Don't shop when you're tired, hungry or rushed.
With costs of nearly everything rising, many families are looking for ways to economize on an already tight budget. The first things to go are fast foods and restaurant meals. Beyond that, learning to feed your family on a tight budget requires that you involve the family in your choices.
Instructions
1. Visualize your family's eating habits and make a weekly grocery list. If you ask children what they like to eat, many of them respond with "tacos, pizza, sloppy joes, spaghetti, hotdogs and hamburgers." Most of these dishes are relatively inexpensive to make. Add a soup or salad for nutrition and these same kid-friendly meals can satisfy the adults in the family.
2. Involve the entire family in the effort to tighten your food budget. Remind them that you need to cut down on expensive cuts of meat, ready-made freezer meals and, of course, junk foods. Suggest substitutions you can purchase instead and listen to their responses. If you substitute something that is cheaper, but it ends up being thrown away, you have not saved money.
3. Limit your purchases of sugar-filled beverages. Canned sodas are expensive and not healthy. Iced tea is an inexpensive substitute. Don't buy bottled water; instead buy a purification pitcher for your tap water. Purchase powdered drink mixes for family members who can't live without sweet drinks.
4. Shop only from your weekly grocery list and only once a week, if possible. Shop on the days your local grocery stores have their best sales. Find and shop the local farmer's market in your area and check your weekend newspaper ads for local farmers who sell fruits and vegetables.
5. Clip coupons for items you purchase regularly. Use them on the day your grocery store offers double-coupon days.
6. Buy staples in bulk. Beans, rice, potatoes or pasta appear in many meals, and they store well. If you have room in your freezer, buy bags of frozen vegetables and combine them with small quantities of meat served over rice or pasta for complete meals.
7. Look into your local food kitchen-type organization if things are really tight. These organizations often distribute free food if you can spare a few hours a week or a month to help out.
8. Cook meals from scratch and use leftovers. Make your own homemade soups with leftover meats and vegetables. Cook double the amount needed and freeze half. Buy a vintage cookbook at your local thrift store. These old books are full of basic recipes our parents grew up with.
9. Plan to have hot or cold sandwiches for dinner. Buy fresh vegetables and fruits only when they are in season. A lettuce and vegetable salad with beans sprinkled on top serves as a healthy meal when combined with hot bread or a cup of soup on the side.
10. Shop alone. Taking the kids with you will just cause problems.
Tags: your local, grocery list, tight budget, weekly grocery, weekly grocery list