what's saving my life: the food edition

I spend a lot of time thinking about food. Not in a dangerous, mentally unhealthy way, but rather in a “six people who live in this house depend on me to make sure they have food at least three times a day” kind of way. Ever since we were newly married with a $200/month grocery budget, striking the balance between keeping everyone fed and spending as little as possible is the tightrope I have walked. We now have a house that includes me, my husband, a 15-year-old boy, a 13-year-old boy, a 7-year-old girl, and a 4-year-old boy. It is essentially four adults, two of whom are still growing, and two constantly hungry children.

There have been times when I have felt I was going to lose my mind because the burden of all the things that go into food has been overwhelming: planning meals, keeping track of what we’re out of, making a list, going to the store, packing lunches, thawing meat, etc. It’s a part-time job if you’re trying to do it in a way that doesn’t break the bank. Our grocery bud…