- My husband and I make an annual budget spreadsheet, and I was shocked at the groceries number.
- As a family of six, we need to get creative to save money.
- I meal prep for the week based on what’s on sale, and use credit cars that give me cash back.
A few weekends ago, my husband and I spent Saturday morning with coffee reviewing our annual budget spreadsheet.
“Your math on groceries must be wrong,” I told him. “There’s no way we spend this much.”
But after double-checking receipts and credit card statements, sure enough, groceries were one of our biggest expenses as a family of six. With inflation and rising food prices, grocery costs hit our bank account more than I realized.
We spent the next week brainstorming ways to save money on food — even though we already eat black beans and rice at least once a week. Here are the main changes we’re implementing on family groceries this year.
Make granola bars weekly to save on these expensive snacks
A box of protein bars goes quickly in our house, between school snacks, after-school snacks, and snacks for me as a breastfeeding mom. Grabbing a bar and heading out the door is easy, but the price adds up fast.
I’ve found a few delicious recipes for homemade energy bars (ones the kids like even better than storebought). These no-bake energy bites are a family favorite, and I make them at least once a week. They’re chock full of peanut butter, oats, ground flax seed, and chocolate chips.
While some food items are tricky or time-consuming to make at home, granola bars are quick and painless, giving us the biggest bang for our time. Plus, the kids help measure and mix the ingredients — making it a fun afternoon activity instead of a chore.
Look for what’s on sale each week and plan meals around those items
I’m the primary meal planner in our house, often looking up recipes for the week ahead. But my husband suggested reversing the approach, looking for sale items, and then finding recipes that call for those ingredients.
Courtesy of the author
If chicken breasts are on sale, I’ll make some shredded chicken for tacos and soup that week. If there’s a deal on mozzarella cheese, I’ll plan a homemade pizza night. It takes a little time to peruse the local and online grocery deals, but saving those few extra dollars adds up. And it can be a fun game to see how much money we can save.
Prepare bulk meals to save on purchasing different ingredients
Rather than making an exciting list of different recipes for each night, I’m batching my cooking now, which saves money and time. I’ll load up the crockpot with a triple batch of chicken tortilla soup, eat it three times in one week, and then freeze the rest. I’ll plan other meals, like Thai lettuce wraps and grain bowls, to use up the excess ingredients, such as cilantro and chicken. I’ll bake sweet potatoes for a black bean dish, then slice the rest for sweet potato fries to accompany our tilapia later in the week.
By matching up our produce and protein across meals, I buy fewer different ingredients, including spices, herbs, and vegetables, that tend to go bad before we can eat it all. Bulk meals also reduce the cooking costs of running the oven or cleaning many dishes.
Use credit cards that offer extra cash back on groceries
My husband loves to research the best credit card rewards for our family. He was happy when he found the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® card that gives us 6% cash back on grocery store purchases. In a single trip to Aldi, we save anywhere from $14 to $21 on a cart full of yogurt and string cheese.
Freeze leftover sauces, tomato products, and beans
We only consume half a jar of sauce when we cook spaghetti. I always think I’ll use the rest later in the week, but rarely do. Same with excess diced tomatoes and chickpeas. Now, I’m habitually tossing the extras in the freezer immediately to save them, making them easy to pull out for future meals.
As with most budgeting, the little savings add up to significant amounts annually, especially for a family of six. And while cooking for my husband and four kids can be time-consuming and expensive, nourishing their bodies and minds with good food is a top priority for us. The right food fuels our days, helps us feel strong, and allows us to enjoy each other’s company.
Planning meals on a budget involves some creativity, but I see it as an art form and, more importantly, an act of love.
