Simple Tips to Save Money on Groceries for Large Families

When our family grew to six life quickly changed. We needed a bigger vehicle, more space in the house and our grocery budget increased by a lot.

At first, it was diapers and formula and now it’s food in general. With simple planning, you can save money on groceries for large families and make keeping to your budget easier on you.

Simple Tips to Save Money on Groceries for Large Families

While you have heard it time and time again the truth is meal planning IS the best way to save money on food for your large family. You can plan meals around what is on sale and already in the house allowing you to stick to a budget.

Keeping the meal plan visible for the family to see helps them understand that eating a vital ingredient that you have purchased can and will affect them later.

I’ve created a weekly meal planning printable you can grab below to help you stick to your grocery budget each week. Another one of my favorite resources for meal planning is 4HatsandFrugal.com. She has tons of posts on Meal Planning and great tips for shopping at Aldi’s.

–> PRINT WEEKLY MEAL PLANNER HERE <–

Skip expensive drink options and serve water with meals and during the day. While sugary drinks used to be a way parents could save we now see that fresh water is the best frugal beverage for both the budget and overall health of the family.

I also offer water first when a child is asking for a snack because they often can not distinguish thirst from hunger when they are younger.

Buy produce from the local farmers market to get great deals. During the offseason watch for sales to get the most fruits and vegetables for your budget.

The Fruit Club and Bountiful Baskets are other great ways to save on fresh fruits and vegetables. I don’t regularly contribute but picked up a basket over the weekend and was really impressed with what we received. I highly recommend checking them out if they are in your area.

When it comes to meat, stock up when you can. Last month our local Hy-vee had 6lb cases of turkey burger marked down to $3.00. I couldn’t pass the price up and wish I had picked up two boxes.

Bulk up ground meats with things like beans, rice, or oatmeal to get more for your money when using ground meats. Things like tacos and spaghetti most people will not even notice when you do this.

You can also add bulk to your overall meals by surging healthy and frugal carbs like beans, quinoa, flax, and oatmeal to make meals filling without a large expense. To get the most of this money saver, stock up with you find these items on sale.

Cooking from scratch is a great way to save money on food for your large family. While buying premade foods can make it easier for you to get a meal done they can really add up in cost over making it yourself.

Making homemade seasonings is something I’m doing more of this year so I’ll always have things like taco and chili seasoning on hand for quick meals.

Potatoes of all types are easy to catch on sale all year round. Through the summer and winter, russets are a great way to bulk up a meal for just a few cents a pound.

Near Thanksgiving, during the sales, stock up on a large number of sweet potatoes for a healthier potato option that makes a great filling side dish.

Be sure to look for a good balance when planning your meals. Ensuring that each member of the family gets enough of each vital nurturant and plenty of protein and healthy fats will help your family feel full and healthy without gorging on food trying to find a missing nutrient.

When children are hungrier than normal due to a growth spurt be sure to sneak in plenty of good stuff to help them get what they need.

What other ways do you save money on groceries for large families?