How to Feed Teenage Boys on a Budget

If you thought it would be easy to feed your teenage boys because they eat everything, think again--because they eat everything! Trying to keep enough food in the house for your teens can be a constant chore, especially if they are boys and you are on a budget.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Buy bulk, but hide it. It's a great deal if you can buy a case of cheese doodles for $9.99, but if it is eaten in two days, you really haven't saved much, have you? If they don't see the cheese doodles, they will look for other food.
2. Think big carbs. Complex carbohydrates stay with you for a while and can fill up a voracious teen inexpensively. Oats, multigrain breads and rice (preferably brown) all make great fillers. Have big boxes of cereal, loaves of multigrain bread and plenty of pasta meals on hand.
3. Shop early in the morning. Many grocery stores will put their day old breads out at a discount first thing in the morning. Clearance meat will be on the shelf then, too. Go by the deli; yesterday's pizzas will be half price.
4. Serve a complex carb with every meal. Even if there is only a bit of meat, if they can chow down on some multigrain bagels or a few potatoes, it will fill the hole in their stomach.
5. Find the local bread factory and any other food manufacturer. Often, they will have a store on their lot that has discounted food items.
6. Make lots. Soups, stews and browned ground beef can all be frozen into usable portions. If you are making chili, make a few extra bowls and throw them in the freezer for snacks. Budget wise, this will cost nearly nothing compared to frozen entrées from the grocery store.