Guest Author - Jacqueline Geller

One of the most difficult tasks of keeping a home running smoothly is managing the food budget. Serving good, nutritious meals is a daunting task under any circumstances. Trying to do it within a specified dollar limit can feel like an impossible chore.

Couple that with trying to make a trip to the store with children in tow makes it just that much more fun—NOT!

Seriously though, Moms can turn this one into a family affair and a teachable moment for the kids.

There are three major components to the grocery chore:

1. Plan the meals for the week.
2. Clip the coupons.
3. Shop for the food.

Planning meals can go along with the family meeting, another article on the Moms’ site. Food is always a popular topic and everyone has an opinion, so the family meeting night is a good time to put this on the agenda.

Meal planning should be done one week at a time. This does not mean that Monday is always meatloaf night. It does mean that shopping is easier if the list is done ahead of time. Impulse purchases are diminished and, if the kids are on the trip to the grocery store, they each can have their own smaller list. This gives them responsibilities of their own that do not include picking the junk food aisle clean.

Plan the meals according to the sale flyers for the week. Usually, the coupon section ties in with this so the savings can be significant. Look for double or triple coupon offers. These are a fast diminishing perk, so may not be available everywhere.

Try to plan shopping around other errands to save on gas. Gone are the days when shopping the specials at stores all over town was a cost-cutting measure.

Clipping the coupons can be a family affair. Look on the internet for coupons also. This is becoming a more efficient process and the savings really can add up.

It is crucial to shop for food when no one is hungry. Everything looks good when the tummy is grumbling, which encourages over budget, unnecessary and unhealthy choices.

When children are involved in the planning and shopping process, they feel ownership for an important part of the household management. They also learn to look for value for the dollar; learn to stick to a budget and often come up with some great suggestions on how to use leftovers!