Create a Strict Budget: Track your income and expenses carefully. Allocate specific amounts for rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, and other necessities. Prioritize essentials like rent, food, and fuel, and cut back on non-essentials.

Plan Your Meals: Meal planning is key. Plan meals around what’s on sale, and try to buy in bulk for cost savings. Stick to basic, nutritious ingredients that are affordable, like pasta, rice, beans, lentils, and frozen veggies. Avoid pre-packaged meals as they tend to be more expensive.

As far as groceries are concerned make sure to shop the specials and base your meals around those ingredients.
A good way to boost the money is to take the kids for walks carrying rubbish bags and collect cans and bottles for the 10cent return.

we use the local community pantry, cheap meat, free veggies and sometimes a few treats on the side

Think you have some wonderful answers here – I even learned a few tips myself and I thought I was doing well.! Thanks everyone for your tips and advice.

Meat is one of the most expensive grocery items, along with fresh fruit, which usually goes bad. So I suggest working out meals that use little meat. The other night I cooked three chicken thigh fillets sliced them up and we ate pita bread “tacos” “the pita bread was on clearance for that day” it fed 2 adults and 2 children. All of whom were satisfied. Last night I made a creamy pasta with very little chicken. It was still tasty and delicious. Some night we just have eggs in toast/fried egg sandwiches. As for fruit, if you can try and substitute some for tin fruit. It eats well and is very cost effective! Look at what is on special and if it’s a usual item buy it even if you don’t currently need it. If you are prone to impulse buying I’d suggest ordering online and doing click and collect. And above all write up what you spent and where. It’s the best way to work out where you can cut costs. Also if you have a 7-eleven fuel station near you, download the app and use the lock in price, it can save a fortune. My husband and I just worked out that if we fill up both cars at the same time and pay for it in the one transaction we can both use the cheap price, which again saves us money. Best of luck

Go to woolies or coles just before school pick up for the marked down meat and meals.
Eat vegetarian when you can, we do every second night.
Shop at aldi and the reject shop for cleaning.
Take cash out for splurging, put it in a zip lock bag and whatever isn’t used one week can be used the next.

Create a meal plan using as many meals that’ll contain potatoes, rice or pasta and buy as many products in bulk as you can. Homemade freezer meals are great when your on a budget & busy too, use public transport as often as possible

Fuel for 2 cars, so 2 adults in the house? Increase your income. My partner works full time and has a second casual job, I work 2 part time jobs and study. Deliver pizzas at night, walk a paper round each week. Hustle to increase your income a little to give yourselves financial security.

I definitely find Aldi to be a lot cheaper and just as good.

I always write out a shopping list before I go out shopping but do I ever stick to that List NOPE lol

Buy groceries and supplies in bulk, or when on sale. It saves in the long term.
Review insurance and health funds to make sure you’re getting the best deal

You need to stop and think what you are doing and change things. First of all stop the banking for the kids let them collect bottles and cans for the money for banking as you can’t afford to keep doing the things you have been. You need to start putting so much money away each week for electric water insurances and any other bills that you have. First all you need to put away the rent as that is your first major bill, then you work out once everything is taken out like petrol for the cars and are 2 cars needed and shopping you need to sit down and work out your meals for the week and if you go every fortnight shopping write a list and stick to it. The kids are going to have to help to as they are going to not get everything they want. Try and bulk buy your fruit and veg and try and buy your meat do slow cooker meals. Grow your own vegetables to help and that will help in a big way as well cook your own cakes and biscuits.

I try to buy meat when it’s been marked down & freeze it. With 5 hungry mouths in our house that’s one of the best ways I can save some money on groceries.

I do surveys and get the kids to collect cans and bottles. I also shop at Aldi…every little bit helps!

making bulk meals and buying in bulk and only things on special is helpful. Selling any unused/un wanted things around the house.

I am a single mum on a super strict budget.
Food wise, I have it down.
I have 3 pets (2 kelpies & a cat) and 2 kids still at home.
I menu plan and only buy what I need for the fortnight, plus hygiene/cleaning and pet supplies.
I make what I can from scratch and buy bulk where possible, especially meat. It’s not easy, but I average $350 over the 2 weeks for the 6 of us.

I’m a solo parent with 3 kids and no contributions from their dad, so I know what living to a tight budget means too. I echo what many have said about budget and meal planning, and I do my food shopping online every few weeks for most stuff and have it delivered. I have chosen NOT to have a car, as the cost of fuel and insurance etc was a burden on the food budget. YES, it makes tasks like school oshc and childcare drop offs take longer, and I take public transport to work instead. But the upside to this is I walk more so get more exercise, and do my tiny bit towards climate change. Perhaps you can work out a rota to share one car rather than run both?
good luck, sounds like you are doing a grand job already.

I noticed you said kids banking. Most bank savings accounts are only 0.05% at the moment. Have you ever thought about investing some money instead? Start learning about cryptocurrency online. Start with youtube. It might sound scary and expensive to invest but really I think there is more risk in not investing. I’m a stay at home mum and my main income is from buying and selling stocks, however i’ve been in cryptocurrency for almost as long and that is a much better opportunity with the ability to gain high profits much quicker I am saving my way to a house through investing because screw 0.05% interest. Instead of getting 0.05% in a year for example bitcoin is up 64% year to date (top crypto market cap coin) Ethereum is up 431% year to date (second crypto market cap) while I hold a little of each of these I’ve had some awesome days like +600% with dogecoin and it’s rival meme coin shib is up 34.8 million % for the year, absolutely crazy stuff. The minimum deposit to the platform I use Swyftx is only $30 and the minimum buy for crypto is only $1 so anyone who says it’s too expensive to invest is lying. Savings accounts are dying money. Worth having emergency funds seperate but if you want your money to make money you need to learn about investing. No harm in doing a little of your own research and see what you think, this is not financial advice I’m not a financial advisor just a mum that loves making money online investing and trading.

Wow that is a tight budget. Id start first by cooking all of your own food & snacks if you can, grow your own fruit & veg, get some chooks to have your own eggs.. cut out Netflix, spotify etc subscriptions & use the free stations, use libraries for your kids books & toy libraries for toys, try op shops for clothes & fuel dockets where you can. You’ll be surprised at how many things you don’t need

Wow that’s tight……we live on one wage but I keep a budget book…I search all the shops for what is half price etc….I have an app called frugl…..as well. Ibuy most clothes from Big W or Kmart as are very cheap…..I try to keep electricity to a minimum as well. Its very hard and people tnat have money don’t understand…I feel guilty that can not afford big holidays for my boys.. I shop all year around for Christmas as its too hard all at once…..