My entire monthly budget for groceries for my family of 6 plus 2 dogs and 2 cats is $450. That’s it. And to top it off, I don’t have little ones any more and none of them eat the same. So my biggest challenge in the last year is how to feed two teens, two tweens, a hungry husband, and four animals, and still stay within my budget.
Money Saving Mom has a good post on this if you read through the comments. And I gleaned a few good tips there. But with a tiny budget like mine, I really needed to think more about Quality rather than Quantity.
My crew needs foods that will fill them up, keep them feeling full, and nourish them. And my budget needs to do it inexpensively. But I have to be creative, because we don’t all eat the same. Somehow, I have to accommodate:
- The high protein meat eaters - Greg and J
- The picky “don’t let my food touch” carb-loving eaters – Kgirl and Z
- The sweets-loving, “don’t make me eat beef or vegetables” eater – Little E
- And the fruit and vegetable loving eater – Me
So I started looking at how people have fed their families for centuries, during rough times like wars and depressions and droughts, when ready made foods weren’t necessarily available.
I’ve learned to focus on using cheap, wholesome foods that fill them up, like:
- Eggs
- Beans
- Lentils
- Rice
- Oatmeal
- Homemade Baked Goods
Combined with fresh fruit, meat, and cheese, these filling, inexpensive foods go a long way toward feeding my crew and keeping me within my grocery budget.
For the next while, I’ll be sharing some of the recipes and menus that work for us. If you have tried and true tips for feeding hungry teens or a great teen-friendly recipe that uses one of these inexpensive wholesome ingredients, please share either via a comment or by submitting a guest post. I’d love to hear from you and learn what works in your family.
