Idaho's number of people receiving food assistance has risen 270% since 2007 (Borghi, 2012). In today's economic climate, affordable plus healthy food for your family doesn't always seem to equal doable. It seems even less so to those families who have an ever-hungry teen included in their equation. Several Meridian moms received some helpful advice from the book, Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half. (S. Economides, 2010; A. Economides, 2010)
- Plan your meals. Use a calendar and plan your menu then make your grocery list from the menu. Shop once or twice a month. When you have a plan and shop for two to four weeks at a time, there is less food, time and money wasted.
- Know the prices of the items you want to buy. Take the time to make a list of the items you buy on a regular basis and how much you usually pay for them. Then do some comparisons amongst local stores and pay attention to advertising. For most Meridian parents, obtaining pricing knowledge may mean grocery shopping at more than one store, but if you are only shopping once or twice a month, you will still save time.
- Fresh doesn't have to be expensive. Raw fruits and vegetables as well as fresh meat are the most desirable parts of eating healthy, but they also may be the most expensive. There is a season for fruits and vegetables. When you buy within the season, it's cheaper. Meat can also be expensive, but looking at advertisements, buying in bulk, raising your own, buying from a local farmer/rancher, and hunting can be ways to save money.
- Couponing. Most of us don't have time to be extreme, but it doesn't take much time or effort to go through the Sunday paper or subscribe to free couponing sites like ShopAtHome.com or GroceryCouponCart.com. Some savings are always better than no savings. Keep in mind, however, just because you have a coupon doesn't necessarily make it cheaper. You still have to know your prices!
- Save our snacks! Buying no-name brands or buying in bulk and then packaging yourself can help you save the snacks and satisfy the kid population who wants to eat constantly.
This list can get you started, but you will probably come up with many more ways to feed a family economically without giving up nutrition. Please feel free to share!
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Borghi, Brittany. Food Stamp Use Up 270%, State Considers Staggering Payment Dates. LocalNews8.com. Retrieved from http://www.localnews8.com/politics/30227156/detail.html
Economides, A., and Economides, S. (2010). Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
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