How to Cook for a Large Family on a Budget
Stick to some basic rules to make the budget work well., Pay attention to your grocery store's weekly ad, but only look for specific things., Look for farmer's markets and local family owned, small grocers or butcher shops., Start a collection of...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Stick to some basic rules to make the budget work well.
The suggestions in this section are the best ways to get in the mindset of cooking for your family and are good rules to live by. -
Step 2: Pay attention to your grocery store's weekly ad
A good advert will have separate sections for meat, fruits, veggies, deli, snack foods, frozen, etc. , Compare their prices to those offered by the big chains.
Usually their fresh food is much less expensive and you can usually buy in bulk, whereas grocery stores can limit your purchases for fear of resellers. , You can reuse most takeout containers, glass jars or deli meat containers if you have them.
Be sure to always keep them clean and to never microwave food in them, even if they are microwave safe.
It's worth washing the extra plate or bowl! , Make sure to clean your refrigerator and kitchen sink with bleach or an antibacterial alternative.
You can plug your sink while you bleach the dish towels in it and use the bleach water to clean around the kitchen if you don't have a bucket.
This also is bleaching the sink while you clean the rest of the kitchen.
A clean kitchen will prevent disease and food poisoning.
During weekly cleaning, you can throw away anything that has gone bad. , This article focuses on oven and stove cooking with pots and pans, blender usage and crockpot ideas.
You can find cheap but durable appliances and utensils at thrift stores which may just need a proper cleaning. , Buy one large bulk meat per week.
When you get home cut and prepare the meat into different portions and sections, and save all of the bones. , Stick to what's in season, and only buy what your family will eat.
Go for fruits like apples and oranges, as they are the least expensive.
Veggies are good fresh, canned or frozen.
Frozen veggies tend to cost less than fresh ones in many places, so be sure to compare.
Stock up on bell peppers, onions, corn and broccoli/ cauliflower when in season and freeze for other months if appropriate. , This refers to your starches.
These are going to be the cheapest parts of your meal and are there to help fill you and your family up along with the nutritious meats and fruits/veggies.
You can buy bulk bags of potatoes, rice, and beans (dry or canned,) and only cook what is needed per meal. , You can buy bulk pounds of most spices for only pennies at bulk food stores or online.
You can look into "foodservice" spices, as they typically cost significantly less and can be delivered to you in their own labeled containers.
Another option is to browse the spices in the ethnic food aisle, as they could be half to a third of the price of the tiny jarred spices.
Buy your salt and pepper in bulk, too.
You don't have to have everything all at once. , Always have bread in your freezer, always have peanut butter and jam in your cabinet.
Always have bouillon or soup bases on hand and plenty of water if you cannot use your tap. , You can buy magic marker boards that are magnetic, so you can wipe away an item if it becomes depleted.
Knowing what you have eliminates overbuying or buying duplicate items from week to week and helps you write out  shopping list in a snap. , That's a week's worth of supper groceries for under $30, assuming you have kept up with the staples in your kitchen pantry.
From this, you can make the meals suggested in this section. , If you have any tomatoes that are starting to turn, quarter them and toss into the pot.
A big roaster pan is ideal for this.
Add salt, pepper and rosemary if you prefer.
Adding spices to your food is something you will get used to doing naturally and you will learn to balance the flavours per meal.
This is an entire meal, but don't serve up all of the meat.
Encourage your family to eat as many of the veggies and possible and about four ounce portions of meat. ,, Keep the chicken stock with the bones. , The next dinner, use pieces of the pulled apart chicken on your bread with mayonnaise and or mustard. any leftover veggies can be added to the sandwich, or cheese if you bought it.
Any dark meat or undesirable looking pieces can be shredded or pulled apart and tossed into stir-fry, served with rice.
Make enough for tomorrow night's dinner in leftovers. , Add water as it evaporates.
Remove all of the bones and save the stock.
Add in any leftovers diced small into the stock pot, add in the bags of frozen veggies, and more water and salt/pepper to taste.
Add in rice or already cooked pasta, even if there is sauce on it.
Once everything has boiled together for an hour or so, add seasonings to fix the taste.
This should be enough soup for two meals.
Serve with fruit on the side.
The second tine your family eats the soup, boil again with more water and a roux (equal parts oil or butter with flour, must boil into the soup) to thicken and make a creamy texture.
Add in any cheeses if you have them. , Believe it or not, you've probably got leftovers in your fridge still.
If you don't, this is why you keep PB&J on hand.
Use this day to grocery shop for the upcoming week, bleach your kitchen, and do other household chores.
Plan this day to be a day off of work and your kids' school so that they can help with the chores. , When ready, load up the blender with the bag's contents, a handful of oats and a cup of yogurt.
Add in any juices you desire and blend to a fine consistency. , Or, give them leftover meals if you have excess. , Add a baggie of chips or pretzels if they are laying around the house. -
Step 3: but only look for specific things.
-
Step 4: Look for farmer's markets and local family owned
-
Step 5: small grocers or butcher shops.
-
Step 6: Start a collection of Tupperware or similar brand airtight storage containers.
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Step 7: Keep proper cleaning products on hand and clean your kitchen at least once a week.
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Step 8: Acquire basic kitchenware and appliances.
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Step 9: Find the cheapest deals per pound on bulk meats like whole chickens or turkeys
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Step 10: cuts of beef
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Step 11: and sausages.
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Step 12: Research fruit and veggie prices in the same way.
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Step 13: Buy your bases.
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Step 14: Keep a spice cabinet.
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Step 15: Buy a couple of kitchen extra staples if your budget allows for it.
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Step 16: Keep a list of what you have and if possible
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Step 17: how much of it
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Step 18: on a list pinned to the refrigerator.
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Step 19: Assume that for one week you buy a whole chicken
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Step 20: bags of frozen soup veggies
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Step 21: and sandwich bread.
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Step 22: Bake the chicken in your oven with plenty of water
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Step 23: and baby carrots
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Step 24: whole or quartered red potatoes
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Step 25: celery and onion.
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Step 26: Separate and refrigerate the remaining chicken meat.
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Step 27: Save the bones and throw them either into a stock pot for a soup or refrigerate/freeze for later.
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Step 28: Use the leftovers.
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Step 29: With any remaining leftovers and the bones and broth from the first meal
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Step 30: boil the bones and broth in a stock pan with plenty of water.
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Step 31: It's day seven?
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Step 32: Chop up fruit and green leaf veggies into portioned ziplock baggies for smoothies.
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Step 33: Pack everybody leftover sandwiches
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Step 34: PB&J's.
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Step 35: Add in a piece of fruit and a cheese slice or two as dairy.
Detailed Guide
The suggestions in this section are the best ways to get in the mindset of cooking for your family and are good rules to live by.
A good advert will have separate sections for meat, fruits, veggies, deli, snack foods, frozen, etc. , Compare their prices to those offered by the big chains.
Usually their fresh food is much less expensive and you can usually buy in bulk, whereas grocery stores can limit your purchases for fear of resellers. , You can reuse most takeout containers, glass jars or deli meat containers if you have them.
Be sure to always keep them clean and to never microwave food in them, even if they are microwave safe.
It's worth washing the extra plate or bowl! , Make sure to clean your refrigerator and kitchen sink with bleach or an antibacterial alternative.
You can plug your sink while you bleach the dish towels in it and use the bleach water to clean around the kitchen if you don't have a bucket.
This also is bleaching the sink while you clean the rest of the kitchen.
A clean kitchen will prevent disease and food poisoning.
During weekly cleaning, you can throw away anything that has gone bad. , This article focuses on oven and stove cooking with pots and pans, blender usage and crockpot ideas.
You can find cheap but durable appliances and utensils at thrift stores which may just need a proper cleaning. , Buy one large bulk meat per week.
When you get home cut and prepare the meat into different portions and sections, and save all of the bones. , Stick to what's in season, and only buy what your family will eat.
Go for fruits like apples and oranges, as they are the least expensive.
Veggies are good fresh, canned or frozen.
Frozen veggies tend to cost less than fresh ones in many places, so be sure to compare.
Stock up on bell peppers, onions, corn and broccoli/ cauliflower when in season and freeze for other months if appropriate. , This refers to your starches.
These are going to be the cheapest parts of your meal and are there to help fill you and your family up along with the nutritious meats and fruits/veggies.
You can buy bulk bags of potatoes, rice, and beans (dry or canned,) and only cook what is needed per meal. , You can buy bulk pounds of most spices for only pennies at bulk food stores or online.
You can look into "foodservice" spices, as they typically cost significantly less and can be delivered to you in their own labeled containers.
Another option is to browse the spices in the ethnic food aisle, as they could be half to a third of the price of the tiny jarred spices.
Buy your salt and pepper in bulk, too.
You don't have to have everything all at once. , Always have bread in your freezer, always have peanut butter and jam in your cabinet.
Always have bouillon or soup bases on hand and plenty of water if you cannot use your tap. , You can buy magic marker boards that are magnetic, so you can wipe away an item if it becomes depleted.
Knowing what you have eliminates overbuying or buying duplicate items from week to week and helps you write out  shopping list in a snap. , That's a week's worth of supper groceries for under $30, assuming you have kept up with the staples in your kitchen pantry.
From this, you can make the meals suggested in this section. , If you have any tomatoes that are starting to turn, quarter them and toss into the pot.
A big roaster pan is ideal for this.
Add salt, pepper and rosemary if you prefer.
Adding spices to your food is something you will get used to doing naturally and you will learn to balance the flavours per meal.
This is an entire meal, but don't serve up all of the meat.
Encourage your family to eat as many of the veggies and possible and about four ounce portions of meat. ,, Keep the chicken stock with the bones. , The next dinner, use pieces of the pulled apart chicken on your bread with mayonnaise and or mustard. any leftover veggies can be added to the sandwich, or cheese if you bought it.
Any dark meat or undesirable looking pieces can be shredded or pulled apart and tossed into stir-fry, served with rice.
Make enough for tomorrow night's dinner in leftovers. , Add water as it evaporates.
Remove all of the bones and save the stock.
Add in any leftovers diced small into the stock pot, add in the bags of frozen veggies, and more water and salt/pepper to taste.
Add in rice or already cooked pasta, even if there is sauce on it.
Once everything has boiled together for an hour or so, add seasonings to fix the taste.
This should be enough soup for two meals.
Serve with fruit on the side.
The second tine your family eats the soup, boil again with more water and a roux (equal parts oil or butter with flour, must boil into the soup) to thicken and make a creamy texture.
Add in any cheeses if you have them. , Believe it or not, you've probably got leftovers in your fridge still.
If you don't, this is why you keep PB&J on hand.
Use this day to grocery shop for the upcoming week, bleach your kitchen, and do other household chores.
Plan this day to be a day off of work and your kids' school so that they can help with the chores. , When ready, load up the blender with the bag's contents, a handful of oats and a cup of yogurt.
Add in any juices you desire and blend to a fine consistency. , Or, give them leftover meals if you have excess. , Add a baggie of chips or pretzels if they are laying around the house.
About the Author
Jennifer Parker
Committed to making hobbies accessible and understandable for everyone.
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