How to Save Money on Groceries: The Simple Habits That Feed Our Big Family

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Feeding eight people is the biggest line in our budget after the house. Six kids eat a lot, and it seems like someone is always running out of something: milk, bread, the one cereal they'll eat this week.

I don't coupon for hours, and I don't have a perfect system. What I have is a handful of habits that add up, plus a few apps that make it easier. Here's how we save money on groceries as a big family, and a few more ideas if you want to go further.

1. I do the big shop on the weekend, without the kids

This is my biggest money saver, and it's not about prices at all. I do our heavy shopping on the weekend, when my husband is home with the kids. Anyone who has shopped with a cart full of kids knows why. Every aisle turns into a negotiation, and things end up in the cart that were never on the list.

Shopping alone, I stick to the list, I compare prices, and I get out faster. That weekend trip is when I go to the meat shop and do our larger orders.

2. I buy meat in bulk from a local meat shop

Meat is where a big family's grocery bill really climbs. We buy ours in bulk from a local meat shop, and the prices are usually cheaper than at a regular grocery store.

When I get home, I portion it out into meals for each week and freeze it. That way I'm not standing at the freezer every night trying to figure out what's for dinner, and nothing sits in the back of the fridge going bad.

If you have a local butcher or meat market near you, it's worth checking their prices against the grocery store. A few farms near us sell a half or a quarter of a cow, which can save even more. We aren't there yet (you need the freezer space and the money up front), but it's on my list.

3. Sam's Club for bulk, Aldi for produce

We have memberships to both Sam's Club and Costco, but Sam's is where we shop most. That's where I buy the things we go through fast in bulk. In a house this size, the big packs actually get used before they go bad, which isn't true for every family.

Aldi is mostly for produce. The prices on fruit and vegetables are hard to beat, and with six kids, we go through a lot of both.

I also buy store brands for almost everything. Most of the time my kids can't tell the difference, and the ones who can don't get a vote.

4. A weekly shopping list, every week

Nothing fancy. I keep a weekly shopping list, and I shop from it. It's the simplest way to stop buying things we already have and to keep the extras out of the cart.

5. I cook from scratch

Prepackaged food is priced per serving for a family of four. For a family of eight, it adds up fast. Cooking from scratch is more work, but it's where a lot of our savings come from. It's also how I cook for a crowd at the holidays, which I wrote about in Thanksgiving on a budget.

6. Instacart for midweek top-ups

The weekend shop covers most of the week, but by Wednesday someone has finished the milk. With all the kids at home, loading everyone into the car for three things isn't worth it. So midweek is my Instacart day.

I also order heavy things for delivery. Dog food and cat food are the big ones. I'd much rather have someone carry those in than haul them through a parking lot with kids in tow.

My favorite stores to order from are Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco and our local grocers. What I like about Instacart is that it's tailored to your area, so it's a great way to find stores near you that you didn't know about. They have restaurants too, for the nights nobody is cooking. If you sign up with my link, you get $10 off when you place your first order.

Delivery isn't free, and I'm honest with myself about that. There are fees and a tip. But for a small top-up order, it often costs less than the impulse buys I'd make walking into the store with the whole crew.

7. Cash-back apps I actually use

These don't lower the price at the register, but they give a little back on money I was going to spend anyway.

Fetch. You scan your receipts and earn points you can turn into gift cards. It takes receipts from almost any store, so every grocery run counts.

Capital One Shopping. I use it when I shop online. It looks for coupon codes and lower prices while you shop, and you can earn rewards on some purchases.

More ways to save money on groceries for big families

These are ideas worth trying if you want to go further. Pick one or two, not all of them.

Check the freezer and pantry before you write the list. A lot of waste in a big family is buying something you already had in the back of the cabinet.

Look at the unit price, not the sticker. The shelf tag shows the price per ounce or per pound. The bigger package isn't always the better deal.

Stretch the meat. Add beans, lentils or rice to ground beef in tacos, chili and casseroles. One pound can feed more people without anyone noticing.

Cook once, eat twice. Make a double batch and freeze half, or plan leftovers into another meal the next night.

Buy frozen fruit and vegetables. They're frozen ripe, they don't go bad in the drawer, and they're often cheaper than fresh, especially in winter.

Plan a few meals around the weekly sales. Check the store's ad before you plan, and build two or three dinners around what's on sale. My Sunday reset is a good time to do it.

None of this is extreme. It's a few small habits, done every week, in a house where somebody is always hungry. That's what keeps our grocery bill in check.