Feeding Your Family When the Money Just Isn’t There

Have you ever looked at your checking account balance and wondered whether you should buy groceries or pay the electric bill?  I was in a similar position earlier this week. There was not enough money to do everything I needed to do, so I had to get creative. It took some planning, but I spent (and bought) only what I needed at the grocery store to get my family through to the next check. Here are some tips to help you do the same thing.

Plan your meals ahead of time. When I realized I couldn’t afford many groceries this week, I looked in my refrigerator and pantry for anything I could make a meal of. Then, I spent an hour on Sunday planning our meals for the week. If you need help making meals from the ingredients on hand, use a website like Taste of Home or Kraft Foods. Both of these websites will search for recipes based on the ingredients already in your kitchen.

Use less meat. Last night, I made stir fry with chicken breast, fresh vegetables and orzo pasta, which is a lot like rice but tastes better to me. The only thing I had to buy was the orzo, which costs about a dollar. I packed the meal with vegetables and orzo and just used the chicken as an accent. It fed three people, and we still had leftovers.

Cook with more beans and grains. Beans, both fresh and canned, are one of the cheapest foods you can buy at the grocery store, along with pasta and rice. Choose beans that provide protein and pair them with the grain of your choice. Add a salad to get in your veggies.

Eliminate (even if it’s just temporary) soft drinks or drinks made from powder mixes. If you or your family members just have to have something with flavor instead of drinking water, make iced tea with tea bags, or buy lemons to make lemonade. Lemons are extremely cheap, and fresh lemons are much stronger than powder mixes or bottled lemon juice. You can also add lemon to your water.

Bake instead of buy. The cost of snacks adds up fast. Bake cookies with ingredients already in your pantry. This week, we’ll be making Rice Krispie treats from cereal already in the pantry and Peeps marshmallows leftover from Easter.

Opt for eggs instead of cereal if necessary. If cereal is not on sale, buy eggs. They are affordable and go a long way. They also are a great source of protein and keep your family full for a longer period of time.

Keep lunch simple. Peanut butter and jelly, pasta, tuna, rice and beans are all cheap lunches packed with protein. Use those instead of fancy lunch meats to get you through to the next pay check.

How else do you stretch your groceries? Leave a comment so everyone can benefit from your insight.