Cost saving tips for families with infants and young children

What happens in the first few years of a child’s life can shape their whole life.

Many families are often faced with difficult decisions and the cost-of-living increasing is placing added pressures on families.

Family Meals

To help reduce the cost of family meals you can:

• plan meals for the week ahead, starting with what’s in the cupboard
• write a shopping list for your weekly meal plan
• replace meat a couple of times a week with lower cost and healthier options like beans, lentils and pulses, which also keep for longer
• stick to the shopping list – remove any items from your basket that are not on the list before paying
• choose loose, rather than pre-packed, fruit and vegetables, and check for those that are in season as they may be cheaper
• buy store brands as they often cost less than branded items but still taste just as good
• buy frozen and tinned vegetables and fruit. These still count towards your 5-a-day but can be cheaper than buying fresh. Choose tinned vegetables in water rather than salted water and fruit in natural juice rather than syrup
• buy in bulk and batch cook and freeze at home
• shop during ‘happy hour’ when food is reduced

You can find more information about community food help on Live Well York.