How to Feed Your Family for Less!

How to Feed Your Family for Less 

The cost of living is on the rise and it has never been more expensive to keep a family. Money is a constant consideration and unexpected expenses seem to crop up at the worst possible times.

One frequent cost that can easily spiral out of control is the expense of feeding your family. It is something that cannot be neglected yet it can be controlled. Considering a few simple things can reduce the weekly cost of your shopping. 

Plan Your Meals Ahead

By planning even a week in advance, you are able to pinpoint exactly what food items you will need to feed your family for an entire week. This will reduce the amount of over buying, over spending and wastage.

You could also have leftovers if you make a larger meal or something that keeps easily overnight such as a pasta dish or a meat dish.

Also monitor your portion control, over loading plates can result in food wastage and will not only mean you potentially lose a meal for the next day but it is money down the drain. Literally!

Price Comparison

Some shops are known for being more expensive than others and it is wise to look at price comparisons before shopping within the store. You can look at price comparison sites online or even have a look at the product list to gain an idea of the type of prices.

It is also beneficial to keep vouchers, coupons and special offers sometimes at the bottom of old receipts and use in store on your next shop.

Special Offers

Shops regularly have special offers to encourage people to shop there, make sure that the offers are beneficial to you. That you will end up actually using the items on offer and most importantly DO NOT buy just because they are cheap. Make sure its something that you need and will use. Special offers can be misleading and not as beneficial as they may seem. Look at the regular prices and look at how much you will be saving through multi-buy offers for example.

Ingredients

Fresh ingredients are not only beneficial to the health of your family but are also healthy for your wallet. Fresh fruit and vegetables tend to be cheaper particularly if they are grown locally. This not only supports local companies but dramatically reduces the cost of your shopping. Just make sure you buy them and use them quite quickly so they do not go out of date. You could even look into growing your own, the only real expense is the cost of seeds and ground preparation. 

Eating Out

There are few people that don’t enjoy going out to eat and an average family will either go to a restaurant or order a take away at least once a week. The cost is dramatically more in comparison to cooking the same dish at home or yourself. Reducing the amount of times you eat out or order in not only makes it become a real treat but also means a large saving. Food tends to be over ordered and results in waste.

There are people that rely entirely on home grown products and livestock to supply them with food for their families. It has quickly become a new way of life for some many. People such as the Bruderhof Community have flourished through living sustainably.