by Linda Spradlin

Created on: February 13, 2009   Last Updated: February 17, 2009

Facing the difficulties of raising a large family:

Raising a large family on a shoestring budget is something I learned 20 years ago. I was a single mom of two, and then I married a man with two. Then we had one more. That's five, and these days you don't hear much about families that big. Here are some simple tips that will help with everyday things:

Hand down jeans: Save them until the next kid can wear them. If boys jeans are being passed down (skinny jeans are back in style!), your son's jeans can become your daughter's jeans with just a little creativity. Iron on a princess patch, sew a little ruffle around the bottom of the leg (helps if the jeans are too short too), cut off jeans to make shorts if the knees are wearing thin, and save the legs to make little denim drawstring bags for the girls.

For shirts; stitch a piece of elastic to the body of the shirt on the inside to make it fitted under the breast, makes an adorable baby doll style top for the girls.

Use fleece throws to make ponchos for everyone in the family. Fleece throw size blankets can be purchased in drug or department stores for two for $7. A hole in the center large enough for your head to fit through makes a great poncho. You can also dress these up any kind of adornment.

Shop your local Dollar Store or Goodwill store for great bargains. Don't look at what the item is; look at what it could be! A little creativity is all you need to make this work.

Then there's my old favorite, the grocery store. Here's how to stretch your grocery dollars;

Peruse the sale paper from your favorite grocery store as you normally would, but start with the meat section. Pretty much any type of meat will work. You can choose from a whole chicken, a large beef roast, a large pork roast, or a large ham. Even one family pack of ground beef will work. Find something you and your family will like from the listing of meat sales. Write down the type of meat you plan to get.

Spend a few minutes thinking of meals that you would normally make with that type of meat. Jot down the things you will need to make those dinners. When you get to the grocery store, go straight to the meat counter and select the largest package of the sale meat you want. Travel in a circular motion around the outer edges of the store to get the items you know you'll need. Extra: all grocery stores line the outer edges of the store with their healthiest, freshest foods. Then only go down the center isles you absolutely need something from. If you're not

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