I caused a bit of a stir a few weeks back when I wrote that I don’t use grocery coupons because coupons aren’t green. My quest for feeding a family organic food on a budget has taken me in another direction: whole foods used efficiently. We are still a small family, and I think this technique will work better for us when there are more mouths to feed, because the best way to save on whole foods is buying them in bulk.
With that in mind, I asked my friend Mandy–crunchy green mama of 4 little ones–to share her tips for feeding a family on a budget. I hope you like them. Thanks, Mandy!
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Mandy: Feeding more people is mostly about stretching the same food a little further. So instead of doubling the meat amounts, you double the rice, veggies, quinoa, whatever. I have really been learning the art of multiplying food for last-minute guests based on multiplying the dishes served rather than the quantity of food.
Here are some more tips.
Seasonal Is Best
Seasonal is best: buying your meat in the summer, 1/4-1/2 a cow at a time from a farmer is amazing! We get our grass-fed beef for 2.50/pound, for all of the cuts. So I have to pinch the budget a lot during the summer months to make room for beef, chickens and berries (also freezer space! But totally worth the intitial cost of the freezer). Also, stocking up on berries/veggies when they are in season and freezing them makes a big difference. An initial investment that is cheaper in the long run.
Co-ops and Buying Clubs
Find a local coop, buying club, etc. But being a saavy shopper is critical. Amazon gives discounts for subscriptions to items, on top of their already pretty awesome prices. Amazon Mom increases the discount on some baby/kid items to 30 percent.
Find other saavy moms and ask where they get their healthy food. In the NW we have Azure Standard, I can buy my organic apples 20# for around $19. Frontier is another national coop for things like herbs, spices, and skincare. Also, Mountain Rose Herbs is great for herbs and other awesome things (elderberries, coconut oil, shea butter). Coscto has some great organic things, too. Oh, and of course farmer’s markets 
Our area even has a great organic produce delivery club that is very reasonable.
Cut The Junk
It’s amazing how reducing/eliminating the snacky foods really helps, too. If the kids want a snack, they eat carrots or an apple. (Except the occasional road trip or holiday special treat.) Also, other than special treats or challenging seasons, we don’t buy cereal.
Plan Ahead
Plan ahead: planning out your meals for at least a week, but maybe even two or all month helps you be the most cost efficient while shopping.
Don’t just buy in bulk: cook in bulk. Not only is money tight, but so is time. If you are going to cook, make it count. Make a giant pot of soup over the weekend or at the beginning of the week to eat off and on, dinner, lunch, lunch, another dinner, or Friday night dinner when you don’t feel like cooking again. Freeze half of the soup, or make a huge batch of beans/beef/corn taco filler and freeze most of it to use other times without cooking. Whenever you can make extra to freeze, do so. I think this is more cost effective as well.
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Thanks again, Mandy! So, what do you think? Will you try one of these tips? Do you have one to add? Please let me know in comments!
Great posting.
We also purchase organic grass fed beef – 1/2 cow each year. Saved us quite a lot. We do most of our canning in the summer and enjoy it all winter. That also saves us, too. Lots of great tips, thank you.
Thanks, Jenn! I know several people who buy a side of a cow to save money on good beef, but it does take a lot of freezer space.
My husband and I keep wanting to buy the 1/2 cow but… are concerned about freezer space. Also prices here in CT are much higher than $2.50/lb. It actually turns out to be over $5/lb and I don’t really love the idea of paying $5/lb for ground beef, b/c isn’t that MOSTLY what you get? Also I have never learned to cook with various cuts of beef. Only steaks, Gr. Beef, and stew meat. So I think part of saving money might also be that you need to branch out your recipe repertoire!
I would love to know more about how to expand the meals for last minute guests!!
I would love to find a local coop – maybe I will search around. Good tips!
Great post! I didn’t catch your post about not using coupons, but I completely agree. Coupons are usually for processed foods I don’t buy anyway.
How do you find places where you can buy organic grass fed beef by purchasing 1/2 a cow? I would love to do that but have no idea where I would do it. Also, for breakfasts, what do you make if you don’t have cereal? My kids are allergic to dairy and eggs so while I would love to get rid of the expensive costs of cereal, other than oatmeal, I don’t know what they would eat. Thanks!
Hi Heather,
You could try something with breakfast meats, but that is tough. Normally you can find local farmers who sell grass-fed beef by asking around at your local farmer’s market, organic grocery stores, or Googling food co-ops or CSAs in your area, which may either sell beef themselves or know someone who does.