While the world has dealt with inflation this past year our family is often asked how we afford groceries for our big family. On a given week I am feeding 8 people, and sometimes more when our teenage daughters are home. We also have a baby on formula. Two in diapers, and a cat that also likes to be fed. Curious how much we budget for groceries week to week with our Big Family and the ways we go about feeding everyone with that amount. Then let’s go!
Budget per Person
Remember everyone’s grocery budget is different! I am NOT telling you what we budget is the golden number; it is just what has worked for our family the past few years. Yes, there are some months we spend over this amount and other months we have extra left over. On average this is the amount we budget for groceries month to month. Currently I go with the $100 per person rule. However, I do not count my older girls in that number, even if they are home a majority of the summer or holidays. Our Grocery Budget as of February 2025 is $800 and yes this includes all food, toiletries, diapers, wipes, formula, and cat related products. I take that number and divide it by however many weeks are in the month and that gives me our grocery budget week to week.
Some will think I spend too much or not enough on groceries. Sure, there are weeks when the money is gone after just buying the essentials and a few other items we need to make it through the week. Other times I will have extra and surprise the kids with a fun snack or dessert. Sometimes we even use the extra money, paired with coupons; to eat out so I can enjoy a night off from cooking!
Stay on Budget
Typically, we are able to stay on budget by purchasing the groceries we need for the week first. Then the wants if there is still money in the budget for that week. I shop until I hit the allotted amount for the week then STOP so I won’t be embarrassed and have to put items back. Walking around the store using a calculator to keep us on track or trying to divert the kids’ gazes from the junk food does not always sound like fun to me. “No, we don’t need Kinder Joy Candy Eggs. No, we already have cereal at home, so we aren’t getting the magical unicorn cereal.” However, there are times we do take all the kids out and venture to the grocery store to shop.
I also enjoy using the Walmart or Kroger Apps if I don’t want to go to a physical store that week. It also helps with overspending because I can just remove items from the cart before checking out.
Meal Plan + Leftover Night
The first place I start when Meal Planning is looking ahead at what the upcoming week is going to look like. Do we have family stopping by? An extracurricular activity one night? Or perhaps my husband is working a closing shift, and I can make something more adventurous! Or maybe like our family you have a reoccurring Pizza Night. We have Pizza Night every Friday, so I don’t have to cook. Woohoo! Pick the same time every week to Meal Plan so it will become a habit. I tend to do this on a Saturday morning while the kids are playing. Once I have filled in anything we may have going on. Checked our pantry and deep freezer to see what we already have on hand. Looked to see what Grocery Sales are happening that week then I make a Meal Plan based on groceries I know my family will eat.
Keep in mind that the most expensive groceries you buy are what you throw away! Only Meal Plan and buy foods your family will eat. Consider having a Leftover Night so you can cut down on wasted food. For our family this typically happens on Saturday night since we restock our fridge and pantry on Sundays. Another way we prevent food waste is either Sam or I will eat leftovers for lunch.
Shop Your Pantry and Freezer for Groceries
If you are already one to stockpile when grocery sales are happening, then shop your Pantry and Freezer first to help keep grocery costs low. For example, by “shopping” my Pantry and Freezer this week I saw that I had Ground Beef, Flour Wraps, and Taco Seasoning already on hand. Hello Taco Night! Now all I had to buy were some Tortilla Chips, Queso and a few toppings that my family enjoys on their Tacos. The grand total out of that week’s grocery budget for Taco Night was $8 and we had leftovers!
Another way to save money is to have a Pantry Challenge a few times a year. This helps to see what food may be hiding in your pantry and use it up before expiring. We tend to do this about 2 times a year in our family. Maybe once in the Spring and again in the Fall.
Shop Weekly Deals + Use Coupons
Find out when the new sales start for the grocery stores around you. And plan to purchase groceries you know your family will use. Where we currently live, I have Walmart within a mile from our house, and Kroger, Publix and an Aldi a few miles away. Due to the distance, we don’t necessarily frequent those on a weekly basis. I start by checking the Kroger and Publix deals, then either plan to finish up our shopping at Aldi or Walmart… depending on our needs that week.
Usually, I start with the Kroger App and search their Weekly Ad. I also check the Digital Deals and add any electronic coupons that I will use. Most Digital Coupons will be found be on a store’s app. We still receive paper coupons from Kroger in the mail from time to time, and I will sort through those as well. I see if I can pair them with a Weekly Deal they are running. Or maybe use them with a Manager Special they have in the store to stretch our grocery budget further. If you are wanting to use paper coupons, you can find them in the Sunday Paper. Search online and print them off. Or reach out to companies whose products you love, and they may send you coupons via email to print off or through the mail.
Buy the Generic Brand
Another helpful thing we practice it to buy the Generic Brand on items such as peanut butter, crackers, granola bars, trash bags, etc. We only purchase name brand products IF it is on sale, and I can get them cheaper than the Generic Brand. It also helps that for now our kids are young and can’t seem to tell the difference between Post Marshmallow Fruity Pebbles and Malt-o-Meal Fruity Dino Bites with Marshmallows when Dad decides to splurge on a fun cereal 🙂
Shop at a Discounted Grocery Store
Shopping at a discount store is another way to feed a big family on a budget. I like shopping at Aldi because you can really stretch a dollar with their discounted prices. You won’t always get name brand, if that is what you prefer, but the Aldi store brand is a nice substitute. The times when I do shop at Aldi, I usually go on a day my husband is off. He will watch all the kids so I can go alone and not worry about trying to haul six kids to the store. Or I may take one or two kids along to help.
More recently we have started taking all six kids grocery shopping to help train them on how we behave at a store. We will pre-discuss with the kids what the behavioral expectations are. How they can help, and what food they can help pick out as we shop. This applies to certain deals we may be stocking up on. As our kids grow more accustomed to shopping with us it is actually fun to take them along and have them help. This way they learn the appropriate way to behave. Participate in the teamwork it takes to shop for our family and see how they think of each other’s likes and dislikes when helping make selections.
Buy Local
Buying local is something we have done from time to time over the years. While we hope to one day have our own homestead, for now we will gladly support local homesteaders and farmers who are already living that dream. Over the years we have purchased eggs from friends with chickens. Or if they had an abundance, they would give us extra… VERY much appreciated! My parents have a neighbor who gifts them with homemade Jam which they kindly share with us. For a few years we purchased honey in bulk from one of Sam’s coworkers who had beehives.
Depending on where we are living, we may sign up for a CSA OR Community Supported Agriculture Share from a nearby farmer sometimes during Spring and Summer months if there is a convenient pick-up location. Or we will visit Farmer’s Market in our county or surrounding areas if a CSA is not an option.
Food Delivery Service
During busy seasons we have tried the Food Delivery Services you often see advertised. While I enjoy the creative food selections, only a few in my family feel the same as me. Sam and some of the kids are very basic eaters, but they are willing to try something new every so often. I have always been pleased with the subscriptions we have chosen and appreciated the break it gave me from Meal Planning, but usually when the discount ends, we cancel our membership as the cost becomes more than we are willing to pay. I am always willing to resubscribe when a good offer comes to my inbox!
Have More Ideas on How to Save Money When Buying Groceries?
Please share in the comments so we can all make that dollar go further! Or check out other topics we are discussing in our Big Family Logistics Series.
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