2017 Frugal Living Tips for Big Families

Many families live by the mantra, “the more the merrier!” While this is often true, it can also be a hectic adventure. As you try to figure out how to provide for a large family, it’s important to consider some frugal living tips. When you do this, your family can enjoy life together and still maintain money in the bank. 

1. Buy frozen foods. 
It’s good and important for families to eat healthy fruits and vegetables. However, fresh produce for a large family can get pretty expensive. The best way to combat the price is to visit the frozen food section of your grocery store. If you’d like to make sure your family gets lots of green, leafy vegetables, purchase them from the frozen section. Stock up on vegetables like spinach, broccoli, squash and corn. The same concept applies to fruit. Even though you can’t purchase bananas in a frozen state, bananas are always extremely inexpensive. Purchase a few bunches of bananas each week. To make sure your family gets their fruit intake, make delicious fruit smoothies. You can also insert frozen strawberries or peaches into hot meals like oatmeal for breakfast. 

2. Stock up on dried and canned goods. 
Canned tomatoes, black beans and kidney beans will easily make any dish taste better. Stock up on canned vegetables, sauces and beans as a side dish to any meal. You can also make these dishes work on their own as stews and soups. Dried pasta works well in a casserole dish. These items usually have a longer expiration date, but they still maintain a level of nutrition and delicious taste. 

3. Use filters instead of bottled water. 
Bottled water goes so quickly in a home with a lot of people. In this case, it’s best to attach filters to the sink or purchase water jugs that have filters built in. To make things a little more fun, purchase tumblers with straws and encourage everyone to drink from their own tumbler. To make things a little fancier, consider growing mint leaves outside of your home. As they grow, you can easily take a mint leaf and drop in the water for a delightful infusion. 

4. Take advantage of coupons. 
As you prepare the meals for the upcoming week, take a look at your favorite grocery stores and the sales they have. Try to create meals around whatever is on sale that week. As you continue to do this, you’ll be able to routinely save money. 

5. Shop at thrift stores. 
Growing children will always need new clothes. The most cost-effective way to handle this is through purchasing items at thrift and discount stores. If you have teenagers that are into trends, take them to stores like Plato’s Closet. It’s possible to get amazing deals on jeans, button-up shirts and fun sweaters. 

6. Buy in bulk. 
There are certain items a family will always need to purchase. Because of this, it’s best to buy in bulk. Toilet paper, paper towels and hand soap are cheaper when they’re purchased in bulk. The same concept applies for toiletries like lotion and shampoo. If you have a lot of school-aged children, it’s a good idea to purchase certain school supplies in bulk like glue, paper, pencils and notebooks. 

When it comes to providing for a family, the best thing to do is to plan and prepare ahead of time. When you create a plan and stick to it, you’ll be able to achieve more with your money. In a lot of cases, many people look for financial opportunities like title loans and credit cards to help. But, with proper planning, you can manage your finances stay out of the red.