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‘How I feed a family of eight for just $250 a week’

Blogger Krechelle Carter shares her tips for grocery shopping on a budget

By Nicola Conville

Content Editor / April 29 2019

Mum of six and blogger at Eight At Home, Krechelle Carter, says the secret to feeding a big family is shopping for food on special and making one meal – no substitutes or alternatives.

“Our weekly budget is $250 a week, sometimes with a top-up shop for bulk items once a month,” the Adelaide mum explains.

“I don’t meal plan and I don’t go shopping with a list. I buy the cheapest items per kilo and make recipes out of that.” To keep to her budget, Krechelle also buys homebrand basics, lots of fresh fruit and veggies, and says she sticks to what she needs – no overbuying.

Today. Was an awesome day. We went and had hair cuts and saw friends and drank coffee (well I did) One of my best friends came home from Melbourne who I haven't see in a year and surprised me at which was brilliant. @westfieldmarion have this awesome little Jurassic world stand at the bottom of the food court stairs and we painted free dinosaurs and got to take home paints and these cool Jurassic canvas bags! It was soooo much fun! And my children behaved. They did one thing better than behave they supported each other which was so amazing to see! I mean I threw out a few warnings and took away a few ice cream treats away which they all earnt back by the end of the trip and we are happy little campers! I'm so proud of the kids today. With the husband working six days a week it can get a little overwhelming and being able to go for a day out on my own and handle it. Feels so flipping good. Im proud of the kids and I'm proud of myself. What a brilliant day! It's helps that my little community @westfieldmarion support me and the kids giving them awesome samples and giving me a hug when I need it! @bloombar_flowers , @njm.hair you beautiful beautiful ladies! I managed to get some beautiful blooms (in my stories www.instagram.com/eightathome ) and a hair cut! Seriously; awesome day!!! If you're worried about going out with the kids; I know how you feel and hey it does not always work out but I ust get out and try it, it may go better than you think; support other mums with a smile, we're all in this together! And you never know it may turn out even better than that it may just be bloomin' awesome!!! Krechelle Xx #mumlife #mommyblogger #adelaideloves #blogging #largefamilylife #instamom #motherhoodrising #momlife #healthymum #family #mummy #fitness #homeworkout #tattooedgirls #mumssupportingmums #blogger #mumblog #reallife #adelaideblogger #farmhousedecor #healthylife #mumfriends #weightlosstransformation #weightloss #homeworkout

A big fan of buying whatever is on special, Krechelle recently snagged a $22 piece of meat and stretched it out to make 24 separate meals.

When it comes to dinner time, Krechelle says she likes to keep it simple. “Meat, broccoli and sweet potato are staples in our house, plus we love a good pasta dish.”

Krechelle also tells her children than she’ll make one meal, and if they don’t like it, too bad.

“We don’t have alternative options and this has always worked for us. I think because we’ve always been consistent and never give in; the kids know there is no other option.”

So everyone's been asking what the kids eat while I'm eating so healthy! And Here it is. Our lunchboxes for tomorrow. I don't know why but our kids like it when I keep it super simple. A sandwich, a quiche. Some fruit. Some vegetables. Rice snacks - bbq Mamee Noodle snacks. They absolutely love them, plus they're compliant with the Healthy School Canteen Strategy (Amber Approved) Am I the only one keeping lunchboxes simple? Are you all magical unicorn lunchbox ladies??? I feel like I'm happy they are fed and with the right nutrition. No mum guilt that this lunchbox takes me 5 minutes. One less thing to stress about. For more about what I put in my lunchboxes see link in bio :) #MameeAustralia @mamee.australia #ad #mumlife #mommyblogger #adelaideloves #blogging #largefamilylife #instamom #motherhoodrising #momlife #family #mummy #lunchbox #mumswithhustle #mumssupportingmums #blogger #mumblog #reallife #adelaideblogger #healthylife #ricesnacks #weightloss

While many mums are fans of cooking in advance, Krechelle says she prefers to make everything fresh.

“I really like fresh meals and reheated meals, while convenient, just don’t have the same freshness,” she explains. “I sometimes make a double batch but that’s the closest I come to meal prep.”

Krechelle’s kids also help out with the evening meal by setting the table and help clear away at the end.

“My kids help to bring the plates and cutlery. They also know how to empty plates and clean up after meals,” the blogger explains. “it’s an awesome way to get everyone involved and gets things done quicker.”