Use coupons wisely but only for those items you cannot buy more cheaply otherwise. Manufacturers of name-brand processed foods mark up their products, then offer a coupon for $1 off 2, which is 50 cents each. But often the generic or store brand (made in the same factory!) is more than 50 cents cheeper.
Go to company websites for coupons that don't appear in the circulars. Combine company coupons with store coupons for double savings. Look at stores that accept competitors' coupons.
Buy in bulk but only if you will consume that food within a month - otherwise you are stockpiling while the store keeps your money. Look at what's on sale this week, and then search for recipes by listing the key ingredients. Rachael Ray, for example, has recipes you can find that way but so do other websites.
Start family meal prep as an activity. Unfortunately your husband has fewer work hours, but that means he has more family hours. Cook a few foods and combine in interesting ways. Turkey and all the root vegetables are on sale now, for example, so roast a turkey, then make sliced turkey with roasted sweet potatoes, a turkey casserole with noodles or bread stuffing (your own, not packaged, using some cubed unpeeled apples, diced onion and some apple cider to moisten) and freeze half, turkey wrap sandwiches with spinach leaves and carrot shreds, and use the carcass for turkey soup (add onion, carrots, celery, potatoes). Do the same thing next week with chicken.
The crock pot is great for cheaper cuts of meat. But other sources of protein are less expensive than meat. Use beans, either canned when on sale or dried and soaked overnight. We use cooked beans in stews and chili (meatless or with beef or turkey). We make our own enchiladas - put a strip of refried beans in the center of a tortilla and top with diced onion, peppers, a handful of frozen peas or corn, and some cheddar or jack cheese, or whatever you have. If you have diced cooked chicken or leftover shredded BBQ chicken, use that. Then fold over the 2 sides and secure with a toothpick, place in a baking dish and top with tomato sauce to which you have added any herbs and spices you like such as cumin or coriander, bake for 20 minutes at 350). If you have a picky eater, you just make an enchilada without the thing they don't eat, and this is also a good way to use up peppers that are a little soft but still good. If you avoid bottled enchilada sauces and ready-made taco seasonings and use your own, you can use half a can of tomato puree for this and the rest for a spaghetti sauce, just changing the seasonings, for much less money.
We also make our own chicken nuggets or tenders when chicken goes on sale, dipping in beaten egg and then a mix of whole wheat bread crumbs and wheat germ, then quick frying in olive oil to crisp them up, then finish by putting a rack on a baking sheet and baking them in the oven.
Pizza is a great food for using up leftovers. Frozen vegetables are just as healthy as fresh, and more so if you are buying a fresh vegetable out of season and it was picked 2 weeks ago and kept in nitrogen gas. Same thing for frozen fruits to use in smoothies or desserts.
W also make our own hamburgers using whatever meat is on sale (beef, turkey, chicken, or a a mixture). Lean meats have less fat so the burgers need more moisture - we add frozen chopped spinach, leftover beans from the recipes above, onion (including the juice), a teaspoon of horseradish, leftover green or red peppers, and salt/pepper to make our own mixture. We grind up everything except the meat in the food processor, then combine into patties. English muffins on sale can make a good alternative to buns.
Serve sweet potato oven fries with either the burgers or the chicken nuggets - peel, cut into wedges, and toss in a little olive or canola oil with some salt/pepper or an herb/spice of choice (dill and caraway are both good).
Eggs are incredibly cheap - make a hand-held breakfast "muffin" by putting any little vegetables (peppers, onions, tomatoes) and any leftover bits of meat (ham, bacon) into the cups of a muffin pan. Beat eggs and some milk separately,then pour into the muffin tins and bake until set and golden brown on top. Great on-the-go breakfast and much cheaper/healthier than a "breakfast bar" or pop tart.
Chinese style stir fry is a great use for things you don't have enough of to make a full meal. A couple of broccoli florets can be added to carrot coins/strips, a few pieces of peppers, half an onion in rings or half-rings, etc., cooked in a little oil and with an added sauce of part soy sauce, part water and a little cornstarch to thicken it. Serve over brown rice with a little soy sauce added to the cooking water.
The more you start with raw ingredients rather than short-cut, instant or prepared foods, the cheaper it will be.
Also, cut out things like paper towels by using those reusable, washable cloths, and use cloth napkins instead of paper ones. That's an unnecessary expense for a single-use item. Cut out sodas and juices which are expensive forms of liquid sugar.
Go for breakfasts of oatmeal (very cheap, sticks to your ribs) instead of expensive cereals.
Good luck - make this into a fun family activity and hopefully you will discover the joy of healthier food. Hope he finds more work hours soon!
