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Other than your mortgage, your biggest expense is probably food, right? You are not alone! According to the USDA, the average family of four spends about $835.57 per month on groceries.
Most of your essentials may be fixed, but when it comes to food spending, you do have a little bit of control over how much you spend.
Here are a few things you can do to lower your grocery budget:
Start a Grocery Budget
One of the first things you should do is track exactly what you’re spending on groceries. Keep your receipts for a few weeks, and then use the average amount to create a beginning budget. Use this average number for a few weeks and try not to go over that amount.
Once you’re comfortable with staying at that average amount, try to cut down your grocery spending each month. This doesn’t have to be a drastic amount, try cutting back by just $20 – $30 each month. Keep chipping away at your grocery budget each month to see how low you can get your budget.
Make a Price Book
You kept those receipts, right? Here’s where they come in!
You’re going to create a price book with the information. A price book is a document that you create that has the regular price for the staples that you buy. This can be a spreadsheet, a little notebook – whatever works for you!
You’re going to use this price book when shopping, and when looking at the weekly ads to see if any advertised deals would actually save you money and you can see where you can buy that item the cheapest.
It’s a little old-school, but I promise it comes in handy!
The Extras Have to Go!
Whenever I shop without a list, I always end up with a bunch of extras (snacks) that I never planned for in the first place. I can hear the bakery section calling out to me even now…
If you’re like me, get into the habit of making a list before you ever set foot in the grocery store, and don’t just make the list – actually try to STICK to it! Because those little extras really do add up.
Have Some Cheap Meal Ideas Ready
Don’t worry, I’m not telling you to go on the Dave Ramsey rice and beans diet – I swear! But you should have a few cheap meal ideas in your back pocket. These can really save your budget, and if you combine cheap meals and something like the pantry challenge, you can make a huge difference in your grocery budget!
To help get you started with a grocery budget, I’ve made a list of 7 cheap meal plans and I have 3 lists of cheap meal ideas.
Cheap Meal Plans
On a budget? Want to feed your family meals that are both tasty and under $10 per serving? We have found tons of different meal plans and meal ideas that won’t break the bank!
7 Dinners for $50
Jill from Organizational Toast was able to create 7 dinners for her family for less than $50! She shares the meal plan, all the recipes, and a breakdown of the costs of each ingredient.
Aldi Meal Plan (for a Family of 5)
The Thrift Frugal Mom has created a 7-day dinner meal plan that costs less than $50, makes enough food to feed 5 people, and each recipe takes less than 50min to make (including prep).
Cheap 2-Week Meal Plan
This 2-week dinner meal plan comes from One Fine Wallet, and includes recipes with minimal ingredients, but they also share a few ways to save more on your grocery budget.
Busy Mom Weekly Meal Plan
I love this mean plan because it not only includes a week's worth of dinners, but also has an amazing side and a delicious dessert!
Budget Grocery Haul And Meal Plan – 105 Meals, $50 for 1 Week!
This wonderful meal plan created 105 servings, which is enough to feed 5 people for a week! And the entire plan costs less than $50!
And unlike some of the other meal plans on this list, this meal plan includes all the meals! Yes, it includes breakfast, lunch, AND dinner!
$50 per week meal plan for family of 5
This meal plan comes from Savvy Frugal Mom and has a week's worth of dinners with enough servings for a family of 5, and the total cost of all the ingredients is less than $50.
$100 WEEKLY MEAL PLAN FAMILY OF 5 + 30 MINUTE MEALS
If you have a slightly bigger budget, you could try this meal plan from Mommy Can't Afford That.
It includes enough dinner to feed a family of 5 for a week. All the meals take less than 30 minutes to make, and they're family-friendly!
Make Your Own Meal Plan!
If you're willing to create your own meal plan using some cheap dinner ideas, here are some lists of meals that you can use to mix and match!
10 QUICK & EASY WEEKNIGHT DINNERS ON A BUDGET
This list includes some delicious-looking dinners that cook fast!
35 Easy Cheap Dinner Ideas to Make Your Mouth AND Wallet Happy!
This set of delicious (and cheap!) meals was compiled by Marissa from Squirrels of a Feather! All the meals on her list are incredibly cheap (everything is under $10 a serving!) and she also gives some helpful tips that will help you stretch your food budget.
55 Cheap And Easy Meals You Are Going To Love
This list includes has meals for everyone! There are chicken, pork, and beef recipes, and there are recipes for vegetarians and vegans!
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