Saving on Groceries

Yes yes, this topic has been done to death, I know. But bear with me, please.We have a family of 6, all big eaters. All the kids play sports plus we pack school lunches, so on any given day they out eat us.

We spend $400 a month for the 6 of us. That includes all food, health and beauty items, household items, and pet food.

Ok…there is one key to my grocery budget: PLANNING

It is ALL about the planning. Sunday night is leftovers and we eat all the left over’s from the week. Sound bad? The kids love it! I make a buffet, make salad or veggies or whatever is needed, maybe some homemade bread. The rest is all the left over’s from the week and they get to make their plates as they want them. I save all leftover (from pan not from plates). Even a few bites left in a pan makes a nice side for one person on leftover night. It is also nice by the end of the weekend to not have to think about dinner or really even cook when I am already looking at all we have to do on Monday.

At that Sunday dinner I make a menu for the week. I do just breakfast and dinner but some people do all meals including snacks and even late night snacks for teens that like to eat after dinner one more time. I look at what we have and plan meals based on that. The kids also put in requests and I try to do what I can with their input. We even set a night that my 14 year old cooks, with my help a little but he likes planning that night. We then know each day what we are eating and the 5pm dinner panic doesn’t happen.

This also allows you to do things the night before. Example: If you are having pasta the next night and want garlic bread with it, that night as you are doing the dinner dishes you throw the bread in the bread maker. Then run it so its run during a time of day that the house isn’t as hot and electric costs are cheaper. Then its done for dinner the next night. You can also take 5 minutes in the am to pull out what you may need for that night such as items to thaw, etc. If you are at work and kids are home and old enough to help then they can do things like wash lettuce, make bread or defrost things for you before you get home. Easy to know what to what to pull out when the menu is made in advance.

We do not throw away food. Plain and simple. If there are 2 bites of veggies left in a pan no one will eat then they go into a glass jar I have frozen in the freezer. When its full of scraps like that we make a soup. I consider that free soup since that last spoon full would have been trashed or eaten by someone already full that didn’t really want or need it.

As far as snacks, we buy the snack foods we like such a pretzels in large bags and the kids make individual servings of each in plastic containers we have saved from yogurt that have lids. Then when we need to grab and go we can without the cost of individual snack items. Must less trash and waste also since we re-use all the containers. I also keep re-usable bottles in the fridge for each kid so we can grab and go and not be tempted to buy when we are out and we won’t use disposable water bottles. I also make frozen juice and put it in those so its like taking a juice box but reusable and much cheaper. I even make homemade “snack mix” (like chex mix) out of the last handful of chips or nuts, etc in the bag. Many would throw away, I add it to snack mix and the kids like that as a mid day snack. A cheap but great snack is also air popped popcorn. I add nuts and raisins and it’s a healthy and cheap snack. I know I talk a lot about snacks but I find that’s where a lot of peoples money goes down the drain.

I will ramble more on this topic later, as discuss making things homemade and is it really cost effective.