As things get tighter, the first thing to get squeezed is the pocket book. It’s inevitable but it’s easy to adjust. Now, just because you have kids and a husband doesn’t mean you have to continue purchasing the name brand products because that’s what they like. There are plenty of ways to save money on foods that’ll please your new budget and your family’s stomachs. Check out these six tips:

1) Sunday paper, Sunday paper, Sunday paper. There’s a delightful thing called manufacturer’s coupons. They can be doubled with store coupons, and online purchases. You can transform any bill from $50 to $15 in a few scans. There are coupons for spices, makeup and everything around, above and in-between.

2) Instead of ordering pizza, make pizza! Put the kids to work and you can supervise. You don’t have to cook every night; let them help. Flour, pizza sauce, pepperoni and cheese can make you multiple pizzas for no more than $15, and it might taste better than one from your local pizza shop!

3) Remember bologna? That circle shaped flab of meat that blends so well with mustard, and costs $1.50 a pack? Literally that’s about ten cents a slice. It’s a great tasting and old fashioned way of saving. All you have to do is show the young ones how to peel the red strip, if you buy that brand.

4) Avoid too much breads, hotdogs and juices. Believe it or not these things make your kids and yourself hungrier. They are terrible snack choices. Instead, make a sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes and they’ll be full for hours. A bag of chips on the side isn’t harmful either.

5) Serve a glass of water before dinner. Serving your children an eight–ounce glass of water makes their stomachs feel fuller and they will eat less. So go ahead and cook that large dinner, but you’ll have more leftovers when they eat less. Your husband may need the 16-ounce glass.

6) Treat yourself (and your children) once a month to something amazing. They’ll appreciate it more often than not. Once a month, go ahead and buy that gallon of ice cream, especially if you have the coupons for it. How about vanilla ice cream with strawberries and apple bread? It’ll send your kids to bed with a smile and you feel satisfied knowing that as a mom you’ve done an excellent job in keeping it together.

These tips and tricks are very small. At first their effectiveness isn’t obvious, but you’ll start to notice their positive affect over time. If you’re looking to keep food in the fridge and possibly have more than usual, these are easy ways to do it. No mess, no fuss and your family won’t even notice the difference besides their faces of satisfaction.