This past weekend, we parented three extra kids while their parents took a weekend off. Between our two families, we have 6 kids, ranging in age from 7 to 15, including 3 teens and 2 preteens. At this age, the kids are very well behaved and fairly self-sufficient. We had lots of fun and we served lots of food!
Because so many coupon bloggers seem to be moms of preschoolers (bless you ladies for all you've taught me), I thought you might like a glimpse into how much food it takes to feed teens, and how I budgeted for them.
I started by counting up the number of guests (three) and multiplying it by the total number of days they would be with us (two). I multiplied that by $2. In other words, $2 per person, per day. Those of you who saw my weekly shopping, know that I didn't actually spend all $12 this week. Instead, I hung onto the small surplus to be used another week. Why?
We dipped into my stockpile in a major way this weekend. I want to make sure that when great deals come around again another day, I am prepared with cash to replenish what we used. So, what exactly do I mean when I say we dipped into the stockpile? Here is a list (as complete as I could create in the hubbub) of all that was consumed from dinner Friday thru lunch on Sunday:
- 2lbs. of Spaghetti
- 2 Large Jars of Spaghetti Sauce
- 2 lbs. of Meatballs
- 2 Loaves of Pillsbury French Bread
- 1lb. of Broccoli
- 12 oz. of corn
- 1 very large bowl of popcorn
- 1 Bag of Chex Mix
- 1 Box of 8 PopTarts
- Countless bananas, apples, and oranges
- 1 lb. of Strawberries
- 1 box of Yo Plus Yogurt (4 ct.)
- 1 lb. of sliced turkey
- 6 oz. of sliced cheddar
- 28 oz Loaf of Whole Grain Bread
- 1/2 bag of Tortilla Chips
- Lag Bag of SunChips
- 1 gallon of Milk
- 2 quarts of OJ
- 1.75 quarts of ice cream (w/ Smucker's Toppings)
- 4 Pillsbury Pizza Crusts
- 1 Small jar of Ragu
- 2 small cans of Tomato Sauce
- 1 lb. of Suasauge
- 6 oz. of Pepperoni
- 1 lb. of Cheese
- 2 Dozen Eggs
- Monkey Bread (made with 42 biscuits)
- Various granola bars, pudding cups, and other snacks that no sane woman would try to keep track of!
I am so grateful that I was able to purchase all this food over time, for pennies on the dollar. It made it easy to welcome our guests without worrying about the cost! Boy am I glad that I found couponing before I had teenagers!