How do moms of teens keep up with the grocery bill?

How do teen moms deal with teens eating you out of house and home lmao? I took in my stepbrother. He’s 15. A growing boy. I don’t want to give him a complex about eating or make him feel uncomfortable. So I haven’t mentioned anything. I buy $300 in groceries and it only lasting 2 days. I was thinking of buying him cheap stuff to binge eat on. Hot dogs, sandwich stuff, top ramen, etc. but I’m not sure how to mention it to him. I don’t want him to feel like he has to watch what he eats. But $300 in groceries only lasting 2 days isn’t something I can afford. Any ideas or tips on what to do.

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Packet soup noodles are your friend. And get him a box for stuff he can eat when he’s hungry. Also cheese and ham are good sources of protein to feel full.

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Buy whole foods, veggies, and fruits, nuts and seeds, peanut butter, lean meats, cheeses
Foods that actually satisfy and full the body with nutrients. Eating empty calories we tend to be hunger in matter of hours or minutes. And these processed foods don’t tell our stomachs enough is enough, they tell us more more because the body starts to crave it and want it.

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Give him back the bill only gets larger as they grow :woozy_face: teen boys eat every minute of every day.

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You should also be getting some kind of support for him

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Sorry that’s not good, get him active in something. Sounds like hes eating out of boredom. And that is setting him up for failure.

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Kids eat when they’re bored, he needs more activities

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He could be bored.My teens do this when theyre bored.I say,get him into a sport or something fun for the rest of the summer.

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Usually when you’re just eating because you’re bored you’re really thirsty so tell him to eat an apple and drink a glass of water and if your still hungry after 5 minutes then find a good protein snack. also take them to the grocery store and start teaching on the value of the dollar and budgeting with that meal planning.

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He needs protein. Meat, Peanut butter. Nuts,

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Buy cheaper foods. My daughter doesn’t eat much but my step kids have amazing appetites .

He is growing, they need fuel for that

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Lol. I feel your pain. I raised 2 boys, plus always had couple extra friends around. I homemade alot of stuff. Soups, chili, roasts. Made big batches of quick bread and cookies. Pancakes, oatmeal and eggs are cheap and filling. Lots of fruits like bananas and vegetables like carrots, celery, ect with dip. I stayed away from processed foods because of costs and bought in bulk. It’s alot cheaper to make a huge casserole like mac and cheese or tuna casserole then to buy boxed mixes and healthier.

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I don’t know his previous situation. It might be that he’s just not used to having good food readily available. So he’s overindulging.
He could just be bored.
You definitely should just ask and mention it.
He is 15 after all. He can talk and understand your position.

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I wouldn’t say anything. Just start buying frozen $1 pizzas burritos nuggets thank kinda thing and mention hey I got you those for snacks.

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Buy a bunch of boxes of mac and cheese if he’s gonna eat all the easy stuff get things he has to cook :rofl::rofl::rofl:

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You can make big pots of rice and pasta to always have in the fridge to reheat, easy and cheap. Also oatmeal and he can add different toppings.

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Sit him down and make a food plan with him. Just be honest, he will more than likely understand

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Shop wholesale and freeze!
A case of bananas for $5 will go far.
Same with strawberries etc.

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I cook 3 meals a day . Then I have a pantry and drawer in the fridge of stuff they can snack on anytime . But what’s in their designated areas is only what’s available. It helps keep the cost down and helps binge eating without making it a big deal

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I have 2 teenagers that’s a lot for 2 days of eating mine doesn’t even eat that much maybe he’s trying to feel a void with food or something come about it in a gentle way when talking to him though good luck

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Basket on counter with snacks that can be eaten throughout the day.

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Cheaper foods are loaded with absolute garbage…im of lower income and I still make sure what I’m feeding my son is on the healthier side.

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Parent of 2 teen boys and the house where all the friends hang. Snacks really really add up so some things I keep on hand that are cheap, filling and/or take a minute to eat (for between meals) bananas, baked potatoes, ramen, pbj, eggs, popcorn, sunflower seeds, peanuts in the shell, Mac-n-cheese, flavored tuna pouches.

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Buy those extra cheaper items. Buy kool-aid or another drink instead of pop. Maybe try n shop somewhere cheaper like Aldi’s.

Have your normal meals and buy other snack things like frozen pizza, noodles ,chicken nuggets etc that he can throw in the oven between meals or have sandwich fillings handy. Teen boys snack day and night. Make sure hes still eating his proper meals though because they will snack rather than eat healthy meals .
Also check out any benefits you may be entitled to for taking him in

Make meals balanced with protein, carb, and good fats.

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I bargain shop always, look for store sales, coupons. I look up and down aisles for sales on non perishable stuff. Any time there is a sale on any meat I buy 3 or 4 dinners worth and freeze it.

Stock up on Ramen, peanut butter, $.99 Walmart bread, burritos, and hot dogs. Explain those are for snacks. Make meals with rice, pasta, and lots of protein. Tuna casseroles-can be made easily with Mac and cheese and tuna on busy days. Frozen veggies are reasonable. Explain to the kids that groceries have gone up and they can’t just eat when they’re bored. Fix 3 squares a day, have the snack foods of Ramen, hot dogs, peanut butter/ bread, and burritos. Tell them when the snacks are gone, they’re gone till you go to the store again. Tell them to find something to do. Clean their rooms, read, listen to music, or journal. Play games or solitaire. Just do something.

Ask him what he likes to eat. Make a shopping list. So he knows what he can have . And let him know anything other is for family dinners.

U need to stop getting lobster and caviar

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A couple years ago I had to tell both my boys to chill on the eating unless they wanted to start paying for food. I was just honest with them and told them I’m spending too much money on food. And if they are eating because they are bored then they need to go outside. I told them they get 3 meals and two snacks a day. If the don’t eat all of their meal, that doesn’t mean they get to snack more. Be honest with the boys really helped. I started showing them what I was money and they couldn’t believe it. But I want them to know how much food cost so they could understand where I was coming from. I ending up saving about $400 a month when they cut back. Sometimes kids just eat when they are bored.

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Bake? Maybe cookies in the freezer, breads (banana, etc) have some frozen fruits and veggie packs in freezer bags for smoothies.
Mr. Noodles, cause every kid has that nostalgia.
Wraps and deli meats/cheeses and sprouts/arugula etc. Watermelon.
Cook a little extra at meals and have leftovers.

Ramen. Pizza bites. Chips. Granola bars. sandwich meat. Cheese. Pretzels. Nuts.

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Maybe include him in the budget/shopping. So he can see the prices and all that without it getting awkward. Maybe say ok we’ve got $xx to spend on snacking etc so let’s see what we can get that will last the longest. Maybe shop at Sam’s/Costco for a larger supply of snacks. Then ration them out weekly. If he can get an understanding that the food needs to last maybe he will be more aware. Also be creative with activities because a lot of snacking and eating unnecessary is out of boredom not hunger. So before he gets the 3rd snack for the day ask have you done chores, been outside, xyz whatever things he enjoys.

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My boys are in their 30’s now, but I always had at least 6 boys in my house plus my daughter during the summer. 15 pounds of lunch meat, 8 boxes of cereal, 6 gallons of milk plus fruit for snacks and dinner…I spent $400/week back then. I now feed my grandkids that I have everyday because their parents work. No way I could afford to feed all those boys now! Shop at Aldis or a store similar and still it’s expensive. I started a garden this year with the grandkids from seed to teach them how to grow their own. Next year it will be bigger. I don’t know how parents can afford to feed kids a healthy diet today :broken_heart:

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My brother-in-law was the same way I raised that kid from 11 to 16 me and husband learn to keep frozen meals and dinners for him like TV dinners pizzas sandwiches the only thing we bought extra for him and a lot of was tomatoes cuz the kid would just sit there and eat raw plain tomatoes lol and also we would give the kid a box of his own snacks to keep in his room and if he ate them all that’s his problem until we go shopping again but we were pretty broke so that’s just the options we had we did still keep lots of fruit in the house but there are Staples that we would also keep eggs rice potatoes sandwich stuff things that he could easily cook quick but he also got a healthy dinner I always cooked

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Meal prepping and prepping snacks in general does help. I buy meat in bulk to save there. Then I shop my local market for discounted produce and fruit is the absolute best bc we just wash and dry it and cut off Anything that’s gone bad, then we dehydrate some and freeze the rest. Frozen grapes are a favorite in my house as well as dehydrated strawberry. Then I batch cook things I can…soups and stuff and we portion them out as lunches that can be easily heated. Another favorite is spinach and artichoke dip, I’ll make a 6×-8× recipe and portion that as well… he can make all kinds of things from it and I still find new ones often on pinterest and such. We do Flatbreads with the dip, chicken, mushrooms and Parmigiano and mozzarella cheeses…grilled melt sandwiches, you can add chicken and mushrooms or just do the dip and provolone or mozzarella cheese. Stuffed mushrooms with the dip and topped with cheese are amazing and so easy once the dip is done! Batch cook chili for chili dogs and chili cheese fries. I mean once you start getting into it and begin to learn how to do these things the possibilities are pretty endless. And he’s 15 so I’d begin to have him help with the preparation so that he’s learning as well and the more he learns how to cook the less “snacks” you would go through inherently. In my experience, kids would rather eat bs but I think an open conversation with him, not to make him feel bad or anything but just so that he understands that you literally cannot afford that so he will have to put in some effort to help keep that bill down some. That’s fair at his age imo plus then he can also eat more healthily as well

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If my kids were eating 300worth in 2 days, I’d be losing my shit. Honestly. That’s obsurd.

That’s a great idea and designate a area for his stuff. Be like look these are your snacks for 2 weeks.

He is 15, old enough to understand budgets.

Talk with him.

Make dishes with rice or pasta or potatoes that he can reheat.

Teach him to make cooked oatmeal, not the instant, too expensive. He can add brown sugar, fresh or dried fruit, nuts, etc for a sweet treat.

Or savory by adding a can of condensed veggie soup, cheese, frozen veggies, diced ham or any leftover bits of meat. I’ve done this… yummy.

Shop at Aldi’s.

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Not buying a bunch of processed food helps.
No kid needs to eat that much food in 3 days that is going to cause health issues like probably to much weight gain etc.

You need to limit children on food. Some will eat until they puke

Unfortunately excess will lead to health issues sooner or later. Discuss portions - and tell him what you’ve purchased has to last a week. Letting them gorge isn’t doing them favors. “A growing boy” is an excuse- and when he’s done growing he’ll use “I’m a full grown man” as his excuse. It’s as foolish as saying “I’m pregnant and eating for two” . Nutrition is more valuable than “fullness”.

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I told my teen growing up that they get three meals a day and I made a cubard for snacks and when the snacks are gone they are no more till groceries are bought the next week

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Girl just buy what your gonna cook let them pick out 2 snacks that’s all foods expensive and now a days kids eat like adults and the snack we all are like little creatures eating everything all day everyday We eat like animals lol​:joy::joy::joy::joy: especially if we bored :sob::sob::sob::sob: we just can’t help it

All that snack food stuff is so expensive. Just cook inexpensive meals with enough to have leftovers for him.

Dang I could make that last a good 2 weeks and there are 5 of us which one is a 17yr 6’4" young man and he exercises a lot so he eats a lot.

He’s old enough to get a part time job… get him to help pay for the groceries.

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I certainly wouldn’t encourage his binge eating if that is what is happening. No one is growing enough that they 300 dollars in food over a few days. I would have a serious conversation with him about his eating habits.

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I buy my teen son his own snacks to keep in his room so he is not always snacking on everything else in the house. I do have two other kids so I need to make sure the snacks n stuff last.

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He could get a part time job at a food place that lets you have a free or discounted meal during your shift

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Look for deals, coupons , bogo , dollar tree, food stands, buy store brand not name brand an shop different stores to get better prices on different items … I have 3 kids and 4 if you count boyfriend and I have learned to stretch money by doing these things also maybe go to food pantry’s it has helped even when their friends used to come over and eat. Also the more fruit an veggies you push the fuller they will be also teach portion control their intake will change after a couple weeks on how much they eat lol :woman_shrugging:t2: my kids used to be black holes with food teaching them portion control has helped and telling them a amount of time you expect the food to last and if it is gone prior they will need to wait till a certain day to get more .

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Give him a gift card for the grocery store. Help him set up a budget and encourage him to meal plan. Be hesitant to top off when he spends it all right away.

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Sounds like he is eating out of boredom find something for him to do.

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I have 4 boys and 1 girl send help :joy:

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Include him in the shopping.

300 for 2 days?! Buy the cheap stuff he can make a sandwich with a side of chips. Things like that.

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Maybe get him out the house doing things so he doesn’t snack all day

Make sure you are getting money back for everything you buy! It’s not item specific like ibotta either. You can cash out for gift cards(I always get amazon) but they have visa cards you can choose too!

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When I go grocery shopping, I buy stuff for meals, along with specific snacks for my kids. They each have their own bin of foods to snack on. Once their bin is empty, that’s it. They have to wait until my next shopping trip. They’ve quickly learned the difference between boredom and hunger. They also drink a lot of water, which definitely curbs their appetite.

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Ffs $300 in 2 days you must be buying top shelf, name brand ready to eat meals :roll_eyes:… just the fact that you mention hot dogs and top Ramen as stuff you’re not already buying.

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Only buy things that need to be cooked. They don’t like cooking lol

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Buy fruits and veggies as snacks to go with it. Also make sure he is drinking enough water. My boys don’t drink pop so that cuts down on the sugar spike binge eating.

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Plan your meals and then set up a snack section in both fridge and pantry and give him only that for the week. Explain to him you have to budget groceries so that you don’t get behind on your bills and he’ll get that. He might even want to make his own money some to buy what he wants to eat

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I had my nephew for a month and he did this too, he’s 14. He would stay up all night gaming and eat all night after we went to bed. After 2 weeks of this I bought only food that needed to be thawed, cooked and prepared (meals), I told him what was to be used for sides for meals and that they were off limits (mac n cheese, pasta sides), I let him come to the store with me and pick out 3 snack boxes/ chips or case of ramen/canned soup or chief b, things to last him for the week, along with stuff I was already buying for him to eat with us breakfast,lunch,dinner. Also started making sure he was asleep by 12:30-1am so he couldn’t just binge all night because they really can eat a whole box of hostess treats sitting in front of that game in one night. I also bought my own and my daughter her own box of snacks/ bag of chips to keep in my room so it all felt equal. Also him realizing how much it cost and I paid at the store he started to appreciate it more.

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Shop at aldi first then grocery store if you have aldi or other discount groceries grocery outlets etc.

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$300-n it only last 2 days-that’s BS n just wrong-buy store brands n cheaper things-fruit load the fruit n him

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Make him get a job for one and two use your local resources like the food bank and free meals if there are any

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Buy food you actually have to make vs ready to eat or microwavable. Also, explain to him that you’re spending $300 on groceries. He’s 15 and should understand how money works. You’re not doing him any favors by trying to spare his feelings. Kids need to learn accountability, the value of money, and being mindful of others in the household. If he’s eating all the groceries, no one else can eat. Have the hard talk!

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I stick to things that must be cooked. If my teens want snacks they get apples or they can make a sandwich. I do a good breakfast like eggs, bacon and toast or pancakes. Lunch is well whatever my teens make… dinner is balanced like meatloaf potatoes veggies dinner rolls and pie or something. It helps I pay about 500 a month for grocery shopping for a family of 11. You’ll learn how to stretch it soon

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Take him to the store with tou make it a point to ppiint out the prices on some of the higher items and when you checking out and hes sees 300 buys less than half a cart of groceries maybe hell be more conscious of what hes eating also maybe be a good eay to see what cheaper items hell eat!

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3 children here myself and surprisingly the teens don’t eat much atm…it’s my 7yr old. Girl is in a growth spurt. So always hungry it seems. I feel you…with these days it’s hard to survive with bills and tbh we cut way back on any kind of snacks. Once they’re gone, that’s it. We basically just get drinking options (sweet tea, soda (only 2, 2 litters, water) and main meals like dinner. We have breakfast options & dinner now. Snack in between.

Ummm limit the food. Sounds harsh but it is what it is. Shop at Aldis and bargain hunt. Food prep helps. I have two teens …. And man!!! They can snack on peanut butter and jelly and ramen. I keep some stuff to add some flare to the ramen including left over chicken, green onions, sauces and boiled eggs. Gotta get creative
If you have him …. Check into food assistance … frfr. They are giving extra money in my state if you are fostering kids or have a relatives kid. Check into it. Zero shame!!! SOMEONE who contributed biologically to that kid needs to hand you money every single week for their care and bills. Period.

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Oh, no no! He would absolutely be hearing about spending $300 and eating it all in 2 days. This is not a competition on how fast it can be gone. I have two 16 year olds and they know they better not drain my pantry in days. I also buy foods that will stick, in bulk. My son eats a lot of oatmeal. It’s cheap and fills him up and is healthy. His twin is a noodle girl. So, again but in bulk. But they know if it is gone before restock day, they’re short and hungry.

But what you can he will eat it if he’s hungry. Also less snacks and bigger meals help. But easier said than done

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Nothing microwaveable or ready to eat. Ramen and hot dogs and stuff are the easiest to make and they will eat 2 Ramen at a time and maybe some bread they will make a Ramen sandwich. It’s easier and much more easy on the picket. Avoid sodas and stuff as they are expensive and they will chug them like nothing. Kool-aid is easy and they will probably go through a jug a day. That’s if you are allowing him to eat as he pleases. I do the 3-2-1 rule. 3 square meals, 2 snacks and 1 liter of water. After that, unless they are very active which mine really are not during the week, they don’t get a bunch of extras. Eat what I make and they know snack options and times. We go for filling snacks like a banana and a yogurt. They just eat when they get bored.

Is he eating or sharing with friends

Kids hate to cook.
If it’s easy to grab they will eat it ALL. If it has to be prepared, they will wait for you to make it.

I agree with the comment of purchasing only things that needs to be actually cooked but i will say this. I have a 5 year old son who is growing very rapidly. (I know its different from a teenager). But my son is 4 foot 2 inches and weighs 60 pounds. He is literally the size of an 8 year old. Anyways i noticed awhile back that he seemed to be a bottomless pit. I was annoyed because it just cost so much money. Well during this observation i worked at WIC and i was talking to the registered dietician about my son. She recommended me to myplate.gov to make all his meals. Which also meant cutting out too much sugar and especially empty calories such as chips. She also recommened to make ahead of time snacks he could grab and go in little containers that have fruit, a veggie, and a protein in it. Im not even kidding… the MOMENT i moved to her recommendation my son ate like a normal human being. Its not that i never let him have chips or cookies i just treated it as a treat after dinner and limit him to one treat a night. I also made sure he only had water all day and he could have one cup of juice with dinner but if he finished it then he would switch to water. So i realize that a teenager might still eat more but you would be surprised when we cut out all the frozen ready to make foods or the easy grab snack foods such as chips that their bodies receive the nutrients they need and keeps them full longer. It can also be helpful to ensure they arent eating out of boredom so encouraging more outside time and limiting tv/video games even if that means going to the mall to walk around can also help with the bottomless pit appetite.

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Let him know if he wants to eat all the food you buy he can start pitching in some money.

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Only 2 days!!! Omg wow, wait… what are you buying though?

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Teens like the cheap easy shit. Ask him what he likes to eat and what he can make on his own.

You want him to eat the junk food instead of health but you don’t want him to have a complex? Giving someone unhealthy options just to stop him eating all your healthy food is not going to help him. Teach him. Maybe buy more frozen veggies so he can eat those. By giving junk food you will make it worse

My kidd arnt even that old and eat me out of house and home. Say hello of cheaper off brands and setting a limit. We’ll its gone till grocery day sorry better start making ramen or butter breads :joy: straight tell him I can’t afford all that he’s old enough to understand that.

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Another question since we don’t know why he moved in with you is did where he lived before have food readily available? If there was food insecurities he may be eating because of fear not knowing when his next meal will be. That would need therapy to overcome.

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Get assistance if you need it either from the govt or his parents. Also go ahead and get the ramen, pastas with some sauces to add to them, boxes of Mac n cheese, lots of bread and PB! I also have a 15yo and he eats a lot as well. I have foods that he can make himslef and also fresh fruits/vegetables that I buy and grow from the garden. Children shouldnt have to pay for their own things like food. Now special snacks that he would like sure… but you took him in and part of that is feeding him. He’s already going to have trauma related to whatever led to him having to live with you don’t add food to that.

Personally if I do buy snacks that are more expensive I tell them I bought those to last for so long and if they eat all of them immediately then they’re gone and I’m not buying them again until such and such date which is like 2 months away. But I also started teaching my kiddo to cook. So when he’s really hungry outside of reg meal times he can make himself something to eat. But also you may need to rethink whatever store you are shopping at and look into couponing. The whole family can help with that. It’s a good skill that everyone can learn. Even my 8yo eats a lot but he eats fruits and veggies. We’re at the point of buying apple trees for our next property.

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Don’t buy any snacks buy fruit and veggies. Don’t buy microwave stuff. Don’t buy chips

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I buy groceries every other week. If they eat thru everything in 2 days then they’ll be very hungry until I go shopping again. They learn. They are 17, 15, 13.

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You need to grocery shop differently you need to sit down together with your step brother and have a conversation about the things that he likes to eat outside of meals and then work on buying that stuff. hot dogs, lunch meat for sandwiches, pizza rolls, french fries , chicken nuggets, microwave Mac & cheese , chips and other snacks, those should be Staples in your house with almost any teenage boy I had three teenage boys at home once for an entire summer, they had an entire cabinet that was just food/snacks for them like mac and cheese cups, ramen noodles,chips etc they also had their own drawer in the refrigerator that had lunch meat and hot dogs and other cold things that they could have same with out freezer they had a shelf for pizza rolls fry’s etc. that way they weren’t eating up all the food that was for family meals. And you should absolutely talk to him find a way to talk about making sure that you guys are getting food for him that he can munch on and eat whenever he wants talk about how often you grocery shop etc so that he can understand that there’s a budget and that there are family meals u cook for all. And then things that he can eat or snack on in between but that it has to last until the next time you go grocery shopping etc etc .

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Buy nutritious stuff that will actually fulfill his hunger. And some little snacks for when he feels like eating snacks.

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Teach him how to bake :slight_smile: getting a decent amount of baking ingredients should help cut costs over time

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I have no idea how my mother ever had so much great food in our house with my brothers…
You can make ground beef go far with different meals… Lasagna,tacos,mmeatloaf , pasta with meat sauce…
Eggs, you can make frittatas, egg salad, scrambled eggs

Old enough to work at a place where food is available as part of your employment benefits. You didn’t mention whether a weight problem or food disorder is involved here. It isn’t only girls who have issues.

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I have 4 kids and 2 are teens. Plus my husband and myself. $300 lasts me nearly 2 weeks. I just have to get the necessities on our non pay weeks. What are you buying first? I seen someone post about I’d it’s easy to grab they it if if it has to be cooked they won’t eat it. So I would budget xx amount to “easy to grab things” but make that a small amount $50 bucks a week. So $250 or more can be food that needs to be cooked. That’s how I do it. But I try not to focus on stuff like ramen that’s full of sodium. My kids binge on fruit cups, applesauce pouches. I also make my own uncrustables. I get 1.00 loaves of bread and I get the peanut butter and jelly at the dollar tree for $10 bucks I can make about 30-40 uncrustables. I use one of those 50 cent plastic cups from Walmart to cut it and then a fork to pinch it. They are the TOP binge thing in my house even my husband loves them. We also do yogurts and granola. If you want to pm I can give you a list of the things I make vs buying to save money. I set one afternoon on the weekend aside every 2 weeks to make everything.

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I feel like he’s old enough to understand… I would just tell him you have a budget and work with him to figure out what he wants most and what will last the longest.

I had 5 teenagers at one time and it was a challenge to keep food in the house. 3 boys and 2 girls and those girls could eat just like the boys. We ate lots of fruit and veggies with every meal to help fill them up.

Don’t even say anything and just buy cheaper food to bring the bill down

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Junk food only makes them more hungry.maybe prepare foods for him he can eat at meal times? An like a protein for a snack .

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