how to shop when you're broke and have a family

One of the best ways I found was to write a shoping list and stick to it. Have a list in the kitchen, and as you run short write it down.
If you buy only apples and bananas as your fruit then though its boring it neans you can spend more on veggies which are more nutritious.
I used a lot of frozen foods too. They are cheaper and just as good for you. I buy chicken and Salmon and veg.
Only buy what you will eat If the kids wont eat liver then there's no point in buying it no matter how cheap it is.
stick to 3 meals a day, It isn't child cruelty to not allow snacks, Ànd they'll clean their plates at meal time because they're hungry.
Be willing to cook from scratch, if you dont enjoy cooking then learn to enjoy saving the pennies it allows.
We used to have junkfood night once a week, It still is a crisps,chocolate and pop night But as its junk you may as well buy the cheapest rubbish...as expensive crap is still crap but has a fancy label.
Even though my hard up days are over I still do these things ,and we spend alot less than the average British family.

You can have the same breakfast and lunch every day. You dont need 10 different cereals. Toast and something is equivalent and cheaper.
Lunches bit if salad,cut up veg,make a bean dip. Either dip it or spread it on bread with the veggies in to make a sandwich. Dirt cheap.
Make dinner. Chicken thighs are cheaper than beast and taste better. Roast with some seasoning and veg. Get a slow cooker and use cheap cuts of meat cooked for 24 hours with veg. Slow cookers use hardly any electric.
And dont take the kids shoping with you if you can avoid it,or you'll come home with loads more stuff than you went for.

mkakids wrote: »

Save every veggie scrap (wilted veggies, ends of carrots, onion skin, etc...) in a zip bag along with bones. When the bags full, dump it in a pot to make homemade stock. You can also save "good scraps" like the few pieces of carrots or bites of chicken that didnt get eaten at dinner to use in soup.

I keep this bag in the freezer. I roast the bones first for a richer flavour and I save the leafy bits from celery.

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Lentils, barley, dried beans and eggs are all cheap and a great source of nutrition. Frozen veggies like peas and carrots hold up well. Even green beans can be ok. Look into co-ops. Sometimes they are available where for a few hours of labor you get free eggs and cheap veggies. Growing your own lettuce and herbs is very very easy! Other things require more work but those are easy as pie. Tomatoes aren't too hard either.

This website is brilliant - http://agirlcalledjack.com/ - the budget UK cook mentioned further up. As for sandwiches, grated carrot and cheese is cheaper than ham/ sandwich meats (and less processed). You can buy oats that are quicker cooking than steel cut which take about 3 mins in a pan and you can get on with other stuff whilst they cook.

Such a great thread! I read through the 1st, 5th, and 6th pages, so I may have missed some things.

1. For milk, you would have to check prices, but my mom used powdered milk when we were really poor. It was much cheaper at the time, but I don't know about now. Also, if you ever see milk on a crazy sale, you can freeze the whole jug and thaw it out later when milk is more expensive.

2. For cereal, my kids and hubby love it too. At our house it is now a treat for your birthday- you get to pick out any box you want that week. The rest of the time, I make oatmeal overnight in the crockpot. The kids mix in raisins or frozen fruit or cut up apples in the morning. I sometimes stir in an egg (it cooks in the hot oatmeal) right before serving to up the protein a little.

3. We are vegetarian so that saves. When you do use meat, use it as a flavor, don't serve a hunk of meat. Sub in lots of good grains and beans and lentils.

4. I made a crock pot lentil sloppy joe recipe that was cheap and amazing and easy. I just googled for it. Meatloaf was also mentioned. As a busy mom, the kind of thing you can make ahead, and that makes enough to last several meals, is so helpful. You can also make a big huge pot of rice, let it cool, then freeze smaller amounts. Let them thaw in the fridge all day then microwave to go with the meal. Rice under stews and soups is great, and makes them more filling.

5. Are your kids on free and reduced lunch at school? Is free breakfast an option, too? If so, are they getting enough at school? Can they get more? Ask. Our cafeteria has a fresh fruit table, and you are only supposed to get one, but I asked for my kids to be able to take more fruit, and they were ok with it. My kids will happily eat 2 or 3 pieces of fruit at lunch, and I am happy to let them!

6. Some websites like Budget Bytes have prices for recipes. I find this helpful as I don't like to take the time to price out all the ingredients.

You can cook beans in the crock pot, too- beans, water, spices. Some bits of leftover meat from leftovers to flavor it. Serve over rice, make a side of a frozen veggie, done.

if your kids love milk, cut back on the other sources of dairy in their diets. my kids get 3 serves of dairy a day, and they can choose between a slice of cheese (a kraft single or string cheese), a glass of milk, a go-gurt tube, or a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese.

Things may be different in my home than yours however, since I have an autistic child who would really prefer to only eat cheese and bread, for all meals. It helps us to tell him we need to pick another protein source for the next meal, ie- peanut butter.

Fwiw- I dont mind fruit juice, at all. My kids can have a 6 oz glass of juice in place of a piece of whole fruit once a day. Apple juice is a great source of vitamin c, and can help keep kids regular.