Coupons and Feeding a Big Family
OK, so It's time for me to confess something. I know many people assume this about me, but it's just not true.
I do not use coupons.
I know, it's crazy, what with all those hungry children to feed, and living on one income, but there it is. Once in a while I look through the coupons that come in the paper, but then I soon remember why I don't use them.
Hair products: I have time to wash my hair with really cheap shampoo (no coupon needed) and maybe dry it. Maybe.
Personal care products: Who needs pink razors when your husband's is always handy and sharp? Any other product I can buy in a gallon size at the local warehouse club. Except for deodorant and toothpaste, which do not come in a handy gallon size, so I sometimes use coupons for those.
Boxed items: Even with a great coupon, you could make it yourself much more cheaply. Plus, most stuff that comes in a box isn't good for you anyway. But I do buy crackers and pretzels- the really dry, boring ones. This keeps the kids from eating too many of them.
Condiments/Spices: I make my own salad dressing, and I buy the big container of mayo at the warehouse. I splurge on ketchup and mustard. (And if you have mayo, vinegar, honey, mustard, yogurt and spices on hand, you can make almost any kind of salad dressing in a minute). And I hardly see coupons for those. I buy spices in bulk or at the discount store. I occasionally splurge on a special, expensive spice, and use sparingly.
Canned goods: I make my own soups, except for tomato (which I buy from the co-op, or I use this great homemade recipe), I buy store brand canned fruits sometimes, but I prefer to buy frozen.
Frozen Foods: The freezer at the store is full of convenience items that are mostly bad for you; but sometimes I splurge and let the kids have a treat. I do buy frozen fruits and vegetables. But not little bags of already cut up convenience veggies; I get 3-5 pound bags of plain old produce.
Cereal: This is considered junk food in our house, and I always buy the cheap store brand, which is usually cheaper than buying a national brand with a coupon. And we don't eat it for breakfast every morning, anyway.
Cleaning and Paper Products: I can get these in bulk at the warehouse club. Plus, with little time to actually clean my house, these last a long time in my house.
There are no coupons (or very rarely) for the foods I do buy: fresh produce (which, pound for pound, is pretty cheap), milk, cheese, yogurt (not those expensive, 4 ounce ones that are full of sugar) and eggs, rice and beans, fresh meats, wine and beer (wine counts as fruit and beer as a grain, right?), maybe some fresh orange juice (but I can always juice the fresh oranges that I bought) and the occasional bagels or loaf of bread.
I shop at Aldi and a local discount store (whose house brands are pretty cheap) and a warehouse club. (The cost of the club membership is always offset by the rebate they give at the end of the year for shopping there). I order from a food co-op about 3 times a year where I can get items in large amounts. I try to buy sale items. We don't eat meat every day. I try to keep snacking to a minimum and use healthful foods if the kids do need one. I make a menu for the week. I shop once a week based on my menu and what is in the pantry, and if we run out of something, that's too bad. (Shopping once a week is a money and time saver as well). I cook a lot from scratch, but not always. I avoid high fructose corn syrup, MSG, preservatives, food dyes and other unhealthful additives, and try to use whole grains and alternative, healthful sweeteners as much as I can. (This costs a bit more, but I feel it pays off in having a healthy family). That's basically my strategy.
But you know what? I don't spend an arm and a leg on groceries per person. And that's what matters to me. I am feeding 9 people; at 21 meals a week, that's 189 meals! It averages out to about 3-4 dollars a day per person. And I spend no time clipping coupons and keeping track of their expiration dates or hunting down the right name brand so I can use the coupon.
Not only that, since we eat a mostly whole foods diet, (but not organic because it's too expensive) we are eating nutrient dense foods. You get more for your money as far as nutrition goes when you eat that way, and you aren't craving nutritionally deficient junk food. And most of the time, none of us feels terribly deprived; we eat well and enjoy food!
Here is a typical weekly haul. Yes, we go through 7 gallons of milk a week. I usually have stuff left over from the last week, and since I store bulk items (grains, rice, beans, flour canned goods), it saves me from having to buy everything I need to make every meal I have planned for the week.
I do not use coupons.
I know, it's crazy, what with all those hungry children to feed, and living on one income, but there it is. Once in a while I look through the coupons that come in the paper, but then I soon remember why I don't use them.
Hair products: I have time to wash my hair with really cheap shampoo (no coupon needed) and maybe dry it. Maybe.
Personal care products: Who needs pink razors when your husband's is always handy and sharp? Any other product I can buy in a gallon size at the local warehouse club. Except for deodorant and toothpaste, which do not come in a handy gallon size, so I sometimes use coupons for those.
Boxed items: Even with a great coupon, you could make it yourself much more cheaply. Plus, most stuff that comes in a box isn't good for you anyway. But I do buy crackers and pretzels- the really dry, boring ones. This keeps the kids from eating too many of them.
Condiments/Spices: I make my own salad dressing, and I buy the big container of mayo at the warehouse. I splurge on ketchup and mustard. (And if you have mayo, vinegar, honey, mustard, yogurt and spices on hand, you can make almost any kind of salad dressing in a minute). And I hardly see coupons for those. I buy spices in bulk or at the discount store. I occasionally splurge on a special, expensive spice, and use sparingly.
Canned goods: I make my own soups, except for tomato (which I buy from the co-op, or I use this great homemade recipe), I buy store brand canned fruits sometimes, but I prefer to buy frozen.
Frozen Foods: The freezer at the store is full of convenience items that are mostly bad for you; but sometimes I splurge and let the kids have a treat. I do buy frozen fruits and vegetables. But not little bags of already cut up convenience veggies; I get 3-5 pound bags of plain old produce.
Cereal: This is considered junk food in our house, and I always buy the cheap store brand, which is usually cheaper than buying a national brand with a coupon. And we don't eat it for breakfast every morning, anyway.
Cleaning and Paper Products: I can get these in bulk at the warehouse club. Plus, with little time to actually clean my house, these last a long time in my house.
There are no coupons (or very rarely) for the foods I do buy: fresh produce (which, pound for pound, is pretty cheap), milk, cheese, yogurt (not those expensive, 4 ounce ones that are full of sugar) and eggs, rice and beans, fresh meats, wine and beer (wine counts as fruit and beer as a grain, right?), maybe some fresh orange juice (but I can always juice the fresh oranges that I bought) and the occasional bagels or loaf of bread.
I shop at Aldi and a local discount store (whose house brands are pretty cheap) and a warehouse club. (The cost of the club membership is always offset by the rebate they give at the end of the year for shopping there). I order from a food co-op about 3 times a year where I can get items in large amounts. I try to buy sale items. We don't eat meat every day. I try to keep snacking to a minimum and use healthful foods if the kids do need one. I make a menu for the week. I shop once a week based on my menu and what is in the pantry, and if we run out of something, that's too bad. (Shopping once a week is a money and time saver as well). I cook a lot from scratch, but not always. I avoid high fructose corn syrup, MSG, preservatives, food dyes and other unhealthful additives, and try to use whole grains and alternative, healthful sweeteners as much as I can. (This costs a bit more, but I feel it pays off in having a healthy family). That's basically my strategy.
But you know what? I don't spend an arm and a leg on groceries per person. And that's what matters to me. I am feeding 9 people; at 21 meals a week, that's 189 meals! It averages out to about 3-4 dollars a day per person. And I spend no time clipping coupons and keeping track of their expiration dates or hunting down the right name brand so I can use the coupon.
Not only that, since we eat a mostly whole foods diet, (but not organic because it's too expensive) we are eating nutrient dense foods. You get more for your money as far as nutrition goes when you eat that way, and you aren't craving nutritionally deficient junk food. And most of the time, none of us feels terribly deprived; we eat well and enjoy food!
Here is a typical weekly haul. Yes, we go through 7 gallons of milk a week. I usually have stuff left over from the last week, and since I store bulk items (grains, rice, beans, flour canned goods), it saves me from having to buy everything I need to make every meal I have planned for the week.
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