How do large families do it? Frugal living tips

How does a large family juggle more of everything? More kids, more groceries, more activities, more expenses! It’s not surprising that a tight grocery budget and meal planning are at the top of the list in frugal family money saving tips. However, I did learn a lot of other surprising great tips like: not always using laundry soap, or driving the speed limit (or slower) on a road trip, grinding your own flour, or substituting more expensive grocery items!

A large family consists of 3 or more children. We have 5 children ourselves. I know that these tips will benefit anyone striving to live within their means and steward their resources well.

Small changes snowball to create consistent, stable gains. 

Little by little, that extra money adds up and you’re staying afloat when it felt unattainable months before.

Some countries offer ‘large family discount cards’. These are issued in Spain, Poland, and other European countries such as Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Barcelona. A family with three or more children can apply for a discount card which will provide benefits from participating businesses, and may include tax benefits, education, transportation, and housing benefits¹.

In a similar fashion, Canada provides a child tax benefit paying $620/month for each child under the age of 6, and $520/month for each child ages 6-17 years. The benefit amount can change depending on your family income level². 

Changing our mindset.

Sometimes we need to change the way we think about money, entitlement, and luxury. I used to believe that being ‘rich’ meant that I could spend money without thinking about it; buying whatever I want, whenever I want. It’s not difficult to see how this belief would create a lot of tension around budgeting. I have come to learn that the people that I view as ‘rich’ have been very purposeful and intentional with their money. My previous views of money were juvenile and limiting. Now I understand that I need to be a good steward of my finances, no matter how much or how little there is. 

Here are some ways that large families (and smaller families alike), can trim their spending and funnel extra money toward their newest goal.

Choose a few new money savings tips to apply to your household this month.

CHEAP MEALS for a large frugal family!

Cooking from home will save you a lot of money ! Embrace the meal plan and cook simple, hearty, healthy meals. Here are some frugal tips to spark creativity and trim costs while cooking for your big family.

Breakfast for dinner

• eggs, omelettes, french toast, pancakes, crepes, hash browns, seasonal fresh fruit 

Meatless Monday

• serving lentils, dry beans, or refried beans over a bed of rice doesn’t have to be boring. Add garlic, onion, and spices with flourish!

Versatile ground beef

• This is typically an inexpensive protein option compared to other cuts of meat. The possibilities are endless: meatloaf, sloppy joes, meat sauce, hamburger patties, burrito bowls, taco meat, meatballs.

Pasta Dishes

• Penne, rigatoni, macaroni, lasagna, spaghetti, couscous- every carb is a family favourite over here, especially with the younger kiddos. A little protein seems to go a long way in a pasta dish, further slashing your cost per serving.

Simmering Stew

• Use tougher, more economical cuts of meat and tenderize them by slow cooking all day in a savoury broth, toss in any variety of veggies leftover in the fridge.

Soups Galore

• Vegetable Beef, Chicken and Rice. Coconut Curry. It’s clean out the fridge day! No food waste. Transform leftovers into a new simple soup.

Pizza

• How unique and creative can one make a pizza? It’s another leftover transformation assignment.

Rethink Convenience:

Convenience foods are often more expensive than ‘raw’ ingredients and are likely packed with added sugar, salt, and preservatives. I can guarantee that what you make at home will taste better anyway.

Replace convenience with simplicity.

• Quick snacks like fresh produce, crackers with peanut butter, or popcorn and cheese take only a minute to whip up.

• Lean on slow cooker recipes or the instant pot/ pressure cooker for ‘convenience’ meals.

Home cooked doesn’t need to mean laborious. A roast in the crock pot with potatoes nestled on the side, is as quick and easy as throwing in a frozen pizza. It just relies on a bit of forethought.

• Double your evening meal and place one in the freezer. Batch cook a few freezer meals to have on hand and avoid the temptation to order-in when it’s an extra busy day. Your wallet and your gut will thank you.

SAVE ON GROCERIES!

Some swear by grocery pick ups (the less I’m in the store the less I’m tempted to buy right?), some excel at shopping sales and saving rewards points. What’s your super power? 

Don’t shop when hungry

• Or was it ‘hangry’?

Cut out packaged foods

• Say ‘no’ to prepackaged convenience foods and sugary cereals. We all know they aren’t good for us, so steer clear; two birds, one stone.

Drink water

• Say bye-bye to soft drinks, flavoured water, fruit juices- save them for special treats.

Menu Plan

• Make a list, check it twice, and stick to it.

Shop the flyers

• Meal plan according to flyer sales. Beware: don’t buy something just because it’s on sale! Have a plan about how you will incorporate it into your weekly meals before you purchase it.

Eat Seasonally

• Seasonal fruits and veggies will be cheaper. Yes, we can buy strawberries all year round where I live, but 1) they have no flavour in the winter months, 2) they cost three times as much money. Check out a local Farmer’s Market or Hutterite colony for more seasonal vegetables and fruits. We often buy large bags of veggies for canning and pickling in the summer.

Only shop once a month

• It sounded wild and impossible to me at first, but a once a month shop was a sure-fire way to keep us under budget. It takes planning, strategy, and ingenuity to conquer the challenge!

Stock up

• Little by little, as the budget allows, buy non perishable pantry items in bulk. Eventually, you will have a nice surplus to carry through lean months, busy weeks when you don’t have time to shop, and be able to serve a crowd on a minute’s notice.

Buy meat in bulk

• A local farmer or Hutterite colony will be able to provide you with good quality meat, often at a lower price per pound than the grocery store. Plan ahead and squirrel away some money every month, so that you can cut the cheque for the entire animal at the time of pick up.

Use all of the animal

• Request soup bones, fat for rendering, and the offal from your butcher, if you’re purchasing locally. From the grocery store, don’t shy away from unfamiliar cuts of meat, a quick google search can help you cook those more economical cuts, you may just find a new favourite.

* Choose one week every month to shop your own freezer and pantry.

Frugal Family Substitutes

• Study your grocery bill and determine if there are cheaper options for your most expensive groceries. Sometimes it might mean simply reducing your consumption of that item.
• Butter was the highest price on our last grocery bill. Here are some creative alternatives: save bacon fat (freeze in muffin cups) and use for sautéing; mayo or sour cream in dips, baking, and dressings; olive oil; apple sauce (baking); or coconut oil.

COOK FROM SCRATCH!

Snacks

• Muffins, cookies, loaves, bars. Make a double batch and freeze half for another day.

Grind your flour

• If you have a powerful blender, consider grinding your own flour. Wheat berries will be cheaper and you won’t beat the freshness.

Homemade bread

• Freshly ground flour or not, try your hand at making bread to cut another necessity from your shopping list. It’s not that hard and you’ll feel empowered connecting with your inner Ma Ingalls.

Stock and broth

• Save those vegetable peels to make your own veggie stock. Boil, strain, then keep in the fridge for 5-7 days, freeze, or pressure can.

Dehydrate

• Excess produce or vegetables past their prime? Dehydrate in the oven or dehydrator, process in a blender, then add to soups, sauces, or gravies for added flavour. Store vegetable powders in an airtight container.
• Similarly, save citrus peels to dehydrate and blend into a powder for adding flavour and zest to recipes.

Stale bread?

• Make bread pudding, french toast, or stuffing.  

DIY fruit and veggie tray

• Cut your own fruit and veggie trays- take the time and save the money.

Home canning

• Water bath can or freeze some simple staples like salsa or tomato sauce.

Coffee

• plain black, or Caramel Macchiato, either way it will be significantly cheaper in your own kitchen from a barista named: M-E

VISIT DISCOUNT STORES!

• Costco
• FreshCo
• No Frills
• Walmart
• Great Canadian Wholesale
• Aldi
• Sam’s Club
• Azure Standard *delivery
• Dollarama
• Dollar Tree

USE COUPON (apps)!

• Flashfood- shows discounted foods nearing expiry
• Checkout 51- collect points when purchasing qualifying brands, redeem points for cash
• Flipp- view business flyers and ‘clip’ coupons, use to price match at your favourite store
• PC Optimum- collect points and redeem for cash off your next purchase

FREE ENTERTAINMENT for the large frugal family!

The frugal large family is definitely conscious of admission prices, a party of 10 adds up fast! Save those outings for a special occasion, in the mean time enjoy a variety of other frugal ways to connect and have fun. Sometimes admission will be discounted after a certain number of attendees, or capped at an expressed amount.

Libraries

• Not only books, but find dvd’s, video games, toys, in person classes and online classes.

Seasonal events

• Wander the Farmer’s Market, browse a street Art Festival, enjoy live music, bundle up for Cultural Days. Community events are happening all year long.

Local parks

• Have you been to every park in your city?

Hikes and walks

• You may be surprised what you find a few minutes drive from the city. You may be surprised what you find within the city.

Bike rides

• Fresh air, faster than walking, burning thighs, sore butt, what more could you ask for?

Museums

• Leave a donation if you’re able.

DIY HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS!

We aren’t willing to substitute certain household products like toilet paper, but there are other creative ways to reduce your toiletries budget. Take a swing at making your own cleaners!

Dryer sheets

• Tear dryer sheets in half, better yet, use wool dryer balls

Use microfibre clothes

• Using only water, these clothes clean every type of surface; windows, counter tops, walls, tile, even remove makeup. Wash with a damp cloth, wipe clean with a dry cloth.

Vinegar and water

• For all purpose cleaner, mix equal parts water and distilled white vinegar. Store in a spray bottle. Use for cleaning windows, washing floors, and all other household surfaces.

Baking soda

• Needing something more heavy duty? Sprinkle baking soda as an abrasive cleaner, spray with vinegar for added stain busting action. Let sit, scrub clean. Use for the sinks, bathtubs, and ovens.

Laundry soap

• Combine a few simple ingredients such as a bar of soap, washing soda, and baking soda to create your own powder laundry detergent.
• Really wanting to reduce? Wash some articles in water only like bedding, sheets, or towels that are not heavily soiled. Hang to dry in the sun; outdoor fresh and disinfected.
• Try reusable soap nuts or soapless laundry washing balls.

SWAP FOR REUSABLE PRODUCTS!

With a household of people, it makes sense to get as much use out of your products as possible. Invest in some reusable options or up-cycle and make your own.

Cloth diapers

• Cloth diapers have come a long way. There is a wide spectrum of cost from pre-folds and ‘pins’, to all-in-one-one-size-fits-all. Don’t be fooled, we had the greatest success using the most basic system of trifolds/pre-folds and a waterproof cover or wool cover. The savings are amplified in your large frugal family, as you use them for multiple children.

Swim diaper

• Not wanting to use cloth diapers all the time? A one-size swim diaper with snaps could be an easy compromise.

Menstrual products

• More comfortable, better for the environment, and better for your pocket book. Period panties, cloth menstrual pads, or a menstrual cup.

Nursing pads

• The most simple sewing project you could attempt. Or pick up a box at your grocery store, right beside the disposable ones.

Beeswax paper

• Super cute and washable. No more cling wrap.

Lunch kits

• Goodbye paper bags.

No more paper towel

• Replace paper towels with homemade rags. Cut up old t-shirts, towels, or use cloth diaper inserts or prefolds.

Refillable k-cups

• Convenience and eco-friendly collide

Cloth napkins

• Be fancy like that.

Water bottle

• Fill your own water bottle instead of buying bottled water. Take another large vessel full of water to refill as you are out and about.

REUSE!

Some products deemed single use can be washed and hold up for a few more rounds.

Freezer bags

Heavy duty plastic cutlery and plates

HOME MAINTENANCE!

Don’t write yourself off instantly because you may not be a ‘professional’. Check out some tutorials online, ask someone more knowledgeable for advice, you might surprise yourself.

This fall, the front passenger tire fell of my husband, Tim’s, truck. Thankfully, it wasn’t as dramatic as I expected it would be. He said the truck made a thump and he turned off the road and drove onto the shoulder. The tire continued bouncing and sailed away into the adjacent field of stubble.

We didn’t have much money in the vehicle fund and a tire flying off at a 100km/hr sounded like a major problem. It was such an old truck, 450,000 kms on it. We couldn’t imagine putting much into repairing it.

After a few conversations with some helpful mechanics in our lives, they felt confident Tim could fix it himself. A part from SGI salvage, a youtube video, a little elbow grease, and our 11 year old fixed the tire… true story.

It’s the mental hurdle and the effort it takes to learn something new, that is harder to overcome than the actual task. 

Hire a professional when you need, but don’t sell yourself short.

MORE DIY!

• Mending clothes; waste not, want not.

• Prepare your own baby food. Blender + food= done.

• Cut your own hair. You’ll get a lot of practice in a frugal large family…

MINIMALISM!

Its a common complaint: why is the house so messy? All I do is clean up after people! Why do we have so much stuff?

Living minimally, frees up time, brings visual clarity, creates peace of mind, and we spend less money. Fewer items to store, maintain, repair, and manage. More about minimalism with a family here.

Fewer activities

• Busy is not always better. Most often, the frugal large family decides not to schedule kids in multiple activities at once. This alleviates pressure on the budget, and your brain.

Less clothing

• We only wear 20% of what we own anyway. Give project 333 a try.

Reduce the noise

• Ditch monthly subscriptions, unsubscribe from emails. Cut out the temptation to buy.

REDUCE BILLS!

Shaving a  few dollars of your monthly bills will add up over the year and you won’t even have to give it a second thought.

Program the thermostat

• Many people prefer it cooler at night. How about wearing sweaters in the winter and short sleeves in the summer? We don’t need to live in ambient temperatures 365 days of the year.

Only run full loads in the dishwasher and washing machine

Drive the speed limit

• Reduce your speed to get better gas mileage.

Request discounts

• Utility companies may price match to beat a competitor’s rate and keep your business.

Cut cable

• Call your cell phone, cable, internet providers and request a reduced rate. This is especially effective when you are willing to cut the service if it doesn’t fit within your budget.

Consolidate bills

• Bundle phone, TV, and internet for discounts. We got rid of internet and just used the hotspot data from our cell phones.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES!

Here are some habits that can keep more of your hard earned cash in your pocket. 

Use cold hard cash

• Shop with cash in hand. I have a wallet with multiple zipper pouches, so I can separate the cash into categories. Or use old fashioned envelopes.

Pack lunches for work and school

• Plan ahead, take leftovers, have a cute bag.

Pay in full

• There are often discounts for paying in advance, e.g car insurance for 12 months.

Online classes/ apps over in person

• A compromise. Music lessons through an app or online courses are second best, but its better than nothing.

Older children teach younger siblings

• Maybe an older sibling has learned a skill, music or otherwise, and can share their knowledge. Learning to teach and building confidence will serve them well and consider compensating them for their efforts, too.

Gardening

• Better yet, start your plants from seed.

No eating out.

Only one vehicle

• Not only are you reducing your gas bill, you are also omitting an extra insurance payment, as well as maintenance and repair costs. If you can swing it, this will make a huge impact on your budget.

No car payments

• All extra monthly payments are a drag.

Barter and trade

• Services and physical items

Borrow

• Borrow tools and specialty items that you only use on occasion. Humble yourself and ask, it builds community and relationships.

Vacation on a budget

• Just because you are a large frugal family, doesn’t mean you can’t travel! Be mindful and intentional. Plan ahead and budget for your vacation (figure out how much to save per month and set it aside).

Shop second hand

• Thrift stores, Varage Sale, Facebook Marketplace, organize a clothing swap. Some consignment stores will pay a small amount for donations. In our family of 5 boys, we always keep clothes to pass down to the younger brothers. It’s really sweet to see them wearing the same outfits. I may shed a tear or two for days gone by.

Second hand gift-giving

• Normalize second hand shopping for gifts. Just because you spent less doesn’t make the gift less meaningful or useful.

What did I miss? Comment below with your unique money saving tips and how you make it work in your large frugal family! 

More frugal large family inspiration? Hear how we saved our down payment and paid off our farmhouse will a large family on one income.

1. What does a large family discount card provide?>Barcelona International Welcome>Large Family Certificate ↩︎
2. Government of Canada>CRA>Tax credit and benefits>Canada Child Benefit ↩︎