen for a couple of weeks, a freezer bag will be adequate. Anything longer than that requires tin foil, plastic wrap, and freezer bags. The goal is to make sure no air is touching the meat.
  5. Avoid pre-packaged, processed food. It’s expensive and unhealthy. In processed food, nutrients are stripped away and most of what remains is only sugar, sodium, and chemicals.[4] Getting rid of these foods is a great opportunity to bring healthier, more nutritious meals into your family menu.
  6. Check the unit price of a food. Compare the cost between sizes by the tag on the shelf. Buy larger sizes of staple (non-perishable) foods if you have the space and money.[5]
  7. Track your spending. Getting in touch with how much money you are actually spending at the grocery store is the most important way of getting your budget under control. Don’t throw away or recycle your receipts. Keep them, so in the future, you can beat them!

Cooking Meals With Your Family

  1. Cooking with your kids gets them interested in trying healthy foods. While it’s true kids will be kids and love snacking, what’s important is how they eat most of the time.[6]
  2. Bake your own bread with your loved ones. Bread is fun and easy to make at home, and you only need a few simple ingredients. Look up recipes and involve your loved ones. You’ll save money and have a lovely smelling home!
  3. Cook larger meals like stews, soups, and casseroles. Having meals that can stretch out over the week will lighten the load. You won’t have to think what’s for dinner. You’ll already know.
    • Broaden your horizons! Certain cuisines, like Mexican, Peruvian, Italian, and Southern American rely on inexpensive ingredients to feed large families and communities. Introduce your family to other cuisines and take the opportunity to educate one another on new places.
  4. Cook with cheaper cuts of meat. The right rub or the right sauce can transform a less expensive cut of meat into something unexpectedly fancy. While some might be tougher than others (think chuck shoulder roast, triangle roasts, bottom round rump), Consider utilizing a low and slow method of cooking in a crock pot (which can be purchased new or used on the cheap) to better enhance the flavor.
  5. Consider going meatless one day a week, if you have not employed a meat-free diet. Building a meal around vegetables and grain is cheaper without meat, and is a great experiment one day out of the week. It is good for your family’s health, their wallet, and for the environment. [7]

Getting Rid of the Unneeded Extras

  1. Don’t eat out. Don’t do it. Just don’t. There are hidden costs that can deter you from financial success. You’re paying for the service, for the location, the effort of cooking, and the establishment’s profit. You don’t know what goes into it, either, so you can’t control the amount of sodium, sugar, and other nutrition factors the way you can when you’re cooking at home.[8]
  2. Buy as much of your food in bulk as possible. Buying in bulk doesn’t mean you have to buy a lot of it. The “bulk” aspect of it only refers to how a store presents it, not how much you need to buy. Buying only as much as you need ensures you will keep your pantry items fresh, wholesome, and less likely to wind up in the trash.
  3. Cook with as much bulk food as you can. Because it is whole food, you are packing your family’s diet with nutrition. Take advantage of the discount you’ll receive due to the lack of packaging, labeling, or advertising.
    • Re-organizing your cupboards to better handle your bulk items. Purchasing some airtight containers will be helpful in the organization of your pantry.
  4. Eat less. Buying less and eating less is an easy way to save money.
    • Cutting back on snacks is a great way to stop overeating and, considering snacks can often times be prepackaged food, is also the most expensive items on a grocery list. [9]
  5. Substitute when you can. You don’t need pine nuts for pesto. You can easily substitute cheaper and healthier walnuts. Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are economical and can dress up a salad healthier and tastier than croutons.
  6. Drink water. Don’t buy soda. If you don’t like plain water, splash a little juice in it or throw a fresh slice of fruit in it. This will save on calories as well as money.
  7. Develop a meal plan. Take inventory and plan your meals in advance. Doing so will help eliminate last minute runs to the store, where you will inevitable spend money you could have saved. It will also reduce the stress and chaos that can occur during mealtimes.[10]

Tips

  • Don’t restrict food, especially to children. This can have a negative effect on growth and development. Instead, emphasize the wide variety of healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables and whole grains, while avoiding prepackaged, processed, junk foods.[11]
  • Keep your pantry and fridge in good working order. Keep a pad of paper and pen nearby to note anything you may need.
  • Use what you have! How many cans are sitting dusty and unused while we swear there’s not a crumb in the house? Take advantage of what you have and create meals for your loved ones.
  • Buy a roll of masking tape to date the food you are keeping in your freezer and refrigerator. Keeping track of the expiration dates will help you prioritize what needs to be eaten and by when.
  • Learn how to freeze food. Go through each week and eat what you’ve got. Repurpose your leftovers when you can.

Warnings

  • When in doubt, throw it out. If you are unsure whether the food is safe, don’t eat it. Also, reheating food that’s been contaminated will not make it safe. Don’t taste suspicious foods, even if it looks okay. [12]

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ www.worldfooddayusa.org/food_waste_the_facts
  2. ↑ www.consumerreports.org/cro/2013/08/best-coupon-apps/index.htm
  3. ↑ www.thekitchn.com/generic-versus-name-brand-25-foods-to-buy-from-the-kitchen-206826
  4. ↑ http://www.pediatricsbythesea.com/schoollunches.html
  5. ↑ http://oregonstate.edu/dept/kbrec/sites/default/files/TEN_QUICK_TIPS_AT_THE_GROCERY_STOREx.pdf
  6. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/cooking-with-your-children
  7. ↑ meatlessmonday.com/about-us/why-meatless
  8. ↑ www.healthguidance.org/entry/16153/1/10-Reasons-to-Stop-Eating-Out.html
  9. ↑ www.wisebread.com/20-easy-ways-to-stretch-your-grocery-dollars
  10. ↑ www.moneycrashers.com/family-meal-planning-tips-ideas/
  11. ↑ http://www.medicinenet.com/ways_to_raise_food-smart_kids_pictures_slideshow/article.htm
  12. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/when-in-doubt-throw-it-out-to-prevent-food-poisoning

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