Whether you are struggling to make ends meet or are saving money for a new car, working with a monthly budget is a great way to manage money efficiently. Aside from your monthly bills, you might be surprised to learn how much you spend on your weekly groceries. If you want to spend less money on food, start by making a grocery list and sticking to it, as adding extra items to your cart can easily push you past your food budget limit. You’ll also want to use free grocery apps like GroceryPal and Grocery Smarts that help you save money by locating the best prices at nearby grocery stores. Supermarkets like Aldi, Walmart, and WinCo Foods are well-known for their cheap prices, making it a favorite for families and college students who are on a budget.  

If you need help creating your shopping list, you’ll want to use grocery calculators that will size your list based on how many people you are feeding at home. Whether you are cooking for one person, a family of four, or large families of 6 or more people, your grocery list will be generated automatically. Not only are they convenient, but they’re also extremely helpful if you want to learn how to shop just the right amount of food for your family.

One of the keys to having a happy family is to share meals together. Even if you are on a tight budget, there are many healthy and delicious recipes you can cook at home that everyone in your family will love. Online sites like Delish and Cooking Light are filled with hundreds of budget recipes for families living on a budget. You’ll find everything from pasta, meat, and fish-based meals to slow cooker recipes, desserts, and more. You can also save money by using Meal planner apps like HelloFresh and Mealime. They let you create meal plans per week, so you order the exact amount of ingredients you need and reduce food waste.