Thrifty mum-of-8 slashes annual meals invoice regardless of nonetheless cooking for grownup children

A super-mum of eight has dished out her secrets on how she manages to keep her food bill shockingly low. Even while whipping up dinners for her grown-up kids.

Heather Bell, 53, along with her hubby Luke, 51, had a long journey to parenthood, which included adopting their eldest son David, now 24, after eight years of trying for a baby.

The couple didn’t stop there; they opened their hearts and home to fostering and went on to adopt Robert, 23, Joshua, 22, Hailey, 22, Brendon, 21, Izzy, 18, and Noah, 17. They were also blessed with a biological child, Gideon, 20.

As the family expanded, Heather had to adapt her cooking skills to cater to her children, some of whom had food-related issues, by mixing in familiar fast food with healthier options like veggies. Despite only four kids living at home permanently, Heather still cooks for the whole gang and spends a modest $1,000 (£791) monthly on groceries.

Running a poultry farm and masonry business from Upper Peninsula, Michigan, US, Heather shared: “People say ‘why do you feed your kids still?’ I know they are adults but they are still my kids.

“They all come here for dinner.

“They are very very close.

“I don’t mind cooking for my family – I don’t know how to cook small.

“They all just love coming here – they are definitely taking advantage of it.”

Heather’s journey to motherhood was fraught with challenges due to her battle with endometriosis, leading her to believe she would never have children.

Heather and Luke, after adopting their son David in 1999, felt inspired to help other children following the example of their friends who were fostering. Heather shared: “We thought ‘we have our child, maybe we can help others.”

In their first year as foster parents, they adopted Joshua and soon discovered they were expecting Gideon.

The couple found themselves adopting some of the children they fostered, always keeping an “open door” policy with the biological families, which Heather believes has brought them “closer”. She recounted: “In six years we adopted six kids.

“It was bam bam bam.”

Despite not envisioning a large family for herself, Heather adapted, especially in the kitchen, catering to her children’s food sensitivities and past traumas.

She explained: “Our kids – they all had some kind of food issue or trauma.

“I had to change the way I made things.

“Izzy was sensitive to textures.”

To avoid overwhelming the children, she introduced familiar foods like French fries and hot dogs alongside vegetables. Heather also mentioned: “I make a tater tot casserole in a 17 inch dish.”

She managed to reduce her grocery bills from $500-$700 weekly to monthly shopping, now raising her own beef, eggs, and preserving food through canning.

Heather revealed: “I’m learning to be more self-sufficient. When I was younger I was tired and exhausted. I would go to the grocery store a lot. I was doing it overkill. Now I have been trying to utilise what we have before I go to the grocery store. I go once a month – and spend $1,000 a month if that.”

Despite her frugality throughout the year, Heather doesn’t skimp on Thanksgiving and Christmas, with no set budget. She gifts her children seven small presents and one main one, spending an average of £500 on each.

Heather added: “We spend thousands on the holidays. I started my list early and in a notepad. I listen to my kids and make notes. I’ve been shopping for Christmas since July.”

Although only four of her children live at home, all of them stay nearby and often drop by for dinner or a baked treat. Heather has now released her own cookbook, Mama Bell’s Big Family Cooking, aimed at helping other large families.

She explained: “I’ve never found a cookbook for big families. Families like me are sick of quadrupling recipes.”

The cookbook also provides a glimpse into Heather’s family life, detailing who joined their family when and how she adapted her cooking.

Mama Bell’s Big Family Cooking is available for purchase from Amazon and Simon & Schuster.

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