Money has been tight for many of you over the past year but your priorities of wanting to keep your family happy and healthy haven’t changed. Keeping your family on a varied diet can seem challenging when trying to live on a budget, but with these top tips you can keep the family well fed without loosening your purse strings. 

Take advantage of special offers and buy in bulk

Whilst it can seem sensible to plan your budget week by week and buy accordingly, you can make some great savings by taking advantage of special offers on non-perishable food that can either be kept in the freezer or store cupboard. Making a monthly food budget can make more sense when it comes to buying in bulk as you may have weeks where you spend a large portion of your budget on staple goods and then only have to buy fresh produce on other weeks to supplement what you already have at home.

Don’t waste those leftovers

Inevitably, there will usually be some food left over after most family meals. It’s easy just to throw these in the trash when clearing the dishes but saving even tiny portions in reusable containers for future use ensures nothing is wasted. When your kids complain about being hungry the next day, you’ll have a few leftovers to offer them to tide them over until dinner time! This can eliminate the need to buy snacks which can often be unhealthy and full of sugar. Leftovers can also make great packed lunches for school or work the next day, saving you money on buying lunches.

Grow your own

Growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs can go a long way towards supplementing store bought food. Even if you only have a small yard, or even a balcony, be sure to make space to try growing a few of your family’s favorites. In addition to the financial benefit of not having to buy everything you eat, gardening is also proven to reduce the stress that can often be associated with money worries. Take a look at this blog post to find out more. If you do find yourself experiencing issues with debt, the best way to really take the strain off is to start taking steps to resolve it by contacting a company such as Strategic Consulting for guidance.

Plan your meals

The best way to ensure that fresh ingredients don’t end up going off before you get round to eating them is to plan what your family are going to eat each week in advance. This will help you to stay focused when doing your grocery shopping and will ensure you don’t end up buying more than you need or being tempted by items that aren’t on your meal plan. With this in mind it is usually best to shop alone where possible to avoid the kids spotting enticing items and placing them in your shopping cart when you aren’t looking! If you do need to take them with you, bring something to keep them distracted!