How I save money feeding a family of 6
Let me just get this out of the way... KIDS EAT TOO MUCH! lol There I said it! When your kids hit a certain age they seem to just grow two extra stomachs, endless amounts of energy and taste buds that only like the craziest, non nutritional and expensive things on the grocery store shelf. Since moving up to KC and homeschooling, I have realized that this is an epidemic in our household and It must be stopped lol.
When we were living in Dallas, we had very low sales tax. So when I bought something for $1 it didn't come out to $1.99! I'm no tax or math expert, I just know that in some states there are higher taxes and KC is one of them! So there was an instant jump in our grocery bill there. Then not to mention, instead of one meal and snack a day it changed to 3 meals a day and multiple snacks throughout the day since we HS. That right there drove up our grocery bill again!
Now we have older kids, one who is bordering her "tween" stages, one who is going through a growth spurt because 9/10 is so awkward. Then there is a boy and they just EAT! Lastly we have the most wasteful, picky and all around food snob in our house... the baby lol. She only eats what she LOVES. Tack on a grown man that loves to cook and a grown woman that is trying to eat the absolute healthiest food she can and that drives it up even MORE!
So how did I cut our grocery bills? How can I stay on budget, eat healthy and not break the bank?!
Here's how:
1. Apps- yes I know you probably have seen so many bloggers talk about these apps, seen them advertised on Facebook or heard family talk about them. Here's the deal. You don't save money off the initial purchase (like a coupon) but you get cash back! How awesome is that!? My favorite one is Ibotta, You get bonuses for purchasing paired items, if your team hits a mark or even if you shop[ during the week ( some weeks). One week I turned a normal shopping trip into a $6 return which then more than doubled to $14 because of bonuses. Not to mention you get $$$ just for signing up and having your friends get on board. Don't have an account yet? Sign up HERE and get $10! This is the first thing I do when planning out our weekly meals.
2. Planning- As mentioned above I plan our meals weekly so I'm not just buying random things. I know my step daughter doesn't like peanut butter so I only plan for pb&j for during the week. I know the 3 youngest like granola so I use my app and stock up on those to get them through the day. We try to eat the healthiest foods possible so we plan our meals based off what's in season and what I have a rebate for.
3. Shopping at Aldi- I have blogged about shopping there in the past ( see it here). Aldi always has some of the lowest prices on meat, produce and even home necessities. Once I purchase all my rebates from Ibotta ( not valid at Aldi, hopefully soon) I head over to Aldi to complete my list. They have have amazing stuff!
**tip, shop at your local farmers market during the early part of the week. prices seem to be lower!**
4. Coupons- I wish I can say that I am a major couponer but I'm not. I do use the occasional coupon but they are mostly for home essentials like soap, dish liquid and tp. What's great about coupons, is you can double them with your Ibotta rebates!
5. Walmart app- When getting my rebates from Ibotta, I shop at Walmart. They tend to have the lowest prices and are closer that Super Target. But the thing that keeps me coming back is their app. Walmart's savings catcher was introduced to me by my SIL and I can't not get enough of it! When ever you are done shopping, scan your receipt and it will check all the surrounding stores for cheaper prices. If they find it cheaper somewhere else, they will refund you the difference. When you are ready to use your savings, you can use it in store or online as an e-gift card. I use most of my cash back on more personal items like stuff for my hair, makeup or if there is a great rebate on Ibotta.
This is how I was able to reduce our monthly grocery bill! I don't have exact numbers and I apologize, but I would say I roughly saved $200-$250 a month on grocery bill. What tactics do you use? Let me know in the comments below!
12 comments
Great post! We love aldis too. And planning in advance has definitely helped us in saving money.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Aldis is amazing! Thank you for commenting!
DeleteMy kids eat too much too! lol Great ideas!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like summer break causes their appetites to haywire!
DeleteWow, that's amazing how you were able to cut your grocery bill by that amount! Thanks for the great and informative post!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Anyway I can cut a bill I am game lol
DeleteWe're a family of 6 and also homeschool! Our grocery bill is astronomical, primarily due to my 13 1/2 year old son who eats more than both his parents combined at EVERY meal. I swear, he must be hollow! My biggest tip is shop multiple places. We have become huge bulk shoppers at Costco, (just be careful and do the math, some things are NOT cheaper) meat is a big one as it's usually cheaper by the pound (unless there a specific sale at a local store that's better), milk, eggs, bread and lettuce are WAY cheaper as are things like toilet paper and paper towels. I always go there first, then Walmart for frozen,canned goods and toiletries and then Sprouts for the fresh produce. It's a whole day worth of shopping but you get the biggest bang for the buck. (I REALLY should coupon and use apps though!!) I'm going to check out your apps, any way to save more $$!
ReplyDeleteOhhh I am so not ready for my son to be a teen! Simply for the fact that I know he will be like a grown man child lol. My oldest is a 10 year old girl that has recently gone through a growth spurt of her own but is extremely picky lol. Then through in the fact that we don't eat certain items because of the ingredients. It is crazy how expensive it can become! I used to shop at Sam's but I think I was a little premature when shopping there. Now I need too! I want to start cutting coupons like the pros do! My little ones here and there don't really save much lol
DeleteKids do eat so much! Aldi is great for us too. I love your tips on saving money for healthy food!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I try to keep my family as healthy as we can.. but who can really say no to ice cream lol! Plus healthier foods always cost more than junk food so I saving is a huge deal!
DeleteYes kids do eat too much. ;-) We don't have an Aldis around here but I do use some these other tips.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get an Aldi soon! They are great and soon everything will be preservative free and no artificial stuff! Plus they will still cost a fraction of regular stores.
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