My 10 Budgeting Rules for feeding a Big Family.

I have found, during my time as a frugal SAHM of 4, plus as an international homestay parent, that I need to be on the ball when it comes to grocery shopping.

In todays day an age, we are bombarded with sales galore, when we walk into the grocery store, it is easy to get swept up I the moment of feeling like you are getting a good deal if you buy this item NOW….

However, in my experience, the “good deals” are only ever achieved when they are thought through and researched in advance.

For time poor families, this just seems like another thing to add to an already hectic schedule. That is when I came up with my unofficial “10 Rules” for family life, budgeting.

By following these rules on auto pilot I don’t need to add extra thinking to my busy, sensory overloaded weeks, plus I know that I am always getting a good deal and I can feel good about that.

So hold onto your money (for now) and have a read through these tips below to save $$ where you can and ensure that hosting international students financially beneficial not burdensome to your family’s budget.

1) Meat

Meat is one of the most expensive parts of your grocery shop, so it pays to get it right. My rule here is I only buy meat that is $10/kg or less. Sometimes I deviate, but only a little ($13kg max).

Chicken is easy to buy at this price, however when I buy red meat, particularly beef, the only way I can get it at, or near, this price is to buy it in bulk and cut and prepare it myself (e.g. chopping into portions ready for casseroles, crumbing it into schnitzels myself etc).

Beef is never this price at Coles and Woollies (at least in my experience) and I will often buy my beef in bulk from an IGA or Foodland (SA), or a Butcher that specialises in bulk distribution, where it is regularly at this price.

I buy my beef bulk and portion it out some easy meal times. Here I have beef portions ready for casseroles and crumbed beef schnitzel.

2) Shop the specials and maximise discounts

I shop the specials and I use the 10% discount offered by Coles and Woolworths. I also get our phone plan through the Woolworths chain, because it means we get an extra 10% off a month. I also found that I get an extra 10% off if I shop online first and then again in store later in the month, that is 3 lots of 10% off just from Woolworths alone. When you are shopping for a big family this is such a huge help to our budget.

3) Make time to for Food Prep

I prepare all the food I buy within a day of buying it so that it is available to be used throughout the week. I use these glass containers, I got from Kmart, they are great because they are stackable in the fridge and they keep our food fresh for the entire week. It also makes it easy to see what I have available and needs using up, at a glance.

these are the glass containers I use for my meal preps. I love them because I can put them into the oven to reheat a pre-made meal that has defrosted, from the freezer, They also have a clip on plastic lid, so they can be stacked in the fridge. at only $10 for a large one, it is a total bargain, considering it is used daily. They also come in all different sizes depending on your needs.

4) Don’t Shop Hungry

I don’t shop hungry, I hardly ever take kids to the shops with me and I shop online as much as possible, so that I can see exactly what I am spending my money on and can adjust my trolley as needed.

5) Sleep on it

I often do the bulk of my weekly shopping online at night, in bed on my phone, after the kids are asleep, I usually ‘sleep on it’ before I finalise my grocery shop purchase and put the official paid order in the next day.

By doing this, I often find a packet of Tim Tams or 2 make their way OUT of my online shopping cart and back on the virtual shelf where they probably belong (sigh).

6) Wednesday = Market Day

Wednesday is Market Day, which means the prices and specials all change for the new week. So if your planning your shop, be aware that price changes and rotations occur on Wednesdays.

**NOTE - Don’t do rule 5 on a Tuesday night! The prices will change in your cart on Wednesday morning. This can be a painful experience for the hip pocket. Any other night is fine**

7) Look at the Unit Price

I look at the unit price NOT the actual price and make my purchase based on this. I like to get the most for my money. This is particularly the case for meat but also snack foods and breakfast cereals. For breakfast cereals, anything that is around $1/100g is a good deal, big boxes of cornflakes are around .76c/100g so is an economical breakfast cereal for big families. I sometimes buy the sugary breakfast cereals as a treat in school holidays, but not often.

in this photo you can see a variety of cereal options and the different unit prices per 100g for each of them. the lower the unit price, the more product you are getting for your money, which is always our goal. 

8) Keep treats as treats

I don’t buy soft drinks, fruit juice boxes, mini chocolates and other expensive snack foods like roll ups, le Snack, fancy muesli bars etc UNLESS they are half price. and are around that $1/100g or less. This is where your money can disappear quick, especially with kids who can easily snack on these types of food and not feel full. Plus these are actually “treat” foods, and having them sometimes, actually makes them a ‘treat’ when we do have it, which is what it is designed for.

9) Minimise Waste

Waste! I think we underestimate how much money we throw away when we have wasted food. The way I combat this, is I don’t over-face my kids with big dinners (and my students serve themselves),

I share with family members the cost of food items, especially if they were a bit more expensive than usual that week. This is so they think twice about wasting it when at school/work etc..

I will cook up food that needs eating e.g. fruit (apples into a desert), veggies (into a casserole) and meat (into a new meal e.g. cottage pie, spaghetti bolognese). I also freeze any browning bananas for smoothies.

If it looks like we have an abundance of left overs I will be creative and make something new with it. Google can help here with ideas, just google “what to make with left over _____(fill in the blank)”

I freeze left overs in individual portions for student/work lunches. I also make soups with left over veggies for nutritious lunch options that can be. taken to work/school.

10) Cook Once, Eat Twice

Cook once eat twice (or more) rule is great for big families. This is where you cook a large portion of a meal so that you can freeze some of it for another night. Having meals available adhoc means you don’t need to turn to take away, which will save loads. This is a lifesaver if you have an unexpected week of illness or after school activities.

cooking bulk spaghetti bolognese is so useful for families, I still do this on the road  and we will often eat spaghetti bolognese on a travel day for dinner.

I hope these have given my readers an insight into how we save money while hosting international students and having a big family.

Obviously life is colourful and with kids anything can happen at anytime, but as long as I have these rules, or guidelines I always have something to fall back on to get myself back on track.

What do you do to save money? do you have any other great money saving hacks?

Reach out and let me know, I’d love to hear them.