We all want to save money on food, right? I’ve been experimenting with our food budget lately and have discovered a few tips that have been saving us a decent amount of money each month. We are a family of five – my husband, myself and our three little girls (ages 5, 4 and 1). You would think little ones would be easy to feed but my goodness – my kids are all very picky (aren’t they all?) and go through snacks like there’s no tomorrow.
I’ve also always wondered if what we spend on food is “normal” compared to other families. While doing some research, I came across this chart that details monthly grocery budgets based on family size. As a family of five, we could be spending anywhere from $621 to $1660 according to the chart. And yup – we fall exactly in that range. Our total food spending each month (this includes groceries, restaurants, coffee shops, and some household supplies) ranges from $1,100 to $1,500. Whether we seem to eat out often or spend the entire month cooking at home, we always seem to fall right in that range.
Prior to wanting to save money on food, we spent closer to $1,800 per month. Since cutting back, we haven’t sacrificed one bit on quality and, since I’m more aware, dare I say we’ve been eating better?
Here are 12 ways to save money on food without sacrificing quality.