My family of 12 spends $350 on groceries every week. Here's what we buy and how we use it.

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My family of 12 spends $350 on groceries every week. Here's what we buy and how we use it.
I shop every week for my family of 12.Lisa Tanner
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I'm a mom of 10 — with baby 11 arriving soon. Our oldest is away at college, so most weeks right now, 11 of us gather around the table for each meal.

But that still means I'm currently feeding two adults, two teenagers, two preteens, four kids, and a toddler.

As you can imagine, food disappears pretty quickly in our house.

Our current grocery budget is roughly $350 a week

With rising grocery prices, we use some creativity and old-time practices to keep our food budget from growing out of control.

We rely on the inexpensive prices at Aldi and Walmart to fill the pantry. Additionally, we make the trek up to Costco a few times a year to refill our favorite items from the bulk grocer. We also buy half a beef at a time from a local farmer.

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I practice a buy-ahead style of shopping, so the ingredients I purchased this week aren't necessarily going to be cooked in the next few days. But, there's a plan in place for each item, so it won't go to waste.

Recently, I went to Aldi and Walmart for a weekly shopping run. Here's a peek at what I bought for just under $350 and what I use it for throughout the week.

Scroll to the end for an itemized breakdown of everything I got at Aldi and Walmart, and how much each item cost.

Monday: You can repurpose a roasted chicken into different meals

My family of 12 spends $350 on groceries every week. Here's what we buy and how we use it.
We use the cooked chicken in leftovers throughout the week.Lisa Tanner

On Mondays, American fare is on our table. Typically, we cook a larger piece of meat and then use the leftovers in other meals throughout the week.

This time, a roasted chicken was on the menu. It cooks nicely in the oven and gets served with steamed vegetables, rolls, and applesauce.

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Ingredients from the shopping list:

  • Whole chicken
  • Coleslaw mix
  • Cauliflower
  • Applesauce

Instructions:

  1. Butterfly the chicken so it cooks evenly. Save the backbone to make bone broth in the slow cooker or pressure cooker.
  2. Spread the coleslaw mix on the bottom of a large cast iron pan. Drizzle olive oil over the top and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Put the butterflied chicken on top. Season with taco seasoning.
  4. Roast until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This takes at least an hour and could take longer depending on the size of your chicken.
  5. Remove from the oven and let it stand for a few minutes.
  6. Slice the chicken and serve with the cooked cabbage, rolls, steamed cauliflower, and applesauce.

Tuesday: Taco bars are a simple, crowd-pleasing favorite

My family of 12 spends $350 on groceries every week. Here's what we buy and how we use it.
Taco Tuesday is always an event in our house.Lisa Tanner

Each Tuesday night, we lay out all the taco fixings we have on hand. Everyone creates their own plate, exactly how they like it.

We also set out some sour cream and salsa from the previous week, and we reheated leftover chicken with some diced tomatoes and taco seasoning for the meat.

Ingredients from the shopping list:

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  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Tomatoes (diced)
  • Cilantro
  • Onions
  • Tortillas
  • Tortilla chips
  • Salsa con queso

Instructions:

  1. Make a quick pico de gallo by combining diced cilantro, tomatoes, and onions. Add a bit of lime juice and salt to taste.
  2. Set out bowls with taco ingredients. Whatever you have on hand works, so don't be afraid to get creative.
  3. Place the tortillas and tortilla chips at the beginning of the line.
  4. Let everyone grab a plate and fill it up with taco-y goodness. Then they can use the microwave to melt some cheese if they want.

Wednesday: Baked-potato night means a simple, comfort-food dinner

My family of 12 spends $350 on groceries every week. Here's what we buy and how we use it.
Baked potatoes are easy and customizable.Lisa Tanner

Wednesdays are for baked potatoes this year, according to our annual meal-planning schedule.

It's a simple, low-key dinner that doesn't require much effort to get on the table.

Ingredients from the shopping list:

  • Shredded cheese
  • Butter
  • Ham lunch meat

Instructions:

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  1. About an hour and a half before you want to eat, scrub enough potatoes for your family. Prick them all over so they don't burst.
  2. Place them in the oven (I put them right on the rack) and turn it on to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. Let the potatoes cook until fork tender — typically just over an hour.
  4. Dice up some ham lunch meat.
  5. Pull the potatoes out of the oven carefully and put them on plates.
  6. Push gently on each side of the potato to pop it open, and load it up with butter, shredded cheese, and diced ham.
  7. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and enjoy.

Thursday: Noodle night is a staple in our house

My family of 12 spends $350 on groceries every week. Here's what we buy and how we use it.
We can switch up noodle night with different sauces and add-ins.Lisa Tanner

Each week, we create a dish composed of four ingredients: noodles, sauce, frozen vegetables, and meat.

We typically serve this with a simple salad and a cup of cool lemonade that my kids like to make. Almost everyone in the family loves it.

Ingredients from the shopping list:

  • Penne
  • Pasta sauce
  • Frozen chicken thighs
  • Frozen California vegetable medley

Instructions:

  1. Put a few chicken thighs in an Instant Pot (I cook mine from frozen). Add a cup of water and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  2. Secure the lid on the pot and use the manual setting to bring it to pressure for 21 minutes.
  3. Once the pot is pressurized and the countdown begins, start a large pot of boiling water on the stove. Add a bit of salt if desired.
  4. Add noodles and cook following package directions.
  5. During the last two minutes of cooking, dump a bag of frozen veggies into the pasta pot.
  6. When the noodles are done, drain and return to the pot.
  7. Add a jar of pasta sauce and heat slowly, stirring frequently to keep things from sticking.
  8. When the chicken is done cooking, release the pressure. When safe and cooled, dice the cooked chicken, and add it to the pasta pot. Stir well.
  9. Serve with a side salad.

Lemonade ingredients from the shopping list:

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  • Lemon juice

Lemonade instructions:

  1. Put 1 cup of sugar in a gallon-size pitcher.
  2. Add 1 cup of lemon juice. Stir well.
  3. Fill the pitcher with water. Stir again, making sure all the sugar is off the bottom.
  4. Serve over ice.

Friday: Lasagna comes together early in the day to help our evening run more smoothly

My family of 12 spends $350 on groceries every week. Here's what we buy and how we use it.
Lasagna is one of our splurge meals.Lisa Tanner

Fridays are always a bit hectic, so meals that can be prepped ahead of time work really well. It's our Italian night on our annual meal plan, so this week, lasagna was the perfect main dish.

Compared to meals we eat more often, this dish costs more to make. But I've found that mixing a couple of luxurious meals in with the frugal ones helps keep the meal plan from feeling restrictive.

My 12-year-old daughter mixed up a pan of simple focaccia bread to accompany the meal. Our other sides were steamed broccoli and cauliflower and some sliced apples.

Ingredients from the shopping list:

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  • Ground beef
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Cottage cheese
  • Pasta sauce
  • Lasagna noodles

Instructions:

  1. Brown the beef in a pan. Drain the excess fat.
  2. Stir a jar of pasta sauce into the cooked meat. Add additional Italian seasoning or other spices to taste.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together cottage cheese and mozzarella. I use the full container of cottage cheese and the whole bag of mozzarella.
  4. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick cooking oil.
  5. Line the bottom of the pan with noodles, spread the meat sauce over top, and cover with the cheese mixture. Repeat the three layers until the pan is full.
  6. Cover with foil and place in the fridge until it's time to bake.
  7. Place the cold pan in a cold oven to avoid breakage.
  8. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 60 minutes.
  9. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
  10. Serve with focaccia, steamed vegetables, and fruit.

Saturday: Beanless chili is an inexpensive, slow-cooking favorite

My family of 12 spends $350 on groceries every week. Here's what we buy and how we use it.
It's easy to throw together a slow-cooker meal in the morning.Lisa Tanner

On our meal plan, Saturdays are for chuckwagon fare.

Beanless chili is one of the meals in this rotation that's simple to make. Combined with easy no-knead sourdough bread, it definitely sticks to your ribs.

Relying on the slow cooker to do the heavy lifting means I can assemble this meal in the morning when my energy levels are higher. Then after a busy family day, we can gather around the table for a fully cooked dinner.

Ingredients from the shopping list:

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  • Ground beef
  • Frozen peppers and onions
  • Tomato sauce
  • Truvia
  • Shredded cheese (for topping)
  • Onions (diced for topping)

Instructions:

  1. Brown the beef in a pan on the stove. I used the entire pack for my large family, about 2 1/2 pounds.
  2. Add half a bag of frozen peppers and onions. Let cook for a few minutes.
  3. Pour meat and veggies into the slow cooker. Add four 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce and 2 15-ounce cans of diced tomatoes.
  4. Add 5 tablespoons of chili powder and 2 teaspoons of garlic powder.
  5. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin, 3/4 teaspoon of dried oregano, and a sprinkle of Truvia.
  6. Stir well and let cook on low for eight hours.
  7. Serve with sourdough bread, and a side salad.

Sunday: Hot dogs are simple, inexpensive, and kid-friendly

My family of 12 spends $350 on groceries every week. Here's what we buy and how we use it.
Some of our kids need a pick-me-up on Sundays.Lisa Tanner

Before we head back to church Sunday night, I fix a quick meal for most of the kids.

My husband and I and some of our older children wait to eat until afterward. But the younger crew can't quite make it that long, so we needed a simple, inexpensive dish to prepare for them — hot dogs to the rescue.

I quickly boil some hot dogs while setting out the fixings, and boom, it's a meal no one complains about.

To increase the nutritional content, we typically serve the dogs with fresh fruit and baby carrots dipped in ranch.

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Ingredients from the shopping list:

  • Hot dogs
  • Ketchup
  • Shredded cheese
  • Baby carrots
  • Apples

Instructions:

  1. Boil as many hot dogs as you need until they're hot throughout.
  2. Serve in a bun topped with ketchup and shredded cheese if desired. Or slice the dogs and serve them without a bun.
  3. Add some baby carrots, ranch, and apple slices to the plate and serve.

Groceries aren't just for dinners, I pick up breakfast and lunch staples, too

My family of 12 spends $350 on groceries every week. Here's what we buy and how we use it.
Most of my kids are in charge of their own breakfast.Lisa Tanner

Seems like my family wants to eat several times a day, not just once. So I also purchased many items for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

Breakfast operates on a "make your own" style around here these days. With different starting times for our days, it's proven to be the best fit for this season of life.

Some days one or another of the kids whips up a big batch of pancakes, waffles, or scrambled eggs. But for the most part, everyone just grabs a bite to eat in the morning and enjoys a hot drink with it (coffee, tea, or cocoa).

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A few of the kids enjoy heating up leftovers to start the day. Others stick to classic breakfast fare like cereal, toast, granola bars, or smoothies. But, no matter what they eat, they all must get their food prepped, eaten, and cleaned up before we officially start our homeschool day.

We have an annual meal plan for our lunches throughout the week

My family of 12 spends $350 on groceries every week. Here's what we buy and how we use it.
We have a weekly schedule of lunch meals.Lisa Tanner

Lunch operates on a rotation basis similar to dinner.

This year we're eating pepperoni quesadillas on Monday, leftovers on Tuesday, mac and cheese on Wednesday, egg fried rice on Thursday, sandwiches on Friday, leftovers on Saturday, and a larger slow-cooker meal on Sunday.

Everyone knows what to expect and there's no fielding of the dreaded, "What's for lunch?" question.

The rest of the food from the shopping list is eaten for snacks or added to the pantry, fridge, or freezer.

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Aldi shopping list:

  • Frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs $9.39
  • Frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts $9.49
  • Tortilla chips (2) $1.79 each
  • Penne pasta (2) $0.92 each
  • White-cheddar-cheese crackers $3.79
  • Ham lunch meat $5.49
  • Shredded Colby Jack cheese $2.99
  • Shredded mild cheddar (2) $2.59 each
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese $2.99
  • Parmesan cheese $2.45
  • 1 pound butter (4) $3.87 each
  • Spray whipped cream $2.95
  • Vine tomatoes $2.49
  • Fajita tortillas $1.75
  • Flour tortillas $1.95
  • Hot dogs $3.79
  • Mini marshmallows $0.99
  • Pumpkin pasta sauce $2.09
  • Lasagna noodles $1.65
  • Applesauce $2.69
  • Roasted-garlic pasta sauce (2) $1.45 each
  • Crispy rice cereal $1.65
  • Fruit rounds cereal $1.43
  • Ground sausage roll $2.29
  • Gallon of whole milk (2) $3.66 each
  • Cottage cheese $2.45
  • Yellow onions $2.79
  • Cilantro (2) $0.79 each
  • Heavy whipping cream $4.35
  • Half and half $2.39
  • Flat-leaf spinach $1.49
  • Fuji apple bag $3.59
  • Honeycrisp apple bag (2) $2.99 each
  • Gala apple bag $2.99
  • Banana bunch $2.23
  • Graham crackers $1.59
  • Baby carrots (3) $0.95 each
  • Coleslaw $1.59
  • Shredded lettuce $1.89
  • Bag of cookies $2.69
  • Salsa con queso $2.15
  • Thick-cut pepperoni $5.79
  • Ground beef (2) $9.46 each
  • Tomato sauce (4) $0.44 each
  • Fruit-and-grain bars $1.49
  • Chewy granola bar (2) $1.85 each
  • Pretzel sticks $1.98
  • Wheat bread (4) $0.99 each
  • Sprouted bread (2) $3.79 each

Aldi total: $200.38

Walmart shopping list:

  • Whole chicken $6.49
  • Whole chicken $6.93
  • Frozen peas (4) $0.88 each
  • Frozen okra (2) $1.44 each
  • Frozen sausage links $6.98
  • Frozen triple berry $9.24
  • Apple juice (3) $2.44 each
  • Frozen corn $2.28
  • Frozen pepper and onion $2.40
  • Frozen cauliflower (3) $1.00 each
  • Frozen soup vegetables (2) $4.28 each
  • Frozen California medley (3) $1.00 each
  • Fun pops $2.98
  • Powdered sugar $1.78
  • Nutpod $1.31 (on clearance)
  • Hot-cocoa mix $7.18
  • Orbit gum three-pack $3.48
  • Sweet-chili sauce $2.66
  • Sugar-free orange drink mix (2) $2.16 each
  • Ketchup (2) $4.16 each
  • Lemon juice (2) $3.33 each
  • Almond flour $5.88
  • Whole-wheat flour (2) $4.97 each
  • Unbleached flour (2) $3.83 each
  • Truvia refill pouch $10.23

Walmart total: $145.61

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