Feeding a Family on a Budget (2024)

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Using the seasons as a guide helps make Feeding a Family on a Budget easier. The food is fresher and doesn’t travel as far when it’s in season, making the cost more budget friendly.

Feeding a Family on a Budget

When many families first look atbudgetingtheir money, they are pretty shocked to discover how much is goingtowards food. To find more money within the budget, the food category is a good place to start switching things up.A big part of that is cooking at home. It’s not very realistic to eat out while you’re on a budget. Don’t get me wrong, my family loves splurging on a fun dinner now and then. It’s written into our budget and we don’t go crazy because we mostly eat at home. The point is that eating out and packaged convenience food is just more expensive. If your dollars are stretched to the max, you may want to reevaluate what you spend on your food category and (as Dave Ramsey says) cut the fat. You CAN realistically trim your family’s food budget with real food. It just takes a little know-how. {Keep reading for the free Seasonal Produce Guide printable!}

Cook at Home and Set a Plan

Get organized with your grocery lists and menu planning. People tend to buy more when they just walk into a store because that’s what the stores are designed to do! Cook from scratch and prep ahead when you can. Know that you have a busy week coming up? Make slow cooker packets or smoothie packetsso you can grab one from the freezer and have a meal ready to go. Try making two of whatever casserole or lasagna you’re having so you can freeze one for a busy weeknight.

Other ways to save money on groceries & shopping:

Use your grocery store’s app to download coupons with just a click. The coupons are applied at checkout automatically.

Order groceries for pick up or delivery (I lovethis place…join and get some free pizzas with your first order). Less impulse buys.

Sign up forthis app(use code:pxwyeriwhen you join) and add your loyalty cards…then after you make your shopping list go on and click the cash back on any items you will be buying. It will do the rest for you. Or if you shop at a store without a loyalty card…you can go in after you shop and add your items purchased and take a pic of the receipt. Super Duper Easy!

Seasonal Produce Guide

Download and print off my free seasonal produce guide and hang it on your fridge. Shopping in season is a great way to save money on produce and other items. If you are wanting more info on monthly produce guides, check out these monthly What’s in Season guides.

Shop Seasonally

As I mentioned before in our Groceries on a Budget post, shopping seasonally can really save you in the long run. Knowing what items are a good deal can help you keep a well stocked pantry so that you are not running to the store for a forgotten ingredient. Not only that, but you can plan ahead for upcoming sales based on the sale cycles at the store. Knowing these grocery store secrets is a key part of feeding your family for less.

January

Seasonal/Christmas Sales: Decorations, wrapping. Some food items in holiday packaging will go on sale.
Resolution Items: Healthy food, equipment, diet foods, household cleaners
Super Bowl: Chips, crackers, dips, soda, etc.
National Oatmeal Month: Quaker products
Winter Health: Cold & flu medicines and vitamins
Canned soups, chili

February

Canned Food Month: Fruit, veggies, pie filling, tuna, etc.
American Heart Month: Aspirin, low cholesterol items
Breakfast Foods
Valentines: Chocolates, candy

March

Frozen Food Month
Seasonal Spring Cleaning: Household cleaners, gardening supplies
Peanut Month: peanut butter, peanuts
St. Patrick’s Day: Potatoes, corned beef, cabbage
Easter/Passover (sometimes not till April): Ham, eggs, spices, baking, food coloring, marshmallows

April

Easter/Passover (if not in March), Post Easter sales, decorations, toys, holiday packaging on regular items
Earth Day: Organic Foods, eco-friendly items, cleaners, light bulbs

May

Grilling Season Begins: Condiments, meats, cheese, salad dressing, potato chips, s’mores items, beverages
Paper Products: Plates, Napkins
Cinco de Mayo: Salsa, tortillas, seasoning, beans
Allergy Items: Claritin, etc.
Pet Items

June

National Dairy Month: Eggs, milk, sour cream, ice cream, cheese, yogurt, etc.
4th of July/Father’s Day: BBQ items, meats, charcoal, etc.
Painkillers, sinus medication

July

National Ice Cream Month
More BBQ items
Start of Back to School Sales: Lunch items, granola bars, fruit snacks, pudding, crayons, folders, pencils

August

Back to School Continues (through Labor Day)
Clorox Classroom items
Seasonal Sales: bug spray, sunscreen

September

Breakfast items (part of back-to-school)
Tomato products: Pasta sauce, ketchup, canned tomatoes

October

National Seafood Month
Halloween: Candy, pumpkins
Holiday Baking starts: canned pumpkin, spices, evaporated milk

November

Post Halloween Clearance: Candy, costumes
Great American Smoke Out: Smoking cessation items, Nicorette, etc.
Holiday Baking: Nuts, chocolate chips, cake mixes, marshmallow
Canned Holiday Food Items: broth, soups, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cranberry sauce
Thanksgiving: Turkey, pumpkin, stuffing mix, potatoes, gravy, frozen pie, Jello

December

Baking: Flour, sugar, spices, butter, baking mixes, pie crust, whipped cream
After Thanksgiving:Holiday packaged items
Christmas Dinner: Gravy, egg nog, potatoes, cranberry sauce, chips, ham, beverages, crackers

Buy Seasonal Produce

Seasonal produce costs less because it is grown closer and doesn’t take as long to transport it from farm to you. When you make choices to purchase as close (locally) as you can and in season, you are also helping your local growers. Famers’ Markets, co-ops, You-Pick, and grocery stores that feature “Locally Grown” signs are great ways to keep your produce costs down. If you are loading up on produce, chances are good that you are cooking healthier and lower-cost meals. Seasonal produce tends to be fresher and more flavorful because it doesn’t travel as far- also making it last longer! Make sure to store your produce properly so it keeps well and you don’t end up throwing your money away. Thehandy PDF printable above lists produce by season to help you out.

Bulk Up

Another great way to save is by buying items that you purchase regularly in bulk. (Notice I specify because I don’t want you to go out and buy things that can’t be used up quickly or by the best by date.) Collective buying power is a way of teaming up to combine purchasing strength to get the best deal. Think of warehouse clubs that are passing on savings. I really learned a lot about this conceptfrom contributing and volunteering with Bountiful Baskets. Bountiful Baskets is in 24 states and counting and a great example of group paying to save big. Just by teaming up with other families and using purchasing power of a co-op, you end up saving a lot of money. From bulk bins at the grocery to partnering with other families to purchase meats or produce, there are many ways to stretch your dollars.

Don’t forget to check out the other On a Budget posts.
Holiday Decorating on a Budget
How to Plan a Trip to Disney on a Budget
Party Favors on a Budget
Family Vacations on a Budget
31 Recipes on a Budget
Having Fun on a Budget
Snack Ideas on a Budget
Groceries on a Budget
Military Living on a Budget
Cooking Healthy on a Budget
Menu Planning on a Budget
Dinner Party on a Budget

Here’s the original printable if you like it better. 🙂

{Download this FREE printable for a quick guide by right clicking and saving to your desktop.

Open up a word document, insert image, adjust the size, and print.}