Gourmet on a Budget

It is very expensive to feed a family of four big eaters nourishing foods. To keep costs down, I shop in a few different places, including some internet shopping. Our dairy and eggs come to us from our wonderful farmers in Pennsylvania. They make deliveries every Saturday. Some meats and poultry come from the farmer but mostly I buy from Whole Foods and a local chicken farm. I buy seafood in bulk from vitalchoice.com and some coconut products in bulk on line too. Produce comes from a few different stores. I buy nuts, seeds, frozen berries, fruit jams, rice, and a few other odds and ends at Trader Joes. And yes my kids come w/ me on my shopping journeys and they are involved in the whole process. This is our life of cooking real food from scratch w/ the highest quality ingredients and doing it lovingly and as inexpensively as possible.
These are some things I do to cut down on expenses.
-I buy whole chickens(this is the cheapest way to buy chicken) After I roast the chicken for 1 meal, I immediately cover the bones w/ water and start a stock for another few meals. Any leftover chicken might be turned into chicken salad for the next days lunch or added to quesadillas.
-I use a lot of ground meat.
-I bulk up a meal w/ lots of veggies when I use an expensive cut of beef.
-I cook in bulk and I menu plan. This helps me when I just don't feel like cooking. It saves money on buying garbage food(anything bought outside of my house!!!)
-I make sure every meal has lots of good fat(especially for the kids) It keeps them fuller longer.
-Prepping produce when I bring it home from the store helps having things ready when I need them. This cuts down on waste and also saves me time.(I never buy bagged lettuce or already cut veggies)
-I NEVER buy dry cereals. Not only are they totally unhealthy but they are a waste of money.
-My kids never drink bottled juice. Its nothing but SUGAR, it is a health robber, and a HUGE waste of money. For a treat I will make fresh pressed juice(cut w/ water) Even though it is fresh and has some enzymes that bottle juices are missing, it is still SUGAR and not a health building or supporting product!!!!