I have found the following strategies useful in feeding our family of seven (plus a pet) within the boundaries of a $75-per-week food budget:
- Shop at the least expensive grocery store you can find - even if it means bagging your purchase yourself.- Use few name brand items. For the most part, off brands have comparable quality. And unlike cars or furniture, quality need not be as big a concern for an item that will generally not remain in your home for longer than two weeks.
- Use coupons only when you want to try a new item or for a name brand item that you use exclusively. Even "double coupon" promotions will usually leave you paying more than you would for a no-name brand.
- Eat red meat sparingly and purchase it on sale. Many inexpensive poultry products are on the market that are similar in taste and texture to expensive beef and pork products.
- Shop for two weeks or more of groceries at a time. This enables you to purchase items in larger, less-expensive packages than you might otherwise be able to afford on a weekly basis. Shopping less often also cuts down on impulse spending.
- Decide upon a two-week menu plan and prepare your shopping list accordingly. Stick to your list when shopping.
- Purchase few "prepared" items, such as barbecue and spaghetti sauces and frozen dinners. Prepare them yourself to save money. Try setting aside one Saturday each month for the entire family to help in a meal preparation marathon. Then freeze the items for later use.
- Cut back on restaurants and fast food.
- Plant a garden. - Linda Mahood Morgan, Independence, Mo.
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What we did:
Plant a garden
- Plant a garden, and can or freeze the excess. We also plant butternut squash, which we store in a cool place throughout the winter.
- Follow the Word of Wisdom. Be light on meats, heavy on grains and vegetables.
- Rotate your food storage. Buy large quantities of items you frequently need during the times of the year when they are less expensive and when store managers have special sales.
- Fine tune your math skills. Use a calculator to help you figure out which size boxes are cheaper, if you are saving money by using coupons, if it's cheaper to prepare a dish from "scratch" or by using a prepared mix. - Sara Blood, Hurricane, W.Va.
Pay tithing
Pay tithing. It has the very real effect of stretching every dollar, including the food dollar. - Karen T. Whiting, Eagar, Ariz.
Soup jars
Use one or more "soup-to-be" jars. Place a jar in the freezer portion of your refrigerator and add the leftover gravies, small pieces of meat and vegetables that would be appropriate for vegetable soup. I sometimes use three jars - one for vegetable beef soup, one for chicken soup and one for split-pea soup. When the jar is full, then make the soup. Sometimes very little has to be added other than seasoning. - Shirley Whitbeck, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Make shopping list
As a checker in a grocery shore, I have learned the following methods of feeding my family on a limited budget:
- Go shopping only once a week or every two weeks. It saves money when you don't run into the store for small purchases.
- Two or three days before you go shopping, sit down with the store ads and make your shopping list. This gives time to remember the items that you forgot. Always stick to your list.
- Know how much you can spend. When I make my list, I write down how much I can spend on each item.
- Buy meat only when it is on sale. Also check your store for reduced-priced meats.
- Try not to buy prepackaged foods if you can make it yourself. - Gwen Allphin, Cody, Wyo.
Use favorites wisely
As a new bride, I received a cookbook from my husband's grandmother. Years later when my husband returned to school, it provided much help in learning to feed our growing family on a limited budget. Our suggestions include the following:
- Checking the "used fruit basket" at our local supermarket for great bargains on fruits and vegetables. Many of these get processed and frozen for low-cost bagged vegetables and fun frozen snacks for kids.
- Watching for meat on sale, packaging into smaller units and freezing. Often, turkey is on sale around the holidays so I buy several for future use.
- Making white sauce using chicken bullion cubes in place of canned soups for casseroles.
- Using family favorites wisely. When we serve a roast, it's a small roast surrounded by lots of potatoes and vegetables. Lasagna is saved for special occasions or prepared with a lot less cheese. - Ruth M. Morgan, Broken Arrow, Okla.
Use food storage
I used my food storage daily. First, I kept a chart for three months of how much of each "storable" item I used. Then I calculated our family's requirements for each item for a one- to two-year supply. Then I monitored the prices for these items at all of my local grocery stores. I read the grocery store fliers very carefully and I kept a list of "best" prices to pay. Then I stocked up when prices were lowest. I also clipped coupons to use in combination with sale prices. - Cynthia Kofford, West Jordan, Utah
Cooked cereal
Help children to enjoy cooked cereal, especially cracked wheat ground from your storage. For variety, add six-grain cereal, rolled oats, etc. Cook cracked wheat about five minutes before adding other items. Spice it by adding raisins, let steam slightly. Expensive prepared cereals can take a big chunk out of the budget. Limit them to special treats. - Thorella Hudson, Mesa, Ariz.
More than one meal
Always plan your meals from a menu that allows you to use your fresh produce in more than one meal. For instance, if a stew is planned in which you use onions, carrots, celery and potatoes, plan another meal of perhaps a chicken casserole that requires the same ingredients and the addition of only noodles to complete it. - Kim Okerlund, Puyallup, Wash.
Balanced nutrition
As a nutritionist, I have gained additional useful knowledge. Balanced nutrition will prevent many illnesses. It's the best health insurance and reduces medical costs. When we get all of the essential nutrients, we are satisfied with less food. - George S. Myers Jr., Hanford, Calif.
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How to checklist:
1 Be aware of prices, buy food on sale, stick to budget.
2 Plan from menu, stay with shopping list, buy in bulk.
3 Keep the Word of Wisdom, eat meat sparingly.
4 Use food storage; stretch recipes, save leftovers.
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WRITE TO US:
May 17 "How to be emotionally self-reliant."
May 24 "How to select and plan a project for the July 19 Churchwide day of service, commemoration of the sesquicentennial."
May 31 "How to have an enjoyable family vacation."
June 7 "How to encourage reverence during Primary."
June 14 "How to help children, youth suffering from clinical depression."
June 21 "How to observe the Sabbath when your job requires you to work."
- Also interested in letters on these topics: "How to help young people show respect for authority in school," "How to unleash the personal impact of scripture study in your life," "How to place people above tasks."
Had any good experiences or practical success in any of the above subjects? Share them with our readers in about 100-150 words. Write the "How-to" editor, Church News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110, send fax to (801) 237-2121 or use internet E-mail: forum@desnews.com. Please include a name and phone number. Contributions may be edited or excerpted and will not be returned. Due to limited space, some contributions may not be used; those used should not be regarded as official Church doctrine or policy. Material must be received at least 12 days before publication date.