How much do they eat?

Coupon Day

Feeding a family of seven has become an art form for me. I do not have a big budget, so I need to get creative. It takes me at least 2 days to prepare for my monthly shopping trip.

Day 1: I clean out my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. The freezer is generally empty by this time because we eat everything. I start making my list of the things I will need within the next month. My list is generally a whole sheet of paper long. If I find a coupon for something, it gets a star next to it.

Day 2: Is coupon day. I pour over all of the coupons I can find and start clipping. I also use the digital coupons my local chain provides. I wish I was an “extreme coupon-er” but I don’t have the patience. I still do pretty well on saving. I would probably do better if I went to different stores to get different sale items, but everything is pretty close to the same price.

I find really good coupons, from time to time, like $4 off when you buy 2 and of course BOGO. Even if I don’t need shampoo and conditioner at this moment, I stock up. It doesn’t go bad and we will definitely use it eventually. I found two BOGO coupons today for baby wash and butt paste. (I don’t need it now, but I definitely will before too long.

I also break down my coupons by department. Meat, health and beauty, produce, frozen, dairy…etc. It makes it a lot easier when I forget exactly how many/brand I have the coupon for.

So here is how I do it. As many of my readers know, I use Boxed.com for essentials like toilet paper, paper towels, and cereal. Anything bulk is fantastic for me and my family. They eat a lot. I always put the order on my phone, but I don’t purchase it right away. (Sometimes, it’s cheaper to buy 2 of something on sale with a coupon.) Since I can’t buy fresh or frozen food there I still need to physically shop.

Last month, my sister came with me on my shopping trip. She made fun of the fact that I bought 5 dozen eggs, all the value packs of meat I could find, 10 lbs of rice, and 3 gallons of milk. Since the twins are no longer on formula (thank God) we drink a gallon of milk a day! I buy as many as my already full buggy will let me. Hubby’s pay checks go to bills and all of the vices we use throughout the month. And always more milk. We had 2 very full buggies and I spent $350, I saved $122 with all the coupons! That’s a mom win if I’ve ever seen one.

I also buy my veggies frozen. Every night for dinner my family gets a home cooked meal that includes meat, veggies, and a carb. We eat as healthy as I can afford, and that is getting pretty healthy. I also buy the fresh veggies for salads and stews or soups. I’m hoping this summer I won’t have to buy as much because I’m growing some veggies from seed. So far I have a nice looking cucumber plant, tomato, jalapeno, peas, and a lot of fresh herbs. In theory, I should save a little bit of money.

I’m no expert, but here’s my advice for feeding a giant family on a budget:

• Use the coupons
• Make your list and know where the deals are
• Stock up on what you can
• Generic is fine
• Freeze meat so it lasts longer

I hope this helps someone out there, thanks for reading today!