How to Provide for a Large Family in Today’s Economy

It’s not at all surprising that the cost-of-living crisis is making headlines across every news website; it’s something that’s affecting everyone. The situation is something that families are certainly feeling: households with just two kids have seen a monthly cost of living increase of £400. As you can imagine, and may be experiencing first hand, large families also feel this increase. 

The good news, however, is that there are things that all families, both small and large, can implement to help ease the effects of rising inflation and costs of living. Here, we’ll look at a few ways to save while still enjoying your everyday life. Let’s get to it. 

Budget 

We’re starting off this list with a tip that will carry through to guide you in every area of spending (including how you might decide to implement the tips below). Through a carefully planned budget, you can evaluate your spending on essential and non-essential items and assess where to save more. 

Budgeting is also a great way to set and track savings goals so that you’re planning for the future while providing for today. 

Side Hustle 

When it comes to parenthood, budgeting your time is as important as budgeting your spending. But, if your schedule allows, increasing your household income with a side hustle can help you provide for your family. With the many different side hustle options available online, you can lean into your existing skill set to bring in a little more money. You can take on freelance work from home, pet sitting, babysitting or even try completing online surveys. 

Some people even try things like professional poker playing through websites like casinos.com, though this requires card savvy and skill, and even then, it doesn’t guarantee additional income – it is, after all, a gamble. 

Save on Groceries 

Grocery shopping is a big expense for anyone, not just large families. However, there are ways you can minimize the costs while still enjoying a full shopping cart. Before going to the grocery store, take the time to write out a list. This will help you purchase what you need and be more intentional with what you’re putting in your cart. 

While writing your list, also look at flyers and deals for your grocery store. A great time to stock up is when shelf-stable items your family enjoys are on special. And, if there’s a produce item on sale, adding it to your meal plan for the week might make sense. 

And the final tip for grocery savings: don’t go grocery shopping hungry. This helps to limit impulse purchases, keeping your overall grocery costs down. 

Meal Plan 

Meal planning offers many benefits to families, from helping you save on groceries and dining out to avoiding food waste and wasted money. Plus, planning meals can save you the daily stress of figuring out what to feed everyone. With meal planning, you can add only the items you need to your grocery list and even prep food beforehand, allowing you to stick to your budget easily and free up time on busy weeknights. 

Shop Second-Hand 

You can get many things second-hand to help you save, including clothing, furniture, phones and so much more. Visiting thrift stores, attending clothing swaps, searching Facebook Marketplace or perusing Freecycle can help you find deals on things you need. And don’t forget to hang on to clothes to hand down to younger siblings (sorry, kiddos, hand-me-downs aren’t always a dream come true, but they do offer the family a bundle of savings). 

Clip Coupons 

Okay, with most coupons now available online, ‘clipping coupons’ probably isn’t the right term for this anymore, but it gets the point across nevertheless. Taking the time to search for coupons for things you need can help you save in the long run, especially for items you can’t get second-hand, like groceries and toiletries. 

Shop Sales 

In the same vein as coupon clipping, shopping sales can help you save on items you can’t get second-hand. Ideally, you can take advantage of major sale seasons (like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Boxing Day) to stock up on family and household essentials that you know you’ll need down the line when the sales are long gone. 

Shop Wholesale 

Shopping wholesale is one of the best ways to save on shelf-stable foods, toiletries, cleaning supplies and other household necessities. It requires buying in bulk, but if they’re products you need, it doesn’t hurt to have a few extras of everything (especially with a full house of people needing them). 

Take Advantage of Cashback Offers 

Credit cards and websites like Rakuten can get you cashback on purchases you’re already making. With credit cards, you can collect points that you can use to reduce the price of future purchases (including essentials like groceries and gas). With Rakuten and similar websites, you can get cash back by shopping at the retailers they’ve partnered with. So, if you’re already shopping, these are an easy way to get more out of your spending. 

Find Free Activities 

When it comes to providing entertainment and fun for a big family, look for free or discounted activities. Often, you can find museums and art galleries that have free admission. Parks and gardens also offer great free entertainment, especially for younger kids.  

But if you’re looking for family activities beyond these, you can often find discounted tickets and other activities by looking around online. Websites like Groupon are particularly beneficial and can even make activities that would typically exceed your budget for the family much more affordable (for example, an amusement park, zoo or a movie). 

A Little Goes a Long Way 

While the savings for each of these tips might seem small, they can add up to have a significant impact on your big family.