Your intention: To sit down and plan your meals like an actual grown-up so you can be budget-conscious when you head to the supermarket (and stay strong when it comes to impulse buying at the checkout line).
The problem: The constant pressure to shop for and whip up delicious, healthy meals that your family will actually eat.
But adding up the ever-increasing receipts got us curious. How do real parents get creative when it comes to grocery shopping on a budget and trimming the financial fat?
Before we dig in, some interesting background: The USDA publishes monthly guidelines that detail what the average family of four spends on groceries every week. The latest report—from spring 2019—outlines the following: