Feeding the Family Frugally

There seems to be a lot of talk around right now about how much families are struggling. Prices are going up. Interest rates, and therefore mortgages, are going up. Everything is more expensive. Add that to a family that is growing and somehow your money seems to run out the door before you know it!

One of the biggest ways we can make a difference is with our grocery bills. It has immediate and obvious results and therefore inspires further success. And despite popular opinion, a family can eat well and enjoy healthy food on a tight grocery budget. But it does take work. I am often asked how on earth I make my budget work. The answer is simple. I cook. I don't buy anything ready-made if I can possibly make it myself...within reason (I don't make puff pastry!).

I also plan. Carefully. When I do my menu plan I make sure I include some vegetarian meals and some meals with chicken, as those things are generally around $4-5 per kilo for the protein part of the meal. If I want beef or lamb I ensure that I am using minced meats where I can because those are far cheaper than the $12-15 per kilo for steak or chops...a luxury we can't afford every day!

Once I have my plan I prepare a shopping list that is specific to our week's menu. I write my menu on the right hand top corner of my list so that I have it with me...just in case I have forgotten to write a needed item down ~ I cross reference with my menu as I shop. My list is organised...next to the menu on the left is where I write my grocery items. Right under the menu is fruit and vegies. In the centre on the left is the bathroom items we need. Down the bottom on the left is the fridge/dairy stuff and on the left is the meat.

Now for the shopping. I shop in three difference places! We live in a semi rural area, so great shopping is something planned for and done on our way to or from somewhere else. We do a number of trips down to the suburbs each week, so I make good use of the time and petrol I use. This way I am able to shop at Aldi as well as my local Safeway (which is next to hopeless, and more expensive than other Safeway stores). Until this week I have been buying meat, vegies & fruit on my way home from Bible Study. The meat prices there are worth a once a month trip down the hill to get what I need. And since I plan for the month, I can do that easily.

So what do we actually eat, you might ask. All the theory for eating and shopping and getting the best prices is one thing....but what do we eat that makes our grocery bill so much cheaper? Well...if you wander back through my blog you can see our evening menu plans ...posted each Monday, or thereabouts.

Our breakfasts consist of cereal or toast. All bought from Aldi. The 'boys' have warm weet-bix, Miss Mishief has rice bubbles and Miss Sunshine often has corn flakes. I also make our bread in the bread machine so there is toast available too, if anyone wanted it.

Lunches are generally sandwiches with either ham, cheese & mayo, or Mr Busy prefers jam. The kids all take a piece of fresh fruit and some rice crackers, buttered salada's or something that we have baked at home ~ bikkies or a muffin...something like that.

Finally, the all important snacks! You can see what the kids take to school for lunch. After school we might make popcorn (it's only 99c a packet and you get LOTS of serves!), or they have more crackers or a baked goodie. Fresh fruit is always there. I might add I have a $5/kg limit with fruit. If it costs more than that I won't buy it. I prefer around the $3/kg mark.

We only have milk and water to drink. Dh & I drink tea, although if we were into coffee he has his own coffee business so it wouldn't cost us anything to grab a bag of beans from work...but we enjoy tea. And it's much cheaper anyway!

If you have children and don't seem to feel like you have lots of time to make meals or bake, then get your kids involved. They can use a vegie peeler quite safely around 5yo (maybe earlier, but I'm not ready for that LOL). My girls are 10 & 11yo and quite able to carry out instructions and use a smaller sharp knife to chop smaller vegies. If I'm making gnocchi the kids help roll it for me, into little balls. This is Mr Busy's favourite job. I find it hard to have the kids in the kitchen. But they are willing and capable and so now when they ask I give them a job. However small it is, whatever they do for me will save me some time and get dinner on the table quicker! My girls can also bake almost on their own. So if I need a cake, Miss Sunshine is my girl. If I want a batch of choc chip bikkies, the Miss Mischief is eager to please. Since I don't enjoy baking, this is great for me! And you know what? They NEED to learn these things so they can take care of themselves when they leave home. So what may start off as a means to save money, actually has a two-fold purpose!