How to Save Money When Grocery Shopping For a Large Family

How to Save Money When Grocery Shopping For a Large Family

Typically groceries are one of the most expensive parts of a large family’s budget. Saving money on your grocery bill does not need to be complicated or difficult. As the mother of a large family, saving money on groceries allow me to save money for things we enjoy, such as traveling. 

How to Save Money When Grocery Shopping For a Large Family

Track what you spend

Before you get started on trying to save money, I encourage you to track what you spend each month. This can be done with a simple spreadsheet or a budgeting app. There is nothing more motivating that watching the numbers go down and down. You need to know where you start and set goals for where you would like to be.

Shop online

Shopping online doesn’t just give you the chance to find great deals. It also gives you the chance to shop in your pajamas. For me, the most useful part of online shopping, especially with groceries, is the ability to only buy what is on your list. Walking the aisles of the grocery store gives you plenty of opportunities to pick up unnecessary or frivolous items. Resist the urge to browse. Search for what you need. Buy what you need. This saves money.

Spend money to make money

I often hear parents of young, large families say that they can’t afford the membership fees to bulk wholesale stores. Fees to stores like Sam’s Club are not only reasonable but as a mom of 6, I can tell you that you will make back your fees almost instantly. For me, even in the first shop. The other comment I hear from families who are on the fence about membership is that they aren’t sure they will get their money’s worth out of it on a regular basis. Sam’s Club has everything you need, at large discounts. You will have no need to shop anywhere else and when shopping wholesale becomes part of your regular routine, you will not look back.huggies sams club

Buy in bulk

Buying in bulk does not mean buying 50 rolls of paper towel (although you can get them super cheap that way), buying in bulk can mean simply buying beef and splitting it into 4 portions, or buying the mega pack of Huggies®Little Snugglers like I do.  Buying in bulk takes preplanning. You need to be able to buy ahead of time as to not run out and need to quickly run to the corner store and buy that $5 jug of milk. The other thing you need to keep in mind when shopping in bulk is storage. With 8 mouths to feed, even with a large kitchen, I still find myself spilling into my dining room at times. Consider this before making bulk purchases, plan ahead and make some space. This is the only reason I don’t buy 50 rolls of paper towel at one time.

Consider the cost of convenience

I am not going to insult your intelligence and tell you that convenience foods are expensive. All mothers know that. Yet we need convenience. Mothers with large families especially. There are places where convenience can not only be cost neutral, but can occasionally save you money. Huggies® Little Snugglers keep messes in thanks to their pocketed back waist band. I don’t have time to change complete outfits with each diaper change, because that is inconvenient. Also take some time to reconsider convenience food. Fruit is convenient, crackers and cheese can be convenient, making a dozen hard-boiled eggs for the week ahead can be convenient. huggies little snugglers from sams club

Make a few simple changes to start

Changing your entire shopping practice or your family’s entire menu all at one time might not only cause frustration for you, but you might have an uprising of little people on your hands. Make one or two small changes each week and watch your grocery bill go down. Get yourself a wholesale membership if you don’t already have one and begin to shop in bulk. Then slowly decrease convenient foods and introduce some less expensive options. 

Photography thanks to Haley Bradley, check out Haley’s Vintage for more of her work.

 

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